1 Prediction for Every MLB Team for the Rest of the 2020 Regular Season
Time is running out on the 2020 Major League Baseball season, as this year's abbreviated 60-game schedule will end Sept. 27.
Because every team still has something to play for, we've made a prediction for each of them.
These cover individual performances, such as which hitters and pitchers will hit certain statistical marks. We also explore more pressing matters, such as how many wins and which postseason positions teams will (or won't) secure.
We'll proceed in alphabetical order by city.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Zac Gallen Will Finish with a Sub-2.00 ERA
1 of 30
Between their 29 losses and recent trades of Starling Marte, Robbie Ray and Archie Bradley, the Arizona Diamondbacks have little in the way of rooting interests.
Yet there's still ace right-hander Zac Gallen, who has a non-zero chance of finishing with a sub-2.00 ERA.
The 25-year-old's ERA stands at 2.29 following an outing against the San Francisco Giants on Monday in which he was tagged for four earned runs in five innings. Amazingly, that snapped a record-setting string of 23 starts in which he'd surrendered no more than three earned runs.
No matter. With sharp command of an excellent four-pitch mix (fastball, cutter, curveball and changeup), Gallen has what he needs to get back on track and send his ERA southward again.
Atlanta: It'll Hang On to 1st Place in the NL East
2 of 30
Atlanta has had sole possession of first place in the National League East since Aug. 17, yet neither the club's lead nor the ice beneath its feet is especially thick.
The Philadelphia Phillies are only two games off the pace. And if Atlanta's rotation issues weren't already bad enough, the club placed ace left-hander Max Fried (back) on the injured list Tuesday.
One silver lining, however, is that it's done with head-to-head matchups against those pesky Phillies. Another, of course, is that Brian Snitker's club can hope to simply smash its way to October.
Atlanta is scoring 5.9 runs per game with an MLB-high .836 OPS. And that's mostly been without star second baseman Ozzie Albies, who finally returned from an early-season wrist injury just in time for a record-setting 29-run outburst on Wednesday.
Baltimore Orioles: Jose Iglesias Will Hit .400
3 of 30
The further the New York Yankees sink, the better the chances that the Baltimore Orioles will sneak into October.
But rather than take that for granted, we thought we'd zoom in a bit with a question: Anybody notice what Jose Iglesias is up to?
Though typically known for his defense, the 30-year-old has been making noise with his bat to the tune of a .376 average. Because he's struck out only 13 times while racking up an expected average in the 100th percentile, he has a shot to hit .400.
He's only appeared in 26 games because of a quadriceps injury, so the catch is that Iglesias probably won't finish with enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title. Even still, a .400 average is a .400 average.
.jpg?w=256 "MLB Farm System Rankings")
Boston Red Sox: J.D. Martinez Will Make It to Double-Digit Home Runs
4 of 30
When a team is as bad as the Boston Red Sox, there's typically a "well, at least you tried" perspective. But they traded their best player in February, so...nah.
Pretty much all the Red Sox have going for them right now is the offensive quartet of Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, Alex Verdugo and Bobby Dalbec. If J.D. Martinez were to get hot, it would be a quintet.
In the wake of the .985 OPS and 79 home runs he posted in 2018 and 2019, it's shocking that Martinez owns only a .689 OPS and four homers. What's more, his peripherals are alarmingly mediocre.
Maybe this is indeed the result of his being unable to watch video during games. Regardless, surely he's too good to be this bad. The Red Sox must hope for a charge that at least gets him to the 10-homer plateau.
Chicago Cubs: They'll Hang On to 1st Place in the NL Central
5 of 30
The Chicago Cubs got off to an excellent start, but a 12-16 slide since Aug. 14 has allowed the St. Louis Cardinals to creep to within two-and-a-half games of first place in the NL Central.
But remember, there's no functional difference between first and second place in a division with regard to this year's expanded postseason. So, the Cubs have that going for them.
They can likewise rest easy knowing that they don't have to play the Cardinals anymore, while the Cards themselves still have a whopping 23 games on their slate.
Besides, the Cubs have some untapped potential that they're waiting to unlock. Specifically, the offense stands to get a massive boost if Javier Baez and Kris Bryant can get their .598 combined OPS more in line with last year's mark of .877.
Chicago White Sox: They'll Lead MLB in Home Runs
6 of 30
The Chicago White Sox have their eyes on first place in the American League Central. Or, failing that, a second-place finish or a wild-card slot, which would also get them into October.
In any case, they can start looking ahead and thinking about how they might get to the World Series for the first time since 2005. Above all, this plan should involve hitting lots and lots of dingers.
The White Sox have 74 of them so far, which ranks fourth in MLB. But with a league-high 47 blasts since Aug. 16, the White Sox have the momentum.
So, we'll go out on a limb and guess that Chicago will indeed end up with the major league lead.
Cincinnati Reds: Trevor Bauer Will Lead the NL in Strikeouts
7 of 30
The Cincinnati Reds should be better than 19-24. And with several weeks left, they still might be.
In the meantime, the Reds' vaunted rotation trio of Sonny Gray, Luis Castillo and Trevor Bauer is the best excuse to tune in to their games. Bauer deserves an especially close eye because he has a shot to lead the NL in strikeouts.
The 71 that he has so far rank second among his fellow Senior Circuit hurlers. But Bauer, 29, has racked those up in only eight starts. Yu Darvish, who has just one more strikeout than Bauer, has made nine starts.
Assuming his workload catches up, Bauer just needs to maintain his excellent rate of 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings. To that end, it's noteworthy that his pure stuff is drawing bonkers readings this season.
Cleveland: Shane Bieber Will Break Bob Gibson's Modern ERA Record
8 of 30
Like the White Sox's, Cleveland's sights are on first place in the AL Central. Also like Rick Renteria's charges, however, Terry Francona's club will likely make the postseason no matter what.
As such, arguably more intriguing is ascendant ace Shane Bieber and just how low his ERA can go.
It's 1.25 after nine outings. That puts him within range of Bob Gibson's modern record of 1.12 from 1968, and Bieber's extraordinary abilities—best seen in his 94-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 57.2 innings—should give him a fair shot to get under that mark.
Of course, the 60-game schedule complicates the notion that Bieber, 25, will have "broken" Gibson's record if he indeed gets there. But hey, it would be official anyway.
Colorado Rockies: Nolan Arenado Will Propel Them into October
9 of 30
The Colorado Rockies are just 9-20 since Aug. 9, resulting in a swift fall out of the NL playoff picture.
Among Colorado's problems is an offense that's struggled to keep up even despite its Coors Field advantage. Nolan Arenado in particular has been a massive disappointment in dropping his OPS from .962 to .803 from last season to this season.
If Arenado does get hot, however, the Rockies may have found the fuel they need to pull out of their doldrums and get into October. After all, they're already getting good pitching from Kyle Freeland, German Marquez and Antonio Senzatela and enough offense from Trevor Story and Charlie Blackmon.
As for why anyone should believe Arenado will get hot, the J.D. Martinez logic applies: He's too good to be this bad.
Detroit Tigers: Casey Mize Will Have at Least One 10-Strikeout Game
10 of 30
The Detroit Tigers have had winning streaks of four and six games this season, but they are just 9-22 in their other 31 games.
That's a truer reflection of their quality, so while they have a reasonable shot to earn a wild-card berth, that isn't likely to materialize.
On an individual level, probably the most interesting Tiger is young right-hander Casey Mize, who's getting his first taste of the majors just two years after he was picked No. 1 overall in the draft. It's been rough, as he's been knocked around for a 6.75 ERA through four starts.
Yet especially with regard to his dynamite splitter, there's little question Mize has the stuff for at least one signature start. Look for him to get it with double-digit strikeouts before the season ends.
Houston Astros: They'll Hang On to 2nd Place in the AL West
11 of 30
The Houston Astros were getting by just fine for a while there, but right now they're on a road trip from hell.
So far, the Astros have dropped seven of eight to the Los Angeles Angels and Oakland Athletics. They still have one more in Oakland on Thursday, and then it's on to Los Angeles for two against the Dodgers.
On the plus side, Houston's schedule lightens up after its road trip is over. All 13 of the club's remaining games will be against teams that have losing records.
Factoring in that the Astros also stand to get Jose Altuve (knee) and Justin Verlander (forearm) back from the IL at some point, they should be able to hold on to their playoff spot.
Kansas City Royals: Adalberto Mondesi Will Beat the Mendoza Line
12 of 30
The Kansas City Royals have some bright spots, including up-and-coming stars such as Hunter Dozier, Brad Keller and Josh Staumont.
On the other side of the spectrum is the no-good-very-bad-terrible season Adalberto Mondesi is having.
It looked in 2018 like the 25-year-old was going to be Kansas City's franchise shortstop. But he struggled with injuries and inconsistency in 2019, and he's often looked lost in 2020, specifically on offense. He's mustered only a .499 OPS.
Yet Mondesi has at least gotten himself above the Mendoza line (i.e., a .200 batting average) with eight hits in his last six games, including his first home run Monday. Finishing over said line would be a small yet reassuring victory.
Los Angeles Angels: Mike Trout Will Hit 20 Home Runs
13 of 30
For the Los Angeles Angels, this season has been yet another in a line of disappointments that's getting long enough to be called inexcusable.
But at least Mike Trout is still, well, Mike Trout.
It may not feel like he's been his typically dominant self, but his .293/.392/.653 slash line says otherwise. Oh, and there's also the reality that he's tied with Fernando Tatis Jr. and Nelson Cruz for the MLB lead with 15 home runs.
All three could cross the 20-homer plateau by the end of the season. But if we have to pick only one to do it, we'll lean Trout simply because of the whole "he's Mike Trout" thing.
Los Angeles Dodgers: They'll Win 40 Games
14 of 30
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been hot all year, are hot now and will almost certainly remain hot through the end of the season.
Still, we'll dish out a hot take and say the Dodgers won't finish with the 44 wins they're on pace for.
Even as good as they are, their upcoming schedule still presents a challenge. From Sept. 12 to 24, they play 12 straight against the Astros, San Diego Padres, Rockies and Oakland Athletics. A gauntlet like that could trip them up a bit.
So, 40 wins sounds more like it. Either way, no other team will even come close to winning that many.
Miami Marlins: They'll Fade Out of the Playoffs and Below .500
15 of 30
The Miami Marlins opened the season amid low expectations and then had to overcome a coronavirus outbreak that sidelined a sizable chunk of their roster.
And yet they've been a pleasant surprise. So much so that they have a fighting chance at snapping both their winning record (since 2009) and postseason (since 2003) droughts.
Yet Miami's remaining schedule won't make either task easy. Still remaining are seven against the Philadelphia Phillies, four against Atlanta and three against the New York Yankees.
Given that winning teams have been the Marlins' kryptonite to this point, this stretch of games could leave them short of both the .500 mark and the playoffs. As such, it's a good thing they're a young, up-and-coming team that's only getting started.
Milwaukee Brewers: Devin Williams Will Strike Out Twice as Many as Josh Hader
16 of 30
The Milwaukee Brewers have played admirably in the face of many challenges, but it's frankly hard to imagine they will make the push they need to get into October.
So if he isn't already, it won't be long before Devin Williams is the best excuse to watch the Brewers.
His name was on nobody's radar coming into the year, and even now he's wallowing in relative obscurity beneath closer Josh Hader in the bullpen. But in just 17 innings, he's put himself on track for stardom with 35 strikeouts and only one run allowed.
Those strikeouts are nearly twice as many as the 18 Hader has accumulated in 11.2 frames. By season's end, it wouldn't be the least bit surprising if Williams does have twice as many punchouts as his pen pal.
Minnesota Twins: They'll Claim 1st Place in the AL Central
17 of 30
Even if the expanded playoffs have lowered the stakes of the AL Central race, it's still been fun to watch the White Sox, Cleveland and the Minnesota Twins duke it out.
And even though they're one game off the pace, we'll take the Twins to claim first place and the bragging rights that come with it.
Minnesota isn't yet done with Chicago or Cleveland, but it bodes well that it has a winning record against both clubs. It also bodes well that the offense—which hasn't had much consistency outside of ageless star Nelson Cruz—recently regained 2015 AL MVP Josh Donaldson.
Meanwhile, Twins pitchers had already been pitching well with a 3.72 ERA. So in these final weeks, Minnesota should have what it needs to make a relatively easy charge.
New York Mets: Jacob deGrom Will Win the NL ERA Title
18 of 30
The New York Mets are one of a handful of teams hanging around in the NL wild-card race, but their depth issues make it hard to count on them.
Instead, we'll suggest that all eyes be on Jacob deGrom during the stretch run.
The 32-year-old ace is tracking toward a third straight National League Cy Young Award. He's made eight starts and whiffed 70 batters with only 11 walks in 48 innings.
The one thing deGrom doesn't quite have a firm grip on is the NL lead in ERA, as his 1.69 mark barely edges Bauer's 1.74 ERA and Darvish's 1.77 ERA. But with only three earned runs allowed in his last four starts, deGrom is already on a run that could create some distance between him and his pursuers.
New York Yankees: They'll Make the Playoffs. Somehow.
19 of 30
It ought to be easy to reassure fans of the New York Yankees that their club will make the postseason. But right now, that has to be taken on faith.
The Yankees started strong, but injuries and inconsistent performances have led to a 6-15 slump since Aug. 18. As of now, they lead the Orioles by only one-and-a-half games for the eighth spot in the AL playoff picture.
On the bright side, the Yankees are done playing the Tampa Bay Rays. Still another bright side is that they stand to get some stars back from the injured list, such as Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Gio Urshela.
Like with J.D. Martinez and Nolan Arenado, it's also hard not to hold to a line of logic that the Yankees are too good to be this bad.
Oakland Athletics: They'll Hold On to 1st Place in the AL West
20 of 30
Granted, it's kind of a layup to say the Oakland Athletics are going to finish in first place in the AL West.
They hold a five-and-a-half game lead over the Astros, who, as we previously mentioned, have hit the skids on their road trip. The A's aren't without flaws, but their bullpen has dominated with a 2.06 ERA and both their offense and their rotation are arguably better than the sum of their parts.
If there's a threat to the A's, it might be their schedule. Contests against the Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners loom, and the A's still have 19 games to play between now and Sept. 27.
Still, they're good enough to handle it. And barring an unforeseen hot streak, the Astros probably won't be making things too close for comfort.
Philadelphia Phillies: They'll Hold On to 2nd Place in the NL East
21 of 30
This season started as yet another disappointing turn for the Philadelphia Phillies, as they were only 9-14 through their first 23 games.
The Phillies have figured it out since then. Mainly thanks to an offense led by Bryce Harper, Rhys Hoskins and J.T. Realmuto—who've combined for a .907 OPS and 26 homers—they're 12-4 since Aug. 23.
This run has catapulted them into second place in the NL East, thereby putting them in line to nab a playoff spot. And at this point, the Marlins are the only threat to the Phillies.
In keeping with our prediction about the Marlins, we're thinking the Phillies will maintain their edge. The matter could be resolved as soon as Monday, which marks the end of a series of seven head-to-head battles in only five days.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Ke'Bryan Hayes Will Keep It Up
22 of 30
There isn't a whole lot to say about the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have predictably sunk like a stone to the bottom of an NL Central race that's otherwise quite interesting.
Ke'Bryan Hayes, though. What a player.
In what seemed like a long overdue move, the Pirates called up Hayes for his major league debut Sept. 1. The 23-year-old has since put up a 1.074 OPS in seven games, and he's been crushing the ball with an average exit velocity of 96.4 mph.
This is excellent stuff for a prospect who had been primarily known for his glove—which, by the way, is still another reason to keep an eye on him for the rest of the season.
San Diego Padres: They'll Hit 10 Grand Slams
23 of 30
It really doesn't get any better than summer in Slam Diego.
There isn't much doubt at this point that the San Diego Padres will not only finish second in the NL West but also with the second-best record in the NL. They're hot. They have stars. And they're deep.
Also, they just can't stop hitting grand slams.
They already have seven of them—or more than twice as many as the next-best team. Down should be the only way to go from there, but it's more fun and frankly not that much of a stretch to predict they'll end up with a rare season of double-digit grand slams.
San Francisco Giants: This Will Be the Best Offense They've Ever Had
24 of 30
Once the San Francisco Giants fell to 8-16 on Aug. 17, it was easy to write them off as merely an also-ran in the NL's crowded playoff race.
Well, they're 15-5 since then. And those wins have mainly come courtesy of an offense that's in line for a prominent place in the club's lore.
Collectively, Mike Yastrzemski, Brandon Belt, Donovan Solano and Co. have scored 5.3 runs per game and put together a 116 OPS+. The latter is the highest mark ever achieved by the Giants.
Once again, records achieved in a 60-game season only count for so much. But with the way they're hitting, the Giants might nonetheless maintain this record.
Seattle Mariners: They'll Fall Just Short of October
25 of 30
The Seattle Mariners were 11 games under .500 as recently as Aug. 20, which was more or less where they could have expected to be at that point.
But now, the Mariners are riding a wave of 12 wins in 18 games. Both the AL West's second playoff spot and a wild-card berth are in range.
Too good to be true? Probably. Though the Mariners have scored some victories against contenders, nine of their last 12 wins have come against the woeful Angels and diminished Texas Rangers. Going forward, they have 14 games against Oakland, San Francisco, San Diego and Houston.
Yet even if Seattle does fade out of the race, it's already done enough to prove the point that it'll soon be a rising power in the AL.
St. Louis Cardinals: They'll Make the Postseason. Barely.
26 of 30
Right now, things are good for the St. Louis Cardinals.
They're a game above .500 at 18-17. And with both the Reds and Brewers saddled with significant issues, there doesn't appear to be a clear and present danger to St. Louis' standing in second place in the NL Central.
Yet there is the Cardinals' remaining schedule. It's not thick with challenging opponents, but it is thick with games. Because of a coronavirus outbreak in early August, the club has 23 games scheduled from now to the end of the season Sept. 27. At some point, they'll need to add two more to achieve a full 60-game slate.
That's a huge workload to squeeze into not even three weeks. So, while the Cardinals are talented enough to hang on, they may well limp into the postseason.
Tampa Bay Rays: They'll Secure the AL's Best Record
27 of 30
With a playoff spot all but in hand, the only question is how high the Tampa Bay Rays will fly.
They initially had some trouble getting going, as they stood 6-8 and three games back in the AL East through the first game of a double-header against the Yankees on Aug. 8. Since then, though, they're 22-7 with a plus-35 run differential.
The Rays have essentially become the best possible version of themselves. There was never much question they would pitch and defend well, but their offense needed to prove it could keep up with the best. In scoring 5.4 runs per game over its last 29 contests, it has.
With mojo like this, the Rays should hang on to the AL's top record.
Texas Rangers: They'll Avoid the AL's Worst Record, at Least
28 of 30
Remember when Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a grand slam on a 3-0 pitch and got the Texas Rangers all riled up about unwritten rules?
Well, a lot has happened since then. And for the Rangers, basically none of it has been good.
Tatis' grand slam was one of the earliest blows in a 23-game stretch in which the Rangers are 5-18. They've been outscored 138-87, and that was mostly with Mike Minor, Todd Frazier and Robinson Chirinos, who were shipped out at the trade deadline.
The only silver lining the Rangers can hope for is that they won't finish with the AL's worst record. Luckily for them, the Red Sox are just as bad and looking at a more difficult remaining schedule.
Toronto Blue Jays: They'll Hang On to 2nd Place in the AL East
29 of 30
Maybe in part because they were a team without a home, the Toronto Blue Jays had trouble getting going in July and early August.
But then they finally played in Buffalo on Aug. 11, and a hot streak soon materialized. At 17-8, they've been one of baseball's hottest teams since Aug. 17.
Still, the Jays can't get too comfortable. They recently lost 14-homer slugger Teoscar Hernandez (oblique) to the IL. They also still have to play the Yankees seven times and the Phillies four times.
And yet it's hard to imagine the Blue Jays will let second place in the AL East slip away. They just have too much talent, and they stand to get even more with shortstop Bo Bichette (knee) and closer Ken Giles (forearm) poised to come off the IL.
Washington Nationals: Juan Soto Will Lead MLB in OPS
30 of 30
A certain theory held that baseball's layoff from March to July could have helped the Washington Nationals avoid a hangover from their World Series win.
Not so much, as it turns out. But at least they have the best hitter in baseball.
Juan Soto was perhaps destined to claim that mantle after breaking in with a .937 OPS across his age-19 and age-20 seasons in 2018 and 2019. Now he has it, as he's slashing .356/.463/.752 with an MLB-high 1.215 OPS.
Those numbers are no joke, as Soto has walked (19) more often than he's struck out (16) while maintaining an exit velocity in the 99th percentile. So, expect him to retain his major league lead in OPS.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant and accurate through play Wednesday.
.jpg?w=480 "MLB Farm System Rankings")
.jpg?w=600 "Offseason Moves for Every Team 👉")
.png?w=600 "New NBA Mock Draft 📝")
