Editors Note: I tasked some of the baseball minds of TGS to write a Major League Baseball Preview asking them to answer these questions. Hope you enjoy them. 

Matthias Schwartzkopf’s is here. 

Tom Danielson’s is here. 

Spencer Hughes’s is here

Nicole Gustafson’s is here. 

David Graf’s is here.

Lindsey Schoon’s is HERE

Shawn Fensterman’s is here

1. Who wins the divisions

AL: Astros, Indians, Yankees

NL: Dodgers, Nationals, Cardinals

 

1. Wild Card Teams

AL: Red Sox over Twins

NL: Cubs over Diamondbacks

 

1. World Series Matchup and winner

Dodgers over Indians. This isn’t the matchup I want, but it’s the matchup that makes sense to me. In the AL, I think the Astros struggle to repeat and the Indians benefit from hosting their opening playoff series as a 2-seed. In the NL, it’s hard to say any of the Nationals, Cardinals or Cubs are better built for a run than Los Angeles.

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1. MVP of both leagues

AL: Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees

NL: Trea Turner, Nationals

 

1. Cy Young of both leagues

AL: Chris Sale, Red Sox

NL: Zack Greinke, Diamondbacks

 

1. If you could put any fictional baseball player on your favorite team, who would it be and why.

In the video game MVP Baseball 2005, they didn’t use Barry Bonds’ likeness for whatever reason and instead replaced him with a white guy named John Dowd, who had all of the same numbers and ratings and abilities. This is also the name of Donald Trump’s former lawyer, and I like to imagine that guy hitting dingers in real life. So, John Dowd is my answer but only if he looks like the real John Dowd like in terms of body type. Thanks for listening.

 

1. Three bold predictions

• Eight months after the Vikings lose the NFC Championship, Minnesota finally gets its chance to host a team from Massachusetts in an all-or-nothing playoff game. The Red Sox travel to Target Field for the Wild Card game… and win a close one.
• Playing 13 of their final 26 games against the Marlins and Braves—along with a three-game home stand against the Nationals—the Phillies close the gap in the NL East and miss knocking off Washington for the division title by a few games.
• Chris Archer and Kevin Kiermaier will have career years for Tampa Bay. Despite currently being tied for third-worst odds to win the American League, the Rays will be buyers at the deadline.

 

1. Top three Baseball Movies, along with the one you dislike the most.

This is an impossible question, and I will be suing The Tailgate Society for undue stress over it. But first, here are my rankings which will change by the second unless I just commit to it. Also, let it be clear that Fever Pitch is #1 in my heart but not in my head, therefore it did not make this list.

 

1. The Sandlot
2. Moneyball
3. Hardball

 

I dislike Hardball the most only because (spoiler) THERE IS NO GOOD REASON YOU HAD TO KILL OFF G-BABY. THAT TEAM WOULD HAVE FOUND THEIR INSPIRATION REGARDLESS, YOU DIDN’T NEED TO PUT THEIR BEST BENCH PLAYER IN THE MIDDLE OF A GANG SHOOTOUT. WHO DOES THAT?

 

1. Baseball has decided to honor Latin American players by doing special hats and jerseys in the minor leagues this season. which of the new team logos and hats are your favorite.

The best logo and color combination definitely goes to the Stockton Caballos. The logo is supposed to be representative of an “iron horse” which is automatically pretty dope, but then they slapped it on the Miami green and orange. That’s a winner every time. However, best idea goes to Corpus Christi, who literally just put a snow cone on their hats. Snow cones are great.

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