MLB: An A-To-Z Preview of What to Watch for in 2019

B

Betts, Mookie: After a historic MVP campaign in 2018, what can the Boston star do to follow up, or even get better?

Bauer, Trevor: An enigma off the field as much as he is a strikeout machine on it, can Bauer unseat Corey Kluber as the Indians’ best starter in 2019?

C

Corey Seager: Taking the field for the first time since early last season, look for Seager to add even more to what is an already dangerous L.A. lineup.

Clayton Kershaw: While the Dodgers ace will start the season on the shelf with a shoulder injury, opponents should fear his return, as it may come with a vengeance.

D

Donaldson, Josh: It wasn’t too long ago when fans saw Donaldson as the best third baseman in the game. Coming to Atlanta to prove himself once again, the Bringer of Rain will be out for blood in 2019.

deGrom, Jacob: Simply put, last year’s Mets didn’t deserve the season that deGrom had. However, with a renewed roster, they are right back in the thick of things for this year, and that can only benefit the reigning Cy Young winner.

E

Eugenio Suarez: Speaking of renewed rosters, Suarez and the Reds can certainly boast one of their own. Are they in the race for a playoff spot in the NL? Depends who you talk to, but Suarez’s success will be important in taking steps.

Edwin Diaz: Coming off a season where he tied for the second most saves in a season, Diaz makes his way to the Big Apple to spearhead a re-loaded Mets bullpen.

F

Fernando Tatis Jr.: One of a number of prospects with the “will he, won’t he” call-up stigma surrounding him, the Padres pulled the trigger and will unleash baseball’s #2 prospect on the world as part of a very promising infield in San Diego.

Freeland, Kyle: As part of perhaps the most surprising pitching staff in 2018, Freeland will be looking forward to trying to duplicate his stellar 17 win season from last season in the new year.

G

Gary Sanchez: Combining his infamous defensive lapses with a sub .200 batting average last season, Gary Sanchez is going to be one of the premier bounceback candidates in all of MLB this season while still holding a key position in a potent Yankees lineup.

Gerrit Cole: This one right here is pretty simple. Coming into the season as the second hurler behind Justin Verlander in Houston, Cole looks to have yet another dominating season as part of the game’s best duo on the mound.

H

Harper, Bryce: The biggest prize of the off-season free agent pool, as well as being given practically everything but the key to the city by the Phillies, Harper has a chance to put up some major MVP caliber numbers in Citizens Bank Park if he can get his average back in order.

Hader, Josh: One of the most dominant relievers in the game today, the man known as “Haderade” enjoyed one of the most dominant reliever seasons in recent memory, as his strikeout record clearly shows. With a weakened Brewers bullpen to start the season, Hader’s versatility in that regard will be crucial for Milwaukee.

I

Ian Kinsler: While he was not the primary addition for the San Diego Padres this season, Kinsler brings with him an undeniable veteran presence that could prove beneficial on a team with prospects such as Tatis Jr. and Luis Urias coming up in the middle infield.

Iglesias, Raisel: In a division full of stellar bullpens and closers, Iglesias may be one of the most overlooked, but he should not be overlooked heading into this season. 35-40 saves are definitely possible for the Reds closer if they get him into the right situations in 2019.

J

Judge, Aaron: After one of the most dazzling rookie years in the history of MLB, Judge did come back down to earth in a way in 2018, where his 27 home runs paled in comparison to his 50 the year before. However, now entrenched in the middle of a Yankees lineup that pitchers may be afraid to pitch to any one person, Judge could very well crack the 40 home run benchmark with a full season in 2019.

Jose Berrios: One of the most promising young pitchers in the game and one of my personal favorite players, Berrios’ breaking stuff can be electric at times, and with the intrigue surrounding the Twins this season, expect more fans OF MLB to know his name by the end of the year.

K

Khris Davis: Is consistent or coincidental the right word for what Khris Davis has done the past few years? With 4 straight .247 seasons in which he has increased his total in each one culminating in a league-leading 48 in 2018, what will we see from Khrush in 2019?

Kenley Jansen: One of the best closers in MLB as well as bumping one of the best entrance themes (shoutout to Tupac), Jansen heads into yet another year closing things out for the two-time defending NL champions, and could very well be the best in the game by the end of 2019.

L

Luke Voit: Perhaps most unknown within the Yankees lineup, Luke Voit had an insane output post-break in 2018, hitting 14 home runs in just 39 games while slugging nearly .700 and playing himself into a secure roster spot this year. After a home run on Opening Day of his own, Voit may be adding his name to the danger list in New York’s order.

Lester, Jon: Going into this season, there seems to be some concern regarding the status of the Cubs’ pitching rotation, and Lester, as the ace, is going to be a major part of that sustainability as Chicago looks to regain the division title in 2019.

M

Merrifield, Whit: One of the most underrated players in MLB, Merrifield is coming off of a 2018 year in which he led the league in hits at 192 and stolen bases at 45. Making a solid middle infield in Kansas City along with Adalberto Mondesi, he may need to put up similar numbers for Kansas City to be able to crawl their way out of the AL Central cellar.

Max Scherzer: Still seen in regards of many as the most dominant right-hander in the game, though deGrom does appear to be catching up in that regard, Scherzer experienced his first 300 strikeout season, and fifth straight with over 250 Ks.

N

Nelson Cruz: One of many new additions in Minnesota this season, Cruz is an interesting case. While he can certainly still use the lumber, as indicated by not hitting under 37 home runs since 2013, he will be turning 39 in July of this season, so there lies the question of when his decline may begin, one which may be sharp for a hitter of his style.

Nola, Aaron: See the reasoning for most of the Phillies on here so far, except that Nola will be looking to build off a 2018 season that saw him finish 3rd in Cy Young voting and notch his first All-Star appearance.

O

Ohtani, Shohei: The “Japanese Babe Ruth”, as he was sometimes called before his transition to MLB last season, did live up to the billing in his time as a two-way player last season. While he did have Tommy John surgery this off-season, how much of an impact will Ohtani-san have on the Angels this season, where he is said to DH at some points.

Ottavino, Adam: Fun fact for you is that Adam Ottavino will be the first New York Yankee in franchise history to wear the number 0. Another fun fact, maybe not for opposing hitters, though, is that his slider is Sale levels of nastiness. Just another facet that should make the Yank’s bullpen the best in the game, Ottavino is one to watch in 2019 for more than just the number on his back.

P

Pete Alonso: One of the most promising prospects coming up to the Major League level in 2019, this young first baseman showed some serious raw power in Spring Training with the Mets, earning himself a call-up to the Show. While he has not hit his first home run yet as of writing, it may only be a matter of time for the one they call Pete (or Peter, depends where you look).

Price, David: His postseason demons have been vanquished (at least for now), and now David Price enters 2019 looking to be a major factor in the Red Sox rotation this season, while also sporting a new number, ditching his former 14 for #10.

Q

Quintana, Jose: Okay, full disclosure, I could not find a hitter for the letter Q except for Roman Quinn who, as far as I know, is not on the Phillies roster currently. So, the sole entry for this letter falls on Quintana, who should be determined to make his mark in his second full season with the team after an up and down 2018.

R

Ronald Acuna Jr.: The reigning National League Rookie of the Year, Acuna is one of those rare players in MLB that could seemingly bat anywhere in the lineup and be effective. While he made his mark last season in the leadoff spot, one can expect the young star to hit anywhere from 1-5 in the order for a Braves team that really bolstered its’ lineup this off-season.

Roberto Osuna: While there was some controversy surrounding Osuna last season as well as his move to Houston, the Astros will need the former Blue Jay to have a good year out of the back of the bullpen in order to have a similar year to last season and make their way back toward a potential World Series appearance.

S

Stanton, Giancarlo: Last season may not have begun the way that Giancarlo Stanton anticipated in his first season in the Bronx last season, with early-season strikeouts occasionally mixed with light ire from the Yankee faithful. However, he did turn it around to turn in a more Stanton-esque performance in the smaller Yankee Stadium, hitting 38 home runs on the year.

Sale, Chris: Sale used the nastiest pitch in baseball to end the World Series and was the best pitcher on the best team in MLB. Does more really need to be said?

T

Trout, Mike: It’s Mike Trout, and he signed the biggest contract in North American sports history within the last month. That’s it, I think.

Treinen, Blake: In terms of closers, Blake Treinen may have had one of the most quiet dominant seasons in recent history. While he kept fairly under the radar as a member of the Athletics, one of the most surprising teams in MLB in 2018, Treinen carved hitters with precision, with 100 strikeouts and a WHIP of just 0.83. Oh yeah, he also had a higher WAR than Edwin Diaz, who finished with 57 saves.

U

Upton, Justin: Unfortunately for Angels fans, the news came out just a few days into the new season that Upton will miss 8 to 12 weeks with a toe injury. While he is not Mike Trout in terms of his impact to the team, his presence will definitely be missed in a lineup that now seems to lack a definite second man behind their generational superstar.

Urena, Jose: Will there be any retribution still for Urena hitting the aforementioned Ronald Acuna last season? One would think that the time for such antics has long passed, but the other question is what kind of numbers Urena will put up to try to bounce back from a sup-par 2018?

V

Villar, Jonathan: The Baltimore Orioles are widely expected to be the worst team in MLB again this season, but if they have a solid chance to make their way past that fate in 2019, Villar is going to have to certainly be one of their major players, as the former Brewers infielder hopes to add some good performances at the dish to his noteworthy speed as one of the faster players in the game.

Vazquez, Felipe: One of the best lefty closers in MLB, the man once known by the surname Rivero leads the bullpen for a Pittsburgh team that hopes to surprise the world of MLB and contend for a possible playoff spot in a tough NL Central this season.

W

Wendle, Joey: With a chance to become one of the more underrated players in the game this season for an underrated Rays team, much of Wendle’s success will come from the amount of playing time he gets in a middle infield with players such as Daniel Robertson and Willy Adames.

Walker Buehler: A revelation on the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers at the tail end of last season, Buehler is one of many Dodgers leading the team’s youth movement coming into 2019, a movement which makes them one of the most dangerous teams to face this season.

X

Xander Boegaerts: An unexpected middle of the lineup presence on the surface due to the talent all throughout the Red Sox lineup, Boegaerts is right up there with guys like Trevor Story and Paul DeJong as one of the best power hitting shortstops in the game today, and Red Sox fans will hope for more of the same in their quest for a World Series repeat

Y

Yelich, Christian: So, the Brewers did a pretty good job on that Yelich trade, huh? While players such as Lewis Brinson and Isan Diaz could certainly grow into solid additions to the Marlins in future years, it’s less than likely that they will have the impact that Yelich had on Milwaukee’s team last year. From MVP to Silver Slugger to the batting title, the outfielder nearly did it all last season, and his 2019 is off to a pretty good start too (4 home runs in 4 games as of March 31).

Yates, Kirby: Another underrated closer and we make our way out to San Diego. While Yates did just rack up 12 saves in 2018 as a result of Brad Hand being in front of him for part of the season, he will take the reigns of the bullpen and attempt to lead the Padres to a solid result in 2019.

Z

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Zobrist, Ben: A World Series hero in both 2015 and 2016 for two different teams, Zobrist is in an interesting position heading into 2019, a veteran piece on a team filled with young guns, but a valuable position being a utility player who can play pretty much anywhere in a pinch.

Zack Greinke: His 2019 has not gotten off to the best start, as he got shelled on Opening Day against the Dodgers, but as long as Greinke settles in, he should be in line for a typical season of his, but the question remains how the rest of his time in Arizona will go with him being a free agent after the 2021 season.

Well, there we have it, one pitcher and hitter to watch for when it comes to almost every letter of the alphabet.

Perhaps you could keep this saved for reference throughout the year, but either way, have fun watching the best sport in the world this year!