Better late than never, I guess. This was a shortish, but fun thread last year where I semi-called the Diamondbacks coming out party, so I will try it again.
What are the things you are most looking forward to this MLB season?
1. The Cubs. They missed the playoffs by one game last year, but I think they have a lot of kids ready to take a step forward. Tonight's injury to Steele could set them back, but Morel, Nico, a settled in Swanson, and a finally emerging Seiya Suzuki should be able to keep this team in contention. Their infield might be the best defensively in the Majors, but it's at least close. We will see how they do without Craig Breslow leading the way.
2. Right handed batters not getting called out for obstruction. Not everyone has seen this new rule, but the first base line has been expanded to allow the batter to run directly to the bag, instead of having to swerve into foul territory or risk being called for obstruction. It didn't get a lot of play over the winter, but I think it is a bigger deal some some people realize.
3. Teams being more prepared to push the pace. I have no idea why so many teams came out of the gate last year unprepared to push the limits of (or defend against) the new rules, especially stolen bases and pickoff limits (I am looking at you, Red Sox). I am looking forward to teams ticking up a bit more on the action this season, with more pitchers using the clock to keep hitters on their toes and more runners being aggressive on the base paths.
4. Finally, the playoff races. When I look around the league, I think there are two obvious teams that are basically head and shoulders more talented than the other teams who "should" coast to their playoffs spots. That is the Braves and the Dodgers. There's a second tier of teams in San Diego, Baltimore and Houston that I think will be very good, but all of them have flaws that should prevent them from running away from the pack. More importantly, I think there are only about three teams that I consider not having a chance going into the season (Oakland, Colorado, and Kansas City, sadly, because I really like them but whatever poison they feed their pitchers seems to effectively destroy their careers). I think that literally every other team could be in the race until the end if everything breaks right, yes, even the Nationals, though I wouldn't hold my breath on that one. I think the whole season is going to be electric from start to finish.
I love baseball.
What are the things you are most looking forward to this MLB season?
1. The Cubs. They missed the playoffs by one game last year, but I think they have a lot of kids ready to take a step forward. Tonight's injury to Steele could set them back, but Morel, Nico, a settled in Swanson, and a finally emerging Seiya Suzuki should be able to keep this team in contention. Their infield might be the best defensively in the Majors, but it's at least close. We will see how they do without Craig Breslow leading the way.
2. Right handed batters not getting called out for obstruction. Not everyone has seen this new rule, but the first base line has been expanded to allow the batter to run directly to the bag, instead of having to swerve into foul territory or risk being called for obstruction. It didn't get a lot of play over the winter, but I think it is a bigger deal some some people realize.
3. Teams being more prepared to push the pace. I have no idea why so many teams came out of the gate last year unprepared to push the limits of (or defend against) the new rules, especially stolen bases and pickoff limits (I am looking at you, Red Sox). I am looking forward to teams ticking up a bit more on the action this season, with more pitchers using the clock to keep hitters on their toes and more runners being aggressive on the base paths.
4. Finally, the playoff races. When I look around the league, I think there are two obvious teams that are basically head and shoulders more talented than the other teams who "should" coast to their playoffs spots. That is the Braves and the Dodgers. There's a second tier of teams in San Diego, Baltimore and Houston that I think will be very good, but all of them have flaws that should prevent them from running away from the pack. More importantly, I think there are only about three teams that I consider not having a chance going into the season (Oakland, Colorado, and Kansas City, sadly, because I really like them but whatever poison they feed their pitchers seems to effectively destroy their careers). I think that literally every other team could be in the race until the end if everything breaks right, yes, even the Nationals, though I wouldn't hold my breath on that one. I think the whole season is going to be electric from start to finish.
I love baseball.