More Reign in the Forecast? Seth Saith It Should Be Another Banner Yearfor the Cubs -- Baseball Predictions 2017

There's not much point in doing this.

Sure, I'll always love baseball and intend to attend a good number of games this season--Cubs, White Sox and perhaps some in other cities.

And though I'm not betting any money on it, I think the Cubs are poised to be even better than they were in 2016.

They may not win as many games, but barring catastrophic injuries they should benefit from the confidence of having won it all and gotten the proverbial monkey--or goat, as the case may be--off their back, to better roll through the playoffs to another coronation...without inducing as many coronaries.

But even if they do--and repeats are rare and particularly challenging--there's no way 2017 can be a more joyous baseball season for me than 2016.

The Chicago Cubs were clearly the best team in baseball throughout the regular season, and despite some hiccups during the playoffs--even, perhaps especially, in the final game--they won the World Series for the first time that anyone alive can remember.

And I was able to go to five playoff games, including three during the World Series.

So even if history repeats itself, it'll just be more of the same. A phenomenal same, but unless I'm actually added to the playoff roster, nothing that can surpass last year.

...when I even predicted before the season that the Cubs would win the World Series--and also got my Kris Bryant winning the MVP pick right.

I'm predicting both those things again. If they happen, awesome, but even if not, at least I saw my wishes come true.

So without quite as much personally invested, here are:

Seth Saith's "Back-to-Back" Baseball Predictions for 2017

American League East
1. Boston Red Sox 

2. Baltimore Orioles  

3. Toronto Blue Jays
4. New York Yankees
5. Tampa Bay Rays

American League Central
1. Cleveland Indians 

2. Kansas City Royals
3. Detroit Tigers

4. Minnesota Twins 

5. Chicago White Sox

American League West
1. Seattle Mariners 

2. Texas Rangers

3. Houston Astros
4. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

5. Oakland Athletics

Wild Cards: Orioles over Rangers
ALDS: Red Sox over Mariners
            Indians over Orioles
Pennant Winner: Red Sox

AL MVP: Mookie Betts, Red Sox
AL Cy Young: Chris Sale, Red Sox
AL Rookie of the Year: Andrew Benintendi, Red Sox
AL Manager of the Year: Scott Servais, Mariners

White Sox Record: 66-96


National League East  
1. New York Mets 

2. Washington Nationals
3. Atlanta Braves

4. Miami Marlins
5. Philadelphia Phillies

National League Central
1. Chicago Cubs

2. St. Louis Cardinals 

3. Pittsburgh Pirates
4. Cincinnati Reds
5. Milwaukee Brewers

National League West
1. San Francisco Giants

2. Los Angeles Dodgers
3. Colorado Rockies 

4. Arizona Diamondbacks
5. San Diego Padres

Wild Cards: Dodgers over Nationals
NLCS: Cubs over Mets
       Giants over Dodgers
NL Pennant Winner: Cubs

NL MVP: Kris Bryant, Cubs
NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
NL Rookie of the Year: Dansby Swanson, Braves
Manager of the Year: Bud Black, Rockies
Cubs Record: 100-62

World Series Winner: Chicago Cubs 
(over Boston Red Sox)