The 2019 MLB season is finally here! And even though we're still a couple days out from Opening Day, we can't help but try to predict who the winners of the league's top awards will be. Baseball experts from across NBC Sports weighed in on who they think is most likely to win the AL and NL Cy Young Awards months from now, and, of course, Nationals' ace Max Scherzer is a preseason favorite to win for the fourth time in his career.

Here are the insiders from around the country who made their picks.
NBC Sports Washington: Todd Dybas (Nationals)
NBC Sports Bay Area: Alex Pavlovic (Giants)
NBC Sports Bay Area: Ben Ross (Athletics)
NBC Sports Boston: Lou Merloni (Red Sox)
NBC Sports Chicago: Tony Andracki (Cubs)
NBC Sports Chicago: Vinnie Duber (White Sox)
NBC Sports Philadelphia: Corey Seidman (Phillies)

AL: Chris Sale
NL: Walker Buehler

In the AL, this is simply a matter of health for Sale -- he is a lefty with the best slider in the game. For the NL, Buehler appears to be the next big thing among pitchers.

AL: Gerrit Cole
NL: Walker Buehler

In the AL, Cole took a leap after getting traded to the Astros, striking out 276 batters and posting a 2.88 ERA in 32 starts last season. Buehler's first extended run through the NL was dominant -- he had a 2.62 ERA in 24 appearances last year and lowered it to 1.55 over his final 12 starts.

AL: Chris Sale
NL: Max Scherzer

For the AL, this will finally be Sale's year -- the left-hander is nearly unhittable when he's on his game and his strikeout totals have been other-worldly. Scherzer has won three Cy Young Awards in the last six years and has averaged 12 strikeouts per nine innings the last two years and shows no signs of slowing down -- if he stays healthy, he will undoubtedly be in the running in the NL.

AL: Chris Sale
NL: Aaron Nola

In the AL, Sale has struggled down the stretch the last two years and still finished second and fourth, respectively, in the voting. A new “management plan” will keep him fresh for six months this season. Over in the NL, an improved offense will help Nola reach that 20-win plateau and win the award in a very crowded field.

AL: Carlos Carrasco
NL: Jameson Taillon

This is a bold call given Carrasco is about to turn 32 years old and has only one top-10 Cy Young Award finish in his career. However, he's one of the most underrated pitchers in baseball and I'm betting he puts it all together in 2019. With Taillon, the former No. 2 overall pick enjoyed his true breakout campaign last year, emerging as the clear-cut ace of the Pirates. Look for another big leap from the 27-year-old this year.

AL: Justin Verlander
NL: Max Scherzer

Verlander in the AL? Again? Yes, the ageless wonder is my pick to be the best pitcher in the Junior Circuit in 2019. In the NL, Scherzer is an unstoppable good-at-baseball machine, already the winner of three Cy Young and the runner-up a year ago.

AL: Gerrit Cole
NL: Aaron Nola

For the AL, Cole will pitch this season at age 28, and when you combine the middle of his prime with his jaw-dropping strikeout increase last season and the fact that he pitches for a team that could again exceed 100 wins, you get a starting pitcher who checks all the Cy Young boxes.