The 2021 MLB season is finally here. It will be a historic opening day for Major League Baseball as all 30 teams will be opening their season on the same day, April 1st, for the first time since 1968. The Los Angeles Dodgers will aim to defend their 2020 World Series, hoping to be the first repeat World Series champions since 2000 when the New York Yankees capped off their three-peat. However, it won’t be easy in the NL West as the revamped San Diego Padres are poised to make their second consecutive postseason after adding Blake Snell and Yu Darvish. There are intriguing storylines in the American League, with the Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, and Toronto Blue Jays. In what could be a season of relative normalcy, nine Last Word on Baseball writers predicted the playoffs for the upcoming season. Here are the 2021 Last Word on MLB Baseball playoff predictions.
2021 MLB Playoff Predictions
American League East Champion: New York Yankees (7)
Others Receiving Votes: Rays (2)
In the most decisive decision of the American League, the writers overwhelmingly picked the New York Yankees to win the AL East. The Yankees are coming off a 33-27 season in 2020 where they finished seven games back of the Tampa Bay Rays for the division crown. They possess one of the most lethal lineups in all of baseball. Especially after they re-signed DJ LeMahieu to a six-year $90 million contract. Outside of LeMahieu, the Yankees may have the most lethal right-handed duo in the league with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton manning the middle of the order.
However, while the starting rotation has the potential to be legitimate strength, there are various questions heading into 2021. Corey Kluber pitched just 36.2 innings since 2019. Domingo German has yet to pitch in a regular-season game since 2019. Finally, health will be a major factor for the Yankees.
Two writers selected the American League representative in the World Series last season: the Tampa Bay Rays. Despite trading Blake Snell and losing Charlie Morton the Rays did add to their rotation. The Rays signed former Ray Chris Archer, Rich Hill, and Michael Wacha to revamp their rotation. With young talents like Randy Arozerena, Austin Meadows, and Wander Franco on the rise, the Rays could have another chance to win their first World Series in team history.
American League Central Champion: Chicago White Sox (6)
Others Receiving Votes: Twins (3)
The writers went with another lethal lineup in the American League as the majority picked the Chicago White Sox, led by skipper Tony La Russa, to win their first division crown since 2008. Last season, the White Sox were one of two teams who were top six in both runs per game and ERA. The other team? The World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. After adding Dallas Keuchel and Yasmani Grandal last offseason, the White Sox traded for Lance Lynn and signed Liam Hendricks to complement Lucas Giolito and load up in the bullpen. Despite losing Eloy Jiménez to a torn pectoral muscle, the White Sox have more than enough talent to compete. Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson, and Luis Robert should be enough to make up for his loss.
In second place is a team whose lineup can rival the White Sox: the Minnesota Twins. Nelson Cruz, Josh Donaldson, and Byron Buxton could propel a lineup, which disappointed last year, finishing 19th in runs per game. Their starting rotation also stacks up well with the White Sox as Kenta Maeda, Michael Pineda, and Jose Berrios anchor the rotation.
American League West Champion: Houston Astros (4)
Others Receiving Votes: Angels (3), Mariners (1), Athletics (1)
The AL West looks to be the most wide-open division in the American League. No team received the majority of the votes, but the Houston Astros came out on top with four. Although they lost George Springer, who signed a six-year, $150 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, they were able to retain Michael Brantley and will get 2019 AL Rookie of the Year Yordan Alvarez back this season. Adding in Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, and Alex Bregman, the Astros lineup projects to be one of the best in the majors. In addition to the lineup, Dusty Baker’s ball club shored up the bullpen with Pedro Báez and Ryne Stanek. While the rotation will miss Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez and Lance McCullers should hold their own with Zach Grienke’s veteran presence in the mix.
With Shohei Ohtani’s return, the Los Angeles Angels may be the most improved team in the AL West. They added an excellent bullpen piece in Raisel Iglesias. Additionally they made under-the-radar moves in the rotation with Jose Quintana and Alex Cobb.
American League Wild Cards: Toronto Blue Jays (4), Tampa Bay Rays (3)
Others Receiving Votes: White Sox (3), Angels (2), Yankees (2), Twins (2), Astros (1), Athletics (1)
With the Chicago White Sox predicted to win the AL Central, the two wild-card spots will go to a pair of AL East teams: the Blue Jays and Rays. The Blue Jays added three-time all-star George Springer and Marcus Semien, who finished third in MVP voting in 2019. Pitching-wise, they built upon their aggressiveness last offseason, by trading for Steven Matz and signing Robbie Ray, who will begin the season on the IL. These additions will provide invaluable experience to an otherwise young lineup, with Cavan Biggio, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Bo Bichette. Teoscar Hernandez also came onto the scene last season, hitting 16 home runs in 50 games.
For the final spot, the Rays edged out the Angels and Twins by one vote. The primary factor was most likely the pitching staff. Despite the elbow injury to Nick Anderson, the Rays have other options. Diego Castillo and Pete Fairbanks are a dynamic duo in the late innings, with multiple middle relief options for Kevin Cash to experiment with.
National League East Champion: Atlanta Braves (5)
Others Receiving Votes: Mets (3), Phillies (1)
In what looks like the most interesting division in baseball, the writers picked the Atlanta Braves to win their fourth consecutive NL East crown. They re-signed Marcell Ozuna to a four-year deal while adding another front-line starter to the mix in Charlie Morton. Perhaps the biggest addition to the Braves is the return of Mike Soroka. Coming off a torn Achilles, Soroka is expected to return in late April after making his Spring Training debut earlier this week. The Braves were able to keep their lineup, which averaged 5.80 runs per game, intact. Now they have top prospect Cristian Pache in center field after he made his MLB debut last season.
There may not have been a more entertaining team in the offseason than the New York Mets. First, they signed former all-star catcher James McCann to a four-year contract worth $40.6 million. Then, Steve Cohen and Company traded for Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco from Cleveland. The Mets also brought in Aaron Loup and Trevor May to shore up the backend of the bullpen.
While many expect it to be a two-team race, the Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals, and Miami Marlins will all be aiming to be competitive in 2021 to round out the NL East.
National League Central Champion: St. Louis Cardinals (7)
Others Receiving Votes: Brewers (1), Reds (1)
The St. Louis Cardinals hold the most decisive majority in the predictions, picking up 77.7% of the votes. After falling to the San Diego Padres in the Wild Card Round, the Cardinals made the biggest splash of the offseason. They traded for All-Star Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado in exchange for five players. Arenado fills a great void for the Cardinals as they averaged just 4.14 runs last season, 24th in the majors. Tommy Edman is expected to step in as the starting second baseman after Kolton Wong joined the rival Milwaukee Brewers. However, the Cardinals will be thin in the rotation to start the season as Dakota Hudson (Tommy John), Miles Mikolas, and Kwang Hyun Kim will start the season on the IL.
National League West Champion: Los Angeles Dodgers (7)
Others Receiving Votes: Padres (2)
While the NL East has a stellar top-two of their own, the NL West may have the two best teams in the National League. The writers picked the World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers to win their ninth consecutive NL West title. Next up is the new-look Padres. The Dodgers’ stardom just grew in the offseason as they signed Trevor Bauer to a three-year deal. They also retained Justin Turner, maintaining their lineup that produced an NL-best 5.82 runs per game. They also have three aces to lead their staff with future Hall-of-Famer Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, and Trevor Bauer.
With two votes, the Padres were predicted to finish second in the division. The Padres added Ha-Seong Kim to their infield, while trading for two frontline starters: Yu Darvish and Blake Snell. Led by Fernando Tatis and Manny Machado, the Padres could very well win their first NL West title since 2006.
National League Wild Cards: San Diego Padres (7), New York Mets (4)
Others Receiving Votes: Dodgers (2), Braves (2), Nationals (1), Brewers (1), Cardinals (1)
There was a consensus among the writers for the two NL Wild Card teams as the Padres and Mets took home seven and four votes respectively. Both teams will not only be competing for a wild card spot but also a division title after their significant offseason moves. In a potential wild card game, Jacob deGrom and Blake Snell would be an outstanding matchup.
In the other non-division champions receiving votes, the Washington Nationals have made their first appearance in these predictions. The Nationals have legitimate questions in the lineup. Carter Kieboom was already sent down to Triple-A following an abysmal Spring Training. Kieboom struck out 17 times in 45 at-bats. The 2019 World Series Champions are also counting on bounce-back seasons from some top players. Victor Robles, Josh Bell, and Kyle Schwarber will be expected to return to form. Finally, even with a loaded rotation, there remain questions regarding Stephen Strasburg’s health over a 162-game season. Additionally, the performance of Max Scherzer and Patrick Corbin needs to be watched.
As for the Brewers, they revamped their lineup in the offseason. They added Jackie Bradley Jr. on a two-year, $24 million contract. They also signed Kolton Wong, the former Cardinal. Lorenzo Cain is also returning to the ball club in 2021. Cain opted out of the 2020 season due to Covid-19 concerns. These three additions will transform the Brewers defense that was already solid last season, ranking 13th in defense. Like the Nationals, the Brewers have a stellar front line of the rotation, headlined by Brandon Woodruff and Corbin Burnes.
ALCS: New York Yankees (7) vs. Chicago White Sox (7)
Others Receiving Votes: Rays (2), Astros (2)
The ALCS seems to be a match-up between an established group hoping to breakthrough, the Yankees, and an up-and-coming young team, the White Sox. Both teams have the starting pitching to win the series. The Yankees have Gerrit Cole and will most likely have Luis Severino by October. The White Sox have a star-studded duo of their own in Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn. Despite this starting pitching, runs will most likely be plentiful, with two of the most talented lineups facing off. Eloy Jiminez is also projected to be back by October, which could be an X-factor in the series.
NLCS: Los Angeles Dodgers (5) vs. San Diego Padres/Atlanta Braves (4)
Others Receiving Votes: Cardinals (2), Mets (1), Phillies (1), Reds (1)
The first team in the NLCS reached a majority of the votes as five writers picked the Los Angeles Dodgers to make yet another NLCS appearance. Their opponent is uncertain, as the Padres and Braves tied with four votes each. Since the Padres were projected to be a wild card, they would only be able to face their division rival if the Braves hold the number one seed in the National League. However, whether it be the Padres or Braves, starting pitching would be top-notch in the series. The Braves have a trio of their own in Mike Soroka, Charlie Morton, and Max Fried. The Padres will trot out Darvish, Snell, and Chris Paddack.
World Series: New York Yankees defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers
This would be a dream World Series for MLB as two of the largest markets would clash in the World Series. Kershaw, Buehler, and Bauer would face-off against Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton is an incredibly entertaining match-up. The writers picked the New York Yankees to win their first World Series since 2009. A potential match-up between the Yankees and Dodgers would not only be a joy for baseball fans, but a chance for MLB to be in the National spotlight.
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Players Mentioned
Blake Snell, Yu Darvish, DJ LeMahieu, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Corey Kluber, Domingo German, Charlie Morton, Chris Archer, Rich Hill, Michael Wacha, Austin Meadows, Wander Franco, Tony La Russa, Dallas Keuchel, Yasmani Grandal, Lance Lynn, Lucas Giolito, Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson, Luis Robert, Nelson Cruz, Josh Donaldson, Byron Buxton, Kenta Maeda, Michael Pineda, Jose Berrios, George Springer, Michael BrantleyYordan Alvarez, Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Dusty Baker, Ryne Stanek. Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, Lance McCullers, Shohei Ohtani, Raisel Iglesias, Jose QuintanaAlex Cobb, Marcus Semien, Steven Matz, Robbie Ray, Cavan Biggio, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Teoscar Hernandez, Nick Anderson, Diego Castillo, Pete Fairbanks, Kevin Cash, Marcell Ozuna, Mike Soroka, Cristian Pache, James McCann, Francisco Lindor, Carlos Carrasco, Aaron Loup, Trevor May, Nolan Arenado, Tommy Edman, Dakota Hudson, Tommy John, Miles Mikolas, Kwang Hyun Kim, Trevor Bauer, Justin Turner, Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Ha-Seong Kim, Fernando Tatis, Manny Machado, Jacob deGrom, Carter Kieboom, Victor Robles, Josh Bell, Kyle Schwarber, Stephen Strasburg, Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin, Jackie Bradley Jr., Lorenzo Cain, Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes, Gerrit Cole, Luis Severino, Max Fried, and Chris Paddack.
