Innholdsfortegnelse for Baseball 2020 i Athlon Sports Football Bundle

It was a month before my high school graduation in May 1989, and I had made the decision to attend Vanderbilt University. the next day at school, I tore down an 8x11 photo of Alabama linebacker Keith McCants from my locker and replaced it with DeMond Winston from Vanderbilt. As the son of an Alabama graduate, I grew up a die-hard fan of the Crimson Tide. But I was headed to another SEC school, so it was time to switch my allegiance, and I was eager to introduce my friends at New Providence High School to Winston, the best player on what was a bad Vanderbilt team. The photos were from the previous year’s Athlon Sports Southeastern Football preview magazine. We lived in New Jersey, but my father, who traveled…

During an 11-day stretch in December, it seemed as if an orgy of free agent spending silenced all those who had been complaining about MLB teams’ colluding against the players. On Dec. 4, the Phillies committed $118 million over five years to former Mets pitcher Zach Wheeler, he of the career 44–38 record. On the 9th, Stephen Strasburg got seven years and $245 mil to stay in D.C. Two days later came the mother lode: $569 million combined to pitcher Gerrit Cole (Yankees) and third baseman Anthony Rendon (Angels). That was nearly a billion bucks heading into the bank accounts of four players. It resembled an NBA offseason, with the big dogs getting theirs quickly, before everybody else reached the table. But they weren’t the only winners. Arizona decided Madison…

San Francisco Giants left fielder Connor Joe (left) opened his rookie 2019 season in a horrible slump. One game, two games, three games, no hits. After the first 13 at-bats of his MLB career, the number under “hits” on his stat sheet still said zero. All along, he tried not to get flustered as he fruitlessly pursued his first big league hit. He tried to stick with the same approach that had gotten him to the majors in the first place. Older players — guys who had been there, done that — encouraged him, told him to keep after it. “There are a lot of veterans in this room who have a lot of experience, and for them to reach out to me at this time and during this opportunity…

1. WANDER FRANCO, SS, RAYS S/R • 5-10 • 189 • Age: 19 Acquired: Signed out of Dominican Republic, 2017 Baseball’s best prospect is a remarkable combination of top-of-the-scale hitting ability and rare maturity. Maybe Franco can stick at shortstop, maybe he can’t. No one should really care, because he should be batting third in the Rays lineup in the not-to-distant future, possibly before he turns 20. 2. LUIS ROBERT, OF, WHITE SOX R/R • 6-3 • 185 • Age: 22 Acquired: Signed out of Cuba, 2017 Robert made everyone forget a difficult 2018 stateside debut by hitting his way from high High-A Winston-Salem to Triple-A Charlotte, smacking 32 home runs between three levels. Robert has plus speed, plus power and plus defense. It’s quite the package. He does strike…

For three years, Dave Dombrowski added payroll and shed prospects with reckless abandon. the result was a monster of a World Series champion, and possibly the best Red Sox team in history. Alas, though that 2018 squad scaled the mountain, it was not built to last, and now comes what could be a difficult descent. there’s a new leader — chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, who replaced Dombrowski barely a year after the championship. Bloom’s mandate falls somewhere between dizzying and nauseating, with ownership expecting him to slash roughly $40 million of payroll in order to reset the franchise’s $208 million luxury tax clock. Even with new payroll constraints, there remains hope. the left side of the infield might be the best in baseball between shortstop Xander Bogaerts and third…

A bounce-back from the depths of rebuild purgatory should start in 2020 for the Toronto Blue Jays, who firmly believe the arrow on their trajectory is pointed up after three years of struggle, torment and pain. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Danny Jansen, among others, were all integrated during a miserable 2019 that ended with a 67–95 record and an attendance that dipped below two million for the first time since 2011. they are the future, as is righthander Nate Pearson, the last of their near-term, gilt-edged prospects who is expected to break through this year. After rebuilding their rotation with All-Star lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu, Tanner Roark and Chase Anderson, a return to competitive baseball could begin as soon as this year, even if…

An ugly 114-loss season in 2019, which followed on the heels of back-to-back 98-loss seasons in 2017 and 2018, would suggest that the Tigers’ grueling rebuild has hit a low point, from which the only way to go is up. But was that really the bottom? And has a corner been turned? At the very least, their front office’s piecemeal approach to the off season, lack of impact moves and continued exploration of trades of top assets such as pitcher Matthew Boyd would suggest there is at least one more exceedingly painful season coming in 2020. If there is hope for the Tigers, it is in the upper levels of a farm system seemingly on the verge of producing a wave of big league talent. But it’s unlikely to arrive…

They won 100 games for a third straight season and secured the American League pennant with one of the most seismic swings in franchise history. Still, the 2019 Astros will be remembered for one fact: they came eight outs away from a World Series title in their home ballpark. Eight of their nine everyday position players from the best lineup in franchise history return. Two bona fide aces will front the rotation, too, for another run at an elusive second title in 2020. Ensuring that the back end of their starting rotation can handle a full season and finding reliable middle relievers are among the team’s foremost spring goals. More pressing will be handling fallout from the electronic sign-stealing investigation that enveloped their off season and cast the franchise’s recent…

The Rangers were rebuilding on the field in 2019 ahead of their new ballpark’s opening in 2020. While Globe Life Field and its retractable roof will be a draw this season, the product on the field might keep fans coming back. Buoyed by a revamped starting rotation, including the addition of Corey Kluber, the Rangers trek toward Opening Day believing they have the pitching to contend for the postseason. The return from injury of Joey Gallo, a 2019 All-Star, is expected to provide a boost to the offense. The Rangers need to add at third base and would like to see internal improvements at key spots in the infield, but the team has almost always found a way to score runs. Keep an eye on this club in the competitive…

The Braves’ ignominious exit from the 2019 postseason — a 13–1 drubbing, at home, at the hands of the Cardinals, who led 7–0 before the game’s second out was recorded — can’t erase the team’s successful season. The Braves won the National League East for the second season in a row, a first for Atlanta since the Bobby Cox-managed dynasty ended in 2005. Their 97 wins were the second most in the league. They scored the third-most runs and surrendered the fifth-lowest ERA. Ronald Acuña Jr., Freddie Freeman and Josh Donaldson finished in the top 11 in the MVP vote. Mike Soroka was Rookie of the Year runner-up and received down-ballot Cy Young Award support. The team moved into sole possession of first place in the division on June 12…

The heat is on in Philadelphia. Full blast. Ownership has spent over $700 million on free agents these last three winters to fortify a team that has not made the playoffs or had a winning season since 2011. Heads started rolling with the firing of manager Gabe Kapler in the fall, and more will tumble if this desperate club doesn’t make some serious noise in a tough division in 2020. “No questions asked, it’s time to win right now,” general manager Matt Klentak says from his hot seat. The organization’s urgency was reflected in the hiring of manager Joe Girardi, who should be able to squeeze enough wins out of this evolving roster to at least have them hearing footsteps in Atlanta, Washington and New York — and maybe save…

After four straight years at the bottom of the National League Central, the Reds moved up to fourth in 2019, 16 games behind St. Louis and 14 games out of postseason contention. Attendance rose from 1.63 million in 2018 to 1.81 million in 2019, still the third-lowest total in 17 years at the Great American Ball Park. The team allowed only 10 runs more than it scored; the pitching staff went from a weakness to a strength; and management seems committed to improving the club rather than tearing it down. The Reds got a fantastic season out of third baseman Eugenio Suárez but otherwise received above-average offensive performances from only their right fielders — Yasiel Puig and, after Puig was traded to Cleveland, Aristides Aquino. Top prospect Nick Senzel had…

After a relatively prolonged dry spell, the Cardinals returned to the champagne showers of October with their 11th division title in 25 years, and from the saturated clubhouse carpet one veteran predicted the sprouting of “a new dynasty.” They have a royally good rotation, but it’s the offense that feels flat. The Cardinals scored the fewest runs of the 10 playoff teams and were the only one to rank in the bottom half for slugging. The potential departure of cleanup hitter Marcell Ozuna would leave a deeper crater to fill. They hope the desired production springs from a pack of unproven outfielders to pair with the fortification of what always makes them an annual contender, a deluge of arms. ROTATION As the Cardinals made their title push, Adam Wainwright defied…

The Dodgers have won more games than any other team since the start of the 2015 season. Their run of dominance over the NL West is at seven years and counting (one of the longest in the division era). They have won two National League pennants in that time. Their players have won two of the past six NL MVPs (Clayton Kershaw in 2014 and Cody Bellinger in 2019), two of the past seven NL Cy Young Awards (Kershaw in 2013 and 2014) and two of the past four NL Rookie of the Year awards (Corey Seager in 2016 and Bellinger in 2017). But it hasn’t been enough. The longest title drought in franchise history is now entering its 32nd year, and the pressure to put an end to it…

TIER 1 1. FREDDIE FREEMAN, BRAVES The top-ranked purebred first baseman for the second year in a row, Freeman took advantage of the ball and mashed his way to a career-high HR/FB rate to round out his first-round profile. He’s hit between .295 and .309 in each of the last four seasons, and the R+RBI numbers are elite. 2. PETE ALONSO, METS Coming off just an obscene rookie season, Alonso will look to rein in a strikeout rate that started wandering off the rails down the stretch. Even if he doesn’t, and the BABIP stays lower-end and the AVG regresses, he’ll be one of the best bets out there for elite power and counting stat production. TIER 2 3. PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT, CARDINALS Goldy suffered an early-season swoon again in his…

TIER 1 1. FRANCISCO LINDOR, INDIANS Those who plowed ahead and drafted Lindor despite his delayed season start were rewarded handsomely with standard, elite per-PA production. Cleveland’s mediocre lineup of a year ago is unlikely to get any better, which threatens his counting stat production, and he did himself no favors with a .607 OPS in RISP opportunities last year. But at 26 he is, as usual, an elite fantasy anchor. 2. TREVOR STORY, ROCKIES Story’s discipline isn’t ideal, but he’s proved capable of repeating the formula for long enough that investing in him as your cornerstone is well worth the marginal associated risk. Consecutive seasons of .290+, 35+ HR and 20+ SBs, plus a home at Coors Field (career .998 OPS), all add up to a borderline top-20 pick…

MARCH March 24: Pitcher Cole Hamels sinks his first hole-in-one on the links. March 25: Hamels homers in a spring training game off former AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello. March 28: The eventual 96-win Rays’ Opening Day lineup includes only one player (Kevin Kiermaier) who started the lidlifter in their 90-win 2018. March 28: The first four and the seventh hitters in the Mets’ Opening Day batting order have names that end in “o.” March 30: Russell Martin is the first position player since at least 1925 to pitch a 1-2-3 ninth inning in a team win. March 30: Yu “Pace of Play” Darvish throws 57 pitches (six walks) before there is fair contact. APRIL April 1: Twenty-two innings into their season, Cincinnati garners its first hit by…

PREDICTIONS AL East 1. New York Yankees 2. Boston Red Sox 3. Tampa Bay Rays 4. Toronto Blue Jays 5. Baltimore Orioles AL Central 1. Minnesota Twins 2. Chicago White Sox* 3. Cleveland Indians 4. Kansas City Royals 5. Detroit Tigers AL West 1. Houston Astros 2. Oakland A’s* 3. Texas Rangers 4. Los Angeles Angels 5. Seattle Mariners *Wild Card ALCS New York Yankees over Houston Astros World Series New York Yankees over Los Angeles Dodgers AL MVP 1. Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels 2. Mookie Betts, OF, Boston Red Sox 3. Aaron Judge, OF, New York Yankees 4. Alex Bregman, 3B, Houston Astros 5. Francisco Lindor, SS, Cleveland Indians 6. Gerrit Cole, RHP, New York Yankees 7. Anthony Rendon, 3B, Los Angeles Angels 8. Matt Chapman, 3B,…

Nothing like a December ultimatum to establish a 2020 Bronx mood. At the press conference to introduce mega-signing Gerrit Cole, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner dropped this beauty, setting up exactly what’s expected of his powerful — and pitching-rich — club: “We need to win some world championships,” Steinbrenner said. “Plural.” Inking Cole to a record $324 million pact is certainly a nice winter start. He’ll top an ace-laden rotation, act as the Game 1 starter in October and add a dose of mound grit to a team that was good enough to get to the Game 6 of the American League Championship Series in 2019. Backing Cole will be a healthy Luis Severino, dynamite lefty James Paxton and playoff maestro Masahiro Tanaka. Good luck to opposing hitters against that quartet…

A 10-game improvement and string of individual statistical champions gave the White Sox feel-good talking points to launch 2020. But after seven straight losing seasons, all that matters on the South Side is the ability to finally move to the right side of .500. The Sox made five moves to improve a lineup that features AL batting champion Tim Anderson and RBI leader José Abreu. Yasmani Grandal will lift the sagging on-base percentage. Nomar Mazara will be an upgrade in right field, and Edwin Encarnación will ensure that the Sox no longer have the AL’s least productive DH. General manager Rick Hahn needed to add two starting pitchers — and he delivered. the Sox whiffed in their pursuit of Zack Wheeler. But Hahn recruited 2015 Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel,…

A new era begins with former Cardinals manager Mike Matheny taking over in the dugout and John Sherman taking over in the boardroom after buying the team from David Glass. Kansas City is eager to return to relevance after consecutive 100-loss seasons; it just won’t happen this year. The Royals have a few cornerstone players — Whit Merrifield, Adalberto Mondesi, Jorge Soler and Salvador Perez — but the pitching staff, especially the bullpen, isn’t good enough to contend, and the farm system’s bounty remains a year or more from harvest. Avoiding 100 losses seems like a good 2020 goal for Kansas City, which didn’t significantly improve a pitching staff that had the fourth-worst ERA in baseball last season (5.20). Meanwhile, Perez’s return from elbow surgery is the only major addition…

On the way to winning his third American League MVP last year, Mike Trout seemingly did something you wouldn’t think possible — he got better. Now, the challenge for the Angels is to do the same. they believe they made a big step in that direction with the hiring of Joe Maddon as manager. He replaces Brad Ausmus, who served as a one-year bridge between Mike Scioscia and Maddon. It is a homecoming for Maddon, who spent more than 30 years in the Angels organization as a minor league player and coach and then MLB coach. He inherits a roster short on talent — particularly on the pitching staff — but bolstered with the addition of Anthony Rendon, the anticipated return of Shohei Ohtani and the possible arrival of top…

The Mariners’ rebuilding plan enters Year 2 of what general manager Jerry Dipoto hopes is perhaps a three- to four-year process to reach relevancy in the American League. A year ago, the Mariners started this plan by culling their roster of an assortment of veteran players in a series of trades designed to bring back young prospects to bolster depth in the farm system. Using players who really weren’t part of the future, the Mariners finished 68–94. The philosophy changes in 2020, but the results likely will still be the same. The Opening Day roster is expected to be one of the youngest in baseball in terms of age and MLB experience. The plan is to give opportunity and playing time to their upper-level prospects. The roster should only get…

Two years into a rebuild, the Miami Marlins believe that their darkest days are behind them. Though Miami finished 57–105 and last in the National League East in 2019, there were bright spots across the organization that lead the Marlins to believe that the process is going according to plan. On the major league level, Miami saw continued progress from some core pieces. Righthander Sandy Alcantara pitched two shutouts and earned an All-Star selection. Brian Anderson became a middle-of-the-order threat before an injury cut his season short. Down on the farm, the system has developed into one of the sport’s best via trades and draft picks. The Marlins had hoped to accumulate layers of talent, and they’ve done so — especially with enviable starting pitching depth. Top prospects Sixto Sánchez,…

The Nationals’ march to the 2019 World Series title seemed to come out of nowhere, thanks to their disappointing 2018, their awful start to 2019 and their Wild Card status. But from June 1 on, they tied the Astros as the winningest team in baseball, carrying that momentum over into October, when they overcame one deficit after another on their way to the title. And virtually the entire team, with one major exception — third baseman Anthony Rendon — returns in 2020, which means they should again rank among the league’s best teams. This time, however, they won’t be sneaking up on anybody. ROTATION The Nationals’ 2019 rotation was a throwback to the 1990s Braves, with Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin all ranking in the top six in…

For a team that was one bad pitch and one defensive miscue away from beating the eventual World Series champion Washington Nationals on the road in the National League Wild Card Game last October, the Milwaukee Brewers underwent a radical makeover in the offseason. The loss of stars Yasmani Grandal and Mike Moustakas to free agency along with various trades and other shuffling sent the team into the New Year with 13 players on the 40-man roster who weren’t with the organization on that fateful fall night at Nationals Park. While the Brewers certainly have retained some star power, beginning with 2019 NL MVP runner-up Christian Yelich, there are questions about why the team went with a mix of veterans looking to bounce back and younger players lacking much of…

The Diamondbacks made a late run at a Wild Card spot last season and could do it again in 2020. Switch-hitters Ketel Marte and Eduardo Escobar enjoyed career years, and even a slight regression would still make them two of the most productive players in the league. The D-backs added Madison Bumgarner to lead the rotation after trading Zack Greinke last summer, and if he is the MadBum the baseball world has come to know and respect, watch out. ROTATION Bumgarner became the instant No. 1 when he signed a five-year, $85 million free agent deal over the winter. Bumgarner tied a career high with 34 starts in his 11th and final season with San Francisco after being hampered by injuries in 2017 (shoulder) and 2018 (broken pinkie). He will…

Maybe this is finally the season the Padres will contend. Or is it next season? That always seems to be a moving target for San Diego, which hasn’t had a winning season since 2010 and hasn’t been to the postseason since winning consecutive NL West titles in 2005-06. The fan base has certainly been tested as the Padres continually rebuild under general manager A.J. Preller. At least they have some big-name players to cheer for, including Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Tommy Pham and Eric Hosmer. The Padres lost 92 games last season, prompting executive chairman Ron Fowler to proclaim that heads would roll if the Padres failed to win in 2020. He later gave himself some wiggle room by extending the deadline to 2021. And then general partner Peter…

1. LOUISVILLE (51–18, 21–9 ACC) The Cardinals have joined the upper echelon of college baseball under Dan McDonnell. And this year, he’ll have June draft darlings throughout the roster, including utilityman Lucas Dunn (.309, 15 SBs), OF Zach Britton (.288-5-28) and All-America pitchers Reid Detmers (13–4, 2.78) and Bobby Miller (7–1, 3.83). Two sophomores are stars in the making in 3B Alex Binelas (.291-14-59) and RHP Luke Smith (6–1, 4.24). Michael Kirian (3–1, 1.69) fronts a deep bullpen. 2. TEXAS TECH (46–20, 16–8 BIG 12) Behind high-quality starting pitchers Micah Dallas (7–2, 4.03) and Bryce Bonnin (7–1, 4.08) and bullpen wizards John McMillon (4–3, 3.40) and Clayton Beeter (8 saves), the Raiders could reach Omaha for the fifth time in seven years. Six starters return to the order with five…

The Baltimore Orioles remain entrenched in a rebuild mode that has little room for spending or the acquisition of top-shelf talent outside of the amateur draft. Contender status won’t happen for at least a few more years. their welcome mat in the basement of the American League East hasn’t been moved. they’ll hit triple digits in losses again and could surpass 2019’s 108 after trading away pitcher Dylan Bundy and infielder Jonathan Villar, arguably their best overall player last season. there are no quick fixes for what ails this franchise, but the commitment to analytics and the international market is a huge step forward. It just won’t lead the Orioles anywhere near .500 this season. ROTATION Orioles starters posted a 5.57 ERA that again ranked as the worst in baseball,…

Rays officials couldn’t have been much more pleased with how the 2019 season turned out. they made it to the playoffs for the first time in six seasons as the core of young players they cleared room for in previous roster reshaping developed into impact players, and they boasted openly about how well set up they were for the future. “there’s so much to build on right now,” principal owner Stuart Sternberg said. “We’re coming right into the sweet spot.” But being the Rays, they couldn’t help but tinker further, which means the 2020 team won’t really look all that much like the 2019 version. “It’s kind of in our DNA and our mode of preparation that we have an off season with months to play with and think about…

The Indians’ time as the top dog in the AL Central may be over. they’re cutting payroll for the second straight year while the defending champion Twins and recharged White Sox are adding talent across the board. the Twins ended the Indians’ three-year run as division champs in 2019 with 101 wins. the Tribe still managed to win 93 games, but their thread-the-needle-philosophy of staying competitive while continually trading veterans for young talent to control the payroll is hard to maintain. The Indians will still be competitive in 2020 because of their strong starting rotation, but even that has been tested with the trades of Trevor Bauer and two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber since midseason last year. Shane Bieber, Mike Clevinger and Carlos Carrasco provide a good base in…

It ended with Yankee-fueled heartbreak, but the Twins’ 2019 season was a thrilling and unexpected triumph. they won 101 games, took home their first division title since 2010 and turned the bleachers and shrubbery beyond the walls of Target Field into their own personal target practice, launching a historic number of home runs and earning the moniker “the Bomba Squad.” Now, sophomore skipper Rocco Baldelli faces the challenge of recapturing that magic, even with many of the names on the lineup card due to come back to earth and many of the faces in the clubhouse swapped out for new ones. Long ago, Bill James advanced the theory of the Plexiglass Principle — the idea that a team that makes a major advancement from one season to the next will…

At the beginning of the season, talk around baseball concerning the best starting rotations in the big leagues likely won’t focus on the A’s. But the talk should trend westward because the A’s have the arms, all healthy for once, to orchestrate Oakland’s third consecutive postseason appearance. The A’s, winners of 97 games each of the last two seasons, will at the minimum enter 2020 with one of MLB’s best young starting rotations. Four of the five starters will be 28 or younger — Sean Manaea (28), Frankie Montas (27), A.J. Puk (24) and Jesus Luzardo (22). They throw hard. they throw strikes. And backing up ace Mike Fiers (34), they have the A’s in position for a third straight October of playing baseball. It doesn’t hurt that the best…

PREDICTIONS NL East 1. Atlanta Braves 2. Washington Nationals* 3. New York Mets 4. Philadelphia Phillies 5. Miami Marlins NL Central 1. St. Louis Cardinals 2. Milwaukee Brewers* 3. Chicago Cubs 4. Cincinnati Reds 5. Pittsburgh Pirates NL West 1. Los Angeles Dodgers 2. Arizona Diamondbacks 3. San Diego Padres 4. Colorado Rockies 5. San Francisco Giants *Wild Card NLCS Los Angeles Dodgers over Atlanta Braves World Series New York Yankees over Los Angeles Dodgers NL MVP 1. Christian Yelich, OF, Milwaukee Brewers 2. Nolan Arenado, 3B, Colorado Rockies 3. Cody Bellinger, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers 4. Kris Bryant, 3B, Chicago Cubs 5. Ronald Acuña Jr., OF, Atlanta Braves 6. Bryce Harper, OF, Philadelphia Phillies 7. Juan Soto, OF, Washington Nationals 8. Jacob deGrom, RHP, New York Mets 9. Manny…

The Mets saw enough positive signs in the second half to believe strongly that they will contend this season. And they’re right: Even in a very competitive division, they should make a strong run for the playoffs, with an untested but savvy new manager, Carlos Beltrán, leading the way. The Mets know they have the starting pitching and the offensive firepower, and their bullpen can’t be as bad as it was in 2020. Perhaps Beltrán and a few new coaches can coax this group into a few more wins — and into the playoffs for the first time since 2016. ROTATION Only the star-crossed Mets, it seems, could manage to squander back-to-back Cy Young seasons by Jacob deGrom by going a dismal 28–36 in his starts. But that seems to…

The party that was the Joe Maddon Era on Chicago’s North Side ended with a whimper in 2019 as the team finished third in the NL Central. Now, the Cubs have a new (but familiar) skipper in former catcher David Ross, and a new mandate: stay competitive while reloading for a longer-term window of contention. The team’s core hasn’t become the foundation of a dynasty, the front office has made some mistakes in free agency, and ownership has now pulled tightly on the purse strings. Nonetheless, the Cubs have ample talent, a newfound chip on their big shoulders and an offense that still threatens to bludgeon the rest of the division — if things break right. ROTATION Turnover and aging have finally wrought real decline for the once-formidable Chicago rotation,…

Owner Bob Nutting cleaned house after the Pirates finished in last place in the National League Central last season for the first time since 2010. Club president Frank Coonelly, general manager Neal Huntington and manager Clint Hurdle were fired. In their place are Travis Williams, Ben Cherington and Derek Shelton. Cherington has a World Series title to his credit as general manager of the 2013 Boston Red Sox. However, he has plenty of work to do to turn around a team that went 69–93 last season, including a 25–48 mark after the All-Star break when the Pirates had multiple clubhouse incidents. Shelton gets his first opportunity to manage at the major league level. He spent 15 seasons on big-league staffs, including the last two as the Minnesota Twins’ bench coach.…

After making consecutive appearances in the postseason for the first time in franchise history, the Rockies stumbled badly last year, escaping last place in the National League West on the final day of the season. The team’s decision-makers view 2019 as an aberration that can be rectified with better performance and better health. But to have any hope of contending this year, the Rockies must pitch considerably better. A key to an improved rotation is lefthander Kyle Freeland rebounding from a dreadful 2019, when he fell far from the lofty heights he reached a year earlier. Reliever Wade Davis, whose struggles last year cost him the closer’s job, could enhance the bullpen by bouncing back as well. If the assessment of the front office is right, things will fall into…

The Giants introduced dozens of former players, most of them wearing their World Series rings, as part of a festive and emotional sendoff for manager Bruce Bochy following the 2019 regular-season finale at Oracle Park. It was hard to interpret the occasion as anything other than the official end of a championship era. New president Farhan Zaidi had to put lipstick on the roster for Bochy’s final season while limiting the rebuilding effort to site prep and planning. But now, with polarizing hire Gabe Kapler succeeding Bochy along with an unconventional coaching staff, plus an offseason marked by the departure of legendary figure Madison Bumgarner, things are truly going to be different in San Francisco in 2020. The Giants might not win a lot of games, but the process won’t…

TIER 1 1. NOLAN ARENADO, ROCKIES No, he doesn’t steal bases, but he’ll be 29 in April, and he’s coming off five consecutive seasons of 155+ games, 37+ homers and more than 200 R+RBI, making him one of the best locks out there for return on first-round investment. Did we mention he’s a career .324/.380/.615 hitter at Coors Field? 2. ANTHONY RENDON, ANGELS His walk year turned into the fairy tale kind, where the homegrown star takes that final super step, posts an MVP-caliber season and drops a four-digit October OPS. The playoff heroics don’t matter for our purposes, but the giant contract in Anaheim on the back of them does. He’s hit .300 for three straight years, he surpassed 30 homers for the first time last year, and now…

CATCHER - Buster Posey - Catchers have such shortened career arcs that Posey is already well into his decline phase, but for most of the 2010s, no one could match his blend of all-fields power, plate discipline, pitch framing and command of the game from behind the plate. He won the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year, the 2012 NL MVP and three World Series rings, and the collision that ended his 2011 season led to a rule against such plays, which informally bears his name FIRST BASE - Miguel Cabrera - A strong case could be made for Joey Votto, who had the league’s highest OBP for the decade and might ultimately be remembered as the best overall hitter of the era, but it was Cabrera who won back-to-back…