Another Magic Monday: American League Predictions for MLB’s Opening Day and beyond

The season may have started in Australia, but this is still America’s pastime; Sunday’s nationally televised game brings in the full slate of Monday games, and that’s how it...
Justin Verlander will make his seventh consecutive Opening Day start when the Detroit Tigers face AL Central foe Kansas City Royals later today. Photo/Wikimedia
Justin Verlander will make his seventh consecutive Opening Day start when the Detroit Tigers face AL Central foe Kansas City Royals later today. Photo/Wikimedia

Justin Verlander will make his seventh consecutive Opening Day start when the Detroit Tigers face AL Central foe Kansas City Royals later today. Photo/Wikimedia

[dropcap]M[/dropcap]ost fans and writers will agree that the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament is the greatest viewing experience in sports. High-definition and the accessibility to every game on multiple channels and online has cemented that notion.

Still, nothing compares to the in-person experience of Opening Day in Major League Baseball.

There may not be an official holiday for it, but no father should have any regrets about taking their son out of school for the first afternoon at the ballpark. The farther we travel away from our childhood memories, the more we forget. Memories of Opening Day are as lasting as moments as a kid can be, though.

Now, with an added Wild Card spot in both leagues, more dreams are possible from day one – whenever that is. The season may have started in Australia, but this is still America’s pastime; Sunday’s nationally televised game brings in the full slate of Monday games, and that’s how it truly leads off.

It’s an unusual feeling: For a national media dominated by news on the coasts, does everything in the American League run through the Motor City? The MVP race, and the Cy Young race? Most importantly, what about the AL Central race and home-field advantage up to the World Series?

Five predictions for the American League as we gear up for the long haul:

Shocker: The Detroit Tigers win the AL Central, finish 90-72. This is not the NCAA Tournament, where sexy picks or stylistic differences trigger one upset. I’ll give you 162 reasons why things average out toward the mean in baseball. Even if the exodus of Doug Fister was a mistake, and the end of the bullpen produces social media outcry, there’s twice as many holes to poke in the competitors. Justin Verlander will be out to prove the end of 2013 was more than a short-term rebound, and Max Scherzer is probably playing for a massive check elsewhere.

Even if someone like Rick Porcello finally makes strides, there’s valid concerns for the bullpen, and the bottom third of the lineup. Not to worry, Tigers fans; They should feed on the bottom of the division and the big guns should be enough to come close to matching last year’s record.

To read the rest of the American League predictions, please visit Press Row Sports.

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Bryan Everson is a sports journalist based out of Rochester Hills, Michigan. An award-winning sports writer and broadcaster, he has covered everything from high school state championships to NCAA Tournaments to international soccer. You can follow him on Twitter @BryanEversonPRS.
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