MLB 2018 predictions: World Series, MVP picks for the upcoming season

There hasn't been a repeat World Series champion since the 1998-99 New York Yankees. 

And if USA TODAY Sports' seven-person panel is any indication, the streak likely will continue this season. Only one panelist picked the Houston Astros to repeat while a majority of us crowned the Cleveland Indians. 

The panel: Ted Berg, reporter; Scott Boeck, digital editor; Steve Borelli, Sports Weekly editor; Steve Gardner, fantasy editor; Gabe Lacques, baseball editor; Bob Nightengale, columnist; Jorge L. Ortiz, reporter.

And our revised staff consensus for team-by-team win totals: 

MLB SALARIES: Baseball's top 25 highest-paid players in 2024