McAdam: 2019 MLB preview and predictions - AL East showdown

The 2019 MLB season gets underway Thursday. With that in mind, here's some bold (and a few obvious) predictions to get you ready.

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Unless they're way off — then burn them and toss them out at midseason.

Without further ado:

AL EAST

Red Sox.

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Red Sox 2019 position player breakdown
Red Sox 2019 pitching staff breakdown – Banking on starters
McAdam: New season presents different challenges as Red Sox try to repeat

Yankees. Expectations are high -- naturally -- in the Bronx after a 100-win season only carried the Yankees five games into the postseason. Second-year manager Aaron Boone was outmanaged by his good friend Alex Cora in the ALDS, but generally had a strong rookie season in the dugout. Boone will have plenty of firepower in his lineup, with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton capable of combining for 100 homers. The bullpen is probably the best in the game with closer Aroldis Chapman augmented by a parade of power arms (Zack Britton, Adam Ottavino, Dellin Betances). It's doubtful, with a quartet like that, the Yankees will let a lot of late-inning leads slip away. But the rotation isn't nearly as stable, with No. 1 starter Luis Severino likely out until May with shoulder tendinitis and CC Sabathia, entering his final season, hardly as dependable as in the past. It remains to be seen how newcomer James Paxton reacts to pitching in New York after benefitting from a quieter city and more cavernous home park. Finally, there's the matter of Gary Sanchez, who as a catcher is a pretty good DH.

Rays. It's easy to forget they won 90 games last year. Damned by geography, since they could probably win the Central. But even in a division where the Red Sox and Yankees can blot out the sun, the Rays could be good enough to grab the second wild card -- especially if they beat up on divisional weaklings Toronto and Baltimore. The rotation, already led by Blake Snell, is further bolstered by the arrival of Charlie Morton. The issue, as it often has been, will be the offense. But by adding some pop behind the plate (Mike Zunino) and at DH (Avisail Garcia), the Rays have the potential to be improved, especially with full seasons from Austin Meadows and Tommy Pham. Give credit to manager Kevin Cash, who somehow makes it all work on a shoestring budget. The one caveat: the Rays are unlikely to add much -- if any -- salary in the second half, so while they may benefit from the arrival of some prospects (Brent Honeywell, on the mend from Tommy John surgery, could help out after the break), what you see is basically what you'll get.

Blue Jays. Toronto, after consecutive trips to the ALCS in 2015-2016, has slipped back into the second division again. To snap a two-decade-long postseason drought, the Jays mortgaged much of their farm system to land aging players like Troy Tulowitzki and never got a pennant for their efforts. The rebuild is on, and the imminent arrival of second-generation stars Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio offer promise for the not-too-distant future. Guerrero could be part of the everyday lineup once his oblique strain fully heals and the others won't be too far behind. They won't help a lot this year, however. The Jays have to hope that veteran starters like Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez regain their previous form. The rest of the rotation will be filled with veteran starters with checkered injuries histories (Matt Shoemaker and old friend Clay Buchholz) and that doesn't sound like much of a good bet. Other than Vlad Jr., watching Kevin Pillar and Freddy Galvis turn in defensive gems on a nightly basis might be the most entertaining thing about this year's team. Otherwise, the Jays will be distinctly undistinctive.

Orioles. You thought they were bad last year? You ain't seen nothing, yet. The Orioles lost a franchise-record 115 games last season, and that came after they had the likes of Britton, Schoop, Manny Machado, Adam Jones, Jonathan Schoop, Kevin Gausman and Brad Brach for at least the first half of the season. Now, every single one of those players is gone and the Orioles farm system, which wasn't very good to begin with, is being asked to fill in the gaps. Gone, too, are Buck Showalter and Dan Duquette. The Orioles have placed the franchise's future in the hands of new GM Mike Elias, who has a long-term plan. Elias was with the Houston Astros when they want from worst to first, so he's seen first-hand how to build an organization through the draft. Another positive development: the Orioles will stop ignoring the international market, which will open a whole avenue of talent not previously available to them. But to do it properly, there will be at least three more years of wretched baseball to endure. Sadly, 120 losses this year can't be rule out.

AL CENTRAL

Twins. I picked them last year and missed badly. I'm more confident this time.

Indians The rotation will keep them in the race, but their bullpen and lineup have suffered significant losses.

White Sox. On the rise, but not there yet.

Tigers. Top-heavy with their payroll and the kids aren't ready. Another long year.

Royals. Their back-to-back pennants now seem like a long, long time ago.

AL WEST

Houston. The rotation isn't as deep, but the lineup may be better. One of three super teams in the league.

Los Angeles. It would be nice to have Mike Trout on the October stage. If the pitching is improved, he might be.

Athletics. Hard to imagine them playing over their heads for a second straight year.

Rangers. Like the Tigers and Jays, stuck in limbo with a long way to go.

Mariners. But hey, Jerry Dipoto sure can make trades.

AMERICAN LEAGUE WILD CARDS: Yankees, Rays.

ALCS: Red Sox over Yankees

NL EAST 

Nationals. Yes, they lost Bryce Harper, but they improved in other areas. Is this finally the year?

Phillies. They'll be interesting and improved -- or else. Gabe Kapler, one would imagine, is on a short leash.

Mets. Give Brodie van Wagenen credit: in a very short period of time, he's made the Mets relevant again.

Braves. Thin starting pitching sends them backward in the game's most competitive division.

Marlins. The NL version of the Orioles -- bad, without hitting bottom yet.

NL CENTRAL

Cubs. Too much top-end talent not to rebound for a longer October run.

Brewers. The pitching -- both the rotation and bullpen -- doesn't seem as strong as a year ago.

Cardinals. Paul Goldschmidt will make a huge difference to the lineup, but there are holes.

Pirates. Another decent team stuck in a murderous division.

Reds. They made a lot of deals and took on money. That might get them closer to .500, but it won't get them out of the basement.

NL WEST

Dodgers. The division title is a given at this point (seven straight and counting), but anything less than winning it all will be seen as a disappointment.

Rockies. If Bud Black can keep developing pitchers like Kyle Freeland, there may be hope yet in the Mile High city.

Padres. Heading, finally, in the right direction.

Diamondbacks. They've gone backward -- in a hurry -- over the last two seasons.

Giants. A mess, frankly. The most interesting part of their season may come at the trade deadline when they debate whether to deal off Madison Bumgarner.

NATIONAL LEAGUE WILD CARDS: Phillies, Brewers

NLCS: Cubs over Dodgers

WORLD SERIES: Cubs over Red Sox

AL MVP: Mike Trout. Because it's been two whole years since the last one.

AL CY YOUNG: Gerrit Cole. A pitcher in the prime of his career, on the cusp of free agency, backed by a talented roster.

AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. It's felt inevitable for some time now.

AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR: Rocco Baldelli. He may not win 100 the way Alex Cora and Aaron Boone did in their rookie seasons, but Baldelli should have an instant impact.

FIRST MANAGER FIRED: Scott Servais

NL MVP: Anthony Rendon. Highly underrated, but continually cited as one of the game's best all-around players.

NL CY YOUNG: Walker Buehler. The stuff is elite, and the big spacious ballpark doesn't hurt.

NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Fernando Tatis Jr. Because, apparently, every ROY from here on out will be the son of a former major leaguer.

NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR: Davey Martinez

FIRST MANAGER FIRED: Don Mattingly