Alright lads, as of today, Opening Day for the 2019 MLB season is just 3 short weeks away!! 2018 saw the almost unbeatable Red Sox win their 9th World Series title in franchise title after beating those (word banned from the site) from Los Angeles. It will be tough for the Red Sox to top their 108 win season from last year but they still remain a powerhouse in the AL East. Teams have improved vastly over the offseason and teams I would have written off by May last year now look like genuine contenders. This season is shaping up to be as exciting a campaign as I can remember with big name players cashing into big money contracts with new teams. Will they make instant impacts with their new teams? We'll have that answer in just over a month!!
Some new found competition has taken shape in a couple of the divisions which has really shaken up how the standings look come the end of the year. The Reds for as long as I can remember have been unequivocally shit. Playing in one of America's most hitter friendly ballparks and having subpar pitching is never gonna get you very far. So what did they do? They went out and got Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp, two hitters that will thrive in their new home ballpark. Add that to an already talented lineup with Joey Votto and Eugenio Suarez, and you have a recipe for runs. If their young pitchers including Sonny Gray and Brandon Finnegan have good years, then the Reds could be a force to be reckoned with in an already extremely talented and competitive NL Central. I'm praying to God that my Brewers can repeat as champs but we will have our work cut out for us.
In conclusion, two of my least favorite players in baseball have finally signed huge deals with their new respective clubs. Manny (word banned from the site Machado has signed for the San Diego Padres for a 10 year $300 million dollar contract. After being linked with the likes of the Yankees and Phillies all winter, it was suprising to see Machado stay on the West Coast, especially going to a team with perhaps the least hitter friendly ballpark in Baseball. The Padres are already First Baseman Eric Hosmer big money so its obvious that the Padres are in win NOW mode. When you share a division with the likes of Clayton Kershaw, Nolan Arenado, and Zack Grienke and you haven't done shit to upgrade your pitching staff, you are still going to be awful.
And just last week, Bryce Harper finally got the big contract he wanted, signing a 13 year, $330 million dollar contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. Money talks in baseball, and this is a similar story to the Padres. While Harper is a serious upgrade to the Philly outfield, the pitching staff remains suspect aside from Aaron Nola, so it will be a few years before Bryce Harper shows he was really worth the money.
I'm super excited to say that I'll be fulfilling a lifelong dream of mine by attending Opening Day for the Brewers as we take on the Cardinals! I've also snagged tickets to a Brewers-Cubs game at Wrigley Field which was another dream of mine! I'll be in Ohio all summer so I had to get my baseball fix as early as I could!
Disagree entirely with those viewpoints on Machado and Harper? Have a bold prediction for 2019? What are you most excited for this MLB season?
3 more weeks lads! Get pumped!
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I can see why seeing the Cardinals is a life long ambition.
Another year of "rebuilding" for Cards I fear.
Orioles @ Yankees
Mets @ Nationals
Cardinals @ Brewers
Braves @ Phillies
Tigers @ Blue Jays
Astros @ Rays
Cubs @ Rangers
Angels @ Athletics
Pirates @ Reds
Diamondbacks @ Dodgers
Rockies @ Marlins
Indians @ Twins
Giants @ Padres
White Sox @ Royals
Red Sox @ Mariners
Will be Ladyromford and young Princessromford’s first game.
I tried to get tickets but had no luck and they are a rip off on resale sites, hoping to get some in the next batch of tickets to be released next month
Was in a meeting so frustrating yesterday that I broke down and bought an MLB Network pass for all White Sox games this season. I really needed a distraction. It's...a decision I may come to regret. So it goes.
On a separate note, is there a YouTube channel and/or podcast that anyone would recommend for snapshots each week?