1 holiday wish for every fanbase
Happy holidays, everybody! Just as a result of there isn’t any baseball taking place throughout this vacation week does not imply that we’re not all the time — always — occupied with baseball. Thus, as sugar plum fairies dance round your head, right this moment we make a vacation want for each crew in Major League Baseball.
C’mon, Santa, all these groups have been good. Don’t give them lumps of coal!
Blue Jays: A postseason victory
For all of the expertise and enjoyable concerned with this Blue Jays crew, properly, it in all probability must be identified that the Jays haven’t received a single postseason recreation since … 2016? Can that be proper? Their finest hitters have been Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion and Troy Tulowitzki throughout that period. It’s in all probability time, proper?
Orioles: More extra extra!
Orioles followers might be pleased about lastly having a profitable crew final yr, one with a ton of potential and phenoms in all places, no much less. But it is a proud franchise that shouldn’t cease there. The Orioles have been the crew of the longer term for some time now. It’s time to be the crew of the current.
Rays: The return of a wholesome Wander
Wander Franco certain seemed like he was going to be an MVP candidate heading into final yr, and for a few years to come back. It didn’t prove that manner. Injuries waylaid him for a lot of the yr, and the centerpiece of the Rays roster by no means fairly received it going. This continues to be top-shelf expertise when wholesome. So let’s see him wholesome.
Red Sox: An extension for Rafael Devers
Red Sox followers are notably demoralized proper now, and having one other homegrown star depart can be maybe the unkindest reduce in any respect. Extending Devers can be an indication that the Red Sox are who we have now all the time thought the Red Sox to be.
Yankees: A repeat Aaron Judge efficiency
After final yr, you may virtually neglect Judge’s damage points all through his profession. But he has had them, and for an enormous man, that’s going to stay a priority shifting ahead. The least Yankees followers can hope for is for the first yr of that contract to be a part of the growth occasions.
Guardians: Another full yr of Shane Bieber
Can you imagine Shane Bieber is barely 27? Doesn’t it seem to be he has been round longer than that? He made 31 begins final yr for the second time in his profession, and, maybe not coincidentally, he made the All-Star Game and the Guardians received the division. If he repeats that feat, each these issues might properly occur once more.
Royals: Bobby Witt Jr. makes the ascension
Witt is a implausible participant, the man the Royals are constructing the whole lot round. He simply hasn’t turn into that man but, that famous person that all of us thought he is likely to be as a prospect. He’s nonetheless received loads of time to do it — and the Royals actually need him to do it.
Tigers: A reminiscence eraser from final season
The Tigers usually are not as unhealthy as they have been final season: They have expertise round these components. There’s a motive we have been all enthusiastic about them heading into 2022. Expectations are tempered now, as they need to be, however they’re not going to undergo 2022 once more. Promise.
Twins: The previous Joey Gallo
The manner his Yankees profession turned out soured lots of people on Gallo, however this was, not very way back, an MVP candidate. If he could be that man once more, the Twins very properly might shock lots of people.
White Sox: All that younger expertise to be collectively without delay
There’s a lot right here, all primed to peak on the similar time, that you simply’d suppose the White Sox must keep wholesome sufficient to blow up in some unspecified time in the future. It hasn’t occurred but. But perhaps that is the yr.
Angels: A playoff recreation
Let’s not overcomplicate this.
Astros: Another World Series title
What would firmly classify the Astros as the dynasty of this final decade? One World Series — post-scandal, no much less — will get them shut. But one other one would lock it in. They might completely do it.
Athletics: Ken Waldichuk and Shea Langeliers to kind the battery of the longer term
The A’s are in a little bit of a interval of stasis proper now, however this might be a pitcher-catcher mixture that might develop into the franchise’s signature duo over the following couple of years.
Mariners: More residence playoff video games
They waited so lengthy for one earlier than lastly getting one — and just one — final yr. This fanbase has earned some extra.
Rangers: 150 innings from Jacob deGrom
All proper, so he hasn’t thrown that many since 2019. But it has been some time because the Rangers have been a must-see baseball crew. Getting 150 innings out of deGrom would make them that very factor.
Braves: Ronald Acuña Jr. to be the MVP candidate everyone knows he’s
So a lot has gone proper for the Braves the final couple of years which you can virtually neglect how Acuña hasn’t actually been the famous person he was constructing as much as be since … May 2021? This crew has a lot expertise already that it is wild to think about what may occur if Acuña is the Acuña we have now seen up to now.
Marlins: A wholesome Jazz
For the primary a part of 2022, Jazz Chisholm Jr. was wholesome and seemed like one of many recreation’s subsequent nice superstars. Then he received harm, and apart from when Sandy Alcantara was pitching, folks stopped taking note of the Marlins. It’s unattainable not to concentrate to a wholesome and productive Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Mets: Old guys to maintain enjoying like younger guys
It is nice that the Mets are spending; that is what we should always need our groups to do! The solely difficulty is that, typically talking, while you pay for guys, you pay for guys over 30. The Mets have a ton of those guys: Their whole rotation, for one factor, although it helps that Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, and Carlos Correa (pending bodily outcomes) are nonetheless of their 20s.
Nationals: All that Padres booty to begin paying off
The Juan Soto commerce harm, however it did construct up the younger expertise on this crew. We ought to begin seeing that in all places quickly, from CJ Abrams to Robert Hassell III to James Wood (OK, Wood might be a few years away). This is the inspiration of the following nice Nats crew. It’ll be good to see them in an precise Nats uniform.
Phillies: The starting of a lovely friendship
Trea Turner and Bryce Harper are logical companions and former teammates in Washington. They actually do seem to be an ideal match — which is sweet, as a result of they’re going to be spending the following decade-plus collectively.
Brewers: A Christian Yelich revival
Waiting for Yelich to return to his MVP kind might be a idiot’s errand. But it certain would assist this lineup, this just lately fortified lineup, truly, for him to take another step again towards who he as soon as was.
Cardinals: A Pujols-esque goodbye for Waino
The Cardinals are having another farewell tour this yr, with Adam Wainwright pitching his final season. If it’s something near what Albert Pujols simply had, it is going to be historic and unforgettable.
Cubs: At final, a step ahead
Cubs followers have been understandably pissed off by the teardown of their 2016 championship crew. But their crew has been aggressive this offseason, and, optimistically, we’ll lastly see Wrigley Field electrical once more.
Pirates: Oneil Cruz beginning to put it collectively
Cruz has bodily instruments that may simply be unmatched in baseball. The outcomes haven’t come but. But wow, in the event that they do …
Reds: A contented Joey Votto yr
This might be Votto’s final yr as a Red: The crew has a $20 million choice on him for 2024. There are few gamers as related to their crew as Votto is. Can he be their icon as soon as extra?
D-backs: Corbin Carroll to maintain it coming
The D-backs are higher than you suppose they’re, and Carroll has the abilities to be the centerpiece of the whole lot they’re making an attempt to construct and an early Rookie of the Year favourite.
Dodgers: A World Series trophy received in entrance of a full Dodger Stadium
Honestly, after so many postseason disappointments and having your lone title in that span come at a quarter-full impartial website, nothing else actually issues.
Giants: The unhealthy emotions after the Correa deal to fade quick
San Francisco ended up shedding a famous person, in circumstances which can be absolutely a bit complicated nonetheless for Giants followers. This continues to be a wise entrance workplace able to making good strikes, and it could behoove the membership to begin making a number of them quickly.
Padres: Fernando Tatis Jr. to be Fernando Tatis Jr.
Last season couldn’t have presumably gone worse for Tatis in each attainable manner. They don’t want him to be the crew’s main famous person; they have already got three of these. But they want him to play. And perhaps simply be himself.
Rockies: A wholesome Kris Bryant
Hey, they’re paying for him … they could as properly get him on the sphere.
