Christmas wish list: Major League Baseball edition
Oct 3, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) pitches the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals in game one of the 2014 NLDS playoff baseball game at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Kansas City Royals: Catch lightning in a bottle. The Kansas City Royals hope to follow up their unprecedented 2014 run to the World Series by capitalizing on the experience of a long October run. The Royals will aim to field a similar team in 2015, low payroll with loveable characters that grind out at bats and battle on the mound. Hopefully the playoff run will help regular season attendance figures and bring a full-time baseball fever back to Kansas City.
Los Angeles Angels: A healthy Garrett Richards. Prior to a season ending knee injury suffered in mid-August, Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Garrett Richards was having a career year. Richards was in the midst of a stellar season posting a 13-4 record with a 2.61 earned run average before seeing his season cut short. The righty is on track to be ready for Spring Training and his health will be key to the Halos’ success in 2015.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw breaks his playoff jinx. One of the best regular season pitchers in the game, Los Angeles Dodgers phenom Clayton Kershaw has been unable to translate his success into the postseason. Kershaw must rid his demons or the Dodgers will not be able to bring a World Series title back to Hollywood. The 26-year old owns a horrific line of 1-5 with a 5.12 ERA over 11 career postseason appearances.
Milwaukee Brewers: Scooter Gennett improves off of 2014 campaign. The 24-year old was stellar for the Brewers in 2014, playing in 134 games with a .289 average. The infielder flew under the radar in 2014 but should be a household name with a similar season in 2015, but the key is consistency. With another offseason and Spring Training under his belt, the third year man will be ready to turn some heads in 2015.
Minnesota Twins: A lineup past Joe Mauer. The veteran has been a middle of the order presence for the Minnesota Twins for almost a decade, but past him there hasn’t been much to write home about lately in the Twin Cities. Kurt Suzuki has been solid and the addition of Torii Hunter is a nice touch, but without more stability and production around the diamond, Minnesota may be destined for another lackluster season.
New York Mets: Avoid the sophomore slump. The New York Mets were graced with the presence of Jacob deGrom in 2014, who won the NL Rookie of the Year Award. With Matt Harvey set to return and Noah Syndergaard expected to be in the rotation in 2015, the fate of the New York Mets may lie in the ability of Jacob deGrom to avoid the sophomore slump. If the young stud is able to do so, the Mets rotation should be a strength of the squad this season.
Next: NY, Oakland, Philly, Pitt, SD, and SF