The 2020 MLB season is just a few days old, but it's time to update our Power Rankings. The first weekend of games doesn't give us a whole lot to go off of, but it is enough to get a look at how each team is really looking this season.
Each week we'll have a special guest picker give us their top 10 teams as well. This week's guest is Nathan Brennan, producer of ESPN Blacksburg's The Drive. Nathan's Rankings
1. Yankees (2-1)
While a 2-1 record with a -3 run differential may not strike you as worthy of the number one spot in a power ranking, it is still difficult to put any other team in this spot. After a dominant performance by newly acquired Gerrit Cole in a rain delayed opening night, and a couple of moon shots by now healthy Giancarlo Stanton, it seems this team could back up the hype. Winning a series in baseball is never a simple feat, especially one against the reigning World Series champions, and the undisputed best starting rotation in baseball. If the likes of Judge, Stanton and Torres can all continue their hot start from the plate, I see no reason this team will ever leave the top spot. 2. Dodgers (2-2) I will admit I am SLIGHTLY concerned about dropping the back half of a home series against the lowly Giants. But ultimately this team is still one of the most well rounded teams in baseball, and boasts a run differential of +12 in their first 4 games. The two former MVPs in Cody Bellinger and Mookie Betts seem they haven’t quite found their stride yet, and this could possibly play into the second half of the series collapse. A solid outing from Ross Stripling gives me confidence that the starting rotation should hold down the fort until the return of former Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw. The upcoming series against the Astros will give us a good indication of where this team is truly headed. 3. Astros (2-1) If it wasn’t for an 8th inning collapse Sunday night against the Mariners, this would be the lone undefeated team in baseball. The potential loss of Justin Verlander for the rest of the season, on top of the departure of Gerrit Cole to AL East foe New York Yankees, could pose problems for the once dominant rotation moving forward. Regardless, the lineup hit for a combined .290 with three homeruns, and 21 RBIs… in THREE games. The lineup has not skipped a beat, and if the starting rotation can continue to be adequate while they wait for Verlander’s return, we could very well see the Astros in the World Series again. 4. Braves (2-1) I will admit, this simply could just be a knee jerk reaction after the BEATING to the Mets Sunday night, but a 14-1 win against any team in the majors is eye opening. After being shut out in game one to the New York Mets, the Braves responded with a 5-3 win, followed by a 14-1 beating, including 17 hits. While the normal punishers in Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuna and Freddie Freeman are all hitting sub .200, it is the likes of Marcell Ozuna and former number one pick Dansby Swanson lighting up the stat sheet. If this lineup continues to run this deep, it could become a serious issue for the already loaded NL East. 5. Rays (2-1) Now I mean no disrespect to the Blue Jays here, I was actually fairly impressed with them (I will get to that later.) However, when your starting pitchers throw a max of five innings, it really shows you how exceptional this Rays pitching staff is. Cy Young hopefuls Charlie Morton and Blake Snell threw four and three innings respectively, before being pulled to let the Rays bullpen do what they do. This is a very similar strategy from last season, and in just 60 games I feel the Rays will begin to reap the benefits come midseason. A walk off from outfielder Kevin Kiermaier in the rubber match should give this lineup some confidence heading into a crucially important series with the team directly above, the Atlanta Braves. 6. Cubs (2-1) Similar to the Braves, this very well could be just another knee jerk reaction. After a complete game shutout by Kyle Hendricks in game one, the bullpen completely collapsed in the second game of the series. The bullpen is going to be a major issue for the Cubs moving forward, but the hope is the starters can provide enough quality innings to reach closer Craig Kimbrel. Going into the rubber match against the Brewers, the Cubs put on a manufacturing clinic, winning 9-1. A hot start from Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber should help lead the lineup along until former NL MVP Kris Bryant gets his bat warmed up. This team still has the pieces from that magical 2016 World Series run, and winning a series against teams in the NL Central will be crucial in arguably the most difficult division in baseball. 7. Twins (2-1) I will say, I was buying the White Sox going into this season. But the way the Twins took care of them this weekend could either be an indication that the White Sox aren’t as good, or the Twins are just that good. I am leaning toward the latter conclusion. Following a 10-3 loss in the second game of the series, it appeared the rubber match would ultimately decide my opinion on the Twins. They won 14-2. Nelson Cruz is absolutely smoking at the plate, with three home runs, and 10 RBIs on this young season. I am a bit concerned with the longevity of the pitching rotation, but if the already convincing lineup from a season ago can continue this type of production, I see no reason to count this small market team out of World Series contention. 8. Athletics (2-1) Not the flashiest names or the flashiest plays, but the Athletics are for real. After winning 97 games last season, it would appear the A’s have picked up right where they left off. Former MVP frontrunner Matt Chapman may have started off cold, but the rest of the lineup of unfamiliar names manufactured runs the normal way that they do. Starting pitchers Mike Fiers and Sean Manaea struggled in their first outings, but I wouldn’t expect that to continue. Like I said, they aren’t the flashiest, but the A’s just always find ways to win. 9. Nationals (1-2) In a normal MLB season, these two losses would mean nothing, and the Nationals would still be in my top five. Unfortunately for the Nationals, losing a series in a 60 game season, while playing in the NL East, is brutal. The starting pitching looked iffy, and I am assuming the reasoning would be playing the best lineup in baseball in the Yankees. I won’t sound the alarms yet, but the Nationals seemed to be a bit too home run happy, and didn’t manufacture runs as they did a year ago. Hopefully Juan Soto will return from his COVID break soon, and the starting pitching can get into a groove. 10. Blue Jays (1-2) There are quite a few other teams that I could pick here, but I decided to go with a bit of a wild card. With the expansion of the playoffs, I legitimately do believe this is a playoff team. While losing on a walk off is rough, it was against one of the better teams in baseball in the Rays. This team is insanely young, but the production from Bo Bichette, Vlad Jr. and Cavan Biggio was impressive against arguably the best overall pitching staffs in baseball. Hyun-Jin Ryu looked just okay in his first start with his new team, but I still expect him to be productive. While young, I was very impressed with this Blue Jays team, and don’t be surprised when you see this team in the playoff hunt in just two short months. Matt's Rankings
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (2-2)
You can't not keep the Dodgers at number one in this week's rankings. They came into the season at number one, and yeah they split the series over the weekend with the Giants, but they looked pretty dang good in the two games they won. Very early on, the Dodgers are sixth in MLB with an .835 team OPS. 2. New York Yankees (2-1) Gerrit Cole was dominant in his Yankees' debut, Giancarlo Stanton looks as good as ever and the Yankees are not messing around this season. They dropped the second game to the Nationals, but finished weekend out with a 3-2 win to advance to 2-1 on the year. 3. Minnesota Twins (2-1) Oh my goodness this offense is amazing. Nelson Cruz alone drove in seven runs yesterday while hitting two home runs. We all knew the Twins' bats were going to be there, but if they can get the pitching turned around, they'll find their way into one of those top two spots. 4. Tampa Bay Rays (2-1) The Rays lost their first game of the season to the young and talented Toronto Blue Jays, but they were able to bounce back and win the next two to go 2-1 on the weekend, good enough to stay in the top five. 5. Atlanta Braves (2-1) The first game of the year was rough for the Braves, but that's to be expected when you face Jacob deGrom. Their offense seemed to find its groove in games 2 and 3, though, with an extra innings comeback on Saturday and a blowout win last night. 6. Houston Astros (2-1) The Astros got out to a good start to the season, and their offense is looking great as usual, but the uncertainty surrounding Justin Verlander's elbow is what hurts them. If he misses significant time, I don't know that the remainder of their rotation will be enough to carry them. 7. Oakland A's (2-1) The A's certainly got started in dramatic fashion, with a walk-off grand slam on Opening Day. They wrapped up the weekend with a 6-4 victory over the Angels, getting five runs in on Shohei Ohtani in the first inning. 8. Cleveland Indians (2-1) Shane Bieber set a club Opening Day strikeout record in his first outing of the season. Carlos Carrasco had a solid outing yesterday for the Tribe as he tossed six innings and struck out 10. Their offense hasn't been bad, but the pitching has shined so far. 9. Chicago Cubs (2-1) The Cubs are the first new team in my Power Rankings this week, and they've earned it. Taking two out of three from the Brewers, including a 9-1 victory yesterday, and a team .804 OPS puts them at number nine this week. 10. San Diego Padres (2-1) I didn't think I'd put the Padres in my top 10 this early in the season, but here they are. San Diego won two games against Arizona this weekend, and the Friars are up to a .774 team OPS at this point. They rank fourth with a 2.33 ERA and ninth with 29 strikeouts. The young talent is starting to shine through, and this could be a good year for the Padres. Trey's Rankings
1. Yankees
The Yankees move up to number one after taking 2 of 3 from the defending champs in the Nationals. The biggest thing for the Yankees was Giancarlo Stanton, who appears to be returning to his MVP form with two monster home runs this past weekend. If the Yankees get the Stanton they expected when they traded for him, it makes the Yankees the clear cut favorite. Also, Stanton will win Comeback Player of the year, book it now. 2. Dodgers A four-game split with the rival Giants showed their ability to hit with their vast lineup. Pitching could be an issue depending on how many more starts Kershaw will miss. However, with that great lineup, I expect the Dodgers to be one or two all season. 3. Braves A solid start for the Braves, taking 2 of 3 from the Mets to start the season. This included an offensive explosion in their game on Sunday, winning 14-1. 4. Rays Yes, I forgot about the Rays last week, but a team took 2 of 3 from the Blue Jays last weekend. With a great pitching staff and bullpen with a great lineup, the Rays could surprise many people this year. 5. Twins Man, the Twins looked good this weekend against the White Sox. Like most teams on this list, they took 2 of 3 from the White Sox. A dynamic and powerful lineup is looking to make a deeper playoff run. 6. Cubs Cubs seemed to have a pretty solid team in the opening weekend against a great Brewers team, taking 2 of 3 (a theme of the weekend). Kyle Hendricks threw his name into the NL Cy Young award with his complete-game shut-out in game one and looked dominant in that game. 7. Cardinals Cardinals looked good once again, taking 2 of 3 from the Pirates, the lineup looked solid, and as always, the pitching staff looked good. The Cards are looking to go back-to-back in the NL Central. 8. A's A’s looked real good this weekend, taking 2 of 3 from Angels. With the injury of Justin Verlander, the AL West is wide open at this point, and I believe the A’s move in as the favorites for the division crown in 2020. 9. Astros Solid start for the Astros, winning 2 of 3 from the Mariners but the team falls on this list due to the significant injury for Justin Verlander that will take him out at least a couple of weeks and maybe the season, and with this few games this year, you miss weeks its like months. So, that knocks the Astros a few spots down on this list. 10. Nationals Nats fall to 10th on this list after losing 2 of 3 to the Yankees. The team did miss Juan Soto due to COVID. The team also has Stephen Strasburg on the sidelines with a nerve issue, so most importantly, the team needs to get healthy, but I still expect a great season out of the Nats.
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With the Atlanta Braves just a few hours from beginning their 2020 season, news came out this morning that both of the catchers on the active roster will be unavailable for tonight's game.
According to MLB.com's Mark Bowman, both Tyler Flowers and Travis d'Arnaud will not be with the team when they take on the Mets this afternoon. Both players have tested negative for COVID-19, but are showing symptoms and are currently in Atlanta instead of traveling with the team. This is obviously tough news for the Braves, who now have to call up Alex Jackson and William Contreras. The Braves had been hit hard by the virus, with four players testing positive at the beginning of summer camp and Yasiel Puig testing positive before he could sign a free agent deal with the team last week. The Washington Nationals suffered a loss in their lineup when All-Star outfielder Juan Soto received a positive test result yesterday. As the season goes on and we see more positive tests, it really does seem like the team with the fewest positive cases will end up winning the World Series. As for the Braves catchers now, Jackson has played four games in the Major Leagues while Contreras has never played in the Majors. We'll see how they handle this situation, but it's a tough break for the Braves right before starting the season.
We all knew that the 2020 Major League Baseball season was going to be weird. Between the social distancing, the 60-game schedule and the Blue Jays not having a home yet, it's set up to be quite the ride over the next few months. We're just two games in after yesterday's Opening Night matchups, and the weirdness has already begun.
First, in Los Angeles during last night's game between the Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants, a balloon mysteriously dropped in on the field during the game. Keep in mind there are no fans in the stands, so no one is quite sure where this balloon came from. It just slowly fell onto the field and no one really looked like they knew what to do with it. Thankfully the Dodgers' bat boy came to the rescue.
Strange times in Dodger Stadium.
Meanwhile, in Boston this morning, there's debate over whether or not Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is throwing out the first pitch at tonight's Red Sox game. The governor's office released a statement this morning saying the Baker would throw out the first pitch at an empty Fenway Park, but Red Sox president Sam Kennedy claimed otherwise on The Greg Hill Show on WEEI. "I can confirm that it is not Gov. Baker," Kennedy said. "We hope he's going to be there but I can confirm he is not throwing the pitch." Again, this seems like a situation where no one really knows what's happening. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, in addition to those two incidents, we also got a look at an evil Rob Manfred during last night's Nationals-Yankees game.
Like I said, strange times.
Just hours from the first pitch of the 2020 season, Major League Baseball and the players union have agreed to expand the playoffs to 16 teams in 2020, according to multiple reports. Jon Heyman reported that the players received a $50 million guarantee for agreeing to the expansion, but that number could be higher depending on if fans are allowed at the stadiums.
The current postseason format features 10 teams, five from each league. Each division winner and two Wild Card teams make the postseason. Not much is known about the expanded format yet, but it seems as if the first round matchups would all be three-game series. The main reasoning for wanting expanded playoffs was money. Obviously with more games, comes more broadcast inventory and more opportunity to sell advertising. However, I'm not a fan of this format. I don't consider myself a baseball purist like my dad, who told me he wants just two playoff teams. But I do like a more traditional playoff format. A 16-team postseason just waters down the competition and doesn't make it mean as much. Who cares if you make the playoffs when half the league does as well? This is one of those rule changes that I hope only stays around in this weird, shortened season, but I have a bad feeling they might try to make it last. As we inch closer to the first pitch of the 2020 Major League Baseball season, Washington Nationals star outfielder Juan Soto has tested positive for COVID-19. ESPN's Jeff Passan announced the news this afternoon. Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo said that Soto was asymptomatic. The team released their Opening Day roster today, which did not include Soto.
There has been a lot of concern about the virus within MLB teams since they reported to summer camp in early July. The latest round of testing, however, showed progress and very few new positive cases. This afternoon's news is sure to inject new concerns into the discussion around MLB starting its season. While other professional sports leagues are using the bubble and hub city models, MLB has decided to proceed as usual, with teams traveling around the country to play away games. There is limited travel, though, as teams are only playing teams from their respective divisions in each league. The Nats will surely miss Soto in their lineup. Just 21 years old, Soto batted. 282 with 34 home runs and 110 RBIs for the team last season as he helped lead them to their first World Series championship. We are just about four hours from the first pitch of tonight's game, and there are still a lot of questions surrounding the season. The Blue Jays still don't have a home, the league and the Players Association are undecided on the postseason structure, and star players keep testing positive. While we all hope we can have an MLB season this year, it has to be done well and with the health of the players as the biggest concern. This week's episode of the podcast focused on our predictions for the National League in the upcoming MLB season. In case you haven't listened yet, or you just had a hard time following what we were saying, I decided to write out our predictions. Also, now that they're in writing, we can come back and look at the end of the season to see how right (or wrong) we are. NL EastMatt's Pick: The Braves have lost some veteran leadership with Brian McCann retiring and Nick Markakis opting out. They lost a big bat with Josh Donaldson signing with Minnesota. But they've still got a great young core and brought in Marcell Ozuna to replace Donaldson's bat. They should repeat again as division champions. Trey's Pick: The Braves' young core of players will lead them to their third-straight division title. The NL East should be really competitive between Atlanta, Washington and Philadelphia, but I see the Braves winning the East again. NL CentralMatt's Pick: The Cincinnati Reds have made all the right additions over the offseason, bringing in Nick Castellanos, Mike Moustakas, Shogo Akiyama, Wade Miley and Pedro Strop. They've got all the right depth to compete this season, and should be set up nicely for the DH coming to the National League this season. Trey's Pick: I'm going with a team that will make a return to prominence this year, the Chicago Cubs. The core of Cubs players that won their 2016 championship is still there, and I think manager David Ross will benefit the team since he played with most of their current players. Look for the Cubs to get back to the top of the Central this year. NL WestMatt's Pick: We hardly even have to discuss this division. The Dodgers are stacked as always, and there's absolutely no way they don't win their eighth-straight division title. Trey's Pick: Like Matt, I don't think we need to discuss this division too much. The Dodgers are too good to not win the division again. Wild Card TeamsMatt's Picks: Nationals and Cubs Trey's Picks: Nationals and Brewers MVPMatt's Pick: Mookie Betts has got to be feeling good coming off his 12-year contract extension. I think he'll be comfortable now that he has some security, and he can let loose and play. He should tear it up in the National League this year on the way to his second MVP award. Trey's Pick: Ronald Acuña, Jr. has gotten better and better in his two seasons, and I don't see that slowing down. He could have a 20 home run/20 stolen bases season, and that would certainly win him the MVP award. Cy YoungMatt's Pick: There's a lot of randomness that can happen in a 60-game season, but Jacob deGrom is still the best pitcher in the National League and I don't see that changing this year. Trey's Pick: I said the AL Cy Young would go to the best pitcher in the league in New York. The NL Cy Young will do the same. Jacob deGrom is a dominant hurler, and he'll win his third-straight award this season. Rookie of the YearMatt's Pick: Carter Kieboom has received a lot of hype, and now it's time to live up to it. With Anthony Rendon gone, he should slide right into the lineup at third base and show us what he's capable of this season.
Trey's Pick: Gavin Lux is a really solid player for the Dodgers, and even though he's not starting the season with the team, when he does come up he'll make a big impact for Los Angeles. In the wake of last week's news that the Toronto Blue Jays would not be allowed to play their home games in Canada this season, speculation started about where the team would play. Multiple options were thrown out there, including the team's Triple-A stadium in Buffalo or the Spring Training site in Dunedin, Fla.
One option that seemed to be gaining the most headway was Pittsburgh's PNC Park. Yes, it's currently occupied by the Pittsburgh Pirates, but the two sides were reportedly trying to work out a deal to share the stadium for the season. It's a bit weird, but, it's 2020, nothing is weird anymore. That plan ultimately won't happen, though, as the Pennsylvania Department of Health has decided to not allow the Blue Jays to play in Pittsburgh. That's a tough couple of days for the team, first their own country kicks them out and now Pittsburgh tells them to hit the streets. Will Graves of the Associated Press reported the news this afternoon, quoting Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine as saying, "To add travelers to this region for any reason, including for professional sports events, risks residents, visitors and members of both teams." So now the Blue Jays are homeless yet again. And with just days until their first home game, they need to find a place to play stat. The plan to play in Pittsburgh never made sense to me anyway. The whole point of having AL East teams play against NL East teams is to limit travel and interaction with other teams. If you had the Blue Jays play at PNC Park, they'd be sharing the stadium with an NL Central team, thereby undoing the whole point of the regional schedule. Hopefully for the Blue Jays, they'll be able to find a home soon, even if it means settling for the subpar lighting in Buffalo. One of the biggest free agents in the 2020-21 offseason might not be. According to multiple reports today, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts is in deep discussions with the team regarding a long-term extension.
Lou Merloni of WEEI reported that the two sides are working towards a deal in the 10-year range and worth between $350-$400 million. Betts, who has been one of the best players in baseball since coming into the league, was traded to the Dodgers in February. He was largely viewed as a rental for LA, but now it seems the team wants to keep him around longer than this season. The Red Sox traded Betts after not being able to get a long-term deal done with the once-in-a-lifetime talent. Merloni reported in January that Boston had offered Betts a 10-year $300 million deal, but he countered with 12 years, $420 million. This move would certainly make Dodgers' fans feel good, as there is a feeling that the team hasn't been able to sign a big free agent in recent years. Fans also expected to only have Betts with the team for this year, and when the season was shortened to 60 games, they were only expecting to get roughly 1/3 of a regular season out of the 2018 MVP. Now it seems as if the Dodgers will have two of the top talents in baseball roaming their outfield for the foreseeable future with Betts and Bellinger. If Betts is able to secure a $400 million contract, it would be just the second such deal in MLB history, following Mike Trout's extension with the Angels. I guess if you want the big bucks, Southern California is the place to be. The 2020 MLB season is right around the corner. We'll get two games on Thursday evening, including a Max Scherzer vs. Gerrit Cole matchup, before we get a full slate of games on Friday. With us being so close to the first pitch of the season, we thought it was time to release our first Power Rankings of the year. Each week we'll have a special guest picker give us their top 10 teams as wel.. This week's guest is Andrew Alix, co-host of ESPN Blacksburg's The Drive. Andrew's Picks1. Los Angeles Dodgers Could it finally be the Dodgers time? They lost the World Series to a team that cheated and then lost it again to another team that the evidence suggests may have cheated too. It has to happen eventually, right? With Mookie Betts added to the mix, it very well might be their time. 2. New York Yankees Murderer’s row has returned to New York. If the heart of their lineup can remain hot and healthy over the course of the shortened season, the Bronx Bombers have their best shot in a decade to secure title number twenty eight. Stealing the reigning Cy Young winner from the team that bounced them in the postseason can’t hurt either. 3. Tampa Bay Rays Moneyball is back! Led by the front office vision of Virginia Tech alumni Eric Neander (shameless plug for my alma mater), the Rays have one of the most versatile rosters in baseball. The lineup is young and intriguing. The bullpen is strong and deep. Perhaps most importantly for when the postseason rolls around, the rotation, if healthy, has elite potential. They may be off of the casual fans radar because of the market they play in, but I view the Rays as a serious dark-horse contender to make a run for the championship. 4. Washington Nationals Unfortunately for the DC faithful, the Nationals aren’t able to truly experience their World Series victory tour. The good news: Their rotation still features perhaps one of the greatest 1-2-3 punches in baseball history. The question: Can Soto, Turner and the rest of the returning crew maintain the offensive production even with the loss of MVP candidate Anthony Rendon in free agency? If the young bats can sustain that production, Washington is primed to “stay in the fight” during their title defense. 5. Houston Astros I wish they got to tour the country all summer to a chorus of boos. Alas, the Astros will get to attempt to return to the World Series in silence. They may have lost Gerrit Cole to a rival contender, but George Springer, Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Justin Verlander, Zack Grienke and Alex Bregman remain from a team that was one game away from their second championship. The proven talent on this team is simply impossible to ignore, scandal be damned. You might not like to admit it, but the Houston Asterisks are still very much contenders. 6. New York Mets Full disclosure: I am slightly biased here because I’ve had the ‘pleasure’ of being a lifelong Mets fan. But the Mets return the two-time reigning NL Cy Young winner and best pitcher in New York (Jacob DeGrom), the NL Rookie of the Year and Home Run leader (Pete Alonso) and a guy that almost won the NL batting title (Jeff McNeil). All from a team that won 15 out of 16 games during a magical run in the second half of the season. Will they disappoint me again? Perhaps. Losing Noah Syndergaard hurts. The success of new additions like Rick Porcello, as well as potential career resurgence of old friend Yoenis Cespedes, will determine if the Mets are well-rounded enough to make a deep run. 7. Atlanta Braves In a 60 game season, I see the NL East as a wide-open four team race. The Braves are smack dab in the middle of it. I do believe they still have ample offensive firepower to overcome the loss of Josh Donaldson in free agency, but the pitching rotation is going to have to overachieve to hang with the likes of New York and Washington in a shortened season. One interesting storyline to follow is the early season availability of franchise cornerstone Freddie Freeman, who recently experienced a wicked bout with COVID-19 that left him praying for his life with a 104.5 degree fever. In this abbreviated season, every game that he misses is magnified. 8. Oakland A’s Moneyball is back, again! The A’s lineup features three players that received MVP votes last season. Their rotation, on the other hand, is competent but not outstanding. I think they have an interesting group that will make some noise in the postseason, but I don’t really think that have the quality of pitching that it takes to be considered a true championship contender. Unlike the team assembled in Tampa Bay, I think that budget restrictions may be too much for Oakland to overcome. 9. Los Angeles Angels The halos feature the best player in baseball (history?), a Swiss Army knife type player the likes of which we haven’t seen in decades and added a guy that many considered to be worthy of last season’s National League MVP honors. This is, on paper, the best supporting group that the Angels have surrounded Mike Trout with since he arrived in Anaheim. It is on Joe Madden and his staff to maximize a mediocre pitching rotation and finally give Trouty the chance to shine in the postseason. 10. Chicago Cubs The young core of the 2016 World Champions remains in tact in Chicago. This club certainly still has the talent to be a division winner — potentially even a World Series contender. But the late 2020 collapse that saw the Cubs finish with just 84 wins begs the question; Does the young group that broke the curse of the billy goat have one last run in them before being dismantled by free agency when their rookie contacts expire? They turn to World Series hero David Ross as manager to see if this Chicago team can have their own “Last Dance” of a sort. Matt's Picks1. Los Angeles Dodgers The Dodgers won 106 games last year, and added Mookie Betts in the offseason. They lost Hyun-Jin Ryu and Kenta Maeda to free agency and trades, but their rotation is still solid with Walker Buehler developing into a great pitcher and Clayton Kershaw still one of the best in the league. With their young prospects now ready to play a full season, this team should be ready to win their eighth-straight division title. 2. New York Yankees Yeah, it's boring, but you have to go with Dodgers-Yankees at 1 and 2. The Yankees brought in the best pitcher in the league in Gerrit Cole. Their lineup is as scary as ever, and if Stanton and Judge can stay healthy all season long, they're sure to repeat as division champs, and maybe win a whole lot more. 3. Houston Astros Yes the Astros lost Gerrit Cole in free agency, but they still have Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke. Fans are never going to let them forget about the sign-stealing scandal, but there was no evidence of sign-stealing during 2019, when the Astros won a league-best 107 games. Look for them to have a similar season this year. 4. Minnesota Twins The Twins set the MLB record for most home runs by a team in a single season last year, and then they went out and got Josh Donaldson in free agency. They also bolstered their rotation this season with the addition of Kenta Maeda, so Minnesota is a dangerous team. 5. Tampa Bay Rays If you don't pick the Yankees to win the AL East, you've gotta go with the Rays. They've put together quite the team over the past two seasons, and with their pitching trio of Blake Snell, Charlie Morton and Tyler Glasnow, they're among the league's best rotations. 6. Atlanta Braves Ronald Acuña, Jr. won't get the chance to go 50-50 this year, but there's a good possibility he could go 20-20. With all the young talent the Braves have, plus Freddie Freeman still anchoring down first base and Marcell Ozuna now in the lineup, Atlanta should get their third-straight division title. 7. Oakland A's The A's have suffered from being in the same division as the Astros, but they've been one of the best teams in the league recently. Not much has changed over the offseason for them, so they should be able to contend again. 8. Washington Nationals They might've lost Anthony Rendon over the offseason, but with Scherzer and Strasburg still at the top of the rotation and Juan Soto holding down the lineup, the Nats have a good shot at making a run again this season. 9. Cleveland Indians This could be Cleveland's last season with Francisco Lindor at shortstop, so the Indians better make it a good one. They've still got the core players needed to do some damage, and they should be able to contend with the Twins in the Central. 10. Cincinnati Reds Perhaps no team is better suited to make a run in a short season than the Reds. They have added so much talent in the offseason and are loaded with bats. They could surprise a lot of people in the NL Central this season. Trey's Picks1. Dodgers
The best team in the NL over the last four seasons, the Dodgers added a top 5 player in baseball in Mookie Betts. A top-five rotation and lineup make the Dodgers the favorite to win it all this season. 2. Yankees The Yankees are the clear cut AL favorites with the dynamic lineup and depth they have in their lineup and bullpen, which is the best in baseball. The only thing the team was missing over the last couple of seasons was a front end starting pitcher, filling that hole they put in the best pitcher in baseball in Gerrit Cole. The expectations are high for the Bronx Bombers this season. 3. Nationals The World Series Champs deserve as much credit as possible, however, after losing Anthony Rendon to the Angels, this past offseason knocks them a few notches off the list. Yet, the team still has a great young core and maybe the best pitching staff in baseball. 4. Astros The defending AL Champs had the most interesting offseason in recent memory with the sign-stealing scandal coming out. However, despite losing their Manager in AJ Hinch, the team fields a top tier line-up and rotation. So much talent that they are bound to make the playoffs. However, figure there will be a struggle out of the gate for a team still adjusting to a new culture. 5. Braves One of the most talented baseball teams with two young studs in Ronald Acuña, Jr. and Ozzie Albies. The team did lose Josh Donaldson, who performed well for the team last season. But they did get Marcell Ozuna in the offseason. Braves have the ability to make the World Series. 6. Twins A team with a great line-up that added Josh Donaldson, a team that is flying under the radar a little but wouldn’t be surprised to see them in the Fall Classic this season. A team built on the long ball looking to repeat in a very deep Central division. 7. Cubs A team that is replacing a manager, has a great lineup and a pitching staff that can be able to put together a great season in 60 games. A team that won the World Series in 2016 is primed to try to make it back to the postseason in a loaded NL Central. 8. Cardinals Defending NL Central champs, looking to repeat, a consistent lineup and rotation are going to allow them to contend in the best division in baseball. 9. A’s A team that breeds consistency and will always be in contention, the A’s have a great lineup with some great players. This will always be a team that might not have the most talent, but is so consistent and will always be a tough team to beat. 10. Angels The team adds one of the best managers of all time in Joe Maddon and Anthony Rendon, an MVP caliber player. The team gets a fully healthy Shohei Ohtani back as well. Oh, they also have the best player in the world in Mike Trout. A talented team primed for a run back into the postseason. After the Washington Nationals got the OK from Washington, D.C. officials to play their home games in the city, all eyes turned to Toronto where the Blue Jays were still unsure of their status. The AP reported this afternoon that the Canadian federal government is expected to deny the Blue Jays permission to play their home games in Canada.
The team had received permission from the city of Toronto and the province of Ontario, but needed permission from the federal government to play their home games at the Rogers Centre. Canada's current restrictions require anyone entering the country for nonessential reasons to self-isolate for 14 days, which would not be possible in an MLB season. Teams would be coming in and out of Canada very frequently and would obviously not be able to isolate for 14 days each time they do so. The NHL received an exemption from the Canadian government to restart its season, but its teams will be hosted in two Canadian cities, so there is not as much international travel involved. Now the Blue Jays and MLB will either have to try to work a deal out with the Canadian government, or start looking elsewhere for the team to play its home games. One option that comes to mind immediately is Sahlen Field in Buffalo, home to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, which are a Blue Jays affiliate. That stadium seems like it makes the most sense given the relationship between the teams and the relative proximity to Toronto, as Buffalo is just under two hours away. The Blue Jays are scheduled to play their first home game on July 29 against the Washington Nationals. |
AuthorMatthew Atkins, Journalist and Baseball fan. Archives
March 2023
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