Baseball Is Here 2023

 Baseball Is Here

       Written By: Spent Brockman

Sports fans rejoice, we no longer have to feign interest in college basketball or whatever inferior football product the major broadcasters have tried forcing upon us. Baseball is back and it will be a season like never before. The owners and the commissioner have finally listened to the wider consensus and made some much needed changes, mainly the installation of a pitch clock. 

Since the turn of the century, baseball has become more of a secondary sport in America. One of the limiting factors that has hurt baseball’s national popularity has been game speed with the average game lasting 3 hours and 6 minutes. While football has benefited from a similar runtime, there is much more fluidity in the game of football keeping the casual viewers engaged. On the other hand, the game of baseball consists of a few big moments that are supplemented by countless small moments which leads the casual viewer to lose interest when the home runs or high leverage situations are not happening. The pitch clock is the solution to this issue as it limits time in between pitches to 15 seconds. The early returns on the new policy have been fantastic as spring training games average run time were cut down by a whopping 26 minutes. The shortened game will lead to more people enjoying the game of baseball without completely destroying the traditions of baseball that have made the game the unique sport it has always been. With an unprecedented season imminent, let’s dive into the nitty gritty and preview some of the great things this season has to come.

What To Watch For:

Left Handed Hitters:

I know it might seem strange to highlight left hand hitters as a whole, but the game has changed for lefties this year. The other major rule change that is being implemented this year is the prohibition of the shift. Shifting disproportionately affected lefties. With the bases empty or a man on first, the defense has no reason to cover third base leading to defensive arrangements with only 1 or 2 players on the left side of the field, which cannot be done against righties due to the constant need to cover first base on every play. The numbers only go on to show the disparity between the two sides with lefties hitting against a shift 55% of the time compared to 19% for righties. 

Sure some dead pull righties like Kris Bryant will also benefit from the lack of a shift, but it is a new year and a new game for left handed bats as a whole. Opposing pitchers are going to be attacking left handed hitters with a completely new approach as it was common to avoid giving lefties anything they could lift. With the ease that a lefty can now turn a grounder into a hit, opposing pitchers will have to pick their poison when pitching against a lefty. Expect big bounce back years from lefties who struggled last year like Anthony Rizzo, Corey Seager, and Juan Soto especially in the batting average department. Heck Joey Gallo may even eclipse the Mendoza Line, okay maybe I will not go that far; regardless 2023 is the year of the lefty so expect big things when a southpaw hitter comes to the plate.

Old Faces In New Places:

Anyone who has paid any attention to the moves this offseason know some big names moved around this offseason with names like Verlander, Bogaerts, and Turner all dawning new uniforms this season. These players are already proven commodities though and fans know what they should be getting from these new faces so I will not waste anyone’s time diving into those bigger signings instead I will highlight some under the radar players who will be showing out with their new teams.

Jesse Winker, Brewers

After a change in scenery led to a disappointing season with the Mariners, Winker has found himself back in NL central with the Brewers. I love this move for the Brewers. He fits the team’s winning formula perfectly. The Brewers are a small ball team who don’t have many big boppers but they get men on base and move them over when needed. Winker will fit in perfectly as he walked at 15% clip in 3 of the past 5 seasons. Winker will also benefit greatly from facing the Pirates, Reds, Cardinals, and Cubs pitchers multiple times a year.

Brad Boxberger, Cubs

Over the past 3 years Boxberger has quietly been one of the best setup men with the brewers and marlins compiling a 3.13 ERA and a 9.2 K9. Now Boxberger will presumably have a chance to be a closer again with the Cubs, a role which he had previously thrived in leading the AL in saves in 2015 with the Rays. To be fair Boxberger is not getting any younger, but he has shown that age is only a number showing increased command over the past three years while also being able to keep the ball in the park. The Cubs are an interesting team with a formidable lineup and decent starting pitching but if they want to push for a playoff spot they will need Boxberger to maintain his form from the past couple years.

Michael Conforto & Mitch Haniger, Giants

I know if you are a Giants fan reading this you are probably rolling your eyes at the thought of these two guys being good offseason acquisitions after it looked like Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa were going to be Giants. Hear me out though, the Giants have a history of maximizing these types of players whether it be Joc Pederson from last year or Hunter Pence and Aubrey Huff from the 2010s. While not having names like Judge or Correa in the lineup hurts, getting the most out of aging veterans like Conforto and Haniger has been a key part of the Giants road to success in the past. Both of these players have had 30+ homer seasons in the past so the raw talent is there. Hopefully the Giant tradition continues and these players can play up to their talent.

New Kids On The Block:

Now that we got the old out of the way, let’s get to the new. Every year there is a crop of new players that step on an MLB diamond for the first time. Most of these newbies falter but those that do succeed provide a spark that can transform an average team into an elite team. For some added context, the following names will not include players who have already made their major league debut like Gunnar Henderson and Corbin Carroll nor will it include top prospects who are not currently on a major league roster like Grayson Rodriguez.

Anthony Volpe, Yankees

Is there a new captain in town? Even though the Bronx already has a stacked lineup, the addition of Volpe adds even more juice to one of the league’s best lineups. This is a dream come true for both the Yankees and Volpe as he is a local kid who grew up rooting for the team. Volpe is a true 5 tool player with 35 doubles, 5 triples, 21 dingers and 50 steals across two levels last year. The future is bright for Volpe and he has the raw talent and potential to be his childhood idol Derek Jeter but with more power.

Jordan Walker, Cardinals 

Just like the Yankees, the Cardinals do not exactly need more power in their lineup but they will definitely make room for someone with the talent of Walker. Walker is making a big jump as he has zero AAA at bats but he absolutely dominated AA last year with a .306/19/68 slash to go along with 31 doubles and 22 steals. Walker solidified his spot on the opening day roster with 8 XBHs and a couple steals while hitting .277 this spring. Given the Cardinals deep offense, Walker will be on a short leash which could result in an early demotion but he is still just 20 years old so regardless of what happens in the early part of this season Walker has a bright, bright future ahead of him.

Off To The Races:

When looking across the MLB some divisions do not look like they will end up being a very competitive race with teams like the Astros and Yankees having presumably already won their division before a pitch has even been thrown. Other divisions are very top heavy that will lead to multiple playoff teams like the NL east and  NL west. Two divisions remain wide open which happens to be both the central divisions.

AL central

The Guardians and the White Sox seem to be the main players for this division. While many people thought it was a question of when not if for the White Sox, the more seasons that go by without the White Sox making that final leap into a bonafide contender more questions than answers remain in the organization. Is this the year Michael Kopech becomes the Michael Kopech everyone thought he would be? Are Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert going to be able to play a full season? Will the additions of Oscar Colas and Andrew Benintendi be able to offset the loss of Jose Abreu? White Sox fans certainly hope the answers to all these questions are yes and if that is the case the White Sox will undoubtedly walk away with the AL central crown. The Guardians on the other hand are proven, they have shown they can win consistently but they have shown they do not have the ability to beat the top teams when it matters. Quick shoutout to the Twins and Tigers, as they both have teams that can win some games but they both have their glaring holes that will bring down their team in the long run.

NL Central

This division is an obvious two team race between the Cardinals and Brewers and it boils down to one question: Does hitting or pitching reign supreme in the MLB? The Cardinals have one of the top offenses featuring Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. The Brewers have the top rotation in the MLB to go along with one of the top up and coming closers, Devin Williams. Ultimately, the division will come down to a war of attrition as whichever team stays the healthiest will come away from the crown. I would be remissed if I also did not mention that the Cubs have made big strides in their rebuild and if everything breaks their way the Cubs could also be walking away with the division crown but that is a long, long shot.

Bold Predictions:

To close out this season preview I will throw out one bold prediction for each league. As a disclaimer, these predictions will not be some Skip Bayless-esque prediction said solely to be inflammatory. I think these predictions go against popular opinion but have a real chance at happening.

AL- An Astro wins the Cy Young

I know what you are thinking, it is not that bold to predict that the team that has had a Cy Young winner two of the past four years will win another; but the man that won those two, Justin Verlander, is gone. Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier are the Astros best chance at keeping the Cy Young award in Houston. Let’s start with the obvious candidate Framber Valdez. While Valdez does not have the typical high strikeout rate that comes with being a Cy young winner given he has never had a K9 above 9, Sandy Alcantara showed last year that as long as you dominate in every other category, strikeouts do not matter. And boy does Valdez have what it takes to be dominant in every other category, highlighted by 2.82 ERA and 3 complete games last year. If Valdez continues to improve there will not be many other pitchers that can compete with him. Now onto Cristian Javier, unlike Valdez, Javier has strikeout stuff and then some. Many of you avid baseball fans saw the kind of stuff Javier is working with if you watched the World Series last year as he dominated the Phillies in his one start to the tune of 6 shutout innings with 9 strikeouts while allowing just two base runners on walks. Javier has one issue, consistency, there were stretches last year where he was untouchable like back to back starts against the Yankees and Angels were he pitched 7 innings each and struck out 13 and 14 respectively while allowing a sole run over the two starts combined. Then there is his down side where he is massively inefficient, throwing too many balls and allowing too many base runners. Javier’s highs and lows can be summed up by a single start from last year against the Angels, in just 3 2/3 innings Javier gave up 3 runs, walking 3 while piling up a whopping 10 strikeouts. If Javier can learn to just pound the strike zone and not try to do too much on the mound he can easily ascend to the elite of the elite.

NL-The Dodgers will miss the playoffs.

Over the past decade you could not say MLB playoffs without including the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are perennial contenders who always seem to strengthen their team every offseason. 2023 is different however, as over the previous decade the Dodgers would rely on both a long list of prolific veterans and young up and comers from a seemingly endless farm system but it seems as if the latter has finally run dry. Yes the Dodgers still have prolific names like Freeman, Betts, Martinez, and Kershaw; but can a team truly expect veterans on the wrong side of 30 to carry them through a 162 game season? I think not. Not to mention the state of their bullpen as well, while Brusdar Graterol did make big strides last year I do not think he’s anywhere close to being able to handle the duty of closing out for the team with the biggest expectations in baseball and the bullpen only gets worse from there. Now it is true they still have one of the top rotations in baseball when healthy and they could still acquire more bullpen arms as the season goes on, I think it is too little too late and the dog days of summer will end up tearing this team apart and the Dodgers will fall by the wayside to the baseball goliaths that is the San Diego Padres.

World Series prediction: Padres over Astros