Welcome Back!
Baseball is back! Of course, it won’t be the same without fans in the stands, but the important thing is that our pastime is back. Here are some of the most intriguing story lines for the upcoming season.
Houston Astros
No team will play with a bigger chip on their shoulder than the Houston Astros. They were part of the biggest scandal to hit the sport since the steroid era. On top of their illegal sign stealing coming to light, many around the league feel the punishment handed out was too light and that Commissioner Rob Manfred could’ve gone so far as to strip the team of their 2017 World Series title. The Astros look different from the team they were last year as manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Lunhow were fired due to the fact owner Jim Crane said they didn’t do enough to stop what the team was doing. Star pitcher Gerrit Cole is no longer with the team, but hope Lance McCullers Jr. comes back strong after having Tommy John surgery. I always felt the sign stealing scandal was unnecessary as the team was good enough to win without any sort of unfair advantage. Now, they’ll seek to prove that and truly earn another World Series title.
Cole Train in The Bronx
Gerrit Cole is no longer in Houston because he’s now a New York Yankee. After signing for his childhood team and a big lengthy, contract, expectations are higher than ever in The Bronx. The Baby Bombers core of Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, and Gleyber Torres have come frustratingly close to reaching the World Series. With Cole now part of the starting rotation, the expectation isn’t only to reach the Fall Classic, but to win it all. Last year, this biggest issue facing this team was staying healthy and they’ll look to field a consistent starting lineup unlike last season. The Yankees may have actually benefited from the pandemic delaying the start of the season, as that gave some of their injured stars a chance to heal. The team took a bit of a hit as closer Aroldis Chapman tested positive for the coronavirus and will miss the season opener. Since Chapman is asymptomatic, he should be back soon, but he will need two negative test results to be allowed back on the team. Zack Britton will step in to close and isn’t really a downgrade in a stacked Yankee bullpen. Considering everything that’s unfolded recently, I imagine the Yankees want nothing more than to face the Astros in October.
Boston Red Sox
The Mookie Betts trade is one that still doesn’t make sense to me. Yes, I get the fact he was going to get paid heftily, but if you don’t break the bank on a homegrown, five tool player, who are you going to do it for? Aside from his on field production, Betts was injury free and someone that stayed out of controversy, so he appeared to be the perfect face for the franchise. However, ownership thought otherwise and traded him away out west. Speaking of ownership, they also fired their general manager, Dave Dombrowski, and manager Alex Cora, albeit for different reasons. Cora, who was involved in the sign stealing scandal down in Houston, had a similar scheme in Boston and was let go because of that. Some felt he should’ve been banned from the sport and while that didn’t happen, it’ll be a long time before you seen in a ballpark. Boston still has some talent and should be very competitive, but I don’t see them challenging the Yankees for the division title.
Mookie in the City of Angels
The Los Angeles Dodgers continued their big spending ways and not only traded for Mookie Betts, but gave him a lengthy extension. Of course, this comes with some hefty expectations as Betts will be expected not only to produce, but help end a 32-year World Series out in Chavez Ravine. The Dodgers have also been frustratingly close to a title, and are eager to get over the hump. Aside from Betts, the biggest question mark is can Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen carry their regular season success over to the postseason? Both have struggled in October, Kershaw in particular. Some extra motivation might stem from the fact they lost in back-to-back World Series to teams who were found to be illegally stealing signs. I can’t help but think they would also like another shot at Houston or Boston for the title, with a match-up vs Houston being more likely.
World Champs in the Nation’s Capital
The Washington Nationals were still a big mess at this point last year. They started 19-31 and couldn’t close out a game if their life depended on it. Some stability finally came in when relievers Daniel Hudson and Sean Doolittle settled in to their late game roles. The offense was always a juggernaut, and rode their firepower to a World Series title. The lineup took a hit by losing star third baseman Anthony Rendon, so it’ll be interesting to see how much they feel his loss as Rendon was solid with the bat and his glove. Juan Soto became a household name in the postseason last year, and will look to continue to shine for the Nationals. Pitching is still strong as Stephen Strasburg was locked down after winning the World Series MVP, and the bullpen got stronger with the addition of Will Harris. Will the Nationals repeat? I don’t think so, but they will definitely be in contention for their division title and the pennant.
Prime Trout
Mike Trout is the best player in the game, but how many more of his best years will be put to waste? Trout keeps producing and is the unquestioned leader out in Anaheim after winning his 3rd MVP last year, but due to a lack of surrounding pieces, the Angels haven’t been to the postseason since 2014. He now has some help in the lineup with Anthony Rendon as a battery mate, but will it be enough? Ultimately, that’ll come down to pitching and you don’t really circle anyone on the Angels staff as someone you really have to prepare for. The Angels should be competitive, but I don’t see them really changing Houston or Oakland for the division title even if Trout has another great year.
Labor Strife
Aside from the pandemic, there was another reason I thought there wouldn’t be a 2020 season, and that was because of the animosity between the owners and players association. Since the 1994–95 strike, the players and owners have avoided another work stoppage, though they came close in 2002. Unfortunately, it appears we might be headed for another one as both sides are complaining they’ve given in too much and are far apart from coming to an agreement. I don’t think they’ll agree to a new collective bargaining agreement before the end of the season, so the question is, when will they? Another fair question is will they ever agree on anything? The current CBA won’t expire until December of next year, but both parties will want to come to an agreement before then. For now, this season appears safe, but let’s hope we can say about next season and the one after that.
COVID
The pandemic has left its mark on the game with no fans being in the stands, some players choosing to sit out, and others testing positive already. For sure, all regular season games will be played in empty stadiums, but will that be the case for the postseason? It would be very strange to see a home team winning the World Series and celebrating with no one in the stands. The main concern is the safety of the players and all those involved in the logistics of these games being played. If several players, team and stadium employees, and journalists test positive, will the season come to a screeching halt? I obviously hope not, but they’re questions that will only get answered as this season unfolds.
