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With the new season coming up, projections for the upcoming season are also coming out now. The first set of predictions came out from ZiPS, predicting a 31-win season for the Brewers, as well as a tight NL Central race. That view isn’t isolated to just that prediction.
Caesars Sportsbook released their set of win totals for the upcoming season yesterday. In the predictions, the Brewers were set at an opening total of 30.5 wins, tied for 19th highest in baseball. It would also put them in fourth place in the division. The Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, and Cincinnati Reds all tied for the top spot in the division, with a win total of 31.5 wins. Only the Pirates had a win total below .500, with an opening total at 25 wins.
Leading the win totals was the Los Angeles Dodgers at 37 wins. AL teams took the next five highest totals, with the New York Yankees at 36.5 wins, Minnesota Twins and Houston Astros at 34.5 wins, Tampa Bay Rays at 34 wins, and Oakland Athletics at 33.5 wins. The NL East had the next highest totals for the NL, with the Atlanta Braves at 33 wins, Washington Nationals at 32.5 wins, and New York Mets at 32 wins.
These totals show how much a swing of a single game or two could mean this season, and how tight some of these divisions could be. The NL East is another division that could come down to a game or two. The Dodgers are the only team with a significant lead over the rest of the division, with a 5.5 game lead over the Arizona Diamonbacks (31.5). For every other division, the distance between the first and second place teams is at most 3 games. It’s also noted that the win totals are only valid if the teams play at least 59 games.
While it may be discouraging to see the Brewers lower in these totals, this is also a very difficult season to predict. With each game mattering much more than in previous years, it wouldn’t take much for the standings to be shaken up. Though it won’t be the same MLB season that we’re used to, it should still be a potentially interesting division race to watch.