Jerad

I feel like he could easily sign with the Mets since they have been linked to him throughout the offseason. That’s not a bad spot to land. I feel like they will try to make a push for Springer if they lose out on Trevor Bauer. You would think the Astros should try to bring Springer back, but if he commands more than $25 million a year, I think that pushes the Astros out of the bidding. They have too many holes to fill and allocating that much money towards one player, after having little to no revenue, seems like a bad idea for a team that may try to compete in 2021.

Springer should be able to cash in this winter even after the Astros cheating scandal. In 2020, he posted a slash line of .265/.359/.540 with 14 home runs while playing centerfield. He has plenty of postseason experience and fans love him! He would be a great addition to any team.

I think the Giants are going to be a late Springer candidate. They are in a division with the Dodgers, who don’t look like they will be getting weaker any time soon, and the Padres, who just made trades for Darvish and Snell while signing Kim. Either the Giants are going to have to go into an extremely long rebuild to wait for these two dynasties to collapse, or they can try and compete. When they extended the qualifying offer to Kevin Gausman, they told the world that they do plan on competing in 2021. They have multiple large contracts coming off the books in the coming years so they will have the flexibility to spend on Springer.

The Giants don’t have a true center fielder. They have some prospects who are capable of playing CF, but are more suited for a corner. None of them can match what Springer can do on both sides of the ball. I have Springer signing with the Giants for 5 years and $125 million.

Jackson

George Springer is one of my favorite players, even though he played for the Houston Astros during their scandalous 2017 World Series championship year. I think teams will look past that and make Springer one of the top free agents on their list. Most teams will benefit immensely with Springer patrolling center field, there are not too many center fielders that have the kind of impact on defense and offense that Springer does. His postseason experience and success will also be favor full for a team looking to get that extra bump in the playoffs.

Springer is entering his age 31 season; therefore, a team can potentially sign Springer to a 5-8-year contract. He will affect a younger talented team greatly due to his near veteran experience with his 7 years in the bigs. I think that the rumors of him going to the Toronto Blue Jays will soon be a fact. The young Blue Jays squad are ready to make a mark in the playoffs and having Springer in center field could be the spark that carries them deep into the postseason. The Blue Jays have some cash to spend now so… I believe the Blue Jays will sign Springer to an 8-year $190 million dollar deal with an opt-out after 3 years.

Amit:

Trevor Bauer is truly one of the elite pitchers in all of Major League Baseball. His stuff, enthusiasm, character and social media presence make him one of the most intriguing players to watch. But which team will have the honor of watching Mr. Bauer toe the rubber for their squad in 2021? Will it be the Mets, Angels, Phillies, Padres, Yankees, Twins, Dodgers or Nationals? Which team will have the reigning NL Cy Young winner on their 2021 roster, and for how much?

We all have heard one too many times that 2020 was a different kind of year. Therefore, a full picture of a player's performance cannot be based on their 2020 performance (I’m looking at you Christian Yelich). However, 2020 is an official season so let’s roll with it. In 2020, Bauer threw 73 innings to a tune of a 1.73 ERA, 2.88 FIP, 276 ERA+ and a .79 WHIP, not too bad, right? Well he also had a 12.33 K/9, .215 BABIP and a 90.9% LOB%. That’s pretty good. This is Bauer’s best year since 2018 where he threw 175.1 innings with a 2.21 ERA, 2.44 FIP and a 1.089 WHIP. He had an 11.34 K/9, .207 BABIP, 196 ERA+ and a 79.5% LOB% as well.

Bauer has said he would take a one year deal each time he hits free agency. So my guess is his preference would be to take a short term deal. What kind of team would be willing to offer a short term deal worth a lot of money? One that is super close to winning a World Series. With Mike Clevinger out for the year with Tommy John surgery, I feel the Padres wouldn’t want to make a huge splash on a one or two year deal for Bauer. The Nationals should really use their money to beef up their lineup, so I’m hoping they do the right thing. The Dodgers might be saving their money for another massive addition like Arenado or keeping Corey Seager from hitting the open market. That checks off 3 clubs leaving the Yankees, Angels. Phillies, Twins and Mets.

The Yankees are focused on DJ LeMahieu and with reports stating that the two are far apart in terms of dollars, I don’t think the Yankees would break the bank for Bauer if they won’t for LeMahieu. We all want to see Mike Trout in the postseason, but unless the Angels can unload Upton’s contract, I don’t think there will be a homecoming for Bauer. With Cano’s PED suspension, some money has opened up for the Mets. But does adding Trevor Bauer instantly make them a World Series contender? I understand that there might be other additions, but I don’t think Bauer ends up in Queens. So that leaves two, the Phillies and the Twins.

The Phillies are currently chasing J.T. Realmuto, so their potential pursuit of Bauer depends on if they can retain him. I feel Realmuto will return to Philly, which leaves one team left, Minnesota. I think Bauer going back in the AL Central would be a huge boost for the Twins. With a (hopefully) healthy Donaldson in the lineup along with Maeda coming into his own, adding Bauer could help the Twins go from contenders to favorites. I think a 3 year $100 million dollar deal with an opt out after the second year would be beneficial to both sides. If Bauer sticks around for all three years, he hits the open market at age 33 where he could land another 2 year deal. If he opts out, he can still potentially land another 3 year deal. For Minnesota, a three year deal would line up Bauer’s contract to end at the same time as Maeda’s does as well as the time where they have a club option for Donaldson. So if they wish to take a step back and reevaluate after 2023, they can. Bauer would be a great addition to the Twins rotation as well as help them compete for an AL Central crown. Adding Bauer would not only help the Twins get to the postseason, but to go deep into it. Baseball fans, and Twins fans especially, know that early postseason exits have haunted the Twins for years. Trevor Bauer just might be the answer to lifting that curse.

Jackson:

Trevor Bauer is hands down the most outspoken player in Major League Baseball right now. Through Momentum (an athlete-driven media company) and his vlogs, Bauer is trying to bring out the different personalities of players around the league while connecting more with fans and trying to grow the game more in this social media savvy world.

Bauer is also one of the most analytically enhanced players in the game, thanks to the Driveline baseball program. His focus on improving his game is next to none. He has become the 2020 NL Cy Young winner due to his extreme competitive nature and his modern work ethic.

Bauer had an incredible 2020 season; in only 73 innings he had an astonishing 100 to 17 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 1.73 ERA. He is definitely the top pitcher on the free agent market this year and some may say he is the best free agent available this year.

I believe Bauer will go to the Los Angeles Angels for 7 years at $175 million with an opt-out after 3 years. There are a few reasons why I chose the Angels. First off, Bauer is from the Los Angeles area and played college ball at UCLA. The Angels lineup is stacked with high caliber bats including; Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon and Shohei Ohtani. They should provide plenty of offense for the Angels. The only problem that may cause this contract to not work is that the Angels are paying big contracts for players like Albert Pujols, Justin Upton, Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon. Pujols' contract will be up after the 2021 season though and Upton's will be up after 2022. They need the pitching and Bauer will be a key piece in a hopeful and long needed post season run.

Jerad

Narrowing down where Bauer will go is almost impossible since it seems so many teams could use him. Of course, the pandemic had to throw a wrench into things which makes it difficult to tell who is willing to spend the money. After not hearing much from the Padres, they swung major trades and showed that they are willing to add payroll. We all know the Blue Jays and Mets want Bauer and have the cash to do so. The Angels were offering Gerrit Cole over $300 million in the 2019 offseason and we know that they need to add pitching to get Mike Trout back into the playoffs. The Twins fit most of Bauer's wants and could make a play for them if the Pohald's are willing to put out big money. We know the Dodgers are always willing to spend, but they may focus on a third baseman or utility type players (we are looking at you LeMahieu).The Nationals and Braves are two teams who could theoretically add another starting pitcher but should allocate their resources towards the offense.

Instead of focusing on who could sign Bauer, I want to focus on what Bauer wants. In the past, he did say he wants to sign one year deals to maximize his earnings, but he has recently gone back on those words and said he's open to longer deals. I think this may have to do with Gerrit Cole. You know his archrival and UCLA teammate! Their UCLA coach said "there is a better chance of the earth burning up than the two of them ever speaking to each other again." We all know Bauer is outspoken and has had no problem with calling out Cole and the Astros, especially for their cheating. I believe that Bauer wants to compete head to head against Cole. This could force Cole to talk to or about Bauer, which is something he refuses to do.

Trevor Bauer is an extremely gifted individual, both on the field and off the field. He graduated a year early from high school with 4.8 GPA!! He has been studying spin rate since 2012 and knows there is only one way to increase spin rate and that is with a foreign substance. If you remember when the Astros acquired Cole, his fastball spin rate suddenly jumped up 200 rpm's. Bauer had to call him and the Astros out, but no one really cared. In 2018, Bauer wanted to prove that he could artificially increase his spin rate, and he did just that for one inning on April 30th. In 2020, Bauer's average spin rate was 400 rpm's higher than his career average. This led to a Cy Young season and now probably a large contract. Cheating and turning that into a large contract? That sounds a lot like what Bauer was calling Cole out for.

I believe that Bauer will sign with the Blue Jays so he can face Cole multiple times a season. Estimating his contract will be difficult. I know he will try to score bigger than Cole in some way. Trying to beat out a 9 year, $324 million contract will be difficult. I don't think the Blue Jays would be quite comfortable spending that sort of money, so I think he will be signing a shorter contract that will beat Cole's $36 million average annual value. I think he will sign for 5 years and $190 million with an opt out after year three. I think the contract will also be front loaded since the Blue Jays will have more cash now with the young core.

2020 was a very devastating year for everyone, including Minor League Baseball. The end of the 2020 Major League Baseball season was when the working agreement with MLB and MiLB expired. From here on out, the Minor League landscape will look completely different. The news is that 42 teams are reported to be cut from affiliated ball. This change will greatly affect the 42 reportedly cut teams and their communities. Of those 42 teams, 6 of them will be continuing playing baseball, but in a different, new format in the MLB Draft League.

The new MLB Draft League is powered by Prep Baseball Report, PBR is the best resource in the country when it comes to amateur baseball. This league was made to give current draft-eligible prospects, ones who participated in (Division 1, 2, 3 baseball as well as NAIA and Junior College players) the opportunity to play in front of MLB Club scouts. Graduating seniors may also be able to participate.

The players will have the exposure of what life is like playing professional baseball. The teams will play on a daily basis while playing at former Minor League stadiums. This is an amazing opportunity for top prospects from different colleges across the country to showcase their abilities in front of many scouts and fans. This opportunity will also give many fans the ability to watch star players play before they are drafted in the MLB draft.

When is it?

The MLB Draft League starts in late May/early June and it will end in early August. The season will be 68 games with a midseason break for the MLB draft. The 2021 MLB draft this year is changed to July 11th-13th. Each game will be 9 innings long, with some 7 inning double headers as well.

The information provided is from www.MLB.com/mlb-draft-league

Record: (26-34)

The Good

Well Juan Soto kept on doing Juan Soto things! Unfortunately, he played in *just* 47 games. He led the league in OBP and SLG and was second overall in AVG. He had just four less walks but the same amount of home runs as NL MVP Freddie Freeman. Who knows what 13, 10 or even five more games would have done for his MVP chances. Soto wasn’t even the only great hitter with Trea Turner arguably playing like the best SS in the MLB. Most teams usually have a catcher who is a defensive replacement but usually can’t hit. The Nat’s had Kurt Suzuki and Yan Gomes split time almost evenly but there wasn’t much of a difference in their offensive performances as evidenced by their .745 and .787 OPS, respectively. The Nationals may try to bring Suzuki back since he is Scherzer's preferred catcher.

The Bad

They have spent almost half a billion dollars on the most recent contracts for Scherzer, Strasburg and Corbin. Scherzer struggled to a 3.74 ERA, Corbin to a 4.66 and Strasburg only made two starts totaling 5.0 innings. These three were the reason why they won the World Series! We do see teams having a World Series hangover, but it probably wasn’t caused by overuse in the postseason. Each team had an extra 4ish months to recover and prepare for the 2020 season. It was a hope that Carter Kieboom would step up and at least sort of replace the production left by Anthony Rendon. Kieboom seemed lost at the plate and he hit just .202 with 33 strikeouts in 99 at bats.

What to look forward to in 2021

Andrew Stevenson seems to be getting more playing time and showing that he can hit at the top of the order. He has never really been one to hit for power, but his hit skill could make him a leadoff hitter. He is also a quality defender. We know Scherzer will bounce back to be an ace and Strasburg should be ready for the season. The Nat’s also have a plethora of pitching prospects. Most of their top prospects are a bit further away from the majors with a few that should be close to contributing. They could also trade out of their abundance and add a much needed bat.

Record: (37-23)

The Good

Welcome to Slam Diego! The Padres were one of the most exciting teams to watch in 2020. For starters, they made the postseason for the first time in 14 years and Fernando Tatis Jr. solidified himself as one of the game's top stars. Whether it was swinging when his opposition felt it wasn’t necessary or flipping his bat 1,000 feet in the air, Tatis was very entertaining. The Padres offense as a whole was top 10 in the league in AVG and OBP and were top 5 in the league in HR, RBI, runs, slugging and OPS. They even led the league in stolen bases and were tied for third in triples. The pitching was good as well as they ranked in the top ten in ERA, BAA and earned runs. They also finished in the top 5 in strikeouts and WHIP

The Bad

The Padres did a lot well in 2020. They hit, they pitched and made it all the way to the postseason. If I had to pick something bad, I think it would have to be their early exit from the postseason. In fact, who knows where the Padres would have ended up if Bellinger didn’t rob Tatis of a postseason homer. Being such an exciting team, with an exciting summer, this team is ready to contend and will keep the Dodgers on high alert.

What to look forward to in 2021

We know the Padres future is bright, but we now can see how bright it is going to be. With the energy and enthusiasm this team played with this year, along with the appearances of youngsters like Campusano, Weathers and Patino and the great season by Cronenworth, the NL West is on notice. This Padres team also has more young talent coming up as well. We will soon see MacKenzie Gore in the Padres rotation and in a few years we will see Robert Hassell, CJ Abrams and Cole Wilcox as well. This team is in a great position to succeed now and in the future. Watch out for the Slam Diego Padres!

Record: (25-35)

The Good

The Diamondbacks were about the most average team in Major League Baseball in 2020. Most of the team’s batting and pitching stats were all ranked at middle or near the middle of every MLB team. Is that a good thing or bad? I should probably be talking about this in the bad because they seem to be stuck in the middle. But they weren’t terrible so I will keep it here. The good is that Zac Gallen had another great year! Gallen was one of the best pitchers in baseball this year with an ERA of 2.75 with 82 strikeouts and 25 walks. He was by far their best pitcher and he could potentially be their ace for the next couple years. Starling Marte also had a good year batting (.311/.384/.443) before getting traded to the Miami Marlins. Ketel Marte and Nick Ahmed are solid at the middle infield positions, Marte is a potential All-Star player with his bat and Ahmed always shows off his gold glove abilities at shortstop. Kole Calhoun had a lot of power in his bat this year, clubbing a team high 16 home runs and 40 rbis.

The Bad

The D-backs have a lot of work to get done in the next couple years. They have a talented farm system but they are in a tough division right now (National League West). The Dodgers just won the World Series and it seems like they will continue to improve and the Padres are now a top playoff contending team led by Fernando Tatís Jr. The D-backs’ prospects may be another year behind on everything due to not having a Minor League Baseball season this year. They are going to rely greatly on their prospects in the next couple years, hopefully they will be ready.

What to look forward to in 2021

The future will only get better for the Diamondbacks. They have some talented prospects and they have one of the best farm systems in baseball. The D-backs’ top prospects are still a few years away from making an impact on the Major League team. Players like Kristian Robinson and Alek Thomas may make their debut sometime in 2021, but they probably won’t play consistently until 2022. Corbin Carroll is about two or three years away as well. Once these players make the starting lineup, then the Diamondbacks should be ready to compete.

Record: (22-38)

The Good

Lance Lynn looked like he rejuvenated his career and was on the way for a tight Cy Young race with a 1.93 ERA in his first eight starts! Two bad starts in September bloated his ERA to 3.32 which is still highly respectable. Add in his 89 strikeouts and he was easily the team MVP. Globe Life Field finally opened up! Fans and players may be able to start enjoying baseball without the blistering heat. As evidenced by the World Series, the park may lead to many web gems especially with the fences not being too tall.

The Bad

Unfortunately, pretty much everything outside of Lynn and a handful of relievers. Their best full time hitter was Isiah Kiner-Falefa who had a good batting average at .280 but an OPS of just .679. Perennial power hitter Joey Gallo had 10 home runs in 193 at bats which led to a SLG of .378. After a fantastic 2019, Mike Minor struggled through seven starts and was eventually traded to the A’s. This was somewhat of a wise move as the Rangers realized their season was lost and decided to get some benefit out of the remaining *half* season of control over Minor.

What to look forward to in 2021

They do get the number two overall pick for this draft! Unfortunately, there does seem to be a consensus that Kumar Rocker will be the first overall pick. The Rangers will still have their pick of the litter. MLB’s 69th overall prospect, Sam Huff, made his debut and did not disappoint! In a 10 game showcase, all Huff did was rake. Just check out this line of .355/.395/.742 with three home runs in 31 at bats! He will need to work on his plate discipline if he wants to survive a whole season. He had 11 strikeouts and just two walks. Kyle Gibson continued to show mixed results in 2020. He had a 5.35 ERA but threw 15 shutout innings across two starts against the Astros. One of those games was a 9 inning shutout.

Record: (36-24)

The Good

Minnesota’s pitching was fairly decent in 2020. They ranked in the top five in the Majors in ERA, saves, earned runs and WHIP. They also ranked in the top ten in strikeouts and BAA. A big part of the Twins pitching success was Kenta Maeda. He finished second in the AL Cy Young race and showed he is capable of leading a rotation.

The Bad

The Twins took another early exit from the postseason this year. On the bright side, it wasn’t via the Yankees. The Twins were also bitten by the injury bug as guys like Donaldson, Bailey, Rooker, Hill, Odorizzi and Littell all saw their season slowed by injuries. The Twins offense also wasn’t fantastic as the team ranked in the bottom half of the league in AVG, RBI, runs, OBP and hits. The Twins need to, like many other clubs, stay healthy and that could lead to a good 3 way fight for the AL Central’s top spot.

What to look forward to in 2021

Many of the Twins’ top prospects are making their debuts. Rooker, Jeffers and Kirilloff all made their MLB debuts and more are on the horizon. More spots and opportunities may open up depending on if Minnesota non-tenders Rosario and if they re-sign Cruz. This team has hope for the future, but, not to sound like a broken record, can they stay healthy?

Record: (25-35)

The Good

We all know that the Orioles are in a rebuild and they are trying to save as much money as they can right now. The Orioles had a decent 2020 season where they got to see some solid performances from a few of their young players like 23 year old, Ryan Mountcastle. Mountcastle played in 35 games and batted (.333/.386/.492). He had a solid rookie season and he will be a part of the Orioles future. Other young players like Cedric Mullins, José Iglesias and Anthony Santander also had good years. Renato Nunez led the team with 12 home runs, but also had 64 strikeouts. If he cuts his strikeouts down a little then he will be a strong offensive player. Nunez has potential to hit around 35 home runs a year, he hit 31 in 2019. The power is there, but so is the high strikeout rate. The Orioles’ pitching was nothing special in 2020, but they showed some solid performances in some of their young pitchers like Keegan Akin who only pitched 25.2 innings but produced 35 strikeouts and an astonishing 12.3 SO/9.

The Bad

The Orioles are still paying Chris Davis about $23 million a year through the 2022 season. He has just been getting worse and worse for the past few years, leading the league in strikeouts and posting very low batting numbers while hitting hardly any home runs, including 0 in 2020. Other than Davis’ contract, the Orioles are not paying a high payroll whatsoever. In fact, they are set to be 29th in payroll in 2021.

What to look forward to in 2021

The Orioles have a lot to look forward to in 2021 and years after. 2021 is the projected year that Orioles fans will get to see the #2 top MLB prospect, Adley Rutschman make his MLB debut. He is a highly anticipated player and will make an impact on the team on day one. The Orioles also have more top prospects looking to make their debut in the next couple years like Grayson Rodriguez and Heston Kjerstad. It still may take a few years for the Orioles to be a playoff contending team but they have the money and young players to have some great teams in the future. They have the number 5 pick in the 2021 MLB draft. The future is bright for the Orioles!.

Record: (28-32)

The Good

This offense had the 7th best OPS in the league! That’s ridiculous for a team that finished with a record below .500 and did not make the playoffs. Six batters who played in more than 30 games finished the season with an OPS above .800. You know most of the names, Harper, Hoskins, Realmuto and Gregorious. You may not know about rookie third baseman Alec Bohm who almost won the NL Rookie of the Year award with his .338 batting average. Obviously, you can’t replace J.T. Realmuto, but Andrew Knapp played well in his 33 games (22 starts at catcher, 29 total games at catcher) with a batting line of .278/.404/.444. Although, this is a bit out of line for his .230 career batting average. Zack Wheeler came in pretty much as advertised with a 2.92 ERA in 71 innings. Add in Aaron Nola and the Phillies have a great one-two punch.

The Bad

The bullpen was atrocious. Realmuto knows it, so should you! They were tied for the league lead in blown saves with 14, five more than the league average. It will be hard making the playoffs when you lose so many games in the late innings. Even with Wheeler and Nola atop the rotation, the team ERA was a gaudy 5.14 or 27th overall. The management said they wanted to spend stupid money a couple offseasons ago. Even though there was revenue loss in 2020, they are going to have to spend stupid money on the bullpen if they dont wan’t to waste Harper’s prime.

What to look forward to in 2021

The Phillies number 7 overall prospect, Rafel Marchan, had a short 2020 debut that was impressive. It was just eight at bats, but he had four hits and one of those was a home run. Spencer Howard, MLB’s number 28 overall prospect, made his debut this year.There were some struggles, as evidenced by his 5.92 ERA, but he did still have almost a strikeout per inning. It seems like he was a victim of bad luck since Statcast gave him an xERA of 4.45, xwOBA of 3.12 compared to his wOBA of .370, xSLG of .423 vs SLG of .530 and an xBA of .251 but an actual BA of .300. Those expected numbers aren’t great, but show he could have a better 2021 and if he continues to improve and gains more confidence, those numbers should continue to drop.

Record: (23-35)

The Good

The future is coming! The Tigers began to call up some of their top arms along with Isaac Paredes and Daz Cameron. The Tigers also saw potential upside in many players. Candelario, Willi Castro, Victor Reyes and JaCoby Jones, for a little while, all showed what they are capable of.

The Bad

Some of Detroit’s top prospects didn’t perform right away in the Majors, some may even say they looked unprepared. But that’s not too surprising as most of them went straight from Double-A competition to the big leagues. Detroit’s offense also wasn’t a bright spot as they ranked in the bottom third of the league in most hitting categories. The pitching was also poor as they ranked in the bottom third of the league in WHIP, BAA, ER and were even in last place in team ERA. Hopefully, the young starters can adjust and put the league on notice.

What to look forward to in 2021

With the hiring of A.J Hinch, the Tigers’ future is exciting. The future is now for Detroit. With the call-ups of top prospects, the Tigers will soon see if their years of being in the basement of the AL Central are behind them or still to come. There are plenty more arms where Mize and Skubal came from, and Parades, Castro, Reyes and Candelario provided a little hope for the future Tiger lineup. On top of those names, Greene and Torkelson are a couple years away. Fans have high hopes for the future of this team and with the third pick in the 2021 draft, Detroit’s system can only grow stronger and the future can only shine brighter.

Record: (26-34)

The Good

The Rockies’ shortstop, Trevor Story keeps reminding everyone that he is one of the best shortstops in the league, especially one of the best when it comes to power numbers. He led the team in slugging (.519) and homeruns with 11. Charlie Blackmon continues to rake like he does every year. He had 67 hits and a team leading 42 RBIs. Nolan Arenado had a slightly off year where he had a career worse in AVG (.253) and on-base percentage (.303) but he did win his seventh Rawlings Gold Glove award and his 4th Platinum Gold Glove, so his defence just continues to be the best in the league. If the Rockies keep the core of Story, Blackmon and Arenado then they will be a fun team to watch, and their offense will be solid, but I have a feeling that core may be broken up this off-season.

The Bad

The Rockies are going to have a hard time trying to make a playoff push for the next few years. 2020 was not a good year for the Rockies, especially for their pitching staff who ranked last in strikeouts (393), first in runs given up (353), second in hits given up (579), second to last in ERA (5.59), and first in most runs allowed per game (5.88). This is most likely due to the hitter friendly Coors Field, but the Rockies need better pitching if they ever want to be a playoff contending team year after year. Their all-around batting was below league average with their on-base percentage (.311) being towards the bottom of the league, this could be due to being second to last in walks with only 161. The worst news for the Rockies is that 2020 could have been the last year for Nolan Arenado in a Rockies uniform. He will most likely be traded. Good news is that the Rockies will get some high-end young talent in return. Since the Rockies are in no position to compete in the next few years, maybe it is best to bring in multiple young talented prospects to help them make the playoffs down the road.

What to look forward to in 2021

2021 may not be the best year for Rockies fans to look forward to because most of their top prospects like Zac Veen and Michael Toglia won’t be in the bigs till at least 2022-2023. If the Rockies do end up trading Arenado and decide to do a small rebuild then maybe some of their prospects will see some more time in 2021 like third baseman, Ryan Vilade. If Arenado does stay, then expect him to have an MVP caliber year in 2021 as well as Story.

Record: (36-24)

The Good

How can we not talk about Liam Hendriks, the AL Reliever of the Year here? Throwing 25.1 innings of 1.78 ball and a miniscule WHIP of 0.67, he was one of the best relievers of the year from day one. The Athletics may have a secret ace in Chris Bassit. He led the rotation with a 2.29 ERA. Their best full time hitter of the season was, you guessed it, Robbie Grossman! He had a triple slash of .241/.344/.482. This team had quite a few lesser known players stepping up in a big way during the strange 2020 season.

The Bad

Just like most teams during 2020, the offense just never seemed to get rolling. Looking at xwOBA, OPS and barrels, they were pretty much league average. If we look at the team batting average, they hit .225 which ranked 26th overall. The team's slugging percentage was also low with a .396 SLG, good for 21st overall. Injuries are never anyone's fault, but the injury to Matt Chapman doesn’t help matters. As we touched on earlier, Bassit was the team ace and only starter with an ERA below 4.00. After the 2019 season, the A’s non-tendered Blake Treinen and now Liam Hendriks is a free agent, and possibly an expensive one too. 2019 MVP candidate Marcus Semien had a downseason this year and is also a free agent. The Athletics will have to fill some of those holes.

What to look forward to in 2021

If Chapman has a 6 month recovery from his hip surgery, he would be good to go in mid-March. Having an MVP candidate back for almost a full season will be crucial. We would expect Ramon Laureano and Matt Olson to have better offensive seasons. Jesus Luzardo is continuing to develop and shows glimpses of ace potential. Season Manaea and Frankie Montas should bounce back to round out what could be one of the best rotations in baseball. We will also have to wait and see how injury prone starter A.J. Puk recovers from his latest surgery. Sheldon Neuse, the organization's number five prospect, has a bat that can play at the major league level. The only problem is finding a position for him, or so we thought. If Chapman is out at the start of the year, the A’s could get aggressive and let him play third base. Once Chapman is back, they could move him to second base to fill the void left by Tommy La Stella. Another thing to dwell on is that MLB.com’s report on Neuse says he can play shortstop in a pinch.

Record: (35-25)

The Good

The Braves offense was amazing in 2020. Finishing second in AVG, HR and runs scored. This offense also topped the league in OBP, SLG, OPS, hits and doubles. The Atlanta offense was the best it could have been for the 60 game sprint. If the Braves continue to hit and their young pitching staff continues to improve, the team may rule the NL East for a while.

The Bad

The Braves were bitten by the injury bug this season. Losing Cole Hamels, Mike Soroka and didn’t have a 100% Ozzie Albies either. Atlanta’s pitching also ranked in the middle or lower third of the league in most categories. If the Braves can stay healthy, they will be a dangerous team in 2021

What to look forward to in 2021

Atlanta hopes to resign Marcell Ozuna and extend reigning MVP Freddie Freeman soon before he hits the open market after 2021. As stated previously, if Atlanta can stay healthy, they will be a force to be reckoned with next season.

Record: (26-34)

The Good

Even though the Angels don’t win too often, they are a fun team to watch. Who wouldn’t want to watch Mike Trout and Albert Pujols or Shohei Ohtani and Anthony Rendon? The team is full of once in a generation talent, future hall of farmers like Pujols and Trout and a potential all-star pitcher and batter Ohtani. Andrelton Simmons was having a great season until he decided to opt-out 30 games into the season. Mike Trout came in 5th place in the AL MVP race. Dylan Bundy had his best year ever, with 72 strikeouts in only 65.2 innings. He had a career high in SO9 with 9.9 and a career low in ERA 3.29. Catcher Max Stassi ended up having his best year yet. If he carries that into 2021, it will help the Angels tremendously.

The Bad

In the 10 years (9.070 service time) that Mike Trout has been in the MLB, the Angels only went to the postseason once and they got swept in three games. They failed again this year to get one of the best players of all time (Trout) a chance to perform in the postseason. Angels’ star rookie, Jo Adell, played in 38 games this year and he didn’t play very well. Adell batted (.161/.212/.266). Ohtani had a poor season batting (.190/.291/.366). He hasn’t been the same since he got hurt. Pujols is still not doing much, as he is slowing down and but still slowly climbing the all-time homerun list. The Angels’ star shortstop Andrelton Simmons is a free agent this offseason and he will be a hard one to replace if he doesn’t resign with the Angels. The starting pitching for the Angels wasn’t the best, except for a few guys like Dylan Bundy and Andrew Heaney who both had decent years. Their bullpen always needs to improve. If they improve their pitching, they will be a good team.

What to look forward to in 2021

Although Adell had a poor 38 game performance in 2020, in 2021 he should bounce back and be one of the front runners in Rookie of the Year. Mike Trout will surely have another MVP caliber year and Anthony Rendon will be a huge threat in the lineup as well. Pujols’ contract is up after the 2021 season, so that will free up some money to spend on other players. Ohtani will hopefully be around 100% healthy in 2021 and will look to have an effective role in the pitching rotation and the batting lineup. If the Angels can find some key players this offseason to help their bullpen and another solid starting pitcher, they could take the team to the playoffs.

Record: (29-31)

The Good

Devin Williams is the 2020 National League Rookie of the Year! Oh and he’s the Reliever of the Year too! There's good reason for that with a fastball that averages 96 mph and an 84 mph changeup which averages 500 MORE rpm than his fastball. His changeup averages 2800 rpm while the average MLB changeup sits around 1700 rpm. To sum this up, it moves, A LOT. Since he has this ridiculous fastball-changeup combo, he struck out batters at a 53% rate which is the highest rate in MLB history for a qualified pitcher. Now the Brewers have two devastating relievers. After a disastrous 2019, Corbin Burnes thrust himself into the Cy Young conversation with a 2.11 ERA in 59.2 innings and 88 strikeouts. To be a qualified pitcher, you need 60 innings pitched. If Burnes would have gotten one more batter out, his K/9 rate of 13.27 (this number would have changed depending on what his last out was) would have been good for 3rd in the MLB. Oh and they don’t just have one good starter. Brandon Woodruff had a 3.05 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP.

The Bad

This team was expected to be a bit more competitive in 2020, but the offense couldn’t get the gears turning. Unfortunately, Lorenzo Cain made the decision to opt out of the season after 5 games. Christian Yelich, usually a perennial MVP candidate, could not find his groove at the plate. He hit .205/.356/.430 with 76 strikeouts in 200 at bats. Now a .786 OPS isn’t terrible, but it pales in comparison to his 1.100 OPS in 2019. Keston Hiura, a former top prospect who hit 19 home runs in just 84 games last year, followed in Yelich’s footsteps and hit .212/.297/.410 in 2020. Prior to the 2019 season, the Brew Crew traded for Luis Urias to bolster their infield depth, but he too struggled with a .294 SLG. That was good for 5 extra base hits on the season.

What to look forward to in 2021

We know that Yelich doesn’t bat .205 and he should bounce back. They should be getting Cain back if 2021 is back to normal. We know that they have 2 solid starting pitchers and a lockdown bullpen. This team should be competitive in 2021. OF prospect Corey Ray should start to make his debut to give the Brewers a speedy defensive outfielder. He has plenty of upside in his bat with 27 home runs in 2018, but with high power numbers comes high strikeout rates. He is nearing a 30% career strikeout rate. There are quite a few top 30 prospect pitchers and catchers waiting in AAA that may help fuel the back end of the rotation and bullpen.

Record: (32-28)

The Good

Blue Jays fans got to see a glimpse of what the future could be for this team. Bo Bichette, Borucki and Biggio were good, Teoscar Hernandez was solid and Blue Jays fans also saw flame thrower Nate Pearson for a few starts. This offense also managed to squeak into the top 10 in homers, RBI, stolen bases, hits, SLG and runs. Toronto also went from the number 5 pick in the draft, to a postseason appearance thanks to the expanded playoffs.

The Bad

Toronto’s pitching wasn’t terrible, but it didn’t help the team in 2020. They ranked 17th in ERA and strikeouts and also were in the bottom five in WHIP and BAA. This will be a big offseason for Toronto to see if they can bolster their pitching staff and help their offense stay in games longer.

What to look forward to in 2021

This team is young and has a bright future ahead of them. Vladdy Jr., Biggio, Bo and Teoscar can lead the offense to hit any pitcher. If the Blue Jays can have their pitchers be more consistent, this team will be scary. Pearson and Manoah are arms to watch out for as future rotation pieces for Toronto. It’ll be fun to watch as the Blue Jays aim for that top spot in the AL East.

Record: (29-31)

The Good

The Giants’ roster consists of a strong mixture of veteran and young players. The team is led by a group of veteran players such as Brandon Crawford, Evan Longoria, Donovan Solano, Brandon Belt and Johnny Cueto. They teach the young players and help them become leaders for the next group of young Giants’ players. The Giants have a really talented group of young and rookie players; Mike Yastrzemski, Mauricio Dubon and Joey Bart. Mike Yastrzemski, grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, started the season on fire, but slowly died down towards the end of the season. He still finished near the top of the league in many offensive statistics and ended in 8th place in the NL MVP. Yastrzemski batted (.297/.400/.568) with 10 hrs and 35 rbis. Solano captured himself a Silver Slugger award for second base batting (.326/.365/.463).

The Bad

The Giants’ had an up and down year, mainly staying around the .500 mark all year. If the Giants are going to want to compete, then they need to improve their pitching staff. The Giants’ pitching staff ranked near last in the NL in some pitching categories like SO9 (strikeouts per 9 innings) and near the top for walks. The pitching staff was below average, they will probably look to improve it. Hunter Pence, one of my personal favorite players, retired after the season. Pence had an incredible 14 year career with 8 of them being with the Giants. Giants’ legend Buster Posey opted out of the beginning of the year, too.

What to look forward to in 2021

The Giants have a lot to look forward to. They have Buster Posey coming back, hopefully healthy and stronger than ever. If MLB votes the DH in the NL, then I am sure Posey and Belt will be switching between 1st base and DH throughout the season. Rookie Joey Bart will probably do most of the catching responsibility along with Posey. Bart is the Giants’ number one prospect and we got to see him in 33 games where he batted (.233/.288/.320). He is a great player and he will learn a lot from Posey.

Record: (43-17)

The Good

After eight seasons of having near the highest payroll in the MLB, after winning the NL West every year since 2013, after losing in the World Series two years in a row, the Dodgers are finally WORLD CHAMPIONS! Teams tend to pay big money for catchers who can hit. It seems that the Dodgers may have found their answer in rookie Will Smith. It may be a limited sample of just 37 games, but he did hit .289/.401/.579 with 8 home runs. He may be a slightly below average defensive catcher with -5 Runs From Extra Strikes, but the Dodgers have a good “back up” in Austin Barnes who was one of the best defensive catchers with 2 Runs From Extra Strikes according to Statcast. Now we can’t really talk about the Dodgers being good without the blockbuster trade for Mookie Betts who hit like he was supposed to. He hit .292/.366/.562 with stellar defense. It also seemed like every hit he had in the postseason was a clutch hit. Corey Seager may have won the World Series MVP, but we know Betts is America’s true MVP for the Doritos Locos Tacos he stole for America!

The Bad

The 2019 NL MVP winner looked lost at the plate at times. Do we count a .455 slug with 12 home runs and 10 doubles bad for Cody Bellinger? Maybe? What we can say was bad was Max Muncy and Joc Pederson each hitting below .200 with slugging percentages below .400 while playing 58 and 43 games respectively. The Dodgers are losing a lot of key pieces with Pederson, Kike Hernandez, Blake Treinen, Justin Turner and Pedro Baez all hitting free agency. The Dodgers are currently projected to have about $175 million in their 2021 payroll with the luxury tax threshold sitting at $210 million. Now usually this isn’t a problem for the high spending Dodgers, but that doesn’t leave a ton of room for additions.

What to look forward to in 2021

How about another season of MVP candidates Corey Seager, Betts and Bellinger? Or a rotation of Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, David Price (who should be playing unless COVID-19 is still a scare in 2021) and Dustin May. The big question will be if Julio Urias finally earned a spot in the rotation after a fantastic World Series. Brusdar Graterol should be an important piece in the bullpen with his 102 mph sinker. The Dodgers will be looking for Gavin Lux to be an important part of the team in 2021.

Record: (27-33)

The Good

The brightest spot for the Mariners was most likely Kyle Lewis. Lewis came out of the gates hot. He was hitting balls out of the yard and leaping at the wall to save runs for his pitchers. Lewis ended the season with a 126 OPS+ and was named the AL Rookie of the Year Award. The Mariners also finished just 2 games behind the Astros for that second American League West division postseason spot.

The Bad

Almost everything offensively was bad for Seattle in 2020. They ranked in the bottom third of the league in most offensive categories. Unfortunately for the Mariners, their pitching wasn’t much better. This Mariners team is still very young and finished just 2 games short of a postseason appearance. The expanded playoffs may have helped in this situation, but knowing how close they were to postseason baseball will leave this youthful club ready for next season.

What to look forward to in 2021

This is a very young team. The Mariners will make mistakes because of their youthfulness, but it’s all part of the process. The future of this team is still something to be excited about, especially if Lewis can maintain his production. The future Mariners outfield is definitely exciting to think about, with names like Kelenic, Rodríguez and Trammell. Along with arms like Sheffield, Dunn, Hancock and Gilbert give Mariners’ fans a reason to turn an eye to the future.

Record: (29-31)

The Good

The Astros didn’t have the best regular season, playing under-500-ball most of the year. They did make the playoffs and quickly took off from there. Their experience showed and they were one win away from making it to the World Series. They ended up losing to the Rays in game 7 of the ALCS. Manager Dusty Baker took A.J. Hinch’s spot and did a good job leading them to the playoffs even though the team had an off year all together. The season showed that they are still such a good team even though their “core” players did not play all that well. Everytime they get to the playoffs, you better watch out because they are a juggernaut when it comes to the postseason.

The Bad

The 2020 Astros’ season was full of pressure due to the cheating scandal that rocked the baseball world. Everyone had their eyes on them to see if they could perform without cheating. Although many of the Astros’ hitters struggled this year, Jose Altuve (.219/.286/.344) and Alex Bregman (.242/.350/.451) had their worst seasons of their career ever. I personally think it was because of a few things, and not because they finally were not cheating. I think the pressure that was on them to perform was the biggest reason that they had down years, but also because it was not a normal year and they didn’t get their preseason reps in like they usually do. 2020 was a down year for many MLB stars, Altuve and Bregman were not the only ones who struggled. They all look to bounce back in the hopefully semi-normal 2021 season. The Astros may lose one of their best players on the free-agent market, George Springer, who is one of the biggest names on the market. Springer rejected the Astros’ 18.9M qualifying offer so maybe he will be an Astro next year or maybe he won’t.

What to look forward to in 2021

The Astros’ have a lot to look forward to in 2021. The core of Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman should bounce back and have good years. 2019 Rookie of the Year winner, Yordan Álvarez will be back and healthy for the 2021 season. He only appeared in two games in 2020 due to injury. Another key player on the Astros team, Justin Verlander, could potentially be back mid-way through the 2021 season if his Tommy John surgery and rehab goes well. Astros’ number 1 prospect, RHP Forrest Whitley, could make his anticipated MLB debut in 2021. The Astros will surely have a good year in 2021 and will be one of the best teams in the American League like they have been the past few seasons.

Record: (26-34)

The Good

Ever hear of the man bun wearing, six foot three, flame throwing, rookie Josh Staumont? No? Well you might want to be like Fort Minor and Remember the Name. Although it wasn’t in a game, he has hit a meager 103.8 mph on his heater. He struggled with his command in the minors but seems to have figured it out and can be a weapon out of the bullpen. Kris Bubic and Brady Singer were highly regarded prospects who both made major strides in their rookie seasons. It was a great season for them to learn on the fly and they actually helped to show that the Royals are coming out of a rebuild quicker than most people thought. Salvador Perez was back behind the dish to lead these young guys. The pitching staff should continue to lean on him.

The Bad

This was the last season for Royals legend Alex Gordon who recently announced his retirement. We here at Above .Avg Baseball congratulate him on a fantastic career and wish him a peaceful retirement. 2019 AL’s home run leader, Jorge Soler, took an unfortunate step back and hit .228/.326/.443 with eight home runs. A 34.5% strikeout rate is eye popping and typically is a major outlier. Whit Merrifield didn’t have his normal season, but still hit .282/.325/.440 across 60 games with only 12 walks. These two will be important pieces if the Royals plan on competing in a strong AL Central.

What to look forward to in 2021

If all their players continue to progress in their development (does that ever happen?), they should be somewhat competitive in 2021 and should be pushing for a record above .500. Daniel Lynch and Jackson Kowar were drafted along with Brady Singer in the first 34 picks of the 2018 draft. These guys should start to make a solid rotation for years to come. Add in the 4th overall pick in 2020, Asa Lacy, and opponents might start to struggle to hit. While MLB.com predicts Lacy to make his debut in 2022, it may depend on what sort of run the Royals are going on in 2021.

Record: (33-27)

The Good

The Yankees somehow got back into the postseason while being bit by the injury bug once again. Another year where Judge and Stanton were hurt, then add Severino, Torres, Andujar, Hicks and Holder to the list of Yankee players who weren’t always healthy. But the lineup still finished in the top 5 in homers, RBI, runs, OBP and OPS. For so many of their guys to be out and the Yankees still able to put up the numbers they did is very impressive.

The Bad

Hard not to talk about how badly this team has been bitten by the injury bug. They can’t catch a break, it’s as simple as that. These Yankees weren’t great defensively though as they led the league in errors. Although it’s difficult to see what this team would’ve been like if they had their full healthy team. Nonetheless, committing 48 errors in 60 games isn’t good.

What to look forward to in 2021

Another year comes and goes and another year where the Yankees are looking forward to the next season. The same story as always, if the Yankees can stay healthy, look out. Luke Voit had an astounding season and Gerrit Cole was Gerrit Cole. The Yankees have the team to go deep into the postseason, they just need that team to stay healthy on the field to do it.

Record: (35-25)

The Good

The White Sox’s roster is full of talented young players including; rookie phenom Luis Robert (age 22), Eloy Jimenez (23), Nick Madrigal (23), Dylan Cease (24), Nomar Mazara (25), Yoan Moncada (25) and Lucas Giolito (25). Along with the young talent they also have a great mix of talented veterans including; Tim Anderson, Adam Engel, Yasmani Grandal, Dallas Keuchel and José Abreu. This team is going to be good for a long time, if you are a White Sox fan, then you have to be smiling. Abreu had an incredible year in 2020 and will probably win AL MVP, he batted (.317/.370/.617) with 60 rbis and 19 home runs. While rookie Luis Robert came in second place behind Kyle Lewis in AL Rookie of the Year, where Robert batted (.233/.302/.436) with 11 home runs in just 56 games. The starting rotation of Lucas Giolito (who pitched a no-hitter against the Pirates), Dallas Keuchel, Dylan Cease, and Dane Dunning all pitched great during the season.

The Bad

The White Sox decided to fire their manager Rick Renteria who came in third in the AL Manager of the Year award. They decided to hire 76 year old Hall of Famer, Tony La Russa. Some may have thought it was a good hire, some may not like it. He is the third oldest manager to manage a game in MLB history and hasn’t managed a game since 2011. Will he be able to handle all 162 games? We will see. Also, he just recently got a DUI right before he got hired by the White Sox, the news came out a few days after the hire, I am sure the White Sox organization and fans were not happy. Other than that there is nothing but a bright future for the White Sox.

What to look forward to in 2021

White Sox fans have so much to look forward to, not only in 2021 but in the next few years. They have multiple top prospects that should make an appearance in 2021 including Andrew Vaughn, Michael Kopech and Blake Rutherford. Second baseman, Nick Madrigal only played in 29 games this season and we got a taste of what he has to offer, he batted .340 in those games. Each player will get better each year, and they are going to be fun to watch. LHP Garrett Crochet got hurt in the playoffs and only got to pitch 6 innings, but his stuff was nasty, some of the best I have ever seen! Keep an eye on him if he is healthy to make an impact.

Record: (35-25)

The Good

You thought Driveline Baseball was the best program to turn out pitchers, didn’t you Squidward. I mean baseball fan… With departures of Bauer, Kluber and Clevinger, it was thought that the Indians might finally have to be entering a rebuild especially with Lindor nearing free agency. They led the AL in team ERA at 3.29 and were first in the majors with 621 strikeouts. Their staff ace, Shane Bieber, had a season for the ages even if it was only a 60 game season. A 1.63 ERA and 122 strikeouts in just 77.1 innings better be good for a unanimous Cy Young award. His 14.2 K/9 was the best rate of all time for a qualifying pitcher. He bested Gerrit Cole’s monstrous 2019 season when he had a 13.82 K/9 rate en route to 326 strikeouts.

The Bad

Ownership has been saying they don’t have any money to spend and upgrade their offense. Now with major revenue losses, this team may get dismantled. Brad Hand was one of the finalists for the Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year and instead of trying to keep him, the Indians outrighted him so they didn’t have to pay him a $1 million buyout over his $10 million club option. If no team claims him, then the Indians will still have to pay the buyout. With how little money the Indians can spend, they need all their players to play at their best level. Francisco Lindor did not have his best season but Carlos Santana was a real disappointment with .199 batting average.

What to look forward to in 2021

Unless the front office thinks they can spend less money and still compete for a championship, they should be looking to trade Lindor and getting some value in return for him. This is something to look forward to because this trade can help the future of the Indians. You can continue to watch youngsters Bieber, Civale and Plesac lead a devastating rotation that should see more of rookie Triston McKenzie. If you don’t know who that is, you should probably start looking into him along with any other Indians pitching prospect! Nolan Jones, a 2016 second round pick, should start making an impact in mid to late 2021. He can be an impact left handed bat with passable defense at third base. His future position is sort of in question with Jose Ramirez playing third base. He may be able to slide to first base with Carlos Santana hitting free agency.

Record: (26-34)

The Good

The Mets offense was fairly decent considering they missed out on October baseball. They led the league in AVG, they were top 10 in homers, and they were also top five in OBP, SLG, hits, doubles and OPS.

The Bad

The Mets pitching wasn’t the brightest spot for them in 2020. They ranked in the bottom third of the league in ERA, WHIP and BAA. The Mets also didn’t get the production they needed from Pete Alonso or Wilson Ramos. With Ramos now on the open market leaving an opening behind the dish, the Mets can find an upgrade. Obviously, most Mets fans will wish for Realmuto, and if the Mets can land him and get production from other notable hitters, the Mets lineup will be a scary one to face.

What to look forward to in 2021

The Mets have, arguably, the best starter in baseball in Jacob DeGrom and they must capitalize on that. With Noah Syndergaard’s pending free agency at the end of 2021, and him probably not being able to compete until July, the Mets window is closing. If the team doesn’t get off to a great start, the Mets may have to trade some of their valuable assets and look to retool their roster. With new ownership, there is hope, but the Mets must act fast to salvage their window.

Record: (30-28)

The Good

The Cardinals ended up having a good season even though they had 19 postponed games (due to Covid) that ended up getting crammed in the end of their season with double headers left and right. They did not get all 60 games in, but at least they luckily got 58 games in. Thankfully MLB did not cancel the season due to the outbreaks like we thought was going to happen. The Cards were a solid team like usual. Paul Goldschmidt had a good season batting (.304/.417/.466) as well as Yadier Molina (262/.303/.359).

The Bad

The 2020 season could have been the last season that catcher Yadier Molina will be the back stop for the Cardinals. After 17 years with the Cardinals, Molina is a free agent now and it is not certain that the Cardinals will sign him back. Things will look very different without him back there controlling the pitching staff. Maybe someday he will be back as a manager or coach of some sorts. The Cardinals made it to the postseason, but got swept by the San Diego Padres in two games. The bats were hardly anywhere to be found in the 2020 season, minus Goldschmidt’s year. Also, 2020 Gold Glove winner Kolten Wong is a free agent as well and it does not look like they will re-sign him.

What to look forward to in 2021

Hoping to see Molina back will be something to look forward to if they end up re-sign him so he can finish his potential hall of fame career as a Cardinal. The Cardinals always have a competing team and every year they are in the running of winning the division. The Cardinals #1 prospect Dylan Carlson will look to be a key role in the 2021 season, he only appeared in 35 games in 2020 and showed some potential of being a solid player. The NL Central is pretty even right now (excluding the Pirates), anyone of the five teams has a solid chance of winning the division.

Record: (31-29)

The Good

The Reds had the second best team ERA in the National League with a 3.84 and had 615 strikeouts which was a close MLB second to the Cleveland Indians. Trevor Bauer has a real chance at capturing the 2020 NL Cy Young Award with his 1.73 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 73 innings. Rotation mates Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray and Tyler Mahle all had ERA’s below 4. Gray and Castillo were also early season candidates for the Cy Young award.

The Bad

Even with how much money they spent in the offseason on Nick Castellanos, Mike Moustakas and Shogo Akiyama along with the presence of Joey Votto, Eugenio Suarez and Aristides Aquino, the Reds hit for a combined .212/.312/.403. This was good for 19th overall (based off OPS) in the MLB. If we go off team batting average, then they were dead last in the MLB. At times, elite pitching can take you far (Ex: 2019 Washington Nationals), but in the time where home runs are everything, the Reds need their offense to step up if they plan on competing for more than one of the extra Wild Card spots in 2021.

What to look forward to in 2021

Through his first 14 games, Castellanos hit .340/.411/.840 with 7 home runs!! That was an incredibly hot start, but not too out of the ordinary for him. The Reds thought they had a steal and were hoping for an *easy* ride to first place in the NL Central. He ended the season with a hitting line of .225/.298/.486. This was almost the story for all Cincinnati hitters not named Jesse Winker. If you buy into sabermetrics, you will believe that the Reds should be a much better offensive team in 2021. In 2020, they had a 5.3% barrels/PA which was good for 8th overall, according to Statcast. They also had a hard hit percentage of 37.3% which is above average, but not great. That was good for 13th overall. These numbers show that the Reds offense was better than their numbers showed and we should expect them to have more hits which can lead to more runs.

Record: (40-20)

The Good

Game 4 of the World Series and Randy Arozarena, enough said. Not enough? Ok fine. The Rays finished as the top seed in the American League and made it all the way to game 6 of the World Series! Game 4 was an absolute classic and along with a pitching staff that was top five in the league in ERA, WHIP, earned runs and even led the league in saves, gave the Dodgers a good fight until the end.

The Bad

In 2020, the Rays’ offense was very middle of the pack. Unfortunately, most of the Rays offense, unless your name is Randy Arozarena, went cold for most of the World Series. I’m not saying it’s easy to beat the Dodgers pitching staff, but if the offense did a little more, we could’ve been talking about different world champs.

What to look forward to in 2021

Going deep into the postseason provided valuable experience for the players on the Rays. Finishing as the 1 seed in the AL and making it to the fall classic, the Rays are far from done. It’ll be fun to watch this team for a full (hopefully) 162 and getting back to the World Series. Let’s not forget that this organization also has one of the top farm systems in baseball. This Tampa team is only getting started with their World Series appearances. Maybe the 2021 Rays can be like Brett Phillips and fly their way back into October baseball.

Record: (34-26)

The Good

They won their third National League Central championship in the past five years. Ian Happ had a stellar year where he led the Cubs in pretty much all major batting categories;(hits, doubles, home runs), he looks to be the potential everyday centerfielder and leadoff hitter for the next few years. Jason Heyward also had a good year while leading the team in batting average (.265) on-base percentage (.392) The Cubs bullpen started rough but by the end of the season they were one of the best in the league. Yu Darvish had a Cy Young caliber year in which he will certainly get some award votes, but I believe he will get beat by Cincinnati's Trevor Bauer. Also, Alec Mills threw a no hitter in September which was a highlight for the season. Last but not least we just found out that Javier Baez finally won a gold glove award for his stellar defense at shortstop, it is hard to believe that it was his first time winning since he makes jaw dropping plays on the daily. His nickname isn’t “El Mago” (The Magician) for nothing.

The Bad

The core Cubs of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez and Kyle Schwarber all had a down year, as well as a poor postseason performance. They lost to the surprisingly good Miami Marlins team in the playoffs. Props to Miami for having an unsuspected good year. This year may have been the end of the Bryzzo duo of Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo because the Cubs are looking to trade the highly talented Kris Bryant.

What to look forward to in 2021

Seeing what manager David Ross did in his first season as a rookie manager catches some eyes and draws some excitement as he is a perfect fit for that position. Nico Hoerner is a fun young player to watch even though he didn’t have the best year in 2020 batting only (.222/.312/.259). Hoerner will end up being a solid utility/second baseman for the Cubs. If they do trade Kris Bryant they will surely get some high caliber players out of it, so that could be something to look forward to especially if they are certain on trading him.

Record: (24-36)

The Good

Rookies Bobby Dalbec and Alex Verdugo stepped up this year to show that the Red Sox can continue to compete without major payroll contributions. Dalbec had a spectacular showing with a triple slash of .263/.359/.600 albeit in 23 games while manning 1st base. Now you can’t replace Mookie Betts’ value, but Verdugo did what he could while hitting .308/.367/.478 in right field. These two could be part of the cornerstones for the next generation of competitive Red Sox baseball.

The Bad

Every piece here will depend on what you think of a shortened strange 2020 season. Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriquez were not helpful due to injuries and a heart scare. J.D. Martinez was expected to carry the offense in the absence of Betts, but he limped to a triple slash of .213/.291/.389 and only 7 home runs. They also lost Andrew Benintendi just 14 games into the season. Jackie Bradley Jr. finally had an above average offensive season to go along with his superb defense only for it to go to waste for a last place AL East finish for the Red Sox. Shall I say it? This could be the start of the Mookie Betts Curse.

What to look forward to in 2021

Not to be repetitive, but the youngsters Dalbec and Verdugo will be fun to watch over a full season. If they can get Martinez and Benintendi healthy and back to their regular selves, this could be a top 5 offense. The future of this team is no longer riding on their current and former high salaried players. Highly regarded prospects Jeter Downs, Bryan Mata and Tanner Houck are expected to receive more playing time in 2021.

Record: (31-29)

The good

The Marlins were able to make it to the Division Series! Talk about a turnaround, the Marlins went from having the third pick in the 2020 draft, to making it past the Cubs in the Wild Card series. On top of that, Miami finished a season over .500 for the first time since 2009.

The bad

The Marlins 2020 offense was not something to be proud of. Miami was in the bottom third of the league in runs, OPS, homers, RBI and slugging. The offense needs to produce more if the club has any hope of continuing their success over a full season and getting deeper into the postseason.

What to look forward to

Miami’s young pitching will be fun to watch in 2021. Seeing if Alcantara, Sanchez, Hernandez, Lopez and Castano can have success over a full season will be one thing to keep an eye on. Also, it will be interesting to see some of Miami’s young hitters make adjustments to the Majors as well. Brinson, Sanchez, Isan Diaz, Lewin Diaz, Chisholm and Harrison will all try to prove they not only belong, but can lead this Marlins team to the top of the NL East.

Record: (19-41)

The good

Mitch Keller just flat out dominated his last two starts of the season while giving up 0 hits in 11 innings. Hopefully he carries that dominance into the 2021 season. Although Keller did only pitch 21.2 innings due to injury, he looked healthy and supported a solid 2.91 ERA. The buccos had a pretty ugly year, but good news is, they have the number one overall pick in the 2021 MLB draft. That may be the highlight of the Pirates year, is that even considered good? Last time the Pirates had the number 1 overall pick was back in 2011 when they drafted a right-handed pitcher out of UCLA, Gerrit Cole. Ke'Bryan Hayes made the end of the season at least bearable to watch and keeps the dim light burning for success in the Pirates future. Hayes was the only Pirates player that had a WAR above 1, he had a 1.8 WAR in only 24 games. His slash line was an astonishing (.376/.442/.682).

The bad

Can Josh Bell get some consistency like he had in the months of May and June of 2019? The Pirates showed little to no consistency in their hitters with Bryan Reynolds batting (.189/.275/.357) and Josh Bell batting (.226/.305/.364). Chris Archer didn’t appear in any games in 2020 due to surgery and he won’t pitch again as a Pirate as they declined the option on him. Some may think it is good news and some may think it is bad, most people are still upset about the trade that sent three all-star caliber players to Tampa Bay. Gregory Polanco was also a huge disappointment in 2020 and may never get back to his healthy all-star caliber self.

What to look forward to in 2021

KE'BRYAN HAYES, KE'BRYAN HAYES and KE'BRYAN HAYES...besides the young phenom that will, god willingly, be the Buccos’ starting third baseman for the next decade, the Pirates will also see some returning faces that were missing during the 2020 season. Jameson Taillon will be back and hopefully stronger than ever from his Tommy John surgery. The Pirates will be hopefully calling up some talented prospects in 2021 including Will Craig (who played in two games in 2020), Travis Swaggerty and Oneil Cruz. The Pirates do have a bright future with their farm system ranked 15th in MLB, which isn’t great but it’s not horrible. They will probably have a similar year as 2020, but there will be glimpses of the future with some young Pirate players.

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