As the start of the 2022 season draws nearer, have the fans been excited and jumped at the screen?
In this issue, I will take stock of the highlights of the new season of MLB, and remember to take notes.
Whether Shohei Otani can continue his magical performance
The player who received the most attention last season was none other than Los Angeles Angels' "two-knife flow" teenager Shohei Otani, a Japanese player who threw doubles and excelled in both areas last season. With 46 home runs in third place in major leagues and 100 points and 26 steals, he scored 9-2 in 23 games on pitching, with a remarkable 3.18 ERA, which also earned him the American League MVP without suspense.
In an interview, Shohei Ohtani said that he was in much better shape than last year and felt more relaxed than last year. At the same time, Shohei Otani has more expectations for his performance on the pitching end, and said that if he is more confident, he will get better results on the pitching end.
Shohei Otani Throws Shushu
Since the National League teams have also implemented designated strike rules this season, this has allowed Shohei Ohtani to increase the chances of playing when challenging the National League team across the league (in the past, the National League did not specify the strike, and the number of games in which Otani did not play as a starting pitcher, it was difficult for the Angels to stay as a defender for a long time).
How the new rules will change
The new season has attracted much attention not only from the changes in players, but also from the changes in the rules and methods of play, and the implementation of designated strikes by the National League is just one of them. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, the playoffs will be expanded from 10 to 12 teams in the new season, that is, one wild card seat will be added to each league, and the resulting competition will not only affect one or two teams, but it is likely that by the end of September, there will be about 10 teams in each league. So it's unlikely that there will be a situation where 10 teams get off in August.
There are also two important rule changes, or reinstatements. Instead of playing only 7 innings, the one-day double game has returned to 9 innings; at the same time, in response to players such as Shohei Ohtani and Michael Lorenzen, the "Shohei Otani" rule was born, allowing the starting pitchers of the two-knife flow to continue to participate as designated strikes even after leaving the game.
Newcomer data may usher in a year of explosion
In addition to the above rules, there is also a rule - if the rookies in the opening season rookie are ranked in the top three of the best rookie of the year, the team will receive compensatory draft picks, which means that there is a high probability that 6 teams in the American League and the League of Nations will enjoy this treatment. While the growth and conversion rate of rookie players is often unknown, this rule is designed to encourage teams to give new people more opportunities and promote the growth of the new generation of major league leagues.
Seattle Mariners Julio Rodriguez
Detroit Tigers Spencer Torkelson
So in the new season we are likely to see more rookie players emerge, and the statistics of rookie players as a whole may be more eye-catching than in the past, and some teams may put farm big things on the major league in advance to make the game more exciting.
And there are a few names to keep an eye on this year, such as two young strikers of the Detroit Tigers, Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene, the Seattle Mariners' five-beat outfielder Julio Rodriguez, and the Baltimore Orioles' striker Adley Rutschman) and the Kansas City Royals' young shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., and many more rookies will make their debuts during the season.
Kansas Royals Bobby Witt Jr.
Adley Rutschman of the Baltimore Orioles
Jackie Robinson's 75th anniversary of major league landings
There is no doubt that Jackie Robinson was a figure who had a profound influence on the development of baseball, and on April 15, 1947, he made his debut in major leagues, breaking down the barriers between races. In order to commemorate this great player, MLB has gradually expanded this influence, and in 2004, Major League designated April 15 as "Jackie Robinson Day"; in addition, the past three major anniversaries, major leagues have taken promotional measures to commemorate Robinson.
1987 marked the 40th anniversary of Robinson's arrival in Major League, and because he was the first major league rookie king award winner, major leagues directly named the award "Jackie Robinson Award". On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of 1997, all teams retired the No. 42 jersey and added the armband "Jackie Robinson 50" embroidered on the jersey to commemorate him. On April 15, 2007, the 60th anniversary of Robinson's landing in Major League Baseball, all six teams led by dodgers and Astros wore the No. 42 jersey watch to commemorate the occasion, and in 2009 this initiative covered every team and has remained so far. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary, it is not known whether major leagues will have more initiatives to commemorate this legendary star of great significance.
Can the Mets Double Ace Rotation work
Each offseason is the most promising day for the Mets, as their operations never disappoint fans, and soon after the End of the World Series, they signed a short contract with veteran star starter Max Scherzer in order to quickly improve the team's strength. The super double ace combination of Shezer + DeGrom believes that all teams in the major leagues must be in awe of three points, plus former sportsman main starter Chris Bassitt, if Carlos Carrasco can recover, the Mets will be very scary to keep the starting pitcher rotation in good health.
De Grom and Shezel Spring Training teamed up with 12K
In addition to the upgrade of the starting pitcher, this year's Mets have opted for a more robust strategy in terms of playing the line, unlike Last season's big contract signing Francisco Lindor, this year they did not strengthen the star line, but signed two veterans, Eduardo Escobar and Starling Marte. It is not known whether such a pitching lineup can make the team achieve a breakthrough in the new season.
Can the Mariners recover from the playoffs after 20 years?
Last season's American League playoff spot fight to see the Sailors' name at the last moment was something that many fans did not expect, and their several operations in the offseason showed their determination to rush into the playoffs. The signing of the new Kome League Yang Award pitcher Robbie Ray on a 5-year contract gave the team a new starting ace. And last season they were able to win the glue battle repeatedly, and the strength of the cowshed group should not be underestimated.
At the same time, the team's upgrade in the playing line is even more eye-catching, first they traded Adam Frazier, the strength of the second baseman who joined the Padres halfway last season, and then in the trade with the Reds, third baseman Eugenio Suarez and outfielder Jessie Winker, who are either strong or in good shape, plus several of the team's main players last season, although Kyle Seager retired , but the team's playing line strength does not drop but rises, and there are almost no weak rings. That gives them a chance to end a 20-year history of missing the playoffs with one more wild card seat.
Can a Warrior who lost Freeman achieve a title?
Last season's Warriors World Series win was a lot of excitement, especially the team's mid-season trade was a wonderful hand, because the main receiver at the time, Ronald Acuna Jr., was reimbursed for the injury season, and the other outfielders were also embarrassed, and the team simply made up 4 outfielders in one go! Many fans know what happened later, and these four were Jorge Soler, the MVP of the World Series, Eddie Rosario, the occasional Adam Duvall and the playoffs Mr. Joc Pederson.
Although Pederson and Soler left in the offseason, Acuña has returned from injury, and with Rosario staying in the team, the team's outfielders have improved their batting strength. While star first baseman Freddie Freeman joined the Dodgers, former athletics main baseman Matt Olson, who was traded, was also quite strong, and the Warriors' playing line was not weak at all. And after they signed Finisher Kenley Jensen, the strength of the bullpen is more stable, as long as the starting pitcher plays steadily, and the strong playing line and solid cowshed give them the confidence to compete with any team. In the new season, the team has only one goal - to defend the title!
What other stars and teams do you have to watch in the new season, discuss it with us in the comments section!