MLB Editorials Articles - Page 231

Coming into the 2019 season, MLB teams tried their best to address any open holes they had with patchwork before they got their true solution. With teams not having used Spring Training to develop their solutions, now begins the long process of turning to other teams that may have their solutions and striking up a […]

Even only being one full month into the MLB season, there are teams that are already hitting the eject button on the 2019 season and looking forward to 2020. Teams that have a longer-term plan for how to bring their franchise back from many seasons of missing their goals still do not see 2019 as […]

The curtain has closed on the first month of the 2019 MLB season, with star players getting accustomed to new teams and Cody Bellinger and Christian Yelich staying hotter than your favorite “Bond girl.” We have already seen plenty of drama in the first month-plus of play. From Bryce Harper’s return to D.C., to the […]

When the Houston Astros won the 2017 World Series, it was the culmination of a rebuilding process that had started in earnest since the beginning of the decade. Houston had been the perennial losers of the MLB for years, but with the likes of Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, George Springer and Alex Bregman leading the […]

The first month of baseball has officially concluded, and there were plenty of notable storylines to follow. From a stunning start by the Seattle Mariners, to the contrasting pitfalls experienced by the Boston Red Sox and torrid starts from some of the game’s young superstars, the 2019 MLB season is in full “swing,” so to […]

In all of the offseason predictions, one thing seemed to ring throughout all conversations: that the National League Central would boast one of the best spreads of teams in the entire league for the 2019 season. While backed up by strong facts and solid opinions in the offseason, those NL Central facts are far from […]

One of the more enigmatic players in the entire MLB, Yasiel Puig has made a career out of his quirky mannerisms, cocky playing style and the flair for drama and performing excellently in the clutch. While these events all occurred while in the bright lights and drama of Los Angeles while with the Dodgers, he […]

Similar to the situation involving Lebron James on what seemed like every single Cleveland Cavaliers team, the Milwaukee Brewers have become a bit of a one-dimensional squad riding on the back of a superstar, expecting that player to carry the entire franchise to paydirt. While Christian Yelich has proven that it is quite a possibility […]

Short answer, no. But what if? What if the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have become all too familiar with the basement that is located in the National League Central, finally broke out and made it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2013? What if relying on a cast of non-superstars, supported by solid […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers have jumped out to another early lead in the National League West despite a number of disappointing individual starts and a a rather shoddy bullpen. While Corey Seager continues to round into baseball shape after missing the entirety of the 2018 season and Clayton Kershaw has only just returned from injury, […]

When the San Diego Padres signed superstar infielder Manny Machado to a 10-year, $300 million deal in free agency this offseason, it was very clear that general manager A.J. Preller was making a determination in the team’s effort to win as they rebuild. The Padres had already possessed the best farm system in major league […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers are coming off of consecutive National League pennants. With a core group of young, emerging stars and wily veterans, the Dodgers have once again stormed out to 15-10 record entering play on Apr. 24. So as the reigning league champions and with (mostly) the same roster intact, they would seem to […]

Most known for their big spending and large payrolls, the franchises that make up the American League in the MLB also have solidified really good pipelines for youthful prospects that will eventually take over the game. Even the New York Yankees, who are commonly known for shipping out top prospects in order to acquire yet […]

The wait is finally over. The No. 1 prospect in Major League Baseball, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., will make his big-league debut for the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night against the Oakland Athletics. Vlad Jr., who is the son of MLB Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, is the most-hyped prospect to come to the bigs […]

Young superstars are dominating both the American and National Leagues in the MLB, helping increase the popularity of the sport in a time that they need it the most. Being able to relate to the younger generation is a very useful tactic for the sport of baseball, and marketing this sport to its strengths can […]

The American League is reminiscent of an MLB video game arcade mode, in such that any plethora of players on the top of their game can be chosen on any given night and it shows simply how dominant they truly can be. Pitchers and position players alike, the AL seems to be the best conference […]

Even with the penchant for being a hitter’s conference, the American League boasts some of the best pitchers in the game of baseball too, which makes it a bit unfair when facing up against National League foes. The AL has always been seen as the top conference due to their willingness to throw out copious […]

The Atlanta Braves were one of the surprises in baseball last season, arriving a year ahead of schedule to capture their first National League East division title since 2013. With a slew of young stars like NL Rookie of the Year Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies joining franchise fixture Freddie Freeman in the lineup, the […]

Every team in the MLB has at least one solid starting pitcher that they can build their rotation around. Some teams have paid their way to have two to three ace-caliber arms (Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals) and some teams have built their way to having two to three ace-caliber […]

Their names are separated by just a single letter, and yet Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles and Khris Davis of the Oakland Athletics are miles apart. Chris recently made MLB history by going hitless in 54 consecutive at-bats dating back to last September. Meanwhile, Khris–or “Khrush,” as he is becoming known as–has already hit […]

In a world where dreams do come true and anything goes, a picture-perfect roster comprised of major league baseball players from the National League could be brought together to make for an absolutely unstoppable franchise. Formidable to all other MLB teams, this team is exactly what an All-Star game roster would look like, without favoritism […]

The National League East was projected to be one of the best and most hotly-contested divisions in baseball this year. And so far–sorry Marlins fans–the division has not disappointed. Three teams–the Phillies, Mets and Braves–sat atop the East at 7-4 before the start of play on Thursday, with the Nationals lagging just one game behind. […]

Thew New York Yankees reported to Spring Training looking like a legitimate World Series contender. Yet it took just a few short weeks for that status to be seriously challenged. The Yankees have had a litany of injuries that have affected the shape of their starting rotation as well as their lineups, and entered the […]

Recently signed to a super club-friendly deal that covers the next five seasons for only $50 million, Blake Snell and the Tampa Bay Rays are built for each other. Effervescently invested and adapted to MLB play, both Snell and the Rays are a match that will excite baseball fans for many years to come. For […]

The Milwaukee Brewers currently sit atop the National League Central with an 11-6 record as of Tuesday. They also have the worst run differential (-3) in the division. Could this really be happening again? Despite a depleted bullpen that has lost Corey Knebel for the season and is still without last year’s star closer, Jeremy […]

The 2019 MLB season has already provided fans with an abundance of surprises. From the worrisome starts of the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs to the struggles of aces like Chris Sale and Aaron Nola to the continued red-hot play of Christian Yelich, there have been a number of notable storylines thus far. Yet […]

Last season, the Milwaukee Brewers stunned the baseball world by winning the National League Central and making a run all the way to the NLCS, coming within just one game of a World Series appearance. One of the most notable reasons for Milwaukee’s success was the dominance of their bullpen unit, which ranked fourth in […]

With the onslaught of offensive outputs and high-scoring games dominating the league last season, the MLB is hoping that pitching staffs can overcome their obvious disadvantage and bring the game back down to a feasible level that sees more teams having to be more tactical and technical in their game management. While sending players up […]

Normally, this conversation is not dominated by one name, but the race for the American League Rookie of the Year award in 2019 seems to be that way. The Toronto Blue Jays, sporting one of the league’s best farm systems due to high-level talent in Triple-A, are looking to bring that award north of the […]

Things have not been too peachy on the North Side of Chicago during the early goings of the 2019 MLB season. While the reigning National League Central champion Milwaukee Brewers have jumped out to an 8-2 start, the Chicago Cubs dropped to 2-7 after losing two of three in Milwaukee this weekend. After an offseason […]

The youth movement that has progressively taken over the sport of baseball is at it again in the 2019 season, as more top prospects, late bloomers, and interesting youngins are all vying to take home the honors of being the best rookie in their respective league. This article will focus on those prospects that are […]

The 2019 MLB season has already been filled with surprises. The Seattle Mariners–the preeminent “sellers” of this past offseason–have the best record in the bigs. The Red Sox, Yankees and Astros all have losing records. The Chicago Cubs lead the majors in batting average and on-base percentage, and yet have stumbled out of the gate […]

Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale commanded headlines for all the right reasons over the past few months. From a profanity-laced dugout tirade that propelled the Red Sox to a win in Game 4 of the World Series to getting the final out in Game 5 and subsequently signing a five-year extension with the club, […]

After a long and grueling winter, baseball finally returned with a bang with MLB’s Opening Week. Bryce Harper and Manny Machado made their debuts for their respective teams, Lorenzo Cain robbed a homer to beat the St. Louis Cardinals on Opening Day, and there were some tremendous pitching performances. There have also been plenty of […]

Typically, the MLB trade deadline is a critical juncture for teams looking to add one or two final pieces to complete their World Series puzzle or make a final push for the playoffs. Oftentimes, this can mean superstars on expiring deals (think Manny Machado) or young stars that have struggled, but still have value (Chris […]

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 […]

There has been plenty to talk about in MLB circles as of late. From the numerous extensions handed to star players around the league to ongoing discussions between the league offices and the MLBPA, the past few months have provided plenty of storylines. However, one of the more neglected trends has been the unfortunate amount […]

Sometimes a person is forced to eat crow. That was my first thought when I heard the news that future Hall of Fame outfielder Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels had agreed to a 12-year, nearly $430 million deal. Two weeks ago, I laid out the case for trading Trout before the 2019 trade […]

When Bryce Harper was drafted by the Washington Nationals with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 MLB Amateur Draft, he was thought to be the savior of the organization. The Nats had not had a single winning season since they came to Washington, D.C. from Montreal in 2005. But Harper–who had been one […]