July 14, 2023: Second Half Winners

posted in: Cubs, White Sox | 0

The 2nd half of the MLB season started on Friday. I can’t recall if I did a preseason predictions blog, but… I’ll go ahead and do one now. Let’s look at the MLB second half winners according to me.

Of course, I have the benefit from a lot of baseball already being played, so I would expect these picks to be a lot more on target than ones made before Game 1, but… I’m sure some of them would have been the same. Let’s start with the Atlanta Braves. There may have been some Mets picks, and maybe some Phillies, but after further review, it’s the Braves… it always was. Ronald Acuna Jr is very good, in case you were living under a rock. That lineup is sick, start to end; will their pitching hold up? I’m sure that same question could be asked for many teams, but yeah, NL East winners will be the Braves. I guess the same convo could be had about the NL West. Yes, Padres would have been in the conversation, and wow, the Dbacks have been surprising, but at the end of the day, and beginning, it’s the Dodgers; they’ll win the NL West. Now to the NL Central; it’s the Cubs right? Uh… no. Not then or now. And did we really think the Pirates would keep it up? And the Cardinals…what a shitty year they’re having, and I’m here for every minute of it. So that leaves the Brewers and the Reds, who face off in the first series after the break. My pick is the Reds, although… there is that whole pitching thing, and the Brewers have the advantage there, so… I’m sticking with the Reds in the NL Central. That leaves 3 Wild Card teams right? The Giants are looking strong; I think I’ll take them. For the other 2, I think the Padres, Phillies, and Mets will be in the picture; let’s go Padres and Phillies.

To the AL we go… Yankees, White Sox, and Astros, right? Uh, not so much. I do think the Astros will make the postseason, and yeah, they’re still very much in the mix for the division, but I’m going with the Texas Rangers. I love Bruce Bochy as a manager, and yeah, the team is stacked, even with Jacob DeGrom not around; big surprise. The AL East is stacked! I’m leaning Orioles though; another young team finding themselves… love to see it. Rays will be in as a Wild Card, which leaves 2 teams left. Who will come out of the dumpster fire that is the AL Central? Not the Sox… I’m going with the Guardians; I think they’ll eventually shine through. And the final Wild Card? Well… how about another AL East team? Toronto Blue Jays come on down… although I do like the Mariners too… OK, I’m going Seattle as the last wild card, especially if they acquire Ohtani like the crowd chanted during the All Star game… haha.

Ready for some baseball? I am. I’d love to see the Cubs make a run, but… it’s more likely that they will trade AWAY players at the trade deadline than acquire them; same should be true for the Sox. Another great baseball season for all fans in Chicago, let me tell you…

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