The Commissioner of MLB Robert Manfred along with owners agreed with the MLB Players Association to a 60-game season last week.
Definites and Probables.
The abridged season throwing away 100+ games will offer many unlikely stories. Only four teams last season didn’t win 60 games. Every team is capable of stringing 30 wins together for a .500 campaign.
There are rumours that there could be an expanded postseason. Possibly increasing the wildcard teams from two to four in each league. That was spoken even pre-pandemic for 2021. Also MLB are keen to compress the whole postseason into October with the regular season ending on 27th October.
So rest days could be even more crucial than in a normal season.
The South Side
I literally have my money on the Chicago White Sox. And at 40/1 here’s why.
Acquisitions
Heading in to the 2020 season the White Sox had layed down a marker.
After seven sub-.500 seasons in a row, the Chicago South Siders announced their intentions by signing several quality free agents. The likes of catcher Yasmani Grandal, outfielder Luis Robert, DH Edwin Encarnacion, and pitchers Dallas Keuchel, Gio Gonzalez and Steve Cishek.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Division
The AL Central is probably the weakest division in MLB. Probably after the LA Dodgers-dominated NL West.
The 60-game regular season proposed has 40 divisional games. Having a sizeable % of games against the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers is a boost to the chase for the wildcard place.
So a October baseball is highly likely for the White Sox.
The Pitching Personnel
The pitchers for the White Sox are impressive. A starting rotation of proven starters like Gonzalez and Keuchel with 24-year-old Michael Kopech will cause damage.
Dallas Keuchel sat in free agency until June in 2019. So he’s already played a shortened season before.
Michael Kopech has a 100+-mph fastball which can have movement as well. He missed all of 2019 with Tommy John surgery.
Then add a closer like Steve Cishek [SEE-SHEK] who has 134 career saves and has had a season ERA below 3.00 every year in the last 5 years.
Let The Kids Play
Embed from Getty ImagesMichael Kopech
CWS have a very exciting young team. Along with the previously mentioned Michael Kopech, fellow pitcher Lucas Giolito is set to build on his 2019 All-star season. He had two shutouts in 2019.
The 60-game season in a positive for young teams arguably. There’s little time for a player to be ‘found out’ by a team, learning how to break them. Also there should be worry of burnout for 25-ish year olds in a 60-game season.
Embed from Getty ImagesLuis Robert
Luis Robert and Nick Madrigal are young and fresh to the team, the former being a highly anticipated signing from Cuba. Roberts has a 3.1 fWAR predicted by FanGraphs. That could Rookie-Of-The-Year form. Learn more about Luis Robert Here.
There’s so much White Sox talent we don’t have time to go through all of it.
The Year of the DH
In 2020 the DH will be compulsory for ALL teams. And, love it or loathe it, the Designated Hitter could be here permanently.
Embed from Getty Images
Edwin Encarnacion
The ChiSox have signed veteran Edwin Encarnacion who has an On-base+Slugging consistently around .850 to .900 (past 5 seasons)
The Bottom Line
The White Sox are here to play. This is their best team in years. It’s a cliche, but they are balanced: from youth and experience, to pitchers and hitters. A good season is in prospect. Only a shame the seasons been cut by a third so we don’t see more of them.
The Bottom of the 9th, Sports Blog 