2014 MLB Season Preview

The MLB season is just minutes away from kicking off, and I have come with the predictions that you have all been waiting for, my postseason and award picks! After giving a short preview for each team in my division rankings (they are linked in the post), here are my postseason picks! 

National League

East --  Washington Nationals (3)
Central -- St. Louis Cardinals (1)
West -- Los Angels Dodgers (2)
Wild Card -- Philadelphia Phillies (4)
Wild Card -- Arizona Diamondbacks (5)

NLWC

Phillies 1 - DBacks 0
Cliff Lee in a one-game playoff? Yes please. The Diamondbacks won't be able to hold up, regardless how bad the Phillies offense is.

NLDS

Cardinals 3 - Phillies 1
The Cardinals have a better offense and pitching, and they will advance to the National League Division Series. The Phillies offense falters here. 

Nationals 3 - Dodgers 2
I am already looking forward to this series. The Nationals are one of the deepest teams in all of baseball, and they can best the Dodgers in five games. 

NLCS

Nationals 4 - Cardinals 2
The Cardinals cannot win the World Series for the second consecutive season for the same reason, young pitching not coming through in the clutch. The Nationals' postseason experience on their entire team wins this series in six games. 

Rookie of the Year: Billy Hamilton, Cincinnati Reds 
Cy Young: Jose Fernandez, Miami Marlins
MVP: Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals 
Breakout Team: Milwaukee Brewers
National League Champion: Washington Nationals 

American League

East -- New York Yankees (2)
Central -- Detroit Tigers (1)
West -- Los Angeles Angels (3)
Wild Card -- Oakland Athletics (4)
Wild Card -- Tampa Bay Rays (5)

ALWC

Rays 1 -- Athletics 0
As I noted earlier by picking the Phillies with Cliff Lee, one game playoffs revolve around pitching. David Price is on the mound for the Rays. They take it.

ALDS

Tigers 3 -- Rays 0
It's hard to predict sweeps, but the Tigers are in a great position to go to the World Series. With Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and  Anibal Sanchez, the Tigers win this series easy.

Yankees 3 -- Angels 2
This series is a rematch of the 2009 ALCS, when the Yankees went on to win the World Series. The same result occurs. Yankees take it in five.

ALCS

Tigers 4 -- Yankees 2
The Yankees pitching just can't quite hold up with the Tigers. The team from Detroit takes the series in six and heads to take on the Washington Nationals in the 2014 World Series. 

Rookie of the Year: Masahiro Tanaka, New York Yankees
Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers
MVP: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
Breakout Team: Kansas City Royals
American League Champion: Detroit Tigers

2014 World Series Prediction

Washington Nationals in seven games. The Nationals have the best roster in all of baseball, and after a tough season last year, they will be playing with a chip on their shoulder. With a rotation that includes Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Doug Fister, and Jordan Zimmermann, the Nationals may not have the best regular season record, but can cruise through the postseason. Bryce Harper, my MVP pick, is going to hit 40 or more home runs. Jayson Werth will post a really good average, and Ian Desmond will the fantastic shortstop he is. The Nationals are built to win this World Series, and after having a good off season, there is no doubt in my mind that they do not win it. 

The case for the Tigers: The Detroit Tigers offense might just be a little bit better then the Nationals', and they could easily defeat the team with their pitching as well. They have way more postseason experience after having played in the last three consecutive, and they are also built to win a championship as well. Their rotation is just as good as the Nationals', and they've got more star power in their lineup to perhaps beat them.