Every team has experienced the bumpy and smooth roads traveled throughout the MLB season. For some, the road was much bumpier than others. At the same time, the franchises who prospered from 2018 will come into 2019 with pressure, as well as high hopes. There is still a long way to go before the clubs hit the diamond. But time will prove valuable as the game, along with the season, fires on all cylinders.
Here are some of the good, the bad and the uncertain teams prepping for the 2019 MLB Season.
The AL East stood as the most imposing division in baseball, at least for the most part.
For the second time in his career, David Robertson left the Yankees via free agency. Per multiple reports, the right-hander reached a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies… Image Courtesy of Pinstripe Alley
The Boston Red Sox had more weapons than they knew what to do with, from practically every area of play. But manager Alex Cora led the squad like he was their manager for years. His previous experience as a Red Sox player (where he won a World Series in 2007) played in his favor entering the fray. It also helped the first year skipper led the Red Sox to winning it all.
The New York Yankees had baseball’s hottest batting order, with the acquisition Giancarlo Stanton from the Miami Marlins. The Pinstripes broke the record for most home runs hit by a team in a season for their last outing. Meanwhile, New York has been stocking up their bullpen for much-needed support.
The Tampa Bay Rays house the current AL Cy Young Award winner, Blake Snell. They also burst through towards the later portion of the season. After the All-Star Game in Washington D.C, the Rays boasted the best winning percentage in that span. Now, their pitching crew also have another weapon: former Houston Astro, Charlie Morton.
What on earth happened to the AL Central? Only one team in this division finished above .500. That is NOT a typo. The Cleveland Indians are the only team in the AL Central to have a winning record. The Minnesota Twins initially looked like they were one of the teams to beat in the American League. But in the latter half of the season, they fell flat on their faces. They fell hard enough to let Cleveland catch up and then take the division.
Then there are the Kansas City Royals and the Chicago White Sox. Not only are they two of the three teams who finished with more than 100 losses (the other being the Baltimore Orioles), but they also were bottom tier in pitching. On one hand, the Royals were World Series Champions in 2015. Three years later, they sunk to the bottom of the barrel. On the other hand, the Chicago White Sox have struggled to find any breaks since their 2005 title season. More than likely, the Indians will have little problems retaining their pennant.
The Case for Christian Yelich as NL MVP. Image Courtesy of Sports Illustrated.
The Pittsburgh Pirates will have to find themselves with even more digging. Without Andrew McCutchen, the black and yellow will need more and new players to step up and help the Pirates find their stride.
The Milwaukee Brewers caught lighting in a bottle in 2018. Not only did they finally stamp that elusive ticket to October, but also their newer addition, Christian Yelich had the season of his young career: one that yielded the NL MVP Award for the season. But the pressure is on for the Brew Crew to replicate their success, as well as exceeding it. Hopefully, manager Craig Counsell can learn from 2018 and introduce more effective strategies to get Milwaukee back into the October fray.
Both the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks are on the same boat. Both teams have said goodbye to their biggest stars over the offseason. For Seattle, Robinson Cano, Jean Segura and Nelson Cruz have moved east to their new homes. Similar, Arizona won’t be having Patrick Corbin, Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock in its camp for 2019.
Both teams will have a lot of work to do in 2019, along with finding new star attractions on the field.
Featured image courtesy of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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