Sax Scores the Season and Closes with Dreams Really Do Come True.

What if the team you least expect rises to the top and snags a championship? I want to shake things up with some bold and spirited baseball predictions that just might have you on the edge of your seat. As we embark on this thrilling new season, I'm not just sharing my picks for the American and National Leagues—I'm also inviting you to embrace the contagious energy of possibility. From the powerhouse Yankees in the East to the surprising Athletics in the West, the AL landscape is packed with young talent and unexpected twists. With me as part of the Athletics broadcasting team, I'm rooting for them not just to take the division, but to emerge as AL champs. 

Switching over to the National League, the excitement keeps building as I spotlight some of the most promising players and dynamic teams. The Braves' formidable Sale-Strider pitching duo makes them my favorite for the East, while the Cubs' potential is too enticing to overlook in the Central. I draw from my own memorable baseball experiences, like our stunning win in 1988, to underscore that anything can happen when talent and tenacity collide. Whether you're a long-time fan or new to the game, join me for a rich blend of insights, inspiration, and a few wild cards that promise to keep this season unpredictable and exhilarating.

Remember, Sax in the Morning swag is now available on my Instagram site. Go to "Sax in the Morning" underscore podcast. (saxinthemorning_podcast)You'll see it right there on the Instagram and just hit the link. Everything's there Mugs, hats, tumblers you name it.

Transcript

Your daily game plan for success. It's Sax in the Morning, Steve Sax. Hi, Steve Sax here with Sax in the Morning. This is your weekly dose of motivation, inspirational stories, and tips for personal empowerment. And I'll tell you what. I'm going to get some of my own self-empowered because the baseball season has started and this is a lovely time of year and you know we've been going now for just under a week and I just wanted to give you kind of a rough outlay of what I think the season is going to be like this year, kind of my picks for the American League and National League.

So why don't we just get started with the American League East? And I'll tell you what this is going to be a showdown with all the young talent. That's the way I look at the American League East, with tons of young talent. You talk about the Red Sox and the Orioles. I mean these guys just really loaded the Royals with Bobby Wood Jr and all those guys, and certainly the athletics, a team that I'm actually now broadcasting with. I've joined the athletics broadcasting team, which I'm very, very excited about.

So let me give you a quick rundown on the AL East where I think it's going. So you know, with the New York Yankees and the way that they get into postseason they're hardly ever not in postseason and they've got some good additions over there with Max Freed, Devin Williams in the bullpen, Paul Goldschmidt guy I used to coach at Arizona and Cody Bellinger. They got some star quality power there. That I think is going to be great. Of course, you got to look at the Aaron Judge and what he brings to the table and they got to get, you know, Stanton healthy too. But I think once they get full rolling with everybody, this is going to be a hard team to beat.

So I know there's guys down. I know Garrett Cole's down, yeah, I get it, but I think they can cover. So I'm going to pick the Yankees in the East and the Central. I mentioned Bobby Witt Jr. I'm going to go with the Royals and that team is very young and upcoming, with some great young pitching as well. And in the West. I know people are going to, you know, dog on me for doing this, but I'm going to go with the Athletics to win the West. A lot of young talent there. They've added some things too. Their pitching staff is much better, you know, with Jeffrey Springs, JP Sears, and certainly with Luis Severino to lead the charge on the starters. And, of course, that bullpen in the back man. How about Mason Miller? He might be the best reliever in the game, chucking it up there at about 104.

I'm going to go with the West Division champions with the Athletics Wild card. I'm going to go with the Texas Rangers I think they've got the goods too and in the American League. Sum it all up yeah, I'm going to pick the A's to win it. Hey, look it In 1988, we were picked fourth in our division and we won the World Series. So can the A's win the division? Yeah, they can win that, and that's where I'm going to go with it. Not only division, but I think they're going to be AL champs.

All right, and as far as the National League goes, this guy pitch. They were thrilled to watch him throw not only in the high 90s again, but also complement the four-seamer that he's got with his curveball, his slider and his changeup. He's going to start that year in the injured list, but as he works his way back from internal brace surgery whatever the heck that is he should be activated sometime in mid to late April. Of course, you've got Chris Sale there, who won his first Cy Young Award last year. He led the league in wins with 18. Strikeouts with 225. For the pitching Triple Crown, also, the ERA 2.38. Pretty darn good for Chris Sale.

Coming over to the Braves, the Sale-Strider combo is as good as it gets when they're pitching at their best, so I like that leading the charge right there. I'm going to go with the Braves in the East. In the Central I'm going to go with the Chicago Cubs. I like the Cubs. They're destined to win sometime soon and I think now is the time. In the Central and, of course, in the West, I've got to go with the LA Dodgers. Might be the best compilation of talent that I've seen anywhere in a long time Nine starters going on this team with the Dodgers. They've got a lot of injured guys still Tony Gonsolin, Kershaw, Emmitt Sheehan, Kyle Hurt Good name for a guy being injured, isn't it? River Ryan and Gavin Stone, and you know what? It doesn't dent what they can do in the pitching staff. They've got so much pitching on this team and all-stars everywhere. I think it's going to come down to nobody else but the LA Dodgers and the West. I think the Phillies are probably going to be the wildcard team here.

So what does it come down to? Maybe Dodgers A's again, maybe a repeat of 1988? Could happen. I'm going to go ahead and go with that and, as we get out of the first week this year, remember this is probably my most favorite time of year coming out of spring training because you have all these hopes and dreams of a new start and you know a fresh outlook and all that and you know what. That's the way it is in our life sometimes. Take advantage of this new change in scenery with the seasons. I mean, this is a new time in your life, so look at it that way, and this is a fresh, new approach that each and every team has, each and every guy has. Maybe you should have that approach in your life too.

And that is my short for today. If you like what you heard, give us a positive review, subscribe and share. Also, remember that the Sax in the Morning swag is now available on my Instagram site. Go to saxinthemorning underscore podcast. You'll see it right there on the Instagram and just hit the link. Everything's there mugs, hats, tumblers, you name it.