The Los Angeles Dodgers have received an abundance of positive projections as the 2017 season approaches, with Sports Illustrated becoming the latest outlet to hop aboard the bandwagon.
In the unveiling of their predictions for the upcoming season, Sports Illustrated predicts the Dodgers will defeat the Cleveland Indians in the World Series.
Per SI.com:
In predicting success for even the best baseball teams, there’s usually a caveat: If they stay healthy. They’ll win the division, if they stay healthy. They’ll go deep in the playoffs, if they stay healthy.
But that caveat may not apply to the Dodgers.
The optimism surrounding the Dodgers is not unwarranted. They return essentially all of the key pieces that placed them within two wins of a trip to the Fall Classic last year, while filling notable team needs with the acquisitions of second baseman Logan Forsythe and relief pitcher Sergio Romo.
There is uncertainty surrounding the starting pitching rotation, but this is due to a overflow of talent — not a lack of options. The top-three rotation slots are pretty much penciled in with Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill and Kenta Maeda, with a handful of candidates remain vying for the final two spots.
To read SI.com's full reasoning behind picking the Dodgers to win it all, click here.