Opening Day is nearly here, and the FanSided baseball network is ready to cover the 2017 MLB season from every angle.
We’re lucky to have many passionate baseball fans here on the FanSided network, and we’re even luckier to have passionate fans that are also very good baseball thinkers and writers. As a result, we like to point out some of the best MLB content from around the network each week.
Opening Day is Sunday, and naturally, our FanSided 2017 MLB preview launched Thursday. In addition to previews of all 30 teams, our team of contributors put together several features, including:
- MLB Power Rankings: Cubs are the favorites again by Joshua Sadlock
- Life after Jose: How the Marlins move forward by Dave Stevenson
- Bronx Beaten: Yankees face long climb back, by Sarabeth Pollock
- Getting their Goat: Can anyone catch the Cubs? By Joshua Sadlock
- A beginner’s guide to baseball analytics, by Nicholas Ian Allen
As for the rest of the team around the network, Zach Gifford of Redbird Rants went on a deep dive into why Carlos Martinez’s changeup is the best pitch on the St. Louis Cardinals pitching staff. Gifford points to videos, charts, pitch tunneling data and more as evidence.
We all know Roberto Alomar, Dave Winfield and Paul Molitor, but there are several other former Toronto Blue Jays in Cooperstown that fans might not remember playing north of the border. The Jays Journal staff took a look at 10 former members of the Blue Jays organization enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Chicago White Sox starter Jose Quintana was a hot topic of conversation all offseason, and he’s a good bet to be traded at some point in 2017. Duane Rohrbacher of Wahoo’s on First thinks the division rival Cleveland Indians can and should pursue the talented lefty.
The Washington Nationals answered several questions this spring, as Ron Juckett noted for District on Deck. In addition to naming a closer and finding more depth in the farm system, observations of stars Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg and Trea Turner were among the five takeaways from the Nats Grapefruit League season.
One of the favorites to win the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers have also done a terrific job stocking their farm system. At Dodgers Way, Sully Engels offered analysis of some of the Dodgers top prospects based on their performances in spring training.
As for other in-depth analysis, Connelly Bock predicted whether or not Rangers infielders perform better or worse than their ZiPs preseason projections for Nolan Writin’. Marty Leap predicted the Opening Day lineup for the Pittsburgh Pirates at Rum Bunter. Sean Duckworth of That Ball’s Outta Here took a look at the five storylines to watch for the Phillies in 2017. And, while hope springs eternal prior to Opening Day, Rick McNair of BoSox Injection listed everything that could go wrong for the Red Sox in 2017.
Quick Hits
- Could baseball make it back to Montreal? There was a buzz on the topic this week, though Jackson Bruce of Call to the Pen took a look at why the Expos moved, and what would need to change for an MLB franchise to return.
- The Denver A’s? It could have happened, as Ben Macaluso discussed for Rox Pile.
- The White Sox are in rebuilding mode, and Brian Draus of Southside Showdown explores whether or not Chicago should deal reliever Nate Jones.
- Shawn Jindal of Rising Apple made the case to Mets fans to give Travis d’Arnaud one last chance.
- The Tampa Bay Rays have greatly improved their outfield defense, according to David Hill of Rays Colored Glasses.
- Mark Brown of Venom Strikes says Diamondbacks starter Shelby Miller is ready for Opening Day, and is ready to put a disastrous 2016 behind him.
- At Around the Foghorn, Justice delos Santos offered a mini analysis of Brandon Belt hitting in the No. 2 hole for the San Francisco Giants.
- At Yanks Go Yard, Steve Contursi says the Yankees are playing with house money and little room for error.
- Kristen Bentley outlined the new and improved Nicholas Castellanos for Motor City Bengals.
- No longer lovable losers, Chicago Cubs fans should embrace the hate headed their way, says Mike Niederman of Cubbies Crib.
- Baseball is a numbers game, and as Opening Day nears, Clint Irle of Climbing Tal’s Hill says the Astros magic number is 11.
Next: FanSided 2017 MLB season preview
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