10 MLB Players to Watch This Season
Opening Day is right around the corner, and so begin the 2019 MLB storylines. Will Machado and Harper live up to their titanic contracts? Who will prevail in the American League arms race? And will pitchers ever be able to get Mookie Betts out? Here are the players who will figure heavily into this season’s big narratives, and the guys who’ll just be fun to watch.
The Japanese sensation was one of the most electric players to watch in baseball for the first two months of last season, the rare player in the modern game who can do it both on the mound and at the plate. That is, until he busted up his arm and was relegated to designated hitting duty. That’s where he’ll be stuck through 2019 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in the offseason, which is a bummer, but Ohtani should still be plenty fun at the plate-even if his inevitable moonshots won’t be coupled with that sick heater until 2020.
The Yankees, Red Sox, and Astros are all locked in an arms race for the biggest weapons in the American League. Aaron Judge was on an absolute tear last season before breaking his wrist, but showed off some of that incredible power during New York’s playoff run, slapping three long balls in his first three playoff games. The Yankees’ star is likely to continue his dominance this season, as long as he can stay healthy.
Is there anyone who has more fun playing baseball than Javy Baez? The Cubs star had a breakout season in 2018, with one of Chicago’s most reliable bats and of course his freestyling, magnificent work in the infield. They don’t call him El Mago for nothing. The North Siders will need another big year from him if they want to stay toward the top of a National League Central division that’s getting more and more talented.
Speaking of that crazy-competitive NL Central, the Milwaukee Brewers MVP had an absolutely berserk second half of 2018, batting in almost 70 runs after the all-star break and leading his team deep into the post-season. It remains to be seen if the outfielder can replicate that success this year-and for an entire season-but if he does, he’ll make Milwaukee a fearsome contender.
Arenado has been one of, if not the, most consistent players in the game-and one of the most consistently great players of the last six years. For each of the last four years, he’s been an all-star, tearing it up at the plate and playing Gold Glove defense-all while taking virtually no days off. Coming off his fourth straight all-star season, during which he led the entire National League in homers with 38, the third-baseman is smart money for another exceptional year.
The Nationals ace turned in another lights-out year in 2018, leading the majors in innings pitched and strikeouts and leading the NL with 18 wins. He’s been stunningly consistent, with his ERA that hasn’t bobbed above 3.00 since 2014. Already a three-time Cy Young winner, the 34-year-old enters he 2019 campaign a favorite to win pitching’s top honor again.
Trout is arguably the best player in the game right now-a perennial all-star, hitting for average and power, with stellar fielding to boot. It’s a shame his incredible career is being played out for the largely uninspiring Angels, but that doesn’t take away from the sheer joy of watching him play.
It goes without saying that if you’re a fan of baseball, you should love watching Mookie Betts play it. His Red Sox won the World Series last year, in no small part because of the right fielder’s play. Dude’s been solid since entering the league in 2014, but was unbelievable last year, hitting a big league best .346-.346!-and earning himself yet another Gold Glove for his work in the outfield.
Manny was one of the biggest free agents on the market this offseason-and languished there, team-less, for what felt like forever. Then, he inked a 10 year, $300 million contract with the Padres. There’s a reason he’s getting all that dough: he’s a generational talent, and he proved last year that his 2017 slump was a mere aberration by having perhaps his best season ever. Figuring out what that means for an otherwise nondescript San Diego team will be part of the fun.
Like Machado, Harper languished on the hot stove for months, in limbo between the Nats and whichever team would come next. He finally signed a contract in March, and it was a doozy: 13 years for $330 million to play in Philly, one of the biggest contracts in the history of sports. It’ll be a lot for the 26 year old to live up to, but it seems likely he can: Harper, like Machado, is a generational talent, and one seemingly in the sweet-spot of his prime. His addition could make the Phillies a legit contender-but at the very least, it’ll be fun to watch.
10 MLB Players to Watch This Season
Opening Day is right around the corner, and so begin the 2019 MLB storylines. Will Machado and Harper live up to their titanic contracts? Who will prevail in the American League arms race? And will pitchers ever be able to get Mookie Betts out? Here are the players who will figure heavily into this season’s big narratives, and the guys who’ll just be fun to watch.
Opening Day is right around the corner.
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