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Predictions: What Will Happen in the Second Half of the Season?
On Thursday, we explained the one thing we were right about and the one thing we got wrong in the first half of the 2019 season. Well now it's time for our second-half and playoff picks, as well as our bold predictions. Bookmark or screenshot these if you must. Let's have some fun.
Tom Verducci
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Twins
AL West: Astros
AL Wild-Card No. 1: Rays
AL Wild-Card No. 2: Red Sox
NL East: Braves
NL Central: Brewers
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild-Card No. 1: Cubs
NL Wild-Card No. 2: Cardinals
World Series matchup: Astros vs. Dodgers
World Series winner: Dodgers
Bold Prediction: Christian Yelich hits 62 home runs, setting the all-time non-PED record. More discussion ensues about the aerodynamics of the baseball.
Stephanie Apstein
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Twins
AL West: Astros
AL Wild-Card No. 1: Rays
AL Wild-Card No. 2: Red Sox
NL East: Phillies
NL Central: Cubs
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild-Card No. 1: Brewers
NL Wild-Card No. 2: Rockies
World Series matchup: Yankees vs. Dodgers
World Series winner: Dodgers
Bold Prediction: At least some of the players who have given up dairy will fall off the wagon. I mean, come on. Cheese!
Emma Baccellieri
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Twins
AL West: Astros
AL Wild-Card No. 1: Red Sox
AL Wild-Card No. 2: A’s
NL East: Braves
NL Central: Brewers
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild-Card No. 1: Nationals
NL Wild-Card No. 2: Cubs
World Series matchup: Yankees, Dodgers
World Series winner: Dodgers
Bold Prediction:
The 2018 Yankees’ single-season home run record will be broken (not so bold, given the wild spike in dingers across the league).... by three different teams, and one of them will be the Mariners, who will still inevitably finish well under .500.
Michael Beller
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Twins
AL West: Astros
AL Wild-Card No. 1: Indians
AL Wild-Card No. 2: Rays
NL East: Nationals
NL Central: Cubs
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild-Card No. 1: Braves
NL Wild-Card No. 2: Brewers
World Series matchup: Astros vs. Nationals
World Series winner: Astros
Bold Prediction: I think I already revealed it in my standings and postseason predictions. Forget about what happened in April and May. The Nationals found themselves in June, going 18-8 in the month and putting themselves right back in the postseason hunt. I like them to stay hot after the All-Star break, make one or two impact moves before the deadline, dramatically chase down the Braves to win the NL East, and then ride that wave to an upset of the Dodgers for the NL Pennant.
Connor Grossman
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Twins
AL West: Astros
AL Wild-Card 1: Rays
AL Wild-Card 2: A’s
NL East: Braves
NL Central: Brewers
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild-Card No. 1: Cubs
NL Wild-Card No. 2: Nationals
World Series matchup: Yankees vs. Dodgers
World Series winner: Yankees
Bold Prediction: There are two prongs to this one: Matt Chapman puts together a remarkable second half to pilot the A’s into a wild-card spot and earns AL MVP honors over Mike Trout. It would take an extraordinary effort for this script to play out, but hey, we’re being bold here.
Matt Martell
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Twins
AL West: Astros
AL Wild-Card No. 1: Rays
AL Wild-Card No. 2: Angels
NL East: Braves
NL Central: Cardinals
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild-Card 1: Nationals
NL Wild-Card 2: Cubs
World Series matchup: Yankees vs. Braves
World Series winner: Yankees
Bold Prediction: The Angels are going to be all-in at the Trade Deadline and go on a second-half tear much like the Athletics did last season. Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani are going to hit 80 home runs this season, and they're going to pull off a stunning trade for either Noah Syndergaard or Zack Wheeler. You want bold? They're going to ship off outfielder Jo Adell (their No. 1 overall prospect per Fangraphs) to the Giants for Madison Bumgarner, Sam Dyson AND backup catcher Stephen Vogt. MAKE IT HAPPEN.
Jon Tayler
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Twins
AL West: Astros
AL Wild-Card No. 1: Indians
AL Wild-Card No. 2: A's
NL East: Braves
NL Central: Brewers
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild-Card No. 1: Cubs
NL Wild-Card No. 2: Nationals
World Series matchup: Yankees, Dodgers
World Series winner: Dodgers
Bold Prediction: The wild-card races come down to the last day of the season, as a crowded group of contenders can’t separate in August or September. My hope is that we get a wild-card game for the wild-card game and maximum playoff chaos.
