2018 MLB SEASON PREVIEW
Friday, March 30, 2018
East Oregonian
Power rankings
KEY
Based on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best ranking
Teams listed in order of last season’s finish (2017 record)
SP Starting
pitching
A M E R I C A N
C E N T R A L
E A S T
Red Sox Yankees
(93-69)
(91-71)
4
4
4
4
SP
BP
OFF
DEF
(80-82)
gives them
someone to
replace long-
time slugger
David Ortiz
after finishing
last in AL in
homers
(75-87)
3
3
2
3
3
3
3
1
2
3
3
9
17
(out Hoping J.D.
of 20) Martinez,
(76-86)
2
3
5
17
TOT
Blue Jays Orioles
Rays
5
5
L E A G U E
11
Indians
Twins
(102-60)
(85-77)
5
5
5
11
(101-61)
(80-82)
(67-95)
(64-98)
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Arguably
baseball’s
strongest
rotation; the
Indians are
poised to
possibly
end long
champion-
ship
drought
2
3
14
19
Improve-
Figure to Sport new look Expectation
is the Blue
ment will
score a lot after winter
Jays will
rest on a
and strike of trimming
be left to
power-laden
out a lot;
payroll; the
can new Rays have a compete for lineup that
manager chance to be the second needs Chris
wild card;
Davis and
Aaron Boone a lot more
health
Mark
handle the competitive
concerns
Trumbo to
pressure
than it
remain
rebound
cooker of
appears on
plentiful
New York?
paper
Astros
4
4
4
(78-84)
3
Biggest
suspense
this year
might
revolve
around how
GM Al Avila
approaches
the next few
steps in the
rebuild
(78-84)
(75-87)
2
1
3
2
4
4
5
2
3
13
1
9
12
With almost Made several
everyone
savvy
back from
offseason
last year’s
moves and
champion-
are in
ship team,
position to
the Astros
end the
fully expect
eight-year
to contend
stretch
for another
without a
title
playoff victory
3
3
1
2
3
17
7
Have the
Supposed
Going all-in
talent and
to be
on a rebuild
spunk to
rebuilding
before last
be right in
year but
season has
the playoff
unlikely
sparked belief
mix after
return
better days
their
of Mike
are ahead;
massive
Moustakas loaded with
26-win
and Alcides
promising
turnaround
Escobar
young
last season give hope
players
(80-82)
2
3
5
Angels Mariners Rangers Athletics
5
5
5
2
1
6
BP Bullpen
OFF Offense
DEF Defense
W E S T
Royals White Sox Tigers
3
3
Page 3B
8
Talented
Coming off
Signs of
enough to their second a potential
compete
losing
turnaround
for a wild
season in
but
card, but
nine years,
rebuilding
probably
should be
will take
not good
able score
time,
enough to runs again,
especially
catch the but rotation in a division
Astros
is a question with multiple
mark
contenders
52-homer-hitting AL MVP runner-up
and new 59-homer-hitting NL MVP
teammate get ready to muscle up
aron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton will take the field for
the New York Yankees as just the second pair of
teammates coming off seasons of 50 or more home runs. The
only other time that happened was in 1962, when the Yankees’
Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle attempted to follow up their
historic season. In 1961, Maris set the single-season home
run record with 61. Mantle kept pace until illness and injury
limited him to 54.
They remain the only teammates to hit 50 or more home runs
in the same season and their 115 combined home runs
remain a record for two teammates. In 2017, Stanton racked
up 59 home runs for the Miami Marlins and Judge, as a
rookie, hit 52 for the Yankees for a combined 111 home runs.
With this slugging duo, along with Gary Sanchez – who missed
a month and still finished with 33 homers – the all-time record
for most team home runs in a season might be in jeopardy.
A
DYNAMIC DUO
Pair of teammates to combine for 100 home runs in a single season:
YEAR TEAM
PLAYER
HR
PLAYER
HR
TOTAL
1961 Yankees
Roger Maris
61
Mickey Mantle
54
115
2001 Giants
Barry Bonds
73
Rich Aurilia
37
110
1927 Yankees
Babe Ruth
60
Lou Gehrig
47
107
70
Ray Lankford
31
101
Rafael Palmeiro 43
100
1998 Cardinals Mark McGwire
2002 Rangers
Alex Rodriguez 57
BIG BOPPERS
In 2017, the Yankees hit 241 home runs. With Stanton in the fold,
can the 2018 pinstripers break the single-season team HR record?
MOST HOME RUNS HIT BY A TEAM IN A SEASON
1997 Seattle Mariners
2005
264
260
Texas Rangers
2010 Toronto Blue Jays
1996 Baltimore Orioles
257
257
2016 Baltimore Orioles
253
DINGER-LINGS
18
Home runs in 2017 by month:
Judge (52)
A look ahead in anticipation of some milestones that are within reach
during the 2018 season:
MILESTONE WATCH
10
3,000 2,000 250
3,000
300
Hits
RBIs
Wins
Strikeouts
Saves
Albert Pujols –
(needs 32 hits)
With 2,968 hits,
the veteran slugger
is within striking
distance to become
the 32nd member of
the 3,000-hit club.
Pujols – (needs 82
RBIs) Should join
Hank Aaron and
Alex Rodriguez as
the only players in
history with 600
homers, 3,000 hits
and 2,000 RBI.
Bartolo Colon –
(needs 10 wins) and
CC Sabathia (needs
13 wins) The top two
active leaders in career
victories. If healthy,
they should achieve
their goal this season.
Sabathia – (needs 154
strikeouts) Enters the
season with 2,846 Ks,
third-most among
left-handed pitchers in
major league history
behind Steve Carlton
and Randy Johnson.
Craig Kimbrel –
(needs 9 saves)
Had 35 saves in 39
chances last year
and led major league
relievers with 16.43
strikeouts-per-nine
innings.
FIELD GENERALS
15
Stanton (59)
12
10
7
7
7
7
8
7
3
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUG.
SEPT.
Source: Major League Baseball
TRAFFIC CONTROL
Major League Baseball has imposed
stricter limits on mound visits to
six per game, per team without a
pitching change in an effort to speed
up games. The number of visits by a
manager, coach or player in recent
years has contributed to
longer games.
Heading into the 2018 MLB season six new managers lead the charge for their respected clubs.
AVERAGE TIME OF
A 9-INNING GAME
Aaron Boone
New York Yankees
Mickey Callaway
New York Mets
Alex Cora
Boston Red Sox
Ron Gardenhire
Detroit Tigers
Gabe Kapler
Philadelphia Phillies
Dave Martinez
Washington Nationals
Succeeds 10-year
manager Joe Girardi.
Never been a manager
or coach at any level.
A polished communi-
cator. Spent a lifetime
immersed in baseball,
affording him a
unique and intimate
understanding of what
fosters team success.
Replaces 68-year-old
Terry Collins, the
longest-tenured
manager in Mets
history. Driven by
analytics and modern
baseball philosophy,
Callaway completed
a five-year run as
pitching coach for
the Indians.
In first major league
managerial job. At 42,
one of the youngest
managers in franchise
history, Cora has a
unique chance to
connect with his
players. Retired as a
player after failing to
make the Cardinals in
spring training of 2012.
Won over 1,000 games
with the Twins but this
is his first chance to
manage since 2014.
Tigers finished tied for
the worst record in
baseball a year ago,
and not much is
expected in 2018
from what is now a
rebuilding franchise.
First time managing
in MLB. Phillies are
hoping that Kapler’s
energy – along with
several analytical
philosophies – will be
enough to get the
team back to the
playoffs for the first
time in seven
seasons.
The 53-year-old
Martinez was the
bench coach for Joe
Maddon and the Cubs
the past three seasons
and was with Maddon
and the Rays for
seven years before
that. Played for nine
MLB teams
over 16 years.
5
1
2
4
5
1
4
Mets
(72-90)
(70-92)
4
4
2
2
2
Cubs
(66-96)
(92-70)
(86-76)
4
4
3
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
Phillies
2
W E S T
Brewers Cardinals Pirates
5
5
6
9
13
11
18
A World Series
is the stated
goal, and that’s
certainly not an
outrageous
aim, given all
the talent
assembled on
basically the
same team
as last year
New CEO
Derek Jeter
is used to
winning but
that is about
to change
after trading
away half
of last year’s
starting
lineup
Still at least
a year
away from
contending in
the NL East,
but improved
starting
pitching
could push
them closer
to .500
New
manager
Mickey
Callaway
had great
success with
Cleveland’s
arms and
Mets are
counting on
his methods
Can not only
end their
five-year run
of losing
seasons but
maybe even
make a
surprise
push for a
postseason
berth
World Series
or bust;
acquisition of
Yu Darvish,
gives Chicago
a strong
rotation, and
the lineup
is young,
deep and
dangerous
(83-97)
4
4
2
13
(68-94)
(104-58)
(93-69)
4
5
4
4
4
2
3
5
3
9
Dodgers D-backs Rockies Padres Giants
Reds
1
2
2
2
2
3
12
(75-87)
3
4
18
TOT
Teams ranked by AP Baseball Writer Mike Fitzpatrick
11
Have lost
Expectations
To snap
GM Neal
at least 90
are up after that 2-year Huntington
games for
finishing one postseason
insists
three straight
game out of “drought”
he’s not
seasons;
the playoffs they’ll need rebuilding,
would be
in what was
bounce-
but traded
considered a
supposed
back
Andrew
to be the
seasons
McCutchen breakthrough
simply to
second full
from
and Gerrit
move out of
season of a
several
Cole
last place
rebuild
players
(87-75)
(71-91)
(64-98)
2
1
2
5
5
3
4
2
2
2
4
2
17
13
16
Favorites to
win a sixth
straight NL
West title
with a roster
that returns
mostly intact;
multitude of
vets will be
vying for
playing time
With all five
starters back
and nearly
every
position
player
returning,
they expect
to be in thick
of NL West
race
Enhanced
their bullpen
in an effort
to earn
back-to-back
postseason
berths for
the first
time in
franchise
history
7
Should be
more fun to
watch this
season with
the addition
of Eric
Hosmer but
still not
expected to
contend for
another year
3
3
AP
(77-85)
(97-65)
SP
BP
OFF
DEF
Braves
3:05
3:00
2:56
3:02
2:58
2:55
2:51
2:50
2:51
2:50
2:51
2:48
2:46
Source: Baseball-Reference.com
C E N T R A L
E A S T
Nationals Marlins
L E A G U E
TIME
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
4
12
Added Evan
Longoria
and Andrew
McCutchen;
Madison
Bumgarner
out 4-6
weeks with
broken bone
in pitching
hand
SOURCE: Major League Baseball
N A T I O N A L
Listed in order of 2017 record
YEAR