We are officially in the season of beautifully placed fastballs and fantastic bat flips. So whether your team made splashy off-season moves or opted to trade players, here are six teams you should keep an eye out for.
Tampa Bay Rays
Out of the American League East, the Tampa Bay Rays are the ones to watch. The Rays made a strong postseason appearance last year against the Astros, nearly beating them in the ALDS.
They didn’t sign a lot of big ticket names this off-season. They traded to add right-handed bats Hunter Renfroe, who will add some power to the lineup, and Manuel Margot, who puts pressure on pitchers by wreaking havoc on the base paths. These two players will contrast their notable starting rotation of pitchers.
Chicago White Sox
Over in the AL Central, the Chicago White Sox had the most active off-season out of all thirty ball clubs.
They signed three very notable names in catcher Yasmani Grandal, powerhitter Edwin Encarnación, and starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel.
Bringing in seasoned veterans to lead the budding talent, this team is one to keep an eye on. Chicago was able to add power and defense to the team without breaking the bank, putting them on the map.
Los Angeles Angels
This season the AL West is going to be the most exciting to watch. It’s going to be a fight to the finish between all five teams, but the Los Angeles Angels are the team to follow.
With the signing of recent world champion Anthony Rendon, the Angels are going to be a threat to take the division title away from the Astros.
The Halos are also getting outfielder Justin Upton and two-way player Shohei Ohtani back from injury, who will give their lineup depth.
Philadelphia Phillies
Jumping over to the National League East, the New York Mets are projected to win the division, but I would keep a close eye on the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Phillies are coming off of a disappointing year after a big signing of Bryce Harper in the 2019 off-season. They started off strong but were plagued by injury, putting holes in their lineup.
This off-season the team added shortstop Didi Gregorius to put a little more depth into the lineup.
Being led by new manager Joe Giradi, the Phillies are going to be a fun team to watch with a field full of young talent.
Cincinnati Reds
This season the NL Central is going to be a fight to the finish between all five teams, but the one that is shaping up to be the most interesting is the Cincinnati Reds.
The Reds have been quietly building a playoff caliber team over the last couple of seasons, starting with acquiring Sonny Gray and Trevor Bauer to a young, but talented rotation. During the off-season they added two big bats in Mike Moustakes and Nicholas Castellanos to their lineup, filling holes in the power category.
San Diego Padres
In the NL West, don’t count the San Diego Padres out just yet.
Although the LA Dodgers are sitting pretty on top of the division and don’t look to be going anywhere soon, the Padres may finally give them something to worry about.
The Padres are one of the younger teams in the league, but have done a good job of adding veteran presence for support.
Fernando Tatis Jr., who made his debut last year, will be back from injury and will add speed to the top of the Padres lineup.
The Friars’ young rotation of arms will also be one to watch with Chris Paddack and Joey Luchessi leading the way. This young team is going to take this division by surprise.
