Off-season changes lead to new contenders

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By: Joe Connors

Staff Writer

The 2018 Major League Baseball season ended with the Boston Red Sox winning the world series. However many teams made improvements and are looking to take the pennant for themselves.

While the Red Sox are still an early favorite to repeat as champions, other teams feel they got a real shot at the Commissioner’s Trophy. It won’t be an easy task for those that want to dethrone Boston.

Last year’s team is being regarded as one of the best in history. The Red Sox lost only three games throughout the entire playoffs. A significant achievement that less than a handful of teams can say they did since the new playoff format was arranged in 1995. The team had the MVP in Mookie Betts and also the player that came in fourth, J. D. Martinez.

Boston had also been able to hang on to almost all of their key championship pieces, hoping to become the first repeat champions since the Yankees did so in 2000. Still, teams like the Yankees, Astros and Dodgers are a heavy threat to win the pennant.

Vegas has these four teams as heavy favorites ahead of the rest of the league with the Yankees sitting on top.

Eight of the top 10 teams best favored to win the World Series made the playoffs last year with the Cardinals and Nationals entering, hoping to improve this season.

It’s still unknown if the Nationals will hold on to who many consider the best player or free agent in baseball, Bryce Harper when opening day kicks off.

Harper, a former number one pick out of high school, is the only thing that teams are salivating at more than the world series itself. He is an unrestricted free agent who is still yet to resign with his former team the Nationals.

While Harper is on the market, his phone rings from almost every team hoping to acquire the six-time all-star, rookie of the year and former most valuable player.

Whatever team lands him would instantly begin to have a shot at being World Series Champs.

Harper may be the filet mignon but many teams want the bacon cheeseburger: Manny Machado.

Machado might be a controversial pick for many teams to grab due to his dirty play. He’s certainly nothing to sneeze at.

The two-time gold glove champ at third base would improve any team in the league on paper but many are worried he would be cancer in the locker room.

Machado’s old team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, have had success coming out of the national league twice in the last two years only to lose both times in the world series. Sadly this made them join the wrong side of history becoming one of only 11 teams to accomplish this task. If they were to make it three consecutive losses in the World Series they would sit alone on that throne.

Baseball is most often won by the best team not player. Rather than the best hitters, it’s often the best pitchers that will shine when October comes. Losing last season lead to players leaving and managers being fired.

The pressure is on everyone to win whether you’re the $200 million New York Yankees or the $50 million Tampa Bay Rays.