Three Intriguing MLB Storylines Ahead of 2023 Opening Day
Much of Canada may still be blanketed with snow, but as Opening Day 2023 nears, signs of spring weather should be just around the corner.
There’s nothing like the feeling of starting a new season. It’s like being a child on Christmas Day. The excitement around what could unfold over the next six months is invigorating. And so too is the opportunity to start fresh and extinguish any failures from the previous campaign.
For the 29 teams who didn’t win the 2022 World Series, Thursday’s opener will act as a blank canvas for their championship hopes. The Houston Astros, meanwhile, will attempt to defend their crown as they pursue their third title since 2017.
This year’s regular-season celebration should feel extra special as it marks the first one not impacted by any COVID-19 protocols or an owner-imposed lockout since 2019. It’s hard to imagine that was only four years ago.
But before the first pitch flies to kick off the 2023 season, let’s explore three storylines that could captivate baseball fans out of the gate this year.
Can The Phillies Overcome Early-Season Injury Woes?
Coming off their first World Series appearances since 2009, the Philadelphia Phillies are hoping to replicate last season’s magical run in 2023 but have run into a major roadblock this spring, losing several key players to injury.
The team’s position player group – which is already without superstar Bryce Harper, expected to miss the first half while recovering from Tommy John surgery – took another massive hit after first baseman Rhys Hoskins tore his ACL during a non-contact play last week, ending his 2023 season before it began.
Replacing Hoskins – an impending free agent – won’t be easy for Phillies manager Rob Thomson. Philadelphia will miss his power greatly, especially considering he posted 30 home runs and a 122 wRC+ last season. But they’ll also miss his leadership, on and off the field.
Darick Hall will receive the nod as Hoskins’ injury replacement, which should help that void, as the 27-year-old blasted 37 round-trippers in 2022 – 28 in triple-A, nine in the majors. Though, with just 42 career big-league games under his belt, he remains largely unproven.
On the pitching side, the Phillies’ starting rotation will feature ace Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and newcomer Taijuan Walker at the top. Beyond that trio, however, things look much bleaker than they did a few weeks ago.
Ranger Suárez, suffering from forearm tightness, will almost certainly begin the season on the injured list, vacating the fourth starter’s position. There was an outside chance that top prospect Andrew Painter could’ve secured the final rotation spot, at least until he sprained his UCL.
The Phillies hope Painter can avoid TJ surgery, instead opting for rehab. But like Suárez, opening the 2023 campaign on the IL isn’t an outcome the 19-year-old can avoid.
In the meantime, Thomson will turn to a pair of lefties to round out his pitching staff, Bailey Falter and Matt Strahm, who was previously a multi-inning reliever. Michael Plassmeyer could also become an option later on if either hurler struggles.
Opening the regular season without several regulars isn’t ideal for a franchise with World Series aspirations, putting Philadelphia in a very tough spot out of the gate – one that could potentially derail any hope of winning the division.
The Phillies, however, are not the only NL East team dealing with these issues, as the New York Mets (Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Díaz, José Quintana) and Atlanta Braves (Raisel Iglesias, Tyler Matzek, Kyle Wright, Michael Soroka) find themselves in similar positions.
Considering last year’s bout between New York and Atlanta came down to the wire, a renewed division-wide competition is something every baseball fan would surely enjoy – unless you’re the Miami Marlins or Washington Nationals.
Dodgers, Padres Dueling For NL West Title
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ reign over the NL West Division has spanned the last decade, winning nine of the previous 10 division titles since 2013. But could a changing of the guard take place this season?
Following an intriguing off-season, in which the organization watched Trea Turner, Justin Turner, Tyler Anderson, Andrew Heaney and Cody Bellinger depart through free agency, plenty of new faces are donning the Dodger blue and white this spring. It remains to be seen how impactful they will be however.
Los Angeles acquired J.D. Martinez, Miguel Rojas, David Peralta and Jason Heyward to fill out its position player group, although there are flaws with each addition. The most notable concern is each player’s age, with all three far beyond the age-30 threshold, making them highly susceptible to injuries.
None of them are reliable offensive contributors, either, meaning it will be difficult to substitute Trea Turner’s stellar output. It also doesn’t help that Gavin Lux is out for the season due to a torn ACL, which could necessitate Mookie Betts moving to the infield.
The Dodgers’ starting rotation also features plenty of question marks, especially since it’ll be without Walker Buehler (Tommy John) and Tony Gonsolin (sprained ankle). Beyond Julio Urías and Dustin May, it’s fair to wonder how much Clayton Kershaw has left and what Noah Syndergaard can provide after posting a 4.27 ERA in 2022.
And did you notice what the San Diego Padres did over the winter? They only added one of the best shortstops (Xander Bogaerts) in baseball and brought in depth pieces like Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, Matt Carpenter and Nelson Cruz.
General manager A. J. Preller’s spending spree leaked into the spring, inking superstar third baseman Manny Machado to an 11-year, $350-million contract extension last month. Preller’s team will also receive full seasons of Juan Soto and Josh Hader, acquired amongst a flurry of 2022 trade deadline moves.
So much has happened that we haven’t even mentioned Fernando Tatis Jr. yet, who has transitioned to the outfield seamlessly this spring, showing off his superhero-esque arm strength numerous times.
Of course, it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the Padres as they won’t have Tatis (80-game PED suspension) until Apr. 20 and will be without two prominent arms (Joe Musgrove, Robert Suarez) to start the season. But all three could return to action before the end of April.
Musgrove’s eventual return could push Nick Martinez or Seth Lugo to the bullpen if San Diego doesn’t transition to a six-man starting rotation. Moving Martinez or Lugo to a relief role might be beneficial, as either would further improve the club’s already-loaded bullpen.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, could also receive an in-season boost to their bullpen with Blake Treinen (shoulder), Daniel Hudson (knee), J.P. Feyereisen (shoulder), Alex Reyes (shoulder) and Jimmy Nelson expected to return from the IL around the All-Star break.
It’s also fair to assume both front offices will be extremely active leading up to this summer’s trade deadline, which has quickly become Preller’s favourite time of the year.
While only one team can be crowned kings of the NL West, the Dodgers-Padres rivalry shouldn’t lack any drama in 2023, especially with San Diego hunting its first division title since 2006.
How Will Aaron Judge Follow Up His Historic 2022 Season?
Baseball fans witnessed one of the greatest bet-on-yourself seasons – if not the best – from Aaron Judge in 2022. He rejected a $213.5-million, seven-year offer almost exactly a year ago, and it paid off beautifully for the latest New York Yankees captain.
Judge, who signed a nine-year, $360-million contract extension to remain with the Yankees over the off-season, broke Roger Maris’ AL home run record by blasting 62 round-trippers. The four-time All-Star also led the majors in RBIs (131), wRC+ (207) and fWAR (11.4).
Can the 2022 AL MVP Award winner be just as good this season? Or will he struggle to replicate his record-breaking performance?
So far, Judge hasn’t taken a break from hitting rockets into the outfield, as he wrapped Grapefruit League action hitting .350/.447/.650 with a pair of home runs and seven RBIs across 16 contests. But as most already know, spring training results don’t matter to No. 99.
What does, however, is guiding his team to a seventh straight playoff berth. He carried the freight last season, evidenced by his career-high fWAR rating, and will be relied upon to do so again in 2023. It’s worth remembering that he is approaching the wrong side of 30, though.
At 6-foot-7, 282 pounds, players of Judge’s stature have usually struggled to stay healthy after crossing that threshold. And injuries have already been an issue for the Yankees outfielder, limiting him to fewer than 500 plate appearances in consecutive seasons from 2018-19.
The right-handed slugger could easily be the exception here, as he has avoided significant injuries in back-to-back campaigns. But there’s no denying his injury risk will continue to climb in future seasons.
Another factor that could impact Judge’s offensive production is that most pitchers are afraid to pitch to him. That was the case in 2022, as he ranked second in walk rate (15.9 percent) and intentional walks (19) among big-league hitters. A stat that will likely remain unchanged this season.
New York can minimize the number of walks Judge records by inserting enough protection around him, namely DJ LeMahieu and Anthony Rizzo. If both hitters stay healthy and enjoy bounce-back performances, there might be a slightly larger appetite to face Judge.
Then there’s the question of what top prospect Anthony Volpe can add to the Yankees’ offence. At 21 years old, the talented righty will likely open the season in the No. 9 spot, but if he continues creating positive results at the plate, he could also make it tougher to pitch around the team’s best hitter.
Between Judge, LeMahieu, Rizzo, Giancarlo Stanton and Volpe acting as a second leadoff hitter, the overall success of New York’s batting order could be much improved from last season. And that would likely take some pressure off the club’s injury-riddled pitching staff.
For Judge, individually, even if his offensive results aren’t as earth-shattering as they were in 2022, he can still be among the sport’s brightest stars every time he steps into the batter’s box this season.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85
Photo: Keith Allison. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.