Sports Opinion: MLB preseason shows many new prospects

By: Isaac Turner Hall

Pitchers and catchers reported early to spring training last Thursday.

Some might ask why pitchers and catchers report early. Well, the real reason is because it takes longer for pitchers to get their arms ready than other players for the season, but it also gives us something to get excited about before spring training really begins.

People get to go watch the best and most popular players in baseball get ready for the season, including Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers and Madison Bumgarner for the Giants. Some teams have double the star power like the Cubs who have Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester. Or the New York Mets, who’s pitching rotation features four aces, and their lineup is one for the ages.

This year, the Chicago Cubs are going to try to break over a 100-year slump as favorites to win the World Series. They have made several moves this offseason to win it all, including signing Jason Heyward, Ben Zobrist and John Lackey in the offseason.

The Cubs will have a lot of work to do, though. They will still have to face the powerhouse St. Louis Cardinals, who even though they lost two players to the Cubs in the offseason, they still have great management and are always one of the favorites to win it all.

The AL has a lot going on as well. Last year they had a two-man race for MVP between Mike Trout and Josh Donaldson, and the Red Sox are sending David Ortiz on a farewell tour similar to that of Derek Jeter last year and Kobe Bryant this year in the NBA. Ortiz is a hall of famer on the first ballot without a question, but if he will end his career with one last title, it is up to the rest of the team. The Red Sox have one of the best teams in the league and are favorites to win the AL East, but there are other teams challenging for the AL pennant as well, like the defending World Series champions Kansas City Royals, who have a host of all-stars on their roster and have acquired much young talent this offseason, so the Royals are prepared to make a World Series run as well.

MLB is on the rise again, and this is a big year for it as the league is loaded with young talent at all positions on the field, and because many teams that haven’t been as successful in past years appear to be on the rise, such as the Chicago Cubs who are 4 to 1 betting favorites to win the World Series and teams like the Mets, Astros and Rangers who are also all better than 15 to 1 odds to win the World Series teams, this year in baseball promises to deliver excitement all the way to October.