First pitch: 5 MLB spring training storylines we will be watching this week
By Kevin Henry
Our in-person MLB spring training coverage begins this week, and here are five things we are keeping an eye on in Arizona.
I’m heading to the Valley of the Sun this week to keep up with the latest happenings from the MLB teams with spring training sites in Arizona. Beginning tomorrow (Tuesday), you’ll be able to read in-depth, exclusive coverage on a variety of teams as I make my way around the Phoenix area, visiting different camps and grabbing time with some of the most notable names in the league.
So what am I keeping an eye on in Arizona this week? Here are five things.
MLB spring training storyline: Los Angeles Dodgers and the quest for the NL West
After making it to the NLCS last season, there is a great deal of excitement over in the San Diego Padres camp (more about that later) as they have been busy this offseason adding to their roster. Meanwhile, the Dodgers will roll out All-Stars in their lineup as well as the two I-5 rivals are expected to battle it out for supremacy in the division.
There is already plenty of talk about Jason Heyward changing his swing and looking good early in camp. Is it sustainable? Can the 33-year-old be an impact bat along with Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and what will be a new-look Dodgers lineup without the Turners (Trea and Justin) in the infield? Can Noah Syndergaard be an answer in the L.A. rotation?
It was a relatively quiet offseason inside Chavez Ravine. Will the strategy pay off and can the Dodgers flex their swagger early in the schedule? I’ll start asking those questions this week when I’m at Dodgers camp and watching them in three different games (including March 6 against the Padres).