Welcome to the first installment of "A Call to the Pen" written by me with, well, my pen (actually I am typing this, but who is keeping track?). Here I will present the top storylines that I will be tracking during the 2011 season for the MLB world. Cue the Baseball Tonight organ and let us begin!
MLB
Storyline 1: The New Favorites?
As we have seen for the past month or so, nearly every publication and website out there is picking the Red Sox vs. the Phillies to battle for the World Series. This, of course, stems from the outstanding moves each organization made during the offseason--especially the Red Sox adding Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, the Phillies adding Cliff Lee. In my view, the Red Sox are in a better position to make it to the series. The lineup, with Ellsbury looking healthy once again, coupled with the newly bolstered bullpen, to me gives them the edge in the AL. Jayson Werth signing the huge contract in Washington received headlines for the dollar signs, but for me the big story there is the Phillies losing a viable right-handed power-bat in the middle of the lineup. As of this writing, I'd put their odds to make it to the series a notch below the odds of the Giants representing the NL in the fall classic. Two things are for certain: the Red Sox lineup and the Phillies rotation are going to be fun to watch.
Storyline 2: Fallen Stars Rising Again?
Grady Sizemore, Joe Nathan, and Brandon Webb headline a group of former stars returning to the majors this season from major injuries. Just two years ago we all were singing the praises (and rightfully so) of Sizemore and Webb, then two burgeoning stars coming off superb seasons. And it seems like every year for the better part of a decade we had Joe Nathan booked for 40+ saves and an ERA at or below 2. As of this writing, all three appear to be on track to play in April. Who among them, or among the group of fallen stars, will rise once again and reclaim their spot among baseball's elite? I wouldn't be surprised to see all three return to form, but if I was a betting-man, I'd take Joe Nathan. He just seems to have that competitive persona and drive that cannot be taught.
Storyline 3: Bottom-Dwellers Seeing Some Light?
The Tampa Bay Devil, I mean Rays, and the San Francisco Giants have given other organizations a (pardon the pun) giant ray of hope that by properly developing young players and mixing them carefully with a few select veterans, they too can succeed without breaking the bank. While the Royals, Nationals, and Pirates--all traditional bottom-dwellers--are all likely two-three years away from seriously contending for a pennant, they are going to be fun to watch this year and in the years to come. The Royals will begin to integrate their amazing pool of talent this year with the MLB squad and we could see the likes of Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, Mike Montgomery, and Wil Myers sooner rather than later. The Nationals have Bryce Harper on the fast-track and Steven Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann on the mend, not to mention the likes of Derek Norris on the rise. And the hmmm (clears throat) Pirates look to be on a great path with prospects such as Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, Neil Walker, and Jose Tabata graduating and Jameson Taillon and Tony Sanchez developing. If all of the pieces fall into place, we could see at least one of these franchises rise to Giant or Ray-like status by 2013 (assuming the Mayans are incorrect). Looking ahead, I would be wise to bet on the Royals, but the Pirates to me (thanks in large part to their division) seem to be a bottom-dweller to watch as they grow in 2011 and beyond.
What are your thoughts regarding these or other storylines heading into the 2011 season? Please post a comment and let us get the discussion going!
Stay tuned for my next installment, where I will outline my top 2011 SLFBL storylines to follow.
No comments:
Post a Comment