Analyzing The 2017 MLB Season Favorites, Smart Picks And Dark Horses
Favorites
It’s no real surprise to see that the two teams who competed for the World Series last year are among the favorites again this season. The Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians were deserving of their spot in the World Series, and both teams look primed and ready to make another run. They won’t have it all their way, though, as we can expect the likes of the Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals, and the LA Dodgers to once again figure into the equation. These are the teams most likely to be consistent winners, assuming of course that they are able to steer clear of the injury bug for the majority of the season.Smart Picks
I believe that the smartest pick on the board is to take the Chicago Cubs to have the most wins on the season. They blew everyone away last year, and have what looks to be the most talented group of players in the league.The Cleveland Indians might come the closest to matching the win total of the Cubs, especially when you consider that they play in what is arguably the weakest division in baseball. If you had to pick just one division winner out of the 6, I would say that the Indians would be the surest bet.
The race that no-one wants to win is the one for the least wins in the league. I think that the San Diego Padres have a great shot at landing that dubious record, and I am all over the UNDER 66.5 total wins currently on the board.
Dark Horses
While there appear to be some very clear division winners for the upcoming 2017 MLB season, there are also a few teams that might upset the apple cart. The Detroit Tigers seem like the only legitimate threat to the Indians in the AL Central, and if they can stay close through the first half, they may decide to buy at the trade deadline.The Colorado Rockies seem to be the sexy dark horse pick for 2017, but in their same division, the Arizona Diamondbacks might have something to say about that. Do we really expect Zack Greinke to put together back to back bad seasons? If he bounces back, the D-Backs might just be one to watch.