Baseball is just around the corner as spring training has started and teams are gearing up for the season. This is the perfect time for predictions and hot takes to claim them before the new year starts.

Just a little over two months ago, I made a way-too-early bold predictions article for the upcoming season. Now after watching some games and really studying the teams more, I’m making an updated one and doubling down on a few of the bold predictions that I made earlier. Here are my five biggest bold predictions entering the 2023 MLB season.

1. Doubling down on the Rangers prediction. Jacob deGrom wins the CY Young Award, leads the Rangers to a wild card spot

Everything is bigger in Texas, correct? So I am making a giant bold prediction that deGrom will stay healthy and win the CY Young award this season. Oh, and the Rangers will be good enough to clinch a wild card spot in the postseason. I absolutely love this Rangers team and how they have built it. They’ve spent money in consecutive off-seasons and it will finally pay off for the first time in awhile for this franchise.

This is a very talented team with a talented manager in Bruce Bochy leading the charge. deGrom leads the way and Texas reaches the postseason.

2. Second double down.The San Diego Padres win the NL West but don’t reach the NLCS

For the first time in a long time, maybe ever, the San Diego Padres enter the season with real championship or bust expectations. Now this team is loaded from top to bottom and the only real question mark is their starting rotation. But those expectations come with pressure and I’m curious how this team will respond to that pressure. It’s easy to win when nobody expects you to do so but now the entire league has their eyes on San Diego.

There are a ton of good teams in the National League and as we all saw last season, anyone can be upset in the first round of the playoffs. I like them to win the NL West but fall short of the NLCS this season.

3. Shohei Ohtani gets traded at the trade deadline

While I expect the Angels to be better than they were last season, I can’t fully say they make the playoffs just yet. This is a team that has two of the best players in the world on it but consistently fall short of any playoff appearances. Yes, injuries have taken their toll but the lack of success is evident. Ohtani will be a free agent at the end of this season and many teams are already gearing up for a historic bid on the open market for his services.

Assuming the Angels aren’t relevant in the postseason hunt and even if they are slightly, the Angels will need to trade their star player to avoid possibly losing him for nothing over the offseason. The price for star Juan Soto during last trade deadline was massive and Ohtani would get the Angels back many pieces they could use in the future. It may hurt to trade Ohtani but if he isn’t going to stay with the Angels, they need to get something for him.

4. The St. Louis Cardinals end with the best record in the National League

The Cardinals got bounced out of the postseason early last year and decided that they needed more to compete. They won the NL Central by seven games in 2022 and I believe they win it by at least 12 games this year. I see them ending the season, having home field advantage throughout the National League playoffs.

This team went out and signed Wilson Contreras to add to their already powerful lineup. Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt lead the way for this team that is very similar to last to the roster of last season. St. Louis has a good rotation that can help them win games across the grinding 162 game season. The Cardinals biggest competition in the division is likely the Milwaukee Brewers and while Milwaukee always seems to be competitive, this Cardinals roster is loaded. More inter-league play this season may take some advantages of playing in a weaker division away but I love St. Louis to hold the best record at the end of the year.

5. Last double down. The Astros will not repeat, continuing the streak of nonconsecutive champions

This may be one of the easier predictions because Major League Baseball hasn’t had a repeat champion since the Yankees back in 1998-2000. Baseball is such a weird sport and the playoffs are essentially a crapshoot if we are being honest. Any team that makes it can get hot and go on to win the title. With so many talented teams across the league, I will be taking the field over the defending champion Astros.