Alright so let's give this a shot.
Standings in Division
AL East
(1) Red Sox
(2) Blue Jays (1st Wildcard)
(3) Yankees
(4) Orioles
(5) Rays
Boston edges out the Jays for the division title on the back of a strong lineup (Betts leading their squad now that Ortiz is no longer with them). The Jays will see Marco Estrada miss at least 1 month with his back injury reaggravating, and with this hole in their rotation (alongside a struggling bullpen), they settle for the first Wild Card.
AL Central
(1) Tigers
(2) Clevland Naps
(3) White Sox
(4) Twins
(5) Royals
Detroit usurps the division from the Indians due to lacking performances from Salazar, Naquin, and an injured Michael Brantley. Andrew Miller will miss time due to overuse. The Royals sell off in historic fashion, trading off Hosmer, Moustakas, and Cain at the deadline; none resign.
AL West
(1) Mariners
(2) Astros (2nd Wildcard)
(3) Angels
(4) Rangers
(5) Athletics
Seatle walks away with postseason baseball after Dipoto's insane amount of moves pay off. Bounceback years by both Hernandez and Gallardo carry a strong lineup once again led by Robinson Cano. Houston makes up for lackluster performances by Beltran and Reddick to claim the second wildcard.
NL East
(1) Phillies
(2) Nationals (1st Wildcard)
(3) Marlins
(4) Braves
(5) Mets
The Phillies stun the NL East with Aaron Nola and Vincent Velasquez leading the rotation. Franco puts together a huge year to edge out the Nationals. Bryce Harper continues to be an average player, as the Nats learn to lament the Adam Eaton trade (a la Dickey-Syndergaard). The Mets pitching completely falls apart with only DeGrom making 30 starts; Their lineup fails to produce.
NL Central
(1) Cubs
(2) Brewers
(3) Cardinals
(4) Reds
(5) Pirates
The Cubs run away with this one. Despite Schwarber not being great in the outfield and Arrieta looking average, the Cubs once again field a strong team with few others who could match them. The Cards face many lackluster performances and continued injuries, taking them out of contention. The Pirates go on a full rebuild with Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole being moved at the deadline.
NL West
(1) Giants
(2) Rockies (2nd Wildcard)
(3) Dodgers
(4) Diamond Backs
(5) Padres
The Giants are able to wrestle the division from both the Dodgers and the Rockies on the backs of a strong 1-3 in the rotation. Mark Melancon settles the bullpen, leading the league in saves for a low scoring lineup. The Rockies earn the second Wildcard through a lineup led by Trevor Story, with their pitching becoming successful in Coors. The Dodgers face injuries to Seager and Kershaw, taking them out of the running. Christian Bethancourt becomes the closer for the Padres in absence of Carter Capps.
Playoffs
AL Wildcard
Blue Jays (1) v. Astros (2)
The Jays slug their way to a win, with Wildcard starter Liriano pitching 6 strong innings against a shelled Collin McHugh. A Pearce HR opens the floodgates, leading to an eventual victory.
NL Wildcard
Nationals (1) v. Rockies (2)
Max Scherzer ends up being no match for Jon Gray, as the Rockies pull away with a 2-1 victory in Washington.
ALDS
Boston v. Tigers
Chris Sale and David Price are murdered by Detriot's batters, leading to an eventual sweep. Dave Dombrowski soon regrets being locked into a declining Price (who doesn't opt out).
Mariners v. Blue Jays
King Felix and co. are overwhelmed by an astute Blue Jays lineup. Kendrys Morales plays a vital part in putting down his former team, blasting 4 home runs in as many games. Jays win in 4.
NLDS
Phillies v. Giants
The Giants and Phillies go to 5 games, with the Giants edging out their opponents on the back of stingy pitching. Michael Saunders hits like it's 2nd Half 2016, alongside poor hitting by the entire lineup.
Cubs v. Rockies
The Rockies take the Cubs to 5 games as well, losing in extras in Game 5. A Kris Bryant HR off Greg Holland send the Cubs to the NLCS.
ALCS
Tigers v. Blue Jays
A seven game series that truly saw pitching shine, yet the Blue Jays fall just short as Justin Verlander finds his groove and no-hits the Jays (again...).
NLDS
Giants v. Cubs
A rematch that begins and ends quickly, with the cubs sweeping the Giants. San Fran's pitching finally falters with Bumgarner being a dud in Games 1 and 4.
World Series
Tigers v. Cubs
The Cubs strike quick, taking a 2-0 lead, with the Tigers tying the series 2-2 with strong performances by Verlander and Norris. The series goes to seven, with the Cubs scraping a victory out with a Walkoff walk given up by Bruce Rondon. The Cubs repeat.
Awards
AL ROY: Jharel Cotton
Cotton surprisingly wins 12 games for the A's, putting together a dominant season in which he leads the league in ERA and WHIP.
NL ROY: Dansby Swanson
Swanson plays to his full ability in his Rookie Season, including winning the batting title and Gold Glove along the way.
AL MVP: Mookie Betts
Playing strong defense alongside being one of the best bats in the league tends to pay off. He'll lead the league in WAR and WRC+, taking home his first (of many) MVPs.
NL MVP: Kris Bryant
Bryant will take home the MVP on the back of leading the league in HR and RBI. Nolan Arenado will be a close second.
AL CY Young: Justin Verlander
On his way to winning 20 games, Verlander will lead the AL in strikeouts and FIP. Though Rick Porcello will pitch rather similarly, Kate Upton's Twitter outbursts will lead to Verlander deservedly earning a CY Young.
NL CY Young: Madison Bumgarner
Due to Clayton Kershaw missing time with another back injury, Bumgarner finally is able to win a CY Young after leading all pitchers in IP, CG, and Pitching WAR.
Blue Jays Leaders
AVG: Pillar (.310)
WAR: Donaldson (7.4)
HR: Donaldson (37)
RBI: Morales (109)
Walks: Bautista (97) Though Pillar earns a gold star for walking 45 times.
ERA: Liriano (3.41)
Strikeouts: Liriano (203) Smoak challenges for the lead
IP: Stroman (212)
Wins: Stroman (15)
Jays ROY: Rowdy Tellez
Feel free to share your thoughts on these predictions in the comments below
