As a true sports fan might turn their attention to the craziness of March Madness, another sport is beginning to ramp up: baseball.
The Major League Baseball’s (MLB) preseason, also known as Spring Training, has been in full swing for a few weeks now. Since February 12, when pitchers and catchers initially reported to training, teams have been practicing and scrimmaging in the Florida and Arizona heat. This new season has already created some major storylines that are likely to continue into the summer.
Notably, this spring has seen the emergence of Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki. On January 17, Sasaki signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, joining fellow countrymen Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinomu Yamamoto. The 23-year-old pitcher spent four seasons in the Japanese professional league, where he saw immense success, before making the jump to the United States. In the limited time we’ve seen him, Sasaki has shown promise. Debuting Wednesday, March 19, he threw three innings, striking out three, and only allowing one run; however, he did issue five walks.
Down in Tampa, FL, the New York Yankees have not had the spring they were hoping for. Their camp has faced several serious injuries that will leave the team short-handed when Opening Day rolls around. Right-handed slugger Giancarlo Staton is dealing with intense tendonitis in both elbows that, Athlon Sports is reporting, will likely leave him out of the lineup for a few months. On the pitching side, young star 26-year-old Luis Gil developed a lat strain that will delay his preparation for the season by six weeks. However, the most significant loss to the Yankees team was the revelation that ace Gerrit Cole will have to undergo Tommy John surgery to repair a torn UCL: an elbow surgery common in pitchers. The surgery and recovery will keep Cole sidelined for the entire year, leaving the Yankees without their best pitcher on an astounding $36 million per year salary.
Another storyline that has been spreading throughout the MLB is not about a player, but a pitch. Last year, San Francisco Giants rookie pitcher Hayden Birdsong introduced a new pitch to the MLB world earning the name; the kick-change. Birdsong altered the traditional grip of a changeup, increasing the vertical drop of the pitch while sacrificing very little speed. The success he had utilizing the pitch was noticed and has been copied this spring. New York Mets pitcher, Clay Holmes, revealed the pitch early in Spring Training, using it to propel himself to the Opening Day starter spot for the team. On the other side of the country, Seattle Mariners closing pitcher, Andres Munoz, has also begun throwing this pitch. Adding to his already dominant arsenal of pitches, Munoz mentioned the kick-change could be a lethal weapon against lefty batters. Spring Training also includes the second annual prospect breakout games. MLB teams create a lineup where some of their top young prospects are starting, allowing MLB fans to get a glimpse of their team’s future. This year, MLB reports that the games will include 68 of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects and nearly two-thirds of the 900 players on the organizational Top 30 lists. The prospects that perform well could experience a fast-track route to the major leagues, greatly raising the stakes for them. Last year’s marquee matchup between Paul Skenes’ Pirates and Jackson Holiday’s Orioles led to both of them being in the big leagues later that season. Despite these storylines, we won’t truly know how the season will go until the long-awaited Opening Day this Thursday, March 27.
