Sodo Mojo's Mariners Round Table #2: It's Prediction Time!

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We are back with our second Mariners Round Table, and this week, we make ourselves look worse than usual. How is that possible? Well, this week we attempt to do the impossible. We attempt to predict the 2018 Major League Baseball season.

This weeks round table focused more on Major League Baseball as a whole, but the Mariners could be featured prominently. So, without further ado, lets dive right in with question 1.

1. Who will be the 5 playoff teams from the AL and NL?

Ty Gonzalez:

AL: Astros, Indians, Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays

NL: Dodgers, Cubs, Nationals, Brewers, Cardinals

The best seven teams from 2017 have either stayed really good or have gotten even better to remain the top dogs. The Brewers and Cardinals have some questions in terms of pitching, but have done some nice things to beef up their lineups. The Blue Jays are the complete opposite; while their offense is average at best, their rotation is solid enough to carry them to a Wild Card spot, though it’s not flashy whatsoever.

SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 21: James Paxton /

Dan Clark:

AL West. Houston

Central Cleveland

East New York Yankees

NL West Dodgers

Central Chicago Cubs

East. Washington Nationals

AL wildcards Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels.

NL wildcards Arizona DBacks and Milwaukee Brewers

I think this year will be pretty close to a repeat of last season with the exception of the Angels and the Brewers jumping into the wild card. Over the off-season all the top teams got better and all the middle range teams basically stood pat. The Twins and the BlueJays along with the Mariners will be close to a wildcard to contend but will most probably looking in from the outside.

Jeff Nooney:

NL E- Washington Nationals

Central- Chicago Cubs

West- Arizona Diamondbacks

NL WC- Los Angeles Dodgers

NL WC- St. Louis Cardinals

AL E- New York Yankees

Central- Cleveland Indians

West- Houston Astros

AL WC- Boston Red Sox

AL WC- Seattle Mariners – Why Not?

My picks for the most part are pretty obvious. They were the easy route, but the true route. My only upset in the NL is probably Arizona. Another year of Greinke/Ray at the

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top of the rotation, and a killer lineup, I think they’ll beat LAD by a game or two. In the AL, I picked Seattle because, well why not. Sure there’s gaps on the roster, but why can’t they compete with teams like TEX, MIN and LAA? I think Seattle’s lineup is better than those teams. A little luck, and some health, we will end the playoff drought.

Michael Johnson:

East: New York Yankees

Central: Cleveland Indians

West: Houston Astros

WC #1: Boston Red Sox

WC #2: Seattle Mariners

In the American League, it feels like the top teams in each division are pretty well set. The Yankees fell two games short of the AL East title last year. Adding Giancarlo Stanton to an already stacked lineup feels like enough to regain the top spot from the Boston Red Sox. The Indians are the clear favorites in the central and should coast into October. If the Twins’ Jake Odorizzi and Lance Lynn can stay healthy however, Minnesota could surprise a few people. I just don’t see those two additions and new DH, Logan Morrison, being enough to make up the 17 game deficit they faced at the end of last year. And out West… let’s not waste any ink on the West. Advanced congratulations on another Division Title Astros!

And as for the Wild Card teams. A rotation led by Chris Sale, David Price and Rick Porcello will keep the Red Sox in the Division race for most of the year and eventually carry them into the top Wild Card spot. As for the final Wild Card spot… I will continue to keep the dream alive! Go M’s!

National League

East: Washington Nationals

Central: Chicago Cubs

West: LA Dodgers

WC #1: Milwaukee Brewers

WC #2: Arizona Diamondbacks

The Nationals and Dodgers are shoe ins. The Cubbies will be pushed by the Brew Crew all year, but I’d expect them to finish at the top of the Central division for the third straight year. The additions of Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain in the outfield, should be enough to get the Brewers back into the playoff mix. And despite losing J.D. Martinez in free agency, I expect Paul Goldschmidt, Jake Lamb, and Steven Souza (once he comes back from injury in May) to produce enough offensively to stave off the likes of the Mets, Cards, and Rockies.

Colby Patnode:

For me, the AL is pretty well set. I find it hard to imagine a scenario where Houston or Cleveland don’t win their division, while the Yankees and Red Sox battle it out in the East. The loser of the East will surely grab 1 WC spot. This leaves 1 playoff spot for Seattle, LA, Texas, Toronto, Baltimore, and Minnesota. The teams are relatively close, but I’ll go for the deepest of these teams, and give the final spot to Minnesota.

In the NL, the Nationals, Cubs, and Dodgers are virtual locks. The Wild card teams are very interesting, and you could make compelling arguments for the Diamondbacks, Rockies, Brewers, Cardinals, Giants and Mets. I really like the pitching staff of Arizona, and applaud the moves the Brewers made this off-season, so I’ll give them the nod as the final 2 playoff teams.

AL: New York, Cleveland, Houston, WC1 Red Sox, WC2 Minnesota

NL: Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, WC1 Brewers, WC2 Arizona

Colton Swanson:

AL East: Yankees. The Yankees reloaded for 2018. They were a team that had low expectations last year and they surprised the hell out of me by making the playoffs. For once, and I hate to say this, I actually enjoyed the Yankees.

AL Central: Indians. The AL Central may be the weakest division in baseball. The Tigers aren’t ready to contend, the Royals just tore it down, the White Sox need a few more years and the Twins don’t pose a huge threat. The Indians will make it to the playoffs again.

AL West: Astros. Duh.

NL East: Nationals:I pick the Nats to win the WS every year but they always they me down. So why not call it again this year.

NL Central: Cubs. This one was tough for me. I wanted to say the Brewers but the Cubs are just too dang good. It’s going to be a battle all year in the central.

NL West: Dodgers. If Bumgarner hadnt gotten hurt along with Samardzija, I woulda picked the Giants. Now, even with Turner on the DL, I have to take the Dodgers.

Wild Card:

Red Sox: I like the Red Sox much more than the Yankees but they just don’t have the offense. JD Martinez will be huge for them.

Angels: this on hurts my soul. The Angels finally got some pieces to put together a strong core around Mike Trout and now we have to deal with the consequences.

Brewers: Like I said, I think they could win the division. If not, it’ll be Wild Card again.

Giants: Once they get everyone healthy, the Giants are GOOD. The only reason they don’t win the division is that they are going to miss time.

Question no. 2: Who will win the MVP?

Ty Gonzales:

If Mike Trout is healthy all year, he will be the AL MVP. He’s the best player in the league. Simple as that. With Giancarlo Stanton now in the AL, the window is open for one of the more underrated superstars in the MLB: Nolan Arenado. The Rockies third baseman will continue putting up outrageous stats to lead him to his first NL MVP.

Dan Clark:

The MVP for the AL will be George Springer. Springer will build off his strong World Series and take the next step to be the AL MVP. NL MVP will be Paul Goldschmidt. With Stanton gone and the Cubs fading abit Goldschmidt and the DBacks will take the next step and dominate in the desert.

Jeff Nooney:

NL MVP will be Paul Goldschmidt, of the Arizona Diamondbakcs. The AL MVP will Jose Altuve, 2B, Houston Astros. Enough said.

Michael Johnson:

American League: Carlos Correa

National League: Bryce Harper

Mike Trout, Jose Altuve, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Corey Kluber, Chris Sale… the list of potential candidates in the American League is long. My guy this year though is Correa. He finished 17^th in voting last year, but for one main reason – he only played in 105 games. In his injury shortened season Carlos went for 24 HR, 84 RBI, 82 R, .315/.391/.550/.941. In comparison, last year’s MVP Jose Altuve (Correa’s teammate in Houston) played in 153 games and went for 24 HR, 81 RBI, 112 R, .346/.410/.547/.957. If healthy, you can expect Correa to have an MVP season.

With Stanton in the American League now, there is no doubt the award is Harper’s to lose. Short of succumbing to an injury, Harper’s contract year should be special. He is staring down the barrel of a record deal and will no doubt be motivated to prove he deserves every penny he is about to get. The Nationals are one of two teams to have never played in the World Series and I can see Harper being a major reason that changes this year.

Colby Patnode:

In a year with many options, the MVP is a real crapshoot this year. In the American League, I am going to go with a true dark horse. Alex Bregman will be the AL MVP in 2018. You heard it here first. Bregman is a Gold Glove caliber defender who could hit 30 home runs and steal 20 bases. The only obstical he has to overcome is to not be overshadowed by the 3 other MVP candidates on his team.

In the National League, I have to go with my favorite hitter on the planet, Bryce Harper. With 1 MVP under his belt, Harper will play in 150+ games in 2018, while hitting .300 and dropping 40 big flies. Book it.

Colton Swanson:

AL: Mike Trout

I know this may seem like a kind of cop out but with a bunch of new toys around him, Trout will have some protection in the lineup and people to drive it.

NL: Joey Votto

I personally think he should have won it last year but everyone falls in love with homeruns. He’s the only reason the Reds are still relevant. He has the best eye in the game.

Question No. 3: Who Wins the Cy Young Awards?

Ty Gonzales:

In my mind, Noah Syndergaard will no doubt be the NL Cy Young. After missing most of 2017, Thor is having a fantastic Spring. I can’t see anything — or anyone — stopping him from taking the hardware. In the AL, it’s a real toss-up. For me, it’s between Luis Severino and defending winner Corey Kluber. Right now, for the sake of change, I’m leaning toward Severino. The Yankees hurler made a lot of progress last season and has really opened my eyes.

Dan Clark:

The AL CY Young will be Chris Sale. In his second year in Boston he will be unstoppable. NL Cy Young will be Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw is the best pitcher of his generation. When healthy he is, in my opinion, easily the best pitcher in the MLB.

Jeff Nooney:

NL Cy Young will belong to Max Scherzer in Washington. The AL Cy Young belongs to Chris Sale, who will have another monster year for Boston.

Michael Johnson:

American League: Corey Kluber

National League: Max Scherzer

The A.L. race really comes down to two guys in my opinion; Corey Kluber and Chris Sale. I could lean either way, but since most pundits are leaning toward Sale, I’m going to side with the reigning Cy Young winner in Kluber. Yes, he followed up his previous Cy Young season (2014) with the worst year of his career, but 36 wins compared to just 13 losses over the last two years with a combined 2.69 ERA over that span makes me believe he’ll keep marching on.

In the N.L. it is all about Kershaw and Scherzer. Let’s be honest, you can’t go wrong with either of these picks. It really is too bad only one pitcher from each league can win the award because both of these guys will be better than the top A.L. pitcher this year. With that said, a flip of the coin landed me on Scherzer, so he’s my guy. It should be a fun race to watch.

Colby Patnode:

The American League Cy Young is tricky. The easy answers are Kluber, Sale, or Severino. There are several potential dark horses that I like, including Jose Berrios, Chris Archer, and, of course, James Paxton. While tempted to choose Paxton, I am going to play it safe and chose Corey Kluber for the AL award because, well he is really, really good.

In the NL, the race comes down to health. Whoever is healthier between Kershaw and Scherzer wins that award. If you are looking for some dark horse candidates, I would point to Robbie Ray, Aaron Nola, and Carlos Martinez.

Colton Swanson:

AL: Corey Kluber

Fist off, I think it’s poetic that Kluber and Felix face eachother on Opening Day. I’m still salty about 2014. But Kluber strikes a ton of people out and is going to lead the Indians.

NL: Noah Syndergaard

If Thor can stay healthy then he can easily win the Cy Young. He throws 100 and has luscious locks to boot. The Mets are better than last year and he can be a big part of the why.

Question 4: The Mariner who needs to have the biggest year to make the playoffs in 2018 is… who?

SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 22: Nelson Cruz /

Ty Gonzalez:

Felix Hernandez, clearly. Felix will never be the same dominant pitcher he once was, but if he can be consistent in health and performance the Mariners will be in a much better spot.

Dan Clark:

The Mariners that need to have the biggest years this year to break the drought are King Felix and Robinson Cano. Without these two having big years and being injury free it will be nearly impossible for the Mariners to break the drought.

Jeff Nooney:

The mariners that needs to have the biggest year is James Paxton. And by biggest, I mean healthiest. The lineup is fine. If Cruz, Cano, Seager, Gordon and Segura play to what they did last season, the M’s will win ballgames. But they need their new ace to stay healthy, something he hasn’t yet done in his big league career.

Michael Johnson:

This one for me doesn’t have just one answer. Instead, it is a combination of two big years from the top two starters in the Mariners rotation. A good year from just Felix Hernandez or just James Paxton won’t be enough to get the job done. We have yet to see these two get through a season completely healthy since becoming teammates and that will have to change. 25 starts out of each of them may be a lot to ask, but if the M’s are going to have any hope at getting into that Wild Card game the King’s Court and Maple Grove are going to need to be rocking all year long.

Colby Patnode:

With very few questions surrounding the Mariners offense, the answer almost certainly lies in the starting rotation. While it would be great to get 30+ starts from James Paxton, it is difficult to go anywhere but Felix Hernandez. If he can return to his 2015 form, the rotation has a rock-solid 1-3 in the rotation. If he is his 2016-2017 self, this will be a long season.

Colton Swanson:

Felix needs to be lights out. As he goes, he Mariners go. I’m incredibly happy that he is going to start opening day and I feel like this is the year he puts his stuff together to get it done. If we can have a stable rotation, the M’s can be in the playoffs. Felix is a huge part of that.

Question 5: The Seattle Mariners 2018 MVP, Cy Young, and Breakout players will be???

Ty Gonzalez:

If Dee Gordon continues to have success in center field, he will be the clear-cut MVP of this team. We know the bat will be there, and while guys like Cano and Cruz will do way more damage at the plate, Gordon will create a lot of their opportunities and push the envelope on the base paths.

Though James Paxton or Felix Hernandez seem to be the obvious choice, I’m going with Mike Leake for the team’s Cy Young. He won’t blow anyone away, but he’ll be consistent and probably (hopefully) healthy for the entire season.

Marco Gonzales leads the way for breakout players going into 2018. Gonzales has looked really solid and has shown a lot of composure when he wasn’t on this Spring. On the offensive side, look for Mike Zunino to continue becoming the offensive juggernaut we always thought he would be. He’s been smacking the ball around Arizona and should continue to bring that approach into the regular season. I see an All-Star selection in his near future.

Dan Clark:

The Mariners MVP will be Dee Gordon. Gordon will prove his natural athletic ability is no fluke and will be a natural in CF. He will also steal 60+ bases and hit over .315 this season. He will be a fantastic fit within the clubhouse as well.

Cy Young award will go to James Paxton. He will finally have a fully healthy season and show everyone outside of the Pacific Northwest he is a top 5 pitcher in the AL. The Breakout player will be Guillermo Heredia. He will prove himself to be a valuable LF option and hopefully be fully fit this year as well.

Jeff Nooney:

The 2018 mariners MVP will be Robinson Cano. I fully expect Cano to hit .285 and drive in over 100 Runs, with Gordon and Segura hitting in front of him. The CY Young will be James Paxton, if he stays healthy. The breakout player this year will be Marco Gonzales. The former 1st rd pick out of Gonzaga showed well this spring, and will continue his success Into the regular season.

Michael Johnson:

MVP: Dee Gordon

All spring we’ve waited to see some sort of fail out in center field… we’re still waiting. Gordon looks to be everything Servais was hoping for defensively, which to me is as huge as it can possibly get. Why? With the transition coming so smoothly, the more comfortable Gordon will be on both sides of the ball. And so, I expect a big year out of the Mariners leadoff hitter. His success will only add to the success of the guys hitting behind him so although Segura, Cano, and Cruz may wind up with bigger numbers, it will all flow through “Flash.”

Cy Young: James Paxton

It is his time. It has to be. We’ve waited… and waited… and waited… seen glimpse of what could be, only to be disappointed by a sore elbow here and a finger blister there. Paxton is due for the breakout season he was on his way to having last year. An injury free, 29 start year is on the horizon and come September Paxton will have officially met all of our expectations.

Break Out: James Paxton, Marco Gonzales, Dan Vogelbach

I already spoke about Paxton. But there another arm ready to break out. Two years removed from Tommy John, Gonzales has looked like a whole new guy this spring. In 6 starts he’s given up just four earned runs (all coming in two games), has a 1.69 ERA, and just 7 walks compared to 18 strike outs. As the fourth starter in the Mariners rotation, Marco should find himself in some favorable match ups and could wind up being a candidate for break out player of the year for the M’s.

Offensively, how can we not look at Vogey. The guy tore up the spring, earning his way onto the Opening Day roster (50 AB, .400 AVG, .531 OBP, 1.431 OPS, 7 2B, 6 HR, 12 RBI, 13 BB, 10 SO). Despite Ryon Healy being slated as the “every day” first baseman, there is a part of me that feels Servais may find himself falling into the same trap every other recent Mariners manager has fallen into – the trap of the platoon. I am far from a fan of this option, but it will only become a reality if Vogelbach forces the hand, so with that in mind I guess I say… bring on yet another platoon situation at the 3 position!

Colby Patnode:

The Mariners MVP in 2018 will be Kyle Seager. I believe a return to his 2016 stat line is coming. He has looked great this spring, and we saw his floor in 2017, where he was still a good player. Seager will smash 30 home runs, drive in 100, and post a .280/.350/.530 slash line and play his usual great defense.

The Cy Young of this team will be James Paxton. It won’t be all that close. He is the only dominate starter they have. If he makes 25 or more starts, he will be the best pitcher on this roster, regardless of how you view Felix Hernandez.

My breakout player is a guy who has already broken out… sort of. Mitch Haniger will break out. In fact, Mitch Haniger will have a 5 win season. If not for an already stacked American League outfield, Haniger would be an All-Star this season.

Haniger already posted a 3 win season as a rookie in just 96 games. If Haniger can play in 140+ games this season, he will be a true breakout player. The Mariners fans know what they have in Haniger. And after 2018, the rest of the baseball world will as well.

Colton Swanson:

I think Kyle Seager will have a monster year in 2018 and he will be the MVP. The lineup is deep and he has protection behind him for once. As for Cy young, going with Felix again. He just looks good and feels good. He is ready to go. And for Breakout, its my man Dan Vogelbach. Some way, some how, Vogey is going to get regular at bats before the end of the season, enough to keep us from moaning over the loss of Nelson Cruz.

Next: 5 Ways the Mariners Could Make Playoffs in 2018

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