The Shoemaker Bugle

By MLB Correspondent D.Higgins

After the most unprecedented season in baseball history, Major League Baseball gets back to normal in 2021 (well, as normal as pandemic life can get, anyway).

Fans will be in the stands, National League pitchers will be hitting again, and MLB teams will have regular 162-game schedules. Most importantly, spring has arrived and baseball is back!

The Dodgers open tomorrow, April 1 in Colorado, with the first pitch scheduled for 1:10pm to kick off the four-game series. Their home opener will be Friday, April 9 against the Washington Nationals.

The Angels begin their season with a four-game series against the Chicago White Sox, opening tomorrow night, April 1, at 7:05pm.

We previewed the reigning World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the Angels extensively when spring training began, and now it’s time to take a wider view of the whole league. I am going to take a stab at the 2021 division standings, as well as postseason predictions and major awards.

So, in what are sure to be guesses that look completely foolish in six months, it’s prediction time!

2021 Standings Prediction

NL WEST	NL CENTRAL	NL EAST
1. Los Angeles Dodgers 2. San Diego Padres 3. San Francisco Giants 4. Arizona Diamondbacks 5. Colorado Rockies	1. St. Louis Cardinals 2. Milwaukee Brewers 3. Chicago Cubs 4. Cincinnati Reds 5. Pittsburgh Pirates	1. Atlanta Braves 2. New York Mets 3. Washington Nationals 4. Philadelphia Phillies 5. Miami Marlins

AL WEST	AL CENTRAL	AL EAST
1. Houston Astros 2. Los Angeles Angels 3. Oakland Athletics 4. Seattle Mariners 5. Texas Rangers	1. Chicago White Sox 2. Minnesota Twins 3. Cleveland Indians 4. Kansas City Royals 5. Detroit Tigers	1. New York Yankees 2. Toronto Blue Jays 3. Tampa Bay Rays 4. Boston Red Sox 5. Baltimore Orioles

Awards:

Postseason:

The Dodgers and Yankees will meet in the World Series for the 12th time overall, and for the first time since 1981. Throughout their storied rivalry, the Yankees have beaten the Dodgers in 8 of 11 contests between 1941 and 1981, with the only Dodger victories coming in 1955 (Brooklyn’s only championship), a Koufaxian sweep in 1963, and a 1981 title led by Fernandomania. This time, exactly 40 years since they last met in October, the Dodgers will prevail again, becoming the first MLB champs to repeat since the Yankees did it from 1998-2000.

There are my fearless predictions. I’ll be sure to check back in with you in October to let you know how wrong I was; but, in the meantime, enjoy the return of baseball!