Your inbox approves Men's coaches poll Women's coaches poll Play to win 25K!
MLB
Boston Red Sox

AL regular season preview: Fearless predictions

USA TODAY Sports
Edwin Encarnacion is expected to put up monster numbers this season with the Blue Jays.

Who's winning the American League pennant? Throw a dart. It's wide open in the AL, but that doesn't stop USA TODAY Sports' baseball staff from breaking down what to expect from April through October:

***

A new season places all 30 teams and every player at an even playing field. Five fearless predictions that will play out this season:

1. Two guys finish what injuries interrupted last year, as Edwin Encarnacion powers his way to the MVP in the new-look and loaded Toronto Blue Jays lineup, and the Los Angeles Angels' Garrett Richards wins a spectacular and tight Cy Young Award race.

2. Boston Red Sox outfielder Hanley Ramirez gives Angels center fielder Mike Trout a run for MVP honors.

MLB SALARIES: Baseball's top 25 highest-paid players in 2024

3. The Central ends in three-way tie between the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians.

4. The New York Yankees are boring but efficient, win 84 games — thanks in part to Alex Rodriguez's 25 home runs — and advance to the ALCS.

5. The revamped Oakland Athletics defy doubters and surge to the West pennant behind an offense full of productive platoons.

***

Must-see new attractions

-- Daniel Norris, Toronto Blue Jays: Forget the living-in-a-van stuff. Norris is driven on the mound, too, and he's one of the young pitchers who could finally put Toronto over the top.

-- Mookie Betts, Red Sox: Already drawing comparisons to Andrew McCutchen and Derek Jeter. We're beginning to understand why the Red Sox refused to trade him for Cole Hamels.

-- Andrew Heaney, Los Angeles Angels: The newly acquired 23-year-old lefty was hit hard this spring, but he should get plenty of starts in Anaheim, where he'll benefit from a good lineup and a division full of great pitchers' parks.

-- Dalton Pompey, Blue Jays: Provides the speed and defense in center field that Toronto's been missing. Jumping all the way from Class A to the majors last season, the 22-year-old will be the AL's best rookie.

***

This year, Mike Trout will...

Be baseball's best all-around player, firmly answering whispers about all of last year's strikeouts. But he'll finish second in the MVP race, leading to the invention of a new metric that links voters' eating, drinking and voting habits.

Have the greatest year of his career, striking out 50 fewer times, hitting 40 homers for the first time, lead the league in batting average — and somehow still finish runner-up in the MVP voting, Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano.

Lead the league in home runs. Trout set a career high with 36 homers at age 22. As he ages and hones his plate approach, even bigger power numbers should follow.

For some reason, garner a few Cy Young votes, as well.

GALLERY: BEST PICTURES FROM SPRING TRAINING

Featured Weekly Ad