Predictions? Everybody has 'em, but few want to own up to them after the fact.
But just for fun, he's my look at the 2023 MLB season and what I think might -- I said might -- happen:
AL EAST
1. Toronto. The Blue Jays have been building toward this. The outfield defense has been upgraded and the starting rotation deepened. Their time is now.
2. New York. Spring training wasn't kind to the Yankees, with injuries depleting their rotation. A few spots in the lineup look questionable, too, but the star power of Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole should be enough to contend.
3. Tampa Bay. The Rays are annually better than the sum of their parts. As always, pitching will be a strength and offense will be in somewhat short supply, and they will be better than they're supposed to be.
4. Red Sox. Marginally improved and headed in the right direction, but it's doubtful that modest step forward will satisfy the fan base.
5. Baltimore. The Orioles have a ton of elite prospects either on hand, or arriving shortly. But they did so little to improve the major league roster this offseason that a small step backward could be in order.
AL CENTRAL
1. Cleveland. An excellent rotation, a top-notch closer and Terry Francona is more than enough to win a flawed division.
2. Minnesota. The Twins have been one of the most disappointing teams in the big leagues. The addition of Pablo Lopez improved the rotation, but the Twins will need Byron Buxton to stay healthy and Joey Gallo to bounce back to have a formidable offense.
3. Chicago. The rotation is a strength, and the lineup is athletic. But losing Liam Hendriks for the first third of the season is a big blow.
4. Kansas City. The rebuild continues. The offense has some weapons. Now it's up for some of the young starting pitchers to improve.
5. Detroit. Not a lot to like here, as the Tigers have to hope that Javier Baez doesn't represent a colossal mistake on their part.
AL WEST
1. Houston. Until proven otherwise, they're the class of the league. The rotation is deep and the lineup is lethal.
2. Seattle. The Mariners are good enough to win either of the other two AL divisions, but thanks to the Astros, not their own.
3. Los Angeles. A team with both Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani can't miss the playoffs again, can it?
4. Texas. If Jacob deGrom can stay healthy -- admittedly a big if -- the Rangers could content into September.
5. Oakland. As reflected in their payroll (miniscule) and their profits (significant), the A's aren't even trying. And it shows.
WILD CARDS: New York, Seattle, Los Angeles
ALCS: Toronto over Seattle
AL CY YOUNG:: Alek Manoah
AL MVP: Julio Rodriguez
AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Gunnar Henderson
NL EAST
1. Atlanta. Few -- if any -- weaknesses. And because they've locked up their best players for years to come, they're not going anywhere.
2. New York. The loss of Edwin Diaz is significant, but not catastrophic. The Mets have too much talent to miss out on October.
3. Philadelphia. The Phils have a lot of stars, but injuries to the rotation and the loss of Rhys Hoskins are hard to ignore.
4. Miami. The offense -- an obvious weakness that had to be addressed -- but the division is so stacked, progress will be limited.
5. Washington. If this isn't the worst team in either league, it's certainly in the conversation.
NL CENTRAL
1. St. Louis. The Cardinals have a lot of question marks in their rotation, but the dynamic duo of Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, in this division, that will be more than enough
2. Milwaukee. The presence of Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff will make them respectable, but the lineup leaves a lot to be desired.
3. Pittsburgh. There's a lot of elite young talent here, and the Pirates seem poised to move up in the standings.
4. Chicago. The Cubs were busy over the offseason, but the plan seems a little scattershot. They're counting on a lot of 30-somethings to bounce back.
5. Cincinnati. There's enough talent in the rotation to be hopeful for the future, but the Reds still have a long, long way to go.
NL WEST
1. Los Angeles. The Dodgers have been beset with injuries and free agent defections, but they still have the best rotation in the division.
2. San Diego. The top four in this batting order is insane, but are their starting pitchers good enough to dethrone the Dodgers?
3. Arizona. The D'backs have steadily improved, but it might be hard to appreciate given the two teams above them.
4. San Francisco. The Giants swung and missed on some big free agents. That 107-win season of 2021 seems like a lifetime ago.
5. Colorado. Not very good, which is problematic, but also, not very interesting, which is somehow worse.
NL CY YOUNG: Julio Urias
NL MVP: Trea Turner
NL Rookie of the Year: Corbin Carroll
NL WILD CARDS: New York, Philadelphia, San Diego.
NLCS: Atlanta over San Diego
WORLD SERIES: Toronto over Atlanta.