1 Bold Prediction for Every MLB Team in 2023
There will be no shortage of MLB prediction content released in the coming days as we get ready for the official start of the 2023 season on Thursday.
This is going to be something a bit different.
Rather than focusing on team win-loss totals or straightforward award predictions, we've decided to make one bold prediction for every squad.
The idea here was to predict something that could plausibly happen but is a bit outside-the-box relative to expectations. That could be a surprise stat leader, a breakout prospect, a first-time All-Star or something else entirely.
Let's get weird!
Baltimore Orioles: Jordan Westburg earns AL Rookie of the Year votes
The Orioles have a crowded infield situation, and it's about to get even more crowded with Westburg knocking on the door. The No. 72 prospect on B/R's 2023 Top 100 list, he posted an .852 OPS with 39 doubles, 27 home runs and 106 RBI in the upper minors last year and then hit .306/.368/.510 with seven extra-base hits in 57 plate appearances this spring.
Boston Red Sox: Masataka Yoshida is an AL All-Star starter
The Red Sox signed Yoshida to a five-year, $90 million deal after he hit .336/.449/.559 with 28 doubles, 21 home runs and 89 RBI with almost twice as many walks (82) as strikeouts (42) with the Orix Buffaloes. He looks poised for a big MLB debut after going 9-for-22 with two home runs and 13 RBI in the World Baseball Classic.
New York Yankees: Jasson Domínguez makes his MLB debut in September
With Anthony Volpe earning a spot on the Opening Day roster and Oswald Peraza turning heads as a September call-up last year, the youth movement has begun for the Yankees. They won't rush the 20-year-old Domínguez to the majors, but after he hit .319/.422/.575 over the final two months of the 2022 season, he could force the team's hand with more of the same in the upper levels of the minors.
Tampa Bay Rays: Randy Arozarena has 30/30 season
With a 20-homer, 20-steal season to win AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 and a 41-double, 20-homer, 32-steal follow-up campaign last year, Arozarena has already established himself as one of the game's best power-speed threats. The 28-year-old has the power to turn a few more of those doubles into home runs and be the first 30/30 player in Tampa Bay Rays history.
Toronto Blue Jays: Bo Bichette wins the AL batting title
Bichette has led the AL in hits in 2021 (191) and 2022 (189), and he was the hottest hitter in baseball over the season's final month last year, posting an absurd .406/.444/.662 line in 142 plate appearances. The 25-year-old won't keep that pace over a full season, but he's capable of a .320-plus batting average if everything is clicking from the jump.
Chicago White Sox: Andrew Vaughn outperforms José Abreu in 2023
The White Sox let longtime first basemanJosé Abreu walk in free agency this offseason, and he landed with the Houston Astros on a three-year, $58.5 million deal. That clears a path for Vaughn to return to his natural position after he's been forced to learn outfield on the fly over the past two years. The 24-year-old is just scratching the surface of his potential, and his value should skyrocket with his defensive shortcomings in the outfield not dragging things down.
Cleveland Guardians: Hunter Gaddis is latest homegrown rotation standout
The Guardians have done as well as any team in baseball in developing pitching talent in recent years, and Gaddis could be their next gem. The 6'6" right-hander had a 4.01 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 158 strikeouts in 121.1 innings in the minors last year, and with Triston McKenzie headed to the injured list, Gaddis will start the year in the Cleveland rotation. Don't be surprised if he takes that opportunity and runs with it.
Detroit Tigers: Javier Báez is traded at the deadline
Báez is entering the second season of a six-year, $140 million deal, but his contract contains an opt-out following next offseason. The 30-year-old was still a 2.6 WAR player last season even while struggling at the plate for much of the year, and with a bounce-back offensively, he could be a hot commodity this summer. Opting out of his deal with a struggling Tigers team makes sense, but he might be convinced to opt-in with a move to a contender.
Kansas City Royals: Brady Singer earns AL Cy Young votes
Singer emerged as the ace of the staff in Kansas City last season, finishing 10-5 with a 3.23 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 150 strikeouts in 153.1 innings, and that performance earned him a spot on Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. The 26-year-old is still capable of another step forward, and he will emerge as a top-tier starter in the American League in 2023.
Minnesota Twins: Edouard Julien will be an everyday player by June
Julien hit .300/.441/.490 with 39 extra-base hits and 19 steals in 113 games at Double-A last season and then batted a ridiculous .400/.563/.686 over 96 plate appearances in the Arizona Fall League. The 23-year-old continued to turn heads this spring, going 8-for-23 with three home runs before he was optioned to the minors, and one way or another, he'll find his way into an everyday role in the big leagues before the All-Star break.
Houston Astros: Framber Valdez wins AL Cy Young
Valdez quietly finished fifth in AL Cy Young voting last season while pitching in Justin Verlander's shadow, and now he is the ace of the staff in Houston. The 29-year-old went 17-6 with a 2.82 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 194 strikeouts in 201.1 innings while rattling off 25 straight quality starts at one point, and he kept rolling in the postseason with a 1.44 ERA over 25 innings in four starts.
Los Angeles Angels: Mike Trout leads AL with 50 home runs
Trout launched 40 home runs in just 119 games last season—the third time in his career that he has reached the 40-homer mark. With his nagging back issue seemingly in the rearview and a better supporting cast around him in the Angels lineup, the pieces are in place for a career year in terms of power production.
Oakland Athletics: Team announces plans to move to Las Vegas in 2025
The Athletics' lease at RingCentral Coliseum is up after the 2024 season, and talks of a potential move to Las Vegas have continued this offseason. It's not like announcing that they are planning to move now is going to hurt ticket sales since they already play in a virtually empty stadium every home game, so don't be surprised if there's an announcement sooner rather than later on their future plans.
Seattle Mariners: Harry Ford is a top-25 prospect by season's end
Ford has yet to play above the Single-A level after going No. 12 overall in the 2021 draft, but that didn't stop him from going 4-for-13 with one double and two home runs for Team Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic. The 20-year-old hit .274/.425/.439 with 23 doubles, 11 home runs, 65 RBI and 23 steals in 104 games last season, and he is a unique athlete for the catcher position. He starts the season No. 78 on the B/R Top 100 list. But his arrow is pointing straight up, and he could vault into the top 25 before the season is over.
Texas Rangers: Andrew Heaney is an AL All-Star
The two-year, $25 million deal that Heaney signed with the Rangers in December has a chance to be one of the steals of the offseason. The 31-year-old dealt with some injury issues in 2022, but when he was healthy, he was downright dominant, posting a 3.10 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and an eye-popping 110 strikeouts in 72.2 innings. That 13.6 K/9 rate jumps off the page, and with a full season of similar production, he could be a first-time All-Star.
Atlanta Braves: Sean Murphy leads all catchers in WAR
Last season, Murphy ranked seventh among all catchers with 3.5 WAR, trailing J.T. Realmuto (6.5), Adley Rutschman (5.2), Will Smith (4.1), Willson Contreras (3.9), Alejandro Kirk (3.9) and Cal Raleigh (3.9). The 28-year-old hit .250/.332/.426 for a 120 OPS+ with 37 doubles, 18 home runs and 66 RBI in a lineup with zero protection, and now he moves to one of the best lineups in baseball. His defense is already elite, and his offensive game could still take a major step forward.
Miami Marlins: Edward Cabrera is an NL All-Star
Armed with a fastball that can touch triple digits and a trio of swing-and-miss off-speed pitches, Cabrera posted a 3.01 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 75 strikeouts in 71.2 innings last season. The 24-year-old has some of the best pure stuff in baseball and could quickly fill the No. 2 starter role vacated by the Pablo López trade.
New York Mets: Pete Alonso leads majors with 52 home runs
Alonso has been one of baseball's most consistent power hitters since bursting onto the scene with a rookie-record 53 homers in 2019. The 28-year-old had a 40-homer, 131 RBI season last year to finish eighth in NL MVP voting, and that was with a bit of a slump that saw him hit just nine home runs in July and August combined. Another 50-homer season and a run at the MLB lead is well within reach.
Philadelphia Phillies: Yunior Marte leads team in saves
"He goes out there, just dumping 99 mph at the bottom of the zone, with a really good slider," Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham told reporters of Marte. "You blink and the outing is over. I'm watching from the dugout, and I'm like, 'What just happened?'"
The stuff speaks for itself:
Rob Friedman @PitchingNinjaYunior Marte, Wicked 87mph Slider. �� pic.twitter.com/nXZn2Vn8ab
The Phillies have Seranthony Domínguez, José Alvarado and Craig Kimbrel in the mix to close games, but Marte has the stuff to emerge as the guy in the ninth inning.
Washington Nationals: Set modern record with 121 losses
Since the MLB season was expanded to 162 games in 1962, only once has a team recorded 120 losses in a season, and that was the New York Mets in their inaugural season in 1962 when they finished 40-120-1 with one rain delay they didn't make up. With a quick look up and down this year's Nationals roster, it's not out of the question that this team could break that long-standing record.
Chicago Cubs: Brennen Davis is starting center fielder by July 1
The Cubs took a chance on Cody Bellinger returning to form with a change of scenery, and he will start the year as the everyday center fielder. But it might not be long before he's pushed for playing time. Davis has been a staple on Top 100 prospect lists for several years running. Injuries limited him to just 53 games last season, or he might already be in the majors. The 23-year-old has legitimate five-tool potential, and he'll be waiting in the wings at Triple-A if Bellinger continues to struggle.
Cincinnati Reds: Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo have 400+ combined strikeouts
Greene (24 GS, 4.44 ERA, 164 K, 125.2 IP) and Lodolo (19 GS, 3.66 ERA, 131 K, 103.1 IP) both had strong rookie seasons with the Reds last year, and now they are the clear co-aces of the staff for a team in the process of rebuilding. With more durability, both pitchers have the potential to rank among the NL leaders in strikeouts in 2023.
Milwaukee Brewers: Corbin Burnes is traded at the deadline
The Brewers decided it was worth saving $740,000 to blow up their relationship with Burnes at his arbitration hearing, and it's now all but certain that the 2021 NL Cy Young winner will be headed elsewhere when he reaches free agency following the 2024 season. The best time to maximize his trade value will be this summer, and the prospect haul could exceed what the Reds received for Luis Castillo in 2022.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Oneil Cruz has 30/30 season
There are five-tool players, and then there is Cruz, who had the hardest-hit ball and fastest infield throw of the Statcast era last year while also ranking in the 98th percentile in sprint speed. The 24-year-old had 17 home runs and 10 steals in 87 games last year, and while he has work to do in refining his overall approach at the plate, there is undeniable 30/30 upside in his offensive profile.
St. Louis Cardinals: Jack Flaherty wins NL Comeback Player of the Year
Flaherty has a lot to prove this season with St. Louis relying on him to make an impact in the rotation and free agency awaiting for the first time next offseason. The 27-year-old has pitched just 154.2 innings over the past three years after he finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting during a breakout 2019 campaign, and he will be a major X-factor for the Cardinals as they hunt for another NL Central title.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Zac Gallen wins NL Cy Young
Gallen was the best pitcher in baseball during the second half last season, going 8-2 with a 1.49 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and 103 strikeouts in 90.1 innings while limiting opposing hitters to a .156 average. The 27-year-old is just entering the prime of his career, and after finishing fifth in the NL Cy Young balloting last year, he should be considered one of the front-runners in 2023.
Colorado Rockies: Ezequiel Tovar is an NL All-Star
Someone has to represent a bad Rockies team in the All-Star Game, and Tovar has the tools to be a rookie phenom this year. Widely regarded as one of the best defensive shortstops in the minors, he also hit .319/.387/.540 with 32 extra-base hits and 17 steals in 71 games across Double-A and Triple-A last year. The 21-year-old has a clear path to the everyday shortstop job and the upside to be a surprise All-Star in 2023.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Julio Urías signs a $200 million extension
With Clayton Kershaw nearing the end of his Hall of Fame career and Walker Buehler recovering from Tommy John surgery, there's a case to be made that Urías is the most important player on the Dodgers roster going forward. The 26-year-old will be a free agent for the first time this offseason, and his age and front-line production give him sky-high earning potential. Would a seven-year, $210 million extension offer convince him to skip testing the free-agency waters?
San Diego Padres: Matt Carpenter, Nelson Cruz have 30-HR, 100-RBI season combined
Carpenter (116 PA, 1.093 OPS, 10 HR vs. RHP) and Cruz (175 PA, .727 OPS, 5 HR vs. LHP) each signed one-year deals with the Padres this offseason for a combined $7.5 million in 2023, and a straight platoon of the two veterans in the DH role has a ton of upside. Despite his middling numbers in 2022, Cruz is just a year removed from a 32-homer season and an All-Star selection, and a platoon would help keep both veterans fresh.
San Francisco Giants: Kyle Harrison earns NL Rookie of the Year votes
The Giants replaced Carlos Rodón with Ross Stripling and Sean Manaea during the offseason, but they'll have another left-hander with front-line potential joining the staff soon in Harrison. The 21-year-old had a 2.71 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 186 strikeouts in 113 innings between High-A and Double-A last year, and a strong start in the upper levels of the minors could earn him a quick promotion to the big leagues, where he'd have the swing-and-miss stuff to make an immediate impact.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference.
