This Week In Baseball: MLB Opening Day Preview
Its MLB Opening Day! Mark it down because this season is going to be one for the record books. MLB intends to start off the shortened 60-game season with a bang, offering a doubleheader to fulfill all of your baseball needs, followed by games galore throughout the weekend.
The matchups scheduled all weekend are enough to leave you salivating in the anticipation that baseball is actually back. (Yes, I still can’t believe I am writing that!) Maybe grab a cold one from the fridge, sit down in your favorite spot, fire up MLB at Bat, and get ready to enjoy some baseball.
The 2020 season is going to be exciting for the simple fact that every team has to play the absolute best that they can. In a rare form, every game will matter due to the unusual season length resulting from the global pandemic. Fans that usually tune in closer to the postseason might want to pay closer attention this year because there is no all-star break where teams often rebound from slumps, change gears, and gain momentum. Every loss a team suffers could allow their division rivals to become just games behind, or worse, games ahead on the road to the glory of the postseason lights.
Opening Day on ESPN is offering two different types of games into which fans can sink their teeth. One is an interleague prime-time special, a Goliath vs. Goliath matchup of the New York Yankees taking on the defending 2019 World Series Champions, The Washington Nationals. The other is a long-standing divisional rivalry that resembles more of a David vs. Goliath matchup based on their roster depth alone, but should be just as exciting–the San Francisco Giants taking on the Los Angeles Dodgers.
There are abundant storylines and factors here between these four teams, and we shall take a look at some that could affect each series.
The San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers
Is there a better way to start the season, with none other than your biggest rivals? While both devoted fan bases are always on edge whenever these two teams play each other, given the current circumstances, it’s like MLB is giving them gasoline and matches to ignite hellfire.
Pitching:
Clayton Kershaw (LHP) will be the starting pitcher for The Dodgers on opening day, making it his ninth opening start overall. The 6’4 Left-handed veteran has a 1.05 Era and a 5-1 win/loss ratio record for pitching on opening day.
Johnny Cueto (RHP) was named Kershaw’s opponent on the mound for The Giants, and this is not only a big game for all the players, but it’s an even bigger statement for Cueto to come out as the winning pitcher. After having Tommy John surgery in 2018, 34-year-old Cueto has only pitched in 13 games in the last three years and had a rough spring training, pitching in only three games. This game, and this season for that matter, Cueto undoubtedly will be trying to make it his year of redemption.
Injuries/Opt-outs:
Moving towards this section, The Giants might be in a bit of trouble with catcher Buster Posey deciding to opt-out last week and 1B Brandon Belt and OF Hunter Pence both experiencing foot injuries. They are not expected to play on opening day. Third baseman Pablo Sandoval or outfielder Joe McCarthy could be called to replace Belt, as McCarthy has already been taking more reps at first base since Belt has not been attending practice.
Hunter Pence, on the other hand, was seen hitting and doing very well in the batter’s box but was not running the bases. Since he is an outfielder, The Giants’ manager, Gabe Kapler, most likely won’t try to rush his return at the risk of more severe injury or damage.
Prospects:
It seems like every year the Dodgers have a large pool of talent just waiting to explode onto the scene. So instantly, you could just award this section to The Dodgers. Although In baseball, it is never that easy or that black and white. As we have seen throughout its illustrious history, just having great players doesn’t win you championships.
It’s the magic of the team flowing with chemistry–cogs in a machine operating in unison. Let’s not count out The Giants quite yet despite the steep hill they have to climb this season. They have some aces up their sleeve, but it is unknown if The Giants will lay all of their cards on the table this early on.
Gavin Lux, the 22-year-old second baseman, was prophesied to be the rookie of the year this season and The Dodgers’ best weapon going into opening day. Then to everyone’s surprise The Dodgers optioned the young ballplayer, sending him to their off-site facility (basically minor leagues) for more reps to work on his craft. The Dodgers previously named Lux as a possible starter, but like everything in life, things change. No doubt Lux will have a massive impact on the already stacked line-up when he is finally called upon. In the meantime, The Dodgers will shuffle around players Enrique Hernandez, Chris Taylor, and Max Muncy at second base.
Dustin May looked phenomenal with The Dodgers in the postseason last October and will look to carry that through this season. His sinkerball is devastating, and when he isn’t getting swing and misses with that, he is striking them out with his fastball. Most likely, he will be used out of the bullpen, but with David Price opting out, we could very well see him filling in as a starter.
Mauricio Dubon, the 25-year-old Honduran shortstop for The Giants, has been seen lately making amazing plays in Centerfield, bouncing off the walls in the process. This guy can read the ball off the bat with excellent reaction time and speed and follows it up as a solid contact hitter to boot. It seems very likely Dubon will be playing Centerfield on opening day, with Mike Yastrzemski playing right field, creating a strong defensive duo.
Jaylin Davis, the 26-year-old outfielder, could be utilized in this opening series. Gabe Kapler is a fan and a big believer that this guy will be a star for The Giants. From his bat speed to his power, all the potential is there. It’s just his swing-and-miss game that needs to be worked on before he can break through to the next level. Gabe Kapler told NBC Sports:
“If he’s able to make that adjustment, and I believe he has that capability, he has a chance to have a really nice career in a San Francisco Giants uniform.”
The New York Yankees Vs. The Washington Nationals
The Yankees will be looking to start the season off with a bang on their quest to return to the throne while The Nationals will try to duplicate their winning season from last year; heavy is the head that wears the crown. Both teams are stacked with talent. It’s obvious why they put these two teams on prime-time for opening day.
Pitching:
Gerrit Cole’s long-awaited debut for The Yankees seems like it took forever to get here. Last season he went 20-5 with a 2.05 ERA racking up a whopping 326 strikeouts. The Bronx Bombers are going to have their ace pitcher on the mound in hopes to continue that dominance for one monster of a battle. Cole will look to top the same guy he faced off against in game 1 of the 2019 World Series and show the world why some call Cole “the best pitcher in baseball today.”
Max Scherzer is like a fine wine; he gets better with age. His competitiveness and devotion to the game of baseball are uncanny. One just needs to look back to when he broke his nose during batting practice last season. “Mad Max” still pitched that night, black eye swelling and all. Max struck out ten batters, throwing 117 pitches through 7 innings and allowing no runs. Also, I have to mention his fastball/slider/cutter/changeup/curveball combo is like the perfect supreme pizza of any pitching repertoire.
Injuries/Opt-outs:
With 1B Ryan Zimmerman and RHP Joe Kelly opting out of the season, The Nationals will have to rework some kinks in their rotations/line-ups. Kelly’s absence will leave them without a No. 5 starter. The biggest concern, however, is if outfielders Juan Soto and Victor Robles, and 2B Howie Kendrick will start on opening day. All three Nationals players have yet to play in summer camp due to being placed in quarantine.
On the Yankees side, they are going to be without their triple-digit, fire-throwing LHP Aroldis Chapman as their closer, after he tested positive for COVID-19. Mashiro Tanaka suffered a concussion when he took a 112 mph line drive hit to the face on July 4th. Tanaka seems to be rebounding quite well, but it is unknown if he will be back for the series.
Prospects
Clarke Schmidt, the 24-year-old right-handed pitcher, is the fan-favorite to replace Mashiro Tanaka in the rotation if he is unable to return in time. Schmidt’s nasty breaking ball pitches have been marveling fans and staff during summer camp, and he is projected to be a massive player for The Yankees going forward.
The 22-year-old Carter KIeboom (what a perfect name for baseball) was named the starting third baseman by Dave Martinez in hopes he will fill the hole left by Anthony Rendon. While Kieboom only had 39 at-bats last season in the big leagues, he spent most of the year playing for The Nationals Triple-A affiliate, Fresno Grizzlies, hitting .303 with 16 home runs, and 79 RBI’s in 109 games. Based on those numbers, The Nationals have big plans for this ballplayer on opening day and throughout the rest of the season.
So many factors will be in play this week and for the rest of the weekend’s opening games. MLB is about to advance into uncharted territory and it’s quite a daunting task. Even in such strange times, the buzz for baseball is back, which operates as a motivator for all involved. The players are ready, the fans are ready, and we have been waiting since March. As long as the players can stay safe, all systems are set to go.
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-Joshua Rushford – Franchise Sports Media
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