Opening Day is approaching in Major League Baseball with three games scheduled for Sunday to kick things off. One of those games is a rematch of the World Series last season, with the Kansas City Royals hosting the New York Mets.
The Royals currently hold the World Series championship trophy for the American League, and that means all 15 National League teams will try and win it back this season. The Mets have a good chance to do it, and they will get the first crack at the Royals on Sunday. The other games on the schedule include the St. Louis Cardinals taking on the Pittsburgh Pirates, while the Toronto Blue Jays facing off against the Tampa Bay Rays.
First, HNGN took a look at the American League for the 2016 season; here are some predictions for the National League:
National League East, Winner: New York Mets
The Mets are coming into the season as favorites in the division after making it to the World Series last season. No team can counter their rotation with Matt Harvey, Jacob DeGrom, Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard, and keeping Yoenis Cespedes in free agency was huge. The team added Neil Walker and Asdrubal Cabrera to shore up the infield and that should lead to another division title. The Washington Nationals should be the only real contender in the division with the Mets.
National League Central, Winner: Chicago Cubs
The NL Central is a very tough division, as the Cardinals, Pirates and Cubs could all conceivably win the title. All three teams made the playoffs last season, and this year it should be the Cubs who win the division. The Cards and Pirates could easily make the playoffs again, but Chicago should be in position to win the division. The team added Jason Heyward and John Lackey in the offseason, making the Cubs stronger and the division-rival Cardinals weaker.
National League West, Winner: San Francisco Giants
Well it's an even year again, and we all know what that means, right? It's time for the Giants to make the playoffs and win the World Series again. The team has made the playoffs and won the World Series in each of the past three even-year seasons in MLB, including when they won the NL West division title in 2010 and 2012. The team won the World Series in 2014 in a memorable seven-game series against the Royals, and now Giants could make a run again. San Fran bounced back from missing the playoffs to winning it all in the past, and the team could do it again this season. The additions of Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija should make the pitching rotation very strong, and the team already has a great core with Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford and Hunter Pence. The Diamondbacks and Dodgers should compete for the division as well, but the Giants may have the inside edge.
National League MVP, Winner: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
Goldschmidt has established himself as one of the best players in the National League, and this could be his year to win the MVP. Bryce Harper should be one of the favorites after winning it last season, but Goldschmidt could have a monster year for Arizona. A.J. Pollock is developing into a nice player and should help Goldschmidt drive in runs, while the addition of Zack Greinke also will be big for Arizona. Goldschmidt comes in after hitting 33 home runs with 110 RBI last season, and in his last two full, healthy seasons, he's raked. The first baseman put up a career-best 36 home runs and 125 RBI in 2013, and he should be in line with those numbers this year.
Honorable mentions:
Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals
Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins,
Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs
A.J. Pollock, Arizona Diamondbacks
National League Cy Young, Winner: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
In almost any other year, Kershaw would have won the Cy Young last season. The Dodgers pitcher had a fantastic year, but Jake Arrieta was just a little better and took the award. Expect Kershaw to be motivated to win another Cy Young this season after missing out in 2015. Last season, he went 16-7 with a 2.13 ERA and 301 strikeouts in 232 innings. If Kershaw comes anywhere close to those numbers again, he should be the winner.
Honorable mentions:
Jake Arrieta, Chicago Cubs
Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants
Jacob deGrom, New York Mets
Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals
Matt Harvey, New York Mets
