This year was a season of drama in Major League Baseball–and the drama that hasn’t felt this exciting in ages.
I used to be a diehard baseball fan. Everywhere I went I went with a bat and a mitt. I truly loved America’s pastime.
The peak of my baseball craze came in 2009. A then eight-year-old would stay up on school nights, mesmerized by the game of baseball. I knew the name of virtually every starter on every team, and I also knew their strengths and weaknesses. The best baseball video game, MLB 2k8, fueled my knowledge.
2009 New York Yankees (photo, kids.britannica.com)
That season was capped off by my Yankees parading in the streets of NYC. It was a perfect combo of harmony and happiness.
But it didn’t last.
For me, the decline was a product of stars who had hit rapid decline and an influx of unappealing young prospects. So between 2009-2017, I knew only a handful of players on certain teams.
I was struck most by what I’ll call ‘a different type of prospect.’ Younger players are becoming more successful at a younger age. And most of that mid-tier talent hasn’t been appealing (at least not to me) for a while.
Another thing that turned me away from the game was the drastic number of teams who went–in a snap–from contenders to sellers. That transition resulted in a deluge of international and unheard of players.
But, today, baseball is starting to get exciting again for me.
Players, who at one point were in the pack of mediocrity, are now making names for themselves, players like Willson Contreras, Jean Segura, Xander Bogaerts, and Christian Yelich. They’ve all blossomed into the players who have fulfilled their potential.
Then there’s pitching … and, boy, is there pitching! You can even make the case that 2018 is the Year of the Pitcher. Max Scherzer, Jacob DeGrom and Justin Verlander are among the best in the game. All three have pitched at historic levels with DeGrom in position win the Cy Young Award with only one win above .500.
The Brewers’ Christian Yelich (photo, madison.com)
There are sluggers, too. A’s outfielder Khris Davis and Rangers’ first baseman Joey Gallo have reached career-high home run numbers. And the Yankees hit the most home runs ever for one team in a season, 267. It’s an incredible feat considering that the team’s leading slugger, Aaron Judge, played in only 112 games.
But 2018 isn’t only about pitching and hitting. It’s very much about unexpected teams–teams that we hadn’t heard from for a while–excelling. The Rockies, Brewers, and A’s came out of nowhere to clinch spots in the postseason. That means baseball fans will be treated to seeing players they aren’t used to seeing–players like the incredible Christian Yelich.
Yeah, I’m back as a baseball fan.
