The Detroit Tigers open up their 2026 campaign on Thursday in San Diego against the Padres, and the excitement for the team’s opening day can be felt from Lakeland all the way to the Motor City.
AJ Hinch’s roster looks like a beefed-up version of last year’s — one that started hot, bringing the best record in baseball into the All-Star break, only to go ice-cold in the second half. The Tigers still made it to the playoffs, but their epic collapse allowed the Cleveland Indians to snatch the American League Central crown from them in embarrassing fashion.
Detroit fell in the wild-card round to the Seattle Mariners in a series that took all five games, ultimately succumbing in a 15-inning affair. That elimination game was the longest winner-take-all game in MLB history.
Now, it is a new season with a few new — and one notably old — faces, and as they say, hope springs eternal before the first pitch is thrown. As is our custom, the Bless You Boys staff came together in roundtable fashion to discuss our predictions for the boys of summer, using the following format.
AL Division WinnersNL Division WinnersWorld SeriesLeague MVPLeague ROYLeague Cy Young
Many of our responses are pretty much what you would expect from this group, but as always, there were a few spicy submissions as well. Take a look at what we have to offer ahead of the first pitch on Thursday.
AL ROY- McGonigleAL Cy Young- SkubalAL MVP- Witt JrAL MOY- HinchNL ROY- Konor GriffinNL MVP- OhtaniNL Cy Young- YamomotoNL MOY- Don KellyNL East- PhilliesNL Central- CubsNL West- DodgersNL Wild Card- Padres, Pirates (okay, just kidding, Padres and Mets)AL Pennant- Tigers over JaysNL Pennant- Dodgers over PhilliesWS- Dodgers over Tigers
AL Division Winners: Detroit Tigers. Why not? Let’s go optimistic. Otherwise, I’d have to pick the Blue Jays and people will think I’m doing it because I’m Canadian.
NL Division Winners: Sigh. The Dodgers.
World Series: I have to pick the Tigers because — historically speaking — when I say anything else I curse the team.
League MVP: Nothing is new or fun under the sun, so it’ll be Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, unless someone gets hurt or Bobby Witt Jr makes another wish on his monkey paw.
League ROY: Kevin McGonigle AL/Konnor Griffin NL
League Cy Young: Tarik Skubal threepete! and Paul Skenes. Nothing inventive here, friends.
Cannon at the Hot Corner: I’m pretty sure you get to pick a winner for each division (AL/NL West, Central, East), not just an AL/NL champion if you’d like.
MacLennan: No, I’m tired and lazy. (Tigers, Blue Jays, Mariners… Dodgers, Cubs, Phillies, I guess. Battle Royale for who wins what)
AL: Tigers, Red Sox, MarinersNL: Brewers, Mets, DodgersWS: Red Sox over Dodgers. Them some freaky good pitching staffs, folksMVPs: Bobby Witt Jr and Juan SotoCy Youngs: Tarik Skubal and Paul SkenesROYs: Kevin McGonigle and Nolan McLeanAL Division Winners —AL East: Red SoxAL Central: TigersAL West: MarinersNL Division Winners —NL East: PhilliesNL Central: Ohhh, I don’t know, the Brewers seem to know what they’re doing (I seriously considered the Pirates; this division feels weaker than usual!)NL West: DodgersWorld Series: I imagine we hear a lot of Dodgers and a lot of Tigers. The last time the Tigers won, my 63-year-old father was younger than I am today… by a good margin. DodgersLeague MVPs — gets easier every yearLeague ROY —AL: Kevin McGonigleNL: Konnor GriffinLeague Cy Young —AL: TARIK SKUBAL (three trophy emojis) BOTTOM TEXTNL: Paul Skenes. Skenes is the best, Webb is about equal because he gets more IP, but we vote FLASHY
I’m just throwing things at the wall:
AL East: Skankees AL Central: Tigers AL West: MarinersNL East: PhilliesNL Central: RedsNL West: DodgersWorld Series: Dodgers AL: Kevin McGonigle NL: Konnor Griffin
League Cy Young (EXCITING BUT BORING)
AL: Tarik Skubal NL: Paul SkenesAL East: Red SoxAL Central: GuardiansAL West: MarinersNL East: PhilliesNL Central: CubsNL West: DodgersAL: Julio RodriguezNL: Shohei OhtaniAL: Chase DeLauterNL: Sal StewartAL: Garrett CrochetNL: Paul Skenes
The Tigers are better than Cleveland on paper, but paper didn’t seem to matter at all last year, considering the Guardians, despite a paltry Pythagorean record, pulled off the largest comeback in AL division history to win the Central.
Until I see the Guardians falter, I’m going to continue to believe that the horseshoe the size of the moon stuck up their bum will propel them and any player they touch to success when it matters.
AL East winner: New York YankeesAL Central winner: DetroitAL West winner: SeattleNL East winner: PhiladelphiaNL Central winner: Chicago CubsNL West winner: Los Angeles DodgersWorld Series: PhiladelphiaAL MVP: Aaron JudgeNL MVP: Shohei OhtaniAL ROY: Kevin McGonigleNL ROY: JJ WetherholtAL Cy: Tarik SkubalNL Cy: Paul SkenesAL East winner: Boston Red SoxAL Central winner: Detroit TigersAL West winner: Seattle MarinersNL East winner: New York MetsNL Central winner: Milwaukee BrewersNL West winner: Los Angeles DodgersWorld Series: Los Angeles DodgersAL MVP: Bobby Witt Jr.NL MVP: Shohei OhtaniAL ROY: Kevin McGonigleNL ROY: Nolan McLeanAL Cy: Garrett CrochetNL Cy: Paul Skenes
Mr. Sunshine: Uh, Tigers win World Series, MVP is Gleyber Torres, ROY is McG, CY is Skubal.
That’s right, I’m on the feel-good meds at the moment. NL stuff, who cares?
AL East: Blue JaysAL Central: TigersAL West: AstrosNL East: Marlins YEAH I SAID ITNL Central: CubsNL West: DodgersWorld Series: Not The DodgersAL MVP: Nick KurtzNL MVP: Corbin CarrollAL ROY: Carter JensenNL ROY: Carson BengeAL CY: Hunter BrownNL CY: Eury PerezAL East winner: New York YankeesAL Central winner: Detroit TigersAL West winner: Seattle MarinersNL East winner: New York MetsNL Central winner: Milwaukee BrewersNL West winner: Los Angeles DodgersWorld Series: Detroit Tigers (YOLO)AL MVP: Roman AnthonyNL MVP: Shohei OhtaniAL ROY: Kevin McGonigleNL ROY: Nolan McLeanAL Cy: Tarik SkubalNL Cy: Paul SkenesAL East: RaysAL Central: Kansas CityAL West: AstrosNL East: MetsNL Central: CubsNL West: DodgersWorld Series: TigersAL MVP: Bobby Witt Jr.NL MVP: Juan SotoAL ROY: Tatsuya ImaiNL ROY: Bubba ChandlerAL CY: Garrett CrochetNL CY: Logan Webb
The Tigers once again fail to secure the AL Central title after some significant regular-season underperformances, but make a 2006-esque run to the World Series, where they finish the job that the previous teams since 1984 could not.
Now that you know where the Bless You Boys staff stands entering the 2026 campaign, give us your takes in the comments below!