MLB Weekly Update - 3/4/21
Baseball is back as Spring Training games started last weekend. It was a welcome sight seeing fans at the ballpark even at limited capacity. We have four weeks remaining until Opening Day and teams are just starting to ramp up their guys to get ready for the season. I have to admit it feels great that we’re having a full 162-game season. We’re still in the middle of a pandemic but getting the baseball schedule back to normal is definitely an optimistic boost that we’re close to the end of this thing. Let’s get into some news around the league.
One thing that is different about Spring Training games this year is the option for games to not go a full 9 innings. This is mainly due to the covid protocols in place limiting teams on how many players can travel. Normally, during the first couple weeks of games, you see a lot of minor league players getting a chance to play during the later innings. It is also common to see a new pitcher every inning. This is not always possible now with the limited number of players. So when both teams feel that they got what they wanted out of their players for the day, the game ends, even if it’s only the 5th, 6th, or 7th inning. Expect to see a lot of shorter games during the first few weeks of Spring Training. Once starting pitchers have ramped up their pitch count and go later into games, you will see full 9 inning games again. Another new rule is being able to “roll over” an inning. This means that if a pitcher is on a pitch count but the team wants them to throw multiple innings, the pitcher’s team can end the inning even before there are 3 outs. This is in order to help pitchers who are scheduled to throw keep their routine. All pitchers that pitch in the game know before the game starts how many innings they are pitching and which inning they will pitch in. This has been a common practice in minor league training games forever. It makes sense for the big league games to adopt these rules given the circumstances.
Spring Training is not about winning or losing games. It’s all about getting guys ready and healthy for the season and for some prospects to get a chance to showcase their skills. The latter is the reason to get into watching these games. I want to give you my Top 5 prospects to keep your eye on this spring. Number 5 is Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux. He technically isn’t a prospect anymore but he was once MLB’s #2 overall prospect. He hasn’t really shown that yet at the major league level. He needs to prove himself this season and should have a legit shot at making the roster. Number 4 is Reds pitcher Hunter Greene. This dude throws absolute gas, I’m talking high-octane, premium gas. His average fastball velocity is 101 MPH. Number 3 is Padres pitcher MacKenzie Gore. One of the top pitching prospects in baseball, I’m curious to see if he’ll even make the starting rotation in San Diego with how much talent they acquired in the offseason. He most likely won’t but he should add to what is already a very deep pitching staff. Number 2 is Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman. He is the #2 prospect in all of baseball and Baltimore is quite literally baking on this guy to lift their team back into contention. He’s that good and it’s only a matter of time until we see his big league debut. Number 1 is Rays shortstop Wander Franco. This should be no surprise as he is MLB’s #1 prospect and many are saying he’s the next Mike Trout. The 19-year-old switch hitter is an unbelievable talent and I fully expect him to make his big league debut in 2021. In the meantime, we will settle for the teaser trailer.
That’s all for now. I hope everyone is enjoying Spring Training! See you next week for another MLB Update here at TLDR.