Just as the sporting events we like to call the March madness are winding down, the 2023 Major League Baseball season will transition into the regular season. In the spirit of the basketball tournaments that so many love so much – especially filling in brackets – making predictions is always a great form of entertainment. Part of the fun is that sports are completely unpredictable (ahem, the NCAA men’s basketball tournament!), which means there will inevitably be some misses.
Here at CBS Sports, our MLB staffers have compiled our predictions for the 2023 season. Last season brought many surprises, so what will happen this season? Here are our individual attempts to nail it.
Explanations
RJ Anderson: As always, my goal is not to look stupid, but to look smart. (Amusingly, I still end up looking stupid.) I think that’s the widest field in the National League I’ve had in a while, and I’m looking forward to watching the three-team race in the East. I’m also intrigued by the American League West — not because I think the Astros are in any real danger, but because this is the best this group has come up with in a while. Anyway, I ended up going over the Astros with the Padres, but I can imagine loads of other teams making it to the Fall Classic and winning. It should be a fun season.
Mike Axisa: I think the Astros are the best team in the AL, but honestly, I get bored picking them for the World Series every year, so I’ll pick Toronto. They’ve got a strong 1-2-3 punch on the rotation (Alek Manoah, Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt) and they’ve added some much-needed left bats (Brandon Belt, Daulton Varsho) this offseason. I like the way they are built for a short postseason series and believe this is the year they will break through and move on in October. As for the NL, the Dodgers are clearly down a step and the Mets have age-related risk and less power than I’d like. The Braves have so much youth and upside, plus they’re already great. For me they are the best team in the league. I’m expecting and looking forward to a Braves-Padres NLCS and then Atlanta beating Toronto in a 1992 World Series rematch.
Kate Feldman: I have no intention of looking at these predictions again once I submit this, so I’m fanning it. I also go all-in on the Angels. This probably overstates the talent Perry Minasian brought to surround Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout, but also how much more does it take behind those two? We’ll find out. Beyond that, I think the NL East is by far the most interesting division, and I think it’ll get to the point again, but I see Edwin Díaz triumphantly returning to the mound to end the season with the Mets on top on it. A Subway Series World Series is almost certainly not happening, but we deserve a little mayhem.
Dayn Perry: I still assume the Astros are the best team in the AL barring any other serious injuries. The Padres have the most loaded lineup in baseball once Tatis returns, and my title expectations for them have them aggressively ramping up the rotation by the close. Ohtani will set the tone for his upcoming free agency by topping 40 home runs on the plate and 200 strikeouts on the mound.
Stephen Pianovich: Is it the Angels’ pick for the playoffs so we can see Shohei Ohtani play meaningful high-stakes baseball again after his thunderous World Baseball Classic wishful thinking? Are the memories of last October fresh enough to make a World Series rematch seem more likely than it really is? Will the Phillies really win it all because Trea Turner dumps them? Probably.
Matt Snyder: So many of those were very close, whether we were fighting for the division title (NL and AL Central), third place (Giants vs. Diamondbacks), or a playoff spot (3-5 in the AL East vs. the Guardians vs. 2-4 in AL West are all so tightly clustered to me). Oh, and yes, I’m a sucker for picking the Angels for the playoffs. I am aware. They always let me down, but I’m going back to the well. It may be reckless to throw the Phillies over the Mets for second place in the NL East, but the Mets have many questions of their own. As far as championship rounds go, I think the Astros are number one in baseball, but picking a repeat champion is a bit boring, and I have the Padres as number two.