Season Preview: Predictions

American League

1. New York Yankees

They ran away with the pennant last year, so it's hard to pick against them now. The Yankees will need their aging outfield to stay healthy and another great season from Joe DiMaggio. The addition of Ed Lopat strengthens the pitching staff and keeps them ahead of Boston in a tight pennant race.

2. Boston Red Sox

Boston won the pennant in 1946 and has another great opportunity after winning the offseason with their acquisitions of Vern Stephens and Stan Spence. The best infield in the AL paired with Ted Williams is a recipe for a great lineup. The Red Sox will be heavy favorites to score more runs than anyone else. Unfortunately, pitching is holding them back from being the overall favorites. They should still compete for the pennant, but the Yankees have the overall advantage.

3. Cleveland Indians

The Tribe has a better pitching staff than either of the teams above them, but question marks in the outfield have expectations lower. Their infield is nearly as strong as Boston's, but no one knows what to expect with two rookies starting. Bob Feller remains the most intimidating pitcher in baseball and the pitching staff behind him is more than capable. If the outfield can be just average, the Indians will certainly be in the pennant hunt come September.

4. Detroit Tigers

Though they finished second last year, the Tigers will face an uphill battle to match that in 1948. Detroit was silent during the offseason, leaving their weaknesses as is. The offense has no power just two years after Hank Greenberg departed. Hal Newhouser remains just as dominant as Feller, but the pitchers after him are not as strong as Cleveland's. The Tigers seem to have lost a step and should not be a factor in the pennant race.

5. Philadelphia Athletics

The A's shocked the league last year with their most competitive season in a long time. Philadelphia lacks a real superstar, but the result has been greater than the sum of its parts. Topping .500 would be a successful season for Philadelphia, but after last year who knows how far up they might reach in the standings.

6. Washington Senators

With Chicago losing Lopat, the Senators have the best pitching of the final three teams in the standings, who are interchangeable. Sixth is the highest they can finish, but last place is still a threat if they underperform.

7. Chicago White Sox

The White Sox are old, so using this year as a learning experience won't do much with much of their roster in the second half of their careers. 41-year-old Luke Appling is the best batter in the lineup, an impressive feat but also showing where the team is at.

8. St. Louis Browns

A fire sale over the winter saw the Browns saw most of the team's talent dealt and a lot of new faces brought in. After finishing last last year, they can't finish any worse, so the big gamble is that this will improve the team in the long run. It is very hard to predict where the Browns will end up with so much uncertainty around the roster, but if a few of their additions work out they could reach up to sixth.

MVP: Ted Williams

Coming off a triple crown season, the only reason Williams didn't win last year was Boston's distant third place finish behind DiMaggio's Yankees. Williams should be good for 30 homers, 110 RBIs, and a .340 average... At a minimum. With the Red Sox more competitive this time around, Williams should be considered the favorite to win MVP in another tight race with DiMaggio.

National League

1. St. Louis Cardinals

Three World Series victories in the last six years are no coincidence. The Cardinals are favorites once again even after making almost no changes during the offseason. Stan Musial's worst season was still better almost any other player's best. If he can find his form again, there's no stopping St. Louis.

2. Boston Braves

The Braves were aggressive in the offseason, trying to make the jump from third to first. They definitely appear to have improved, but the fight for first will be tough. MVP Bob Elliott and the intimidating combo of Johnny Sain and Warren Spahn are among the three best players in the league right now. If those roster moves work out, the Braves can make the jump to first.

3. Brooklyn Dodgers

The Dodgers were only third in scoring both for and against last year. While still a good team, it will be hard to repeat without luck on their side. The Dodgers make a lot of moves in the offseason, but many do not look to improve the team immediately. Jackie Robinson has a bright future in the majors and can help the Dodgers improve if he himself can take his game to the next level now with a season in the National League under his belt. It's tough to place the defending champions so low, but they are obviously still capable of making another run at the World Series.

4. New York Giants

It was a record-breaking season in power for the Giants last year. It is tough to imagine that they can match it so the Giants will have to find other ways to improve to make up ground from their fourth place finish in '47. The Giants signed some veteran pitching to try and help out Larry Jansen, the only reliable starter they had.

5. Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati could mix it up with the Giants, but they need more offense. The pitching as a whole can improve even if Ewell Blackwell can't recreate the season he had last year. The offense is average but unspectacular. The Reds will fight for .500 but could sink lower if no one steps up.

6. Pittsburgh Pirates

With so many new faces, Pittsburgh has the most wide open range of outcomes because of the uncertainty. Ralph Kiner may not have even reached his peak yet, a scary thought for opposing pitchers. The Pirates could finish in the first division or come in last depending on how it all shakes out.

7. Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies are a team of old meets new, with many players at the very end or very beginning of their time in the majors. They seem to have a bright future if their prospects can work out, but success in 1948 is far out of reach as the rookies get their first bits of playing time. The Phillies will need veterans Dutch Leonard and Schoolboy Rowe to continue pitching well even in an otherwise meaningless season to avoid the cellar.

8. Chicago Cubs

Chicago finished sixth last year and didn't make any major additions, but another year puts them farther away from their '45 pennant and their trajectory would seem to take them down with no changes. It's tough to find anything to get excited about with this team as they will battle at the bottom of the league all season long.

MVP: Ralph Kiner

With his team expected to lose more than it wins, Kiner will have to overcome his team's struggles to win MVP, usually an award given to the best player on one of the top teams in baseball. But after hitting 51 home runs at age 24, anything seems possible with this slugger. If the Pirates are remotely competitive, it will probably be because of Kiner, suggesting he truly is the most valuable player in the National League.