MLB predictions 2023: Here are your division winners, World Series champ

Ryan Ford and Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press

March 29, 2023 at 6:05 AM·4 min read

How do we sum up a 2022 season and 2022-23 offseason that saw the Detroit Tigers bellyflop to fourth place in the American League Central (and inherit the longest playoff drought in MLB — by a few hours over the Los Angeles Angels), the Philadelphia Phillies ride a managerial firing and a slugger-heavy lineup constructed by Dave Dombrowski (where have we seen that before?) to the NL pennant, the Cleveland Guardians sneak away with the AL Central title, the Houston Astros win their second World Series in six seasons, Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa signing with the San Francisco Giants, the New York Mets and, eventually, landing back with the Minnesota Twins on a longterm-ish deal. And, oh yeah, ex-Tigers righty Justin Verlander jumped from the Astros to the Mets (where he’ll be reunited with ex-Tigers righty Max Scherzer) on a short-term deal.

Oh, well, that almost sums it all up, eh?

Juan Soto and Manny Machado should have the Padres in the mix for a World Series title – and competing for an MVP award.

But what about 2023? That’s where Free Press sports writers Ryan Ford and Evan Petzold come in, ready to answer the questions you might have about this MLB season.

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Will the Astros repeat? Can the Phillies float long enough to get Bryce Harper back from elbow surgery, Rhys Hoskins back from knee surgery and ex-Tiger Gregory Soto back from not throwing enough sliders for strikes? Will the Guardians repeat, or will the Twins’ bevy of moves — including dealing AL batting champ Luis Arraez for right-hander Pablo López — pay off. And, speaking of paying off, what exactly will the Texas Rangers get from Jacob deGrom (making roughly $37 million this season with 6⅔ innings thrown in spring training), besides a tax write-off.

We may not have all the answers, but we have some thoughts about how the six divisions will shake out (Is this the Seattle Mariners' year?), who’ll win it all (How much do the San Diego Padres have to spend?) and who’ll take home all the awards (Will there be a Blue November?). We'll get the answers soon enough, but here are our predictions:

*Denotes wild-card berth

AL Central

Ryan Ford

1. Chicago White Sox.

2. Cleveland Guardians.*

3. Minnesota Twins.

4. Detroit Tigers.

5. Kansas City Royals.

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Evan Petzold

1. Cleveland Guardians.

2. Minnesota Twins.

3. Chicago White Sox.

4. Detroit Tigers.

5. Kansas City Royals.

Mach 22: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. smiles against the Baltimore Orioles.

AL East

Ford

1. Toronto Blue Jays.

2. New York Yankees.*

3. Tampa Bay Rays.

4. Boston Red Sox.

5. Baltimore Orioles.

Petzold

1. Toronto Blue Jays.

2. New York Yankees.*

3. Baltimore Orioles.*

4. Tampa Bay Rays.

5. Boston Red Sox.

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AL West

Ford

1. Houston Astros.

2. Seattle Mariners.*

3. Texas Rangers.

4. Los Angeles Angels.

5. Oakland Athletics.

Petzold

1. Houston Astros.

2. Seattle Mariners.*

3. Los Angeles Angels.

4. Texas Rangers.

5. Oakland Athletics.

St. Louis Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Washington Nationals Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

NL Central

Ford

1. St. Louis Cardinals.

2. Milwaukee Brewers.

3. Chicago Cubs.

4. Cincinnati Reds.

5. Pittsburgh Pirates.

Petzold

1. St. Louis Cardinals.

2. Milwaukee Brewers.

3. Chicago Cubs.

4. Cincinnati Reds.

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AL Central

AL East

AL West

NL Central

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