2020 MLB Season Preview

We don't know when the MLB Season will start. We don't know how many games will be played once it does. We don't know when it will end or if it will have an effect on next season. The only thing we do know is that it'll be at least mid-May before the season begins. With last Thursday slated to be opening day, let's break down every team by division. At the end, I'll make my predictions for the eventual champion, as well as the 2020 BBWAA award-winners.

Disclaimer: Each team is predicted by 162-game record. Even in 162 games are never played, it remains a good marker for preseason estimated success.

AL East

New York Yankees

Prediction: 101-61

MVP: Gerrit Cole

X-Factor: James Paxton

A 100-win team last year, the Yankees will limp (literally) into 2020 already behind the injury 8-ball... $324M man Cole will have plenty of expectations to live up to... Giancarlo Stanton and Gary Sanchez will need bounce-back campaigns with more consistency for the Bronx Bombers to reach full offensive potential... with Luis Severino out for the season, Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka are going to need to recreate some of their career-best seasons or the Yankees will be looking at another successful year that doesn't quite feel like it.

Tampa Bay Rays

Prediction: 84-78

MVP: Tommy Pham

X-Factor: Hunter Renfroe

Until opposing teams prove to be able to consistently hit Rays pitching beyond Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, the team should be squared away in that regard... The offense lacks reliable producers past on-base machine Pham, making offseason acquisition Renfroe all the more critical to the team's success... Even with Kevin Kiermaier and Joey Wendle back to full health, Tampa seems unlikely to get the repeat campaigns needed from Austin Meadows and Avisail Garcia to be 90-game winners again.

Toronto Blue Jays

Prediction: 82-80

MVP: Hyun-Jin Ryu

X-Factor: Tanner Roark

The Blue Jays may very well be the division's only team currently on the rise... If the future isn't now, it's coming very soon at the plate behind the bats Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr.... Long the achilles heel of the club, the rotation should finally have some stability with the addition of Ryu, and could even be one of the league's surprise group if Roark, Chase Anderson, and Matt Shoemaker are able to turn in performances more closely resembling some of their previous campaigns... Coupled with a solid bullpen duo of Wilmer Font and Ken Giles, the Blue Jays might be a trade-deadline move away from making a serious playoff push in 2020 and plenty more to come.

Boston Red Sox

Prediction: 80-82

MVP: Xander Bogaerts

X-Factor: Alex Verdugo

With Chris Sale on the shelf for the year, Boston's three-headed monster of Sale, David Price, and Rick Porcello has vanished in time for the 2020 season... Consistency is a must from Eduardo Rodriguez and Nathan Eovaldi... Mookie Betts has also left town, leaving the offense to an aging JD Martinez, 2019 All-Star Bogaerts, and youngster Rafael Devers... If the offense wants to remain in the same conversation as some of the Red Sox teams of the recent past, Verdugo, Andrew Benintendi and Kevin Pillar are going to need to combine to fill the Mookie-sized hole in Boston's heart.

Baltimore Orioles

Prediction: 50-112

MVP: Trey Mancini

X-Factor: John Means

Baltimore is, in all likelihood, looking at a third straight season flirting with an all-time bad record... After Mancini, who may miss time following a tumor-removing procedure, the offensive talent is paper thin... Even if Austin Hays, Anthony Santander, Pedro Severino, Hanser Alberto, and Renato Nuñez are all able to come into their own (don't bet on it), the O's are still looking at 60-win campaign at best behind a rotation headed by Means, Alex Cobb, and Asher Wojciechowski and a bullpen highlighted by Mychal Givens... It can be assumed that at least a few of the youngsters should blossom in the coming months, but recent additions like Cobb and José Iglesias should raise concerns about where exactly this rebuild is headed.

AL Central

Minnesota Twins

Prediction: 99-63

MVP: Josh Donaldson

X-Factor: Kenta Maeda

Coming off a season in which they set the all-time team record for home runs, Minnesota has surprisingly lofty expectations heading into 2020... If Donaldson can approach the numbers of his early seasons in Toronto, the Twins should be primed to explode offensively again with the power bats of Miguel Sano, Mitch Garver, Nelson Cruz, and Eddie Rosario... Behind ace José Berrios, who hasn't himself seen playoff success to the point, offseason additions Maeda, Rich Hill, and Homer Bailey will need to prove solid rotation clogs to give the team a chance to continue playing past the Division Series.

Chicago White Sox

Prediction: 87-75

MVP: José Abreu

X-Factor: Yoan Moncada

The success of the White Sox will be heavily dependent on the production of prized prospects Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, Michael Kopech, and Dylan Cease... With a bounce back year from Abreu and a repeat campaign from Lucas Giolito on the hill, it's easy to see Chicago reaching the playoffs in 2020 with plenty more runs to come.

Kansas City Royals

Prediction: 75-87

MVP: Jorge Soler

X-Factor: Brad Keller

The hope in Kansas City is that a healthier version of last year's 59-win team can produce a substantial uptick in wins... With young faces like Hunter Dozier, Adalberto Mondesi, and Ryan O'Hearn gaining more major league experience, the KC offense has a real chance to be one of the league's surprises... The power of Soler, whose HR total last year matched that from his previous 3 seasons comined, and the perfect table-setter in Whit Merrifield should lead a lineup poised for a breakout campagin... If some question marks on the mound, like Keller, Jakob Junis, and Danny Duffy, are solved, it's not hard to envision the Royals making one of the league's biggest climbs once the season gets underway.

Cleveland Indians

Prediction: 73-89

MVP: José Ramirez

X-Factor: Francisco Lindor

Come trade deadline time (whenever that ends up being), the Indians are going to have a huge choice to make: will they make one more push at a title and be buyers, or will they opt to ship Lindor out of town for a haul of assets?... Their trades of Trevor Bauer and former Cy Young winner Corey Kluber this offseason seems to suggest that they'll have no problem doing the latter if Ramirez, Carlos Santana, and Franmil Reyes isn't enough to support a rotation that falls steeply after Shane Bieber, Mike Clevinger, and Carlos Carrasco and put the team in playoff position by mid-season.

Detroit Tigers

Prediction: 50-112

MVP: Niko Goodrum

X-Factor: Jordan Zimmermann

The Tigers are in the middle of a seasons-long rebuild, but you'd never know if from their offseason acquisitions of CJ Cron, Jonathan Schoop, and Cameron Maybin... Of the returners, Goodrum, JaCoby Jones, and Jeimer Candelario will need serious upticks in production for the Detroit offense to get off ground level... Behind so-called "ace" Matthew Boyd, major bounce-backs will be needed out of Zimmermann and others if the Tigers have any hope to even progress on their rebuild timeline this season.

AL West

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Prediction: 91-71

MVP: Mike Trout

X-Factor: Shohei Ohtani

With plenty of attention surrounding the division rival Astros, the Angels quietly had themselves one of the league's best offseasons... Trout will be Trout, but the addition of Anthony Rendon should set the Angels up to be one of the league's top offenses... A few floundered prospects in Julio Teheran and Dylan Bundy will look for new beginnings, hoping to anchor a rotation that has a chance to be solid, provided Andrew Heaney, a former prized prospect himself, can finally have a good season and Ohtani can live up to the hype that still surrounds him as a pitcher.

Houston Astros

Prediction: 85-77

MVP: George Springer

X-Factor: Lance McCullers Jr.

As much as I'd like to predict the Astros to win 50 games, it's just unreasonable to say, even with sign-stealing festivities halted, that they'll suddenly suffer from a complete lack of talent... With José Altuve and Alex Bregman under immense pressure nightly, Houston will need big seasons from Springer and Yulieski Gurriel to take some weight off the stars' shoulders... With Gerrit Cole departed for New York, McCullers Jr. will have huge shoes to fill behind Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke that suddenly looks very top-heavy.

Oakland Athletics

Prediction: 80-82

MVP: Matt Chapman

X-Factor: Mike Fiers

In order to contend in the West again, Oakland will need to continue to be stellar both offensively and defensively, behind both the bats and gloves of Chapman, Matt Olson, and Ramon Laureano... Khris Davis and Mark Canha will be looking for better production this season than last... Even still, without a true ace, Fiers and Sean Manaea must prove able to support the pitching staff, lest a talented positional group be wasted.

Texas Rangers

Prediction: 69-93

MVP: Corey Kluber

X-Factor: Elvis Andrus

With a brand new stadium awaiting, the Rangers are perhaps more anxious to get the season underway than any other team... If Lance Lynn and Mike Minor can repeat stellar 2019 seasons, the addition of Kluber should push the Texas rotation towards the top of the league... The offense, on the other hand, is in search of more consistency, especially from Andrus, Shin-Soo Choo, and Willie Calhoun... Joey Gallo has flashed MVP-type talent... The hope is that the acquisitions of Todd Frazier and Robinson Chirinos are enough to boost the offense enough for a run at a Wild Card.

Seattle Mariners

Prediction: 65-97

MVP: Evan White

X-Factor: Marco Gonzales

There are lots of new faces in Seattle this year, and almost all are homegrown... There will likely be some growing pains while White, Jake Fraley, Kyle Lewis, Shed Long Jr., and Tom Murphy carve out their roles... Veterans Kyle Seager and Mitch Haniger should serve as anchors of the lineup... Pitching is a serious concern, so a lot lies on a boom-or-bust young starters like Gonzales, Yusei Kikuchi, and Justus Sheffield... Overall, 2020 is looking like a transition year for Seattle.

NL East

Atlanta Braves

Prediction: 104-58

MVP: Ronald Acuña Jr.

X-Factor: Mike Soroka

A popular title pick for good reason, Atlanta's young stars Acuña and Ozzie Albies are only going to improve as time continues... Former All-Stars Marcell Ozuna and Will Smith have joined a team that, led by Freddie Freeman, won 97 games a season ago... If the Braves' record improves in 2020, it's going to be in large part due to better pitching, as both Soroka and Max Fried look to solidify themselves as top arm talents... Veterans Felix Hernandez and Cole Hamels will have key chances to extend their careers at the tail end of what has a chance to be one of the league's most unique rotations.

New York Mets

Prediction: 90-72

MVP: Jacob deGrom

X-Factor: Pete Alonso

It looks like the Mets will finally have the offense in 2020 to back up their stellar pitching staff... Although Noah Syndergaard will miss the season with another injury, the front office was able to do enough to somewhat fill his role, with Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha serving as more-than-viable rotation options behind the front-end duo of deGrom and Marcus Stroman... The bullpen, one of the team's biggest struggles in 2019, is almost completely rebuilt now that Dellin Betances and Chasen Shreve are on board, while Justin Wilson and Jeurys Familia are healthy and able to join forces with Edwin Diaz... Around Alonso, it will be the offense and the health of the team that dictate the Mets' success this year.

Washington Nationals

Prediction: 86-76

MVP: Stephen Strasburg

X-Factor: Juan Soto

On the flip side of the Angels' under-the-radar signing of Anthony Rendon is the production that the Nationals will lose without him... In his absence, Soto will need to prove that his stellar 2019 postseason was no fluke, while Victor Robles and Carter Kieboom will need to step up at the plate with more experience... Strasburg, who re-signed this winter for $35M annually, has plenty to live up to alongside a rotation including Max Scherzer and Patrick Corbin that finally looks fully healthy.

Philadelphia Phillies

Prediction: 79-83

MVP: Rhys Hoskins

X-Factor: Jake Arrieta

In a season a bit less crowded, the Phillies are probably a team that could make a run towards a Wild Card berth... In the 2020 NL East, an offense headed by Hoskins, Bryce Harper, and JT Realmuto will need to carry than more than its fair share of the load... The pitching staff lacks depth, making it all the more important for Arrieta and Zack Wheeler to return to form... Philadelphia has a shot at the playoffs is everyone, Didi Gregorious and Jean Segura included, cater to full expectations in 2020.

Miami Marlins

Prediction: 60-102

MVP: Jonathan Villar

X-Factor: Caleb Smith

The Marlins are, with little doubt, going to be one of the worst teams in the league yet again, but that doesn't mean their roster completely lacks talent... With Villar's power/speed combo and Corey Dickerson, Jorge Alfaro and Jesus Aguilar in the middle of the lineup, the Fish have a chance to show some improvement on the offensive side of the ball... If things stay on their current path, their problems will come in the form of pitching, with the ill-experienced trio of Sandy Alcantara, José Ureña, and Jordan Yamamoto leading the rotation and a bullpen headlined by Drew Steckenrider and Ryne Stanek.

NL Central

Milwaukee Brewers

Prediction: 89-73

MVP: Christian Yelich

X-Factor: Brandon Woodruff

While it remains to be seen if Woodruff, Adrian Houser, and Brett Anderson form a formidable rotation head, the Brew Crew can be sure that they have the offense to be a division champion once again... With healthy Yelich and Lorenzo Cain plus newly-acquired Avisail García in the outfield, Ryan Braun's bat will stay in the lineup but make the move to first base... Keston Hiura and Orlando Arcia form one of the most underrate young middle infields in the league... Josh Hader and Brent Suter will anchor the bullpen for a team that leaves only starting pitching to be desired.

St. Louis Cardinals

Prediction: 84-78

MVP: Paul Goldschmidt

X-Factor: Jack Flaherty

The Cardinals' offseason mainly consisted of promoting in-house talent—like Tyler O'Neill and Tommy Edman—to starting positions... With seemingly no offensive help on the way, Goldschmidt will have to prove his

$130M worth more so than ever... The pitching staff is bursting with potential that hasn't necessarily panned out on the big league level thus far... Flaherty had a historic second-half last year, complete with a sub-2 era, but he'll need to virtually replicate that success in 2020 at the head of a dependent rotation that includes Miles Mikolas and Dakota Hudson.

Cincinnati Reds

Prediction: 80-82

MVP: Nick Castellanos

X-Factor: Jesse Winker

The Reds are a team that, surprisingly, has no real holes, at least on paper... Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, and Trevor Bauer form a solid rotation front-end... Raisel Iglesias, Amir Garrett, and Michael Lorenzon anchor a good bullpen... It wouldn't be a surprise to see the Reds make a run if Winker, Nick Senzel, or Freddy Galvis can turn into a fifth true offensive weapon behind Castellanos, Joey Votto, Eugenio Suarez, and Mike Moustakas.

Chicago Cubs

Prediction: 77-85

MVP: Anthony Rizzo

X-Factor: Kris Bryant

With a new-school manager in David Ross now at the helm, the Cubs, much like the Cleveland Indians, will have a deadline decision to make regarding one of their star players... If a powerful lineup that includes Rizzo, Javier Baez, Willson Contreras, and Kyle Schwarber is unable to lead a Yu Darvish-led pitching staff into the playoff picture by the time the trade deadline rolls around, Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer will need to explore the trade options for Bryant, who could be dealt for a haul of assets that's able to revamp the roster before the likes of Baez and Rizzo are past their primes.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Prediction: 69-93

MVP: Josh Bell

X-Factor: Chris Archer

Even with an All-Star year from Bell, the Pirates only managed to scrape together 69 wins last season... This season should be more of the same if they can't get more offensive help from Colin Moran, Kevin Newman, Gregory Polanco, and Bryan Reynolds... They'll desperately need Chris Archer to have a season more closely resembling the one he was in the midst of when he was acquired... Keone Kela is not a reliable option at the end of games, so starters Joe Musgrove and Trevor Williams must overachieve if the Pirates have any aspirations of climbing out of basement-dwelling territory.

NL WEST

Los Angeles Dodgers

Prediction: 108-54

MVP: Cody Bellinger

X-Factor: Clayton Kershaw

Somehow, the Dodgers have managed to go even more all-in for this year than in the recent years past... Now joined by David Price alongside Walker Buehler, Kershaw will need to prove once and for all that he can see success down the stretch and in the playoffs... 2018 AL MVP Mookie Betts joins 2019 NL MVP Bellinger, Max Muncy, Justin Turner, and Corey Seager in a lineup that sure looks like the best in the National League... A stellar bullpen, complete with the likes of Kenley Jansen, Blake Treinen, Joe Kelly, and Ross Stripling, tops things off for a Dodgers team that, for good reason, has been a popular pick to win it all in 2020.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Prediction: 88-74

MVP: Madison Bumgarner

X-Factor: Starling Marte

The winter after quietly winning 85-games, Arizona's front office (quietly, again) added some major pieces... (Starling) Marte and Kole Calhoun join David Peralta in an outfield that will be responsible for a solid chunk of the team's offensive production... 2019 All-Star Ketel Marte will be able to return to his native position of second base... The big move was the addition of Madison Bumgarner, a former division rival who's proven clutch in the postseason... The hope is for him to lead the way for a pitching staff bursting with young talent, including Robbie Ray, Zac Gallen, Luke Weaver, and Archie Bradley... All in all, it's shaping up to be another under-the-radar solid season in the desert.

San Diego Padres

Prediction: 82-82

MVP: Manny Machado

X-Factor: Fernando Tatis Jr.

San Diego is a team that, at its ceiling, looks like a 90-win squad... That said, they'll need huge rebound years from Will Myers and Eric Hosmer... While Machado has proven a cog at the hot corner and in the middle of the order, the Padres' true success will hinge on the ability of Tatis Jr. to remain healthy and produce a similar season to his last... Tommy Pham and Francisco Mejia can both provide solid bats and stellar defense when at their best... If all goes as planned on those fronts and Dinelson Lamet, Joey Lucchesi, or Garrett Richards can prove a reliable second option behind Chris Paddack, San Diego could be in for a playoff season.

Colorado Rockies

Prediction: 71-91

MVP: Trevor Story

X-Factor: Brendan Rodgers

The Rockies, to their credit, have stayed the course they set out for themselves, choosing to wait on their young talent to make a run... If that talent hasn't arrived by mid-summer of this season in the form of Rodgers, Garrett Hampson, Raimel Tapia, and Sam Hilliard, they'll probably consider shipping Nolan Arenado out of town and starting with fresh young talent... Story, who's still just 27 and continues to produce a high volume of offense, has his chance to prove that he can be the franchise cornerstone going forward... There finally exists some pitching depth, with Jon Gray and Kyle Freeland healthy for a season that should be the deciding factor in the Rockies' future.

San Francisco Giants

Prediction: 66-96

MVP: Mike Yastrzemski

X-Factor: Mauricio Dubón

The Giants stumble into 2020 looking like the team that time forgot... 5 projected starters, including Hunter Pence, Evan Longoria, and Buster Posey, are 31 or older, with the best 2 starting hurlers, Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija, are each over 34... Until young help beyond Yastrzemski arrives to the big league level, a team containing the leftovers from the early 2010s dynasty will sit, rotting in the basement of the NL West... The only hope to salvage the season while maintaining a future would be mass production from Dubón, Alex Dickerson, and Joey Bart... If not for performance from their young four, the Giants will face an offseason decision to enter a complete rebuild.

Predictions

World Series Champion

New York Yankees

MVP

AL: Mike Trout

NL: Jacob deGrom

Cy Young

AL: Hyun-Jin Ryu

NL: Jacob deGrom

Rookie Of The Year

AL: Luis Robert

NL: Gavin Lux

Manager Of The Year

AL: Rick Renteria

NL: Luis Rojas

Executive Of The Year

Mike Hazen