Mike Johrendt Articles - Page 24

Since 1994, the Cleveland Indians have won the American League Central regular season divisional crown ten times, leading all AL Central teams by a decent margin. This means that in 24 years, the Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox have combined — COMBINED — to win 14 divisional titles between themselves, a testament […]

In a league that is dominated by superstars and up-and-coming prospects looking to make an impression on the game, the game of baseball is spoiled rotten with its talent. Through drafting, signing, scouting, and analytics, franchises are able to make the most out of what they have while staying within their means, financially. Not every […]

Even with the all of the money that has been thrown around these past few weeks by MLB teams to lock up their players, there still are certain major leaguers who are not being paid what they deserve, due to their potential and their production so far. Mostly early in their careers, franchises are still […]

With all the money that teams are throwing around to lock up their MLB stars while they are less expensive, there are many players who are starting to look like solid candidates to receive their first big contracts or their next contract extension. While teams rely on arbitration to keep player salaries low enough so […]

In the MLB, the word ‘overpaid’ brings up some not-so-good memories for certain fan bases. Alex Rodriguez for both the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees, Chris Davis for the Baltimore Orioles, Bobby Bonilla and the New York Mets, and Jason Heyward and the Chicago Cubs. While these players are all currently or have been […]

In 2018, the National League Central division had its fair share of tough battles down the road, as the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs battled back and forth for the right to win the divisional crown. With 162 games not being enough, a tiebreaker was needed to solve the tie. The Brewers, after going down […]

With the constant stream of money being funneled to players recently in the MLB, big-time contracts are being handed out to any players who have been on the level of what a superstar is. Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Nolan Arenado, Mike Trout, Blake Snell, and Paul Goldschmidt have all been forced into a new tax […]

In a time that members of a starting rotation do not necessarily toe the rubber first in a game, the MLB is facing an identity crisis of sorts… but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Historically, pitchers have been known for their durability, as starters used to throw 200 pitches in a game and […]

Expectations are always hard to follow through on, especially in professional sports. Injuries, flashes in the pan, players not developing on expected timelines, all of these aspects ring true in some shape during a typical MLB season. In 2019, the league has seen offense overtake and dominant the gameplay, as players are using advanced stats […]

Spring Training is the time of year that all MLB fans look forward to as the unofficial official start to spring. While teams must travel to warm areas of the country to avoid the cold weather taking over the vast majority of the states, the scent of spring and the sound of bats cracking can […]

Coming into the 2019 MLB season, there is a definitive pecking order in terms of who is expected to compete for divisional crowns and beyond, and who is expected to compete for the first overall selection in the 2020 draft. Certain regulars, like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Houston […]

Having run support to back up a sterling performance on the mound is key to any pitcher’s success, regardless of they start or come in out of the bullpen. While the New York Mets enjoyed a resurgent season from their starting rotation, their offense decided not to join the party, making Jacob deGrom and company […]

Starting pitchers, or all pitchers for that matter, across the MLB are facing a bit of a crisis over the course of the past few seasons. Hitters are becoming more powerful, increasing their bat speed and launch angles through analytics to boost their averages and home runs totals. But pitching is in good hands, as […]

After posting a record season, that included both good and bad records, Jacob deGrom is looking to continue his success on the round as a member of the upstart New York Mets. Headlining their rotation for yet another season, deGrom will team up with longtime teammate Noah Syndergaard to hopefully help lead this team back […]

After missing the vast majority of 2018 with a triceps strain and a stress reaction on his pitching elbow, Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Yu Darvish is out to actually attempt to validate his contract in 2019. Signed to a six-year, $126 million contract with an opt-out clause after this season, Darvish has a ton of […]

Even after falling to the eventual World Series Champion Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series, the Houston Astros have work to do to make it back to that point in 2019. Having lost key contributors in free agency, this team has holes that need to be plugged efficiently in order to replicate […]

After jumping out to a huge lead and being forced to fight back from a late-season divisional deficit, the Milwaukee Brewers pulled out their first National League Central Division championship since 2011 and their second ever in franchise history. Riding on the back of NL MVP Christian Yelich, combined with the shutdown bullpen and interesting […]

Coming off an MVP season, it is hard to match expectations, especially after they were set so high in the previous year. While Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Christian Yelich rose from being a solid core of the Miami Marlins to the National League MVP in his first season in brewtown is a testament to how […]

Coming off a season that saw him fall well below his offensive outputs in 2017, the year of 2018 for Aaron Judge was something that can best be described as forgettable. Lacking that true lineup protection with Giancarlo Stanton also having a down season, Judge was forced to take on more of the offensive workload […]

Riding their upstart youngsters and a team that exceeded expectations earlier than expected, the Atlanta Braves cruised through the 2018 regular season on their way to winning the National League East divisional crown, something they had not won since 2013. While experts knew that the Braves would have a solid season, not many thought that […]

In what has been a somewhat slow offseason up to this point, the MLB transaction wire has had its highs and lows ever since the World Series ended. While big trades have dominated the ticker, signings have pushed certain teams to higher win totals than previously projected. Here is the list of the ten best […]

In a top-heavy division, the Houston Astros have been the dominating team in a five-team race that has left the likes of the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners in the dust, needing a big rebuild to climb back into contention. After pushing the Red Sox in the American League Championship Series, the Astros eventually fell […]

The MLB is always looking to create a bridge from generation to generation, and through the next wave of minor league prospects, that torch is passed down. Through adding an influx of talent on a yearly basis, that is what makes baseball such an enjoyable sport to watch. With the likes of Max Scherzer, Clayton […]

After falling one game short of making the World Series in 2018, the up-start Milwaukee Brewers look to be just as solid, if not more proven to make their first bid into the Fall Classic since 1982 during the upcoming 2019 campaign. For a team much further ahead of its expected curve of progression, the […]

Coming off a season that resulted in yet another World Series championship earned, the Boston Red Sox do not have that many areas that need to be improved. However, their bullpen, after inevitably losing Craig Kimbrel (even though he still remains unsigned) will need to reshuffle and figure out who will slot in at the […]

As a mainstay on the major league roster for the Chicago Cubs since 2012, first baseman Anthony Rizzo has become a franchise cornerstone over the years, belting out long home runs and making great plays at first. A consistent offensive threat for the Cubbies, Rizzo is what consistent looks like in terms of production at […]

In a division that has been mostly dominated by one team as of late, the American League Central has the potential to become a much more interesting race in 2019, simply due to the ever-evolving dynamic of an arms race across the league. Money drives business, and that rings true in the Majors as well, […]

The division that represented the National League in the 2018 World Series, the NL West has a ton of firepower in it, even before the announced signing of Manny Machado with the San Diego Padres. Bringing an influx of talent into this division and to a team that is not named the Los Angeles Dodgers […]

Coming off a magical season that ended with another World Series title for the franchise, the Boston Red Sox have visions of a repeat on their minds going into Spring Training in 2019. Coming off a championship victory, there are surprising moves that can make or break clubs in their first season post-championship. Riding on […]

In one of their franchise’s best seasons since moving from the National League Central to the American League West, the Houston Astros put up a valiant effort in the playoffs last season, falling to the eventual World Series champions, the Boston Red Sox. While seeing how close the team was to making that next step, […]

Widely seen as the league’s best division coming into 2019, the National League Central is going to be an absolute treat to watch this season, as three teams have a real chance at not only making the playoffs but all making some noise. Whoever wins this division should immediately jump to the top of the […]

In a year that will most likely want to be forgotten by both the fan base and the franchise, the Chicago Cubs endured through many hills and valleys to eventually fall in the Wild Card round of the 2018 MLB playoffs. While pitching durability and the lack of clutch offensive hitting impacted the team and […]

The first part of this series of potential blockbuster MLB trades saw the likes of Nicholas Castellanos, Madison Bumgarner, and Zack Greinke moved to different teams to spice up the offseason. This article is the continuation and final installation in the series, as two more potential deals are listed below. But first, let’s start with […]

The marketplace for 2019 MLB free agents has been nothing short of stagnant and fruitless for teams, as there have been few moves made up to this point. While teams have filled holes on their respective rosters, there are still many quality options available for teams looking to make a splash going into spring training […]

The passing of the torch happens on a seasonal basis in all professional sports, as athletes who helped transition his generation to the next one will pass the torch to the players leading the next charge of today’s players. From the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield in the NFL to Giannis Antetokounmpo and […]

In his brief four-year career in the nation’s capital, shortstop Trea Turner has put together an excellent career. Leading the Washington Nationals in the field and the plate, Turner reached career highs in 2018 in games played, hits, home runs, RBIs and season WAR, just to name a few. Even in a career year at […]

After a disappointing end to their 2018 season came in the form of losing to the eventual World Series champion Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees are looking for revenge and improvements for their 2019 season. In an act to make it back to the promised land, the franchise has made the typical bold […]

Coming off an impressive 2019 season that ended up a few games short in the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers should hang their hat on their laurels from what they achieved in 2018. But that is not the type of franchise they are, and they already have their sights set on spending more money, […]

Projecting out to be more of a designated hitter more than anything due to his defensively-challenged performance, Kyle Schwarber and the Chicago Cubs are at a crossroads of sorts, needing to figure out his role on a team that desperately needs to move on from 2018. Even though the Cubs made the playoffs, they somehow […]