Baseball season is here! Opening Day is one of my favorite days of the year on the sports calender. Here are my divisional picks, wild card picks, playoff winners and World Series winner.

American League
A.L East
1. New York Yankees: Yup, I’m back on the Yankees bandwagon again. Health is the key for the Bronx Bombers this season. If guys like Jacoby Ellsbury, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Texiera stay healthy, this team will hit. Starting pitching could be a problem for the Yankees. Joe Girardi needs Masahiro Tanaka and C.C Sabathia to be consistent and stabilize the rotation. If their starters can give them six innings per start, New York can win this division. When you have arguably the best bullpen in baseball, you don’t need more than six innings from your starters. The Yankees are the most complete team in this division.

2. Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox are loaded with young talent. Offensively, they can compete with the big bats in the division. Starting pitching is the issue. David Price gives the rotation a bonafide ace but the rest of the rotation has way too many question marks. The Red Sox will be better in 2016 and they’ll compete for a wild card spot but unless Dave Dombrowski adds another starter, this team will not compete for a championship.

3. Toronto Blue Jays: The Jays will once again hit the cover off the ball. They have the best line up in the division and arguably in all of baseball. I don’t buy their starting pitching. Too many three’s and four’s and not enough one’s and two’s in their rotation. Toronto’s offense will keep them in the hunt but I can’t see them competing for anything more than a wild card spot.

4. Baltimore Orioles: Same as the Blue Jays. Baltimore will hit and they’ll score plenty of runs but unlike Toronto (which has some starting pitching), the Orioles don’t have any. I don’t trust Ubaldo Jimenez and Yovani Gallardo to head line a rotation. They might have name cache but their stuff is garbage. Baltimore’s bullpen is solid and they’ll keep them in games but this team won’t pitch enough to make a run to the playoffs.

5. Tampa Bay Rays: Tampa has the best pitching staff in the division but its the same old song for the Rays. They can’t hit. The additions of Logan Morrison, Steve Pearce and Brad Miller will add some offense but they aren’t good enough hitters to make this team a contending team. The Rays inability to spend money hurts them in years like this when the division is wide open.

A.L Central
1. Kansas City Royals: The defending champs still have of the best core groups in all of baseball. Kansas City plays great defense and they still have an elite bullpen. Oh and there is talent on the way. The starting rotation is still iffy but Ned Yost does a masterful job of managing his pitching so Kansas City has enough starting pitching to win this division again and make a deep playoff run.

2. Detroit Tigers: The Tigers spent a ton of money this off-season so that they can compete in this division. They added a front line starter in Jordan Zimmerman, a middle of the order bat in Justin Upton and they fortified their bullpen. If Miggy Cabrera comes back healthy and Justin Verlander picks up where he left off last season, this is a playoff team.

3. Chicago White Sox: I really like what GM Rick Hahn did this off-season. The addition of Todd Frazier gives the White Sox another power bat in the middle of their order. Frazier will offer Jose Abreu protection. Abreu had a disappointing second year in the big leagues and he’ll be looking to bounce back. The White Sox should be fine offensively and whenever Chris Sale pitches. The problem is the rest of the rotation and the bullpen. There are a lot of question marks there. This will hover around .500 but securing a playoff spot will be tough.

4. Cleveland Indians: I know everyone and their mother loves the Indians because of their starting rotation but this team can’t score. Factor in that Michael Brantley will be out to start the season and the Tribe is already behind the eight ball. Terry Francona is one of the best managers in the game so that’ll keep the Indians in some games but it won’t be enough. Pitching and coaching can only get you so far. You have to score runs to win games. The Indians don’t do that on a consistent basis.

5. Minnesota Twins Like the Blue Jays and Orioles, the Twins have plenty of offense at their disposal but the starting pitching is not good enough to get this team into the post season either. Miguel Sano had a break out season last season but moving to right field could stunt his growth. Sano has the potential to be a star but he’s a questionable defender. Speaking of potential stars, super prospect Byron Buxton will start the season with the big club. So far he’s failed to live up to the hype but the talent is there. The Twins have the offense and the bullpen to compete but the rotation is not nearly as good as it needs to be to compete in a stacked division like this.

AL WEST
1. Texas Rangers: I think this team is a World Series contender. Texas should run away with the A.L West. Offensively, the Rangers boast one of the most balance and dangerous line-ups in all of baseball. Hitting in Arlington, especially in the summer makes this line up even more dangerous. Despite how good their line up is, its the Rangers pitching that makes them a legit title contender. Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish at the top are as good as any one, two pitching combo in baseball. Texas has some bullpen question marks but this team is good enough to play well into October and beyond.

2. Houston Astros: With talented youngsters like Dallas Kuechel, George Springer, Carlos Correia and Jose Altuve, the Astros have the talent in place to give the Rangers a run for their money in the A.L West. Houston is certainly good enough to make the playoffs. The question is, do they have enough starting pitching. I think they do. Its their bullpen that has some question marks. I like the arms GM Jeff Luhnow has assembled but they didn’t have a great spring, especially new closer Ken “Hundred Miles” Giles. If the bullpen can turn things around to start the season, this team will be in the mix but the rest of the roster is stacked.

3. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: The Angels have the talent to compete in a wide open division. This team will hit and the bullpen has the potential to be pretty good. Like most teams in baseball, they don’t have enough starting pitching. Jered Weaver and C.J Wilson are huge question marks. The rest of the rotation has decent arms but none of them are dominant. Mike Trout and company will score plenty of runs but it might not be enough on some nights.

4. Seattle Mariners: The Mariners are better offensively than they have been in some time and the starting pitching is good. I don’t like the bullpen and I don’t think Scott Servais as a first year manager can lead this team to the playoffs. He’ll go through some growing pains. The Mariners have star power in King Felix, Robbie Cano and Nelson Cruz but there still some voids there that need to be filled.

5. Oakland A’s: The A’s will be better than they were last season. I like some of the deals Billy Beane made this off-season and they have the best young power pitcher in baseball in Sonny Gray. I don’t think they’ll score enough runs to win consistently and the starting pitching leaves a lot to be desired. Bob Melvin is one of the best managers in the game but he can only do so much with the talent that he has. This is a 76-78 win team at best.

National League
NL EAST
1. Washington Nationals: I think Dusty Baker’s addition as manager makes this team the favorite in this division. The offense is in place and the pitching is in place. This team needs to play to its potential on a more consistent basis. Offensively, the Natties will be better with the return of Anthony Rendon and the additions of Ben Revere and Daniel Murphy. Bryce Harper is a monster in the middle of the order and he may hit 50 home runs this season. The starting pitching is a little shaky after Max Scherzer but the Natties have enough arms to compete with the Mets. I think this division will come down to the wire and I think the Nationals will outlast the Mets and win it.

2. New York Mets: Yeah, yeah! I know! I’m supposed to pick the Mets to win this division because of their dominant starting pitching. That starting pitching will keep them in the hunt all season long but I don’t trust this team offensively. Re-signing Cespedes was huge but losing Daniel Murphy hurts. Michael Conforto has a chance to be a star and the Mets will be counting on him to produce in the middle of the order. I like the top half of their line up but bottom part leaves something to be desired. That being said, this team is so loaded with pitching, it doesn’t matter. Expect the Mets to make a divisional title run and a wild card run.

3. Miami Marlins: The Marlins will be better than people think. I like the Don Mattingly hire. Donnie Baseball has brought in a great staff that will maximize the talents of this team. If the Marlins are going to compete for a playoff spot, they’ll need offense out of the rest of their line up. It can’t all fall on Giancarlo Stanton. The starting pitching has potential but outside of Jose Fernandez, who may or may not be on a pitch count, there are a lot of question marks. The bullpen is garbage. The Nationals and Mets have better pitching and that’s why they are ahead of the Marlins right now. Miami is an 80-82 win team.

4. Atlanta Braves: The Braves are stuck in no man’s land right now but that’s by design. Its all about getting into their new ballpark next season. There is plenty of young talent on hand to make Atlanta a contender down the road but for now, this will be another 74-78 win season at best. I feel bad for veterans like A.J Pierzynski, Jason Grilli and Freddie Freeman but to quote Bill Belichick, it is what it is. Atlanta will be a factor in this division by 2018.

5. Philadelphia Philles: Give the Phillies front office credit. This was a team with a bleak future and no young talent. Former GM Ruben Amaro Jr. brought in some talented young prospects last season and current GM Matt Klentak made a couple of quality trades this off-season that added to the farm system so the cupboard is far from bare. For Phillies fan, this season is about the continued development of Mikell Franco, Aaron Nola and the arrival of J.P Crawford. It won’t be pretty but this team has a bright future. The Phillies will contend again but it will take a couple of seasons.

NL CENTRAL
1. Chicago Cubs: Yes, I am going to once again predict that this is the year the Cubs win it all. The additions of Jason Heyward, Ben Zobrist and John Lackey not only makes them the best team in the division, I think they are the best team in baseball. The pressure to finally break the curse is palpable but if there is one manager who can handle that pressure, its Joe Maddon. The Cubbies will win the N.L Central, they’ll win the pennant and they’ll win the World Series.

2. St. Louis Cardinals: Losing Jason Heyward hurts but no team is better suited to handle a defection like that than the Cardinals. There is a reason they have been so successful for so long. They develop players and they invest in the right players in free agency. The Red Birds have enough offense and pitching that they’ll be on the Cubs heels all season long. They won’t win the division but they are certainly capable of getting in as a wild card.

3. Pittsburgh Pirates: You have to feel bad for the Pirates because they are in the best division in baseball. Pittsburgh won’t win the division again but they’ll contend for a wild card spot. Clint Hurdle is one of the best bench bosses in the game. He knows how to manage and motivate. Pittsburgh will score plenty of runs offensively. Andrew McCutchen will once again put up big numbers as he spearheads a balanced line up that has speed and power. The Pirates rotation is solid at the top with Gerrit Cole and Francisco Liriano and they have enough pitching overall to compete with any team in the National League. The question is, can the Buccos make that move or two at the deadline to propel them ahead of Chicago and St. Louis? We’ll find out.

4. Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers are officially rebuilding and its going to take time to get back into contention, especially in this division. They moved Khris Davis and Jean Segura this off-season and I don’t think young GM David Sterns is done dealing. Jonathan Lucroy, Chris Carter, Matt Garza and Ryan Braun could all be moved by the break. A rebuild in Milwaukee was long over due. This team was stuck in neutral the last couple of years. It was time.

5. Cincinnati Reds: The Reds are rebuilding so as you can image, its going to be a long season along the Riverfront. You almost feel bad for Joey Votto because he’s stuck there. The Reds will move both Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips by the trade deadline. Both should bring back a young prospect or two. Cincy has started to rebuild their farm system so there is talent there but with no pitching to speak and a limited offense, its going to be ugly in Cincy this season. There will be plenty of empty seats at the Great American Smallpark.

NL WEST
1. San Francisco Giants: The additions of Jonny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija makes the Giants the favorites in this division in my opinion. They will join Madison Bumgartner, Matt Cain and Jake Peavy to form one of the three best rotations in baseball. Pitching at AT&T Park will help as well. Offensively, the Giants can hit the ball. They are much better than people think. They can score runs. Factor in Bruce Bochy as manager and there is no reason why this team can not only win this division, but make a deep playoff run as well. It is an even year all.

2. Arizona Diamondbacks: Yup! Just like the Padres last season, I’m just on the free spending Diamondbacks bandwagon. I think this team has the pitching to compete in this division and for a playoff spot. Not only that, but the line up is solid. Paul Goldschmidt and company can rake, especially at Chase Field. If the Diamondbacks bullpen can hold up for an entire season and support what could be an excellent rotation, this team will surprise the elites of baseball.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers: I don’t like the Dodgers. I don’t like their rotation and I think offensively, they have too many holes especially with Andre Ethier out. One has to wonder what the hell Andrew Friedman is doing with the Dodgers? Someone has to remind him that he is not running the Rays anymore. He works for an ownership group that has plenty of money and is willing to spend it. I’m looking forward to seeing Corey Seager play a full season. He could put up big numbers for the Dodgers. The Dodgers will hang around in the playoff hunt but I don’t see them getting in.

4. San Diego Padres: The Dads are stuck in neutral. They should rebuild given the fact that they have assets they can move. James Shields, Derek Norris and even Matt Kemp could fetch a couple of quality prospects. GM A.J Preller tried to follow the George Steinbrenner model and buy a contender last season. It didn’t work. Now its time to strip it down and rebuild.

5. Colorado Rockies: I feel bad for Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez. They are stuck playing on a team that can’t pitch and has no chance of realistically winning. The Rockies can’t attract pitching to Colorado and until they find a way to develop pitching, this organization will continue to suffer. Its too bad because they’ve got some good players but not enough arms.