My MLB Award and Playoff Predictions After One Week

I know I'm a little bit late to the party with this, but I couldn't let my fans go on any longer without knowing my MLB predictions. One week into a 162-game season is obviously a tiny sample size, but we have already seen some surprising things from a few clubs. The Yankees stole the show on opening weekend with a four-game sweep of the Astros in Houston, the Pirates and Tigers are both undefeated (as of this writing), and the Angels are alone in first place of the AL West. Overall, what we have seen so far will likely have no bearing on where the standings are come October, but it has still been exciting to see a few new teams showing out early. Without further ado, here are my predictions for MVP, Cy Young, and the MLB playoffs:

*Disclaimer: I will personally be placing a wager on all of these predictions, and I recommend you do the same.

AL MVP: Juan Soto

This guy scares the shit out of me. As someone who has been tortured by the Yankees for my entire life (they have beaten the Twins in fourteen (!) consecutive postseason games), it is safe to say my hatred for them knows no bounds. Any time I have ever been optimistic about my beloved Twins, the Yankees have been there to rip my heart out in every way imaginable. When I was younger it was Jeter and A-Rod, then a few years later it was Didi Gregorius and Aaron Judge, and now it has become abundantly clear to me that the next man waiting to usher me into the deepest depths of hell for years to come is Juan Soto. It's a damn shame because he is a very fun player to watch, and I have always liked him while watching from afar, but now he is on the fast track to becoming my most hated player in the league. Soto is already off to an amazing start to the season, and if the Yankees are able to keep winning with him leading the charge, I don't see a scenario in which the voters don't give him the MVP.

NL MVP: Mookie Betts

I know that I'm not going out on a limb with this prediction, but sometimes the obvious choice is obvious for a reason. Mookie, who has played the outfield for the majority of his Major League career, moved to shortstop this season (he was an infielder as a prospect) and hasn't missed a beat. The Dodgers lineup is obviously loaded with stars, but I think he's the best of them all. It's very early, but the start the Betts is on to start the year has been wild. If he can continue a fraction of the production that we have seen so far, his numbers are going to be crazy. It also doesn't hurt having Freeman and Ohtani (gambling addict) batting right behind you. He is going to continue getting pitches to hit because putting him on base with those monsters coming up next is no better of a fate for opposing pitchers. There is a non-zero chance that Mookie scores 6 billion runs this season. Also, Mookie is such an awesome name. If I were a Dodgers fan, I would have 8 dogs and 2 kids all named Mookie.

AL Cy Young: Pablo Lopez

My sweet prince Pablo, I love you so much. This man can do no wrong and if you don't like him, you're a bad person. He's such a cute guy and I would give my life for him to be happy. This was by far the easiest prediction.

NL Cy Young: Zac Gallen

Despite the spelling of his name, Zac Gallen is elite. He became more of a household name last season during Arizona's run to the World Series, and I think he's only going to get better. I also deserve credit for discovering him: I watched him carve up the Twins as a rookie before he was traded from Miami to the Diamondbacks and could tell from that outing that he had the potential to be a true ace. I know ball. I also don't like Spencer Strider for some reason, and I refuse to pick him to win this.

AL Playoff Predictions:

AL East Champs: New York Yankees (1 Seed)

AL Central Champs: Minnesota Twins (3)

AL West Champs: Texas Rangers (2)

AL Wild Cards: Baltimore Orioles (4), Houston Astros (5), Toronto Blue Jays (6)

Wild Card Round: Twins over Blue Jays, Astros over Orioles

ALDS: Twins over Rangers, Yankees over Astros

ALCS: Yankees over Twins

Is it a homer pick to have the Twins in the ALCS? Maybe, but I don't care. Even with that, I still have seen the same movie enough times to know that they're not getting past New York. Sadly, I am guzzling the Yankees Kool-Aid, and think that if they add another playoff starting pitcher at the trade deadline, they could once again begin to reign over the American League for years to come.

NL Playoff Predictions:

NL East Champs: Atlanta Braves (2)

NL Central Champs: Milwaukee Brewers (3)

NL West Champs: Los Angeles Dodgers (1)

NL Wild Cards: Arizona Diamondbacks (4), Philadelphia Phillies (5), Cincinatti Reds (6)

Wild Card Round: Reds over Brewers, Phillies over Diamondbacks

NLDS: Dodgers over Reds, Braves over Phillies

NLCS: Dodgers over Braves

This is pretty chalky, but it would still be awesome baseball to watch. I think that the Reds are going to be damn good in the next year or so, and I would love to see them get their first taste at the playoffs with their young team. While the Dodgers and Braves have been notorious chokers in October for the past few years, I think they both get over the hump and make deep playoff runs this year. An NLCS between the two teams would be so much fun, and while I could make a case for either team, the Dodgers are too deep.

World Series: Yankees over Dodgers

As a fan of a small market team, I want nothing less than to see two juggernaut teams face off in the World Series, but an LA vs New York matchup would admittedly be very fun to see. This would likely be one of the highest rated World Series of all time, and it could go a long way towards bringing casual fans back to the game of baseball. Beyond the obvious pull of the huge markets, the star power on both rosters would make for can't miss baseball in every single game. In the end, my nightmare scenario comes to life, and the Yankees bring home their 28th world title.