Sporting News’ Jordan Foster penned a column this week identifying eighteen things he wants to watch this baseball season, which kicks off in two weeks with the start of spring training. Several of the dozen and a half articles about him are the ones that perennially appear in his column, while others are exclusive to the upcoming season.
As he has proposed in the past, Foster wants the designated hitter rule to apply in both leagues. He also makes a strong case for the return of bullpen cars to transport relievers to the mound, a good idea given the large number of pitching changes that occur in almost every game.
In the article, Foster also wishes to see an end to the pace of game discussions that have become the latest obsession for those who run baseball. Most fans, relieved, find the beat more relaxing than annoying.
Shoetei Ohtani, who signed with Los Angeles over the winter to be a pitcher and everyday player, is the subject of one of Foster’s wishes. He looks forward to seeing the former Korean star succeed both on the mound and at the plate. There are a dozen other suggestions in the article, but here are a couple others that Foster could have added to make his list the nice round number of twenty.
It would be nice to see a team pull off the rare feat that Minnesota accomplished last season, going from the worst previous record to the playoffs next year. Playing just 59 games in 2016, the Twins improved so much that they earned the wild card berth in the postseason.
As rare as that phenomenon was, there’s a very likely chance that baseball fans could witness it again this fall. San Francisco, which had already won three World Series championships this decade, could be this year’s version of the Twins.
After suffering a miserable season that left them in last place, the Giants have strengthened themselves with several noteworthy trades. They picked up All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria from the Tampa Bay Rays, and then acquired former MVP Andrew McCutcheon from the Pittsburgh Pirates to solidify the outfield.
Last year, the Twins also engaged in a rare feat that I hope will not be repeated next season, and I’m sure most baseball fans will agree with me. Minnesota was one of only five American League teams to finish with a winning record. It goes without saying that the clubs that understood that quintet competed in the postseason.
The other ten clubs finished under .500, a most embarrassing situation for a sport that markets itself as one in which all teams are competitive. We were an amazing team, the Twins, to have to invite a club that was losing more games than it was winning to the postseason.
So we expect the Junior Circuit to boast at least half of its clubs with winning records, which will make the pennant race that much more exciting in 2018.
