The ‘MLB Central’ hosts weigh in on which teams are built for this strange season, the impact of fan-free stadiums, and more on Opening Day
Baseball is back, offering a welcome distraction and a lot of questions about how, exactly, the brevity and uniqueness of this season will impact the on-field product. From new rules like the three batter minimum and the universal DH; to a schedule that leaves no room for a sluggish start; and the return to full health by Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and others; the 2020 baseball season’s quirk may also be its salvation. This quirkiness means that no one really knows how everything is going to play out. The best guesses, however, will come from experts who eat, drink, and sleep baseball, which is why we reached out to MLB Central (airing 10 a.m. EST weekdays on MLB Network) hosts Lauren Shehadi, Robert Flores, and Mark DeRosa. The trio come together to deliver a morning shot of context for everything going on in the world of baseball. It’s an overall package that, according to Shehadi, stands out against a crowded field thanks in part to their level of prep and the uniqueness of their takes, with her adding, “you can get highlights and scores anywhere, but can you compare Clayton Kershaw to Bob Ross? On Central, you can. That’s what we do. And we do it with a smile.” Naturally, we wanted to steal some of that for our own baseball preview, so on a group Zoom call earlier this week, we asked about the trio to weigh in on which teams are best prepared to make some noise in 2020, the impact of COVID and labor strife on the game, playing without fans, and whether baseball is ready to step up and speak out on social issues. On which team is best prepared for this 60-game mad dash and which team could be a dark horse. Lauren Shehadi: I immediately think of the Yankees. I think 103 wins, and then you add Gerrit Cole. We always say if Judge and Stanton can get going at the same time, it’ll just be a spectacle, because it has not happened yet. Especially with that entire Yankees lineup, it would just be crazy. Mark DeRosa: The Dodgers come to my mind, just because they’re so interchangeable. They’re so deep. So many guys can do so many different things. You’ve got a guy like A. J. Pollock, who people don’t even know is on the roster but he was an All-Star a couple of years ago. They’re the team for me that just screams that they could win a sprint or a marathon. Robert Flores: It’s like the Dodgers have two or three different teams that they can throw at you, and all those arms in the bullpen. I think the bullpen is always important, but I think now it’s going to be even more important. So, I think it’s the Dodgers and Yankees as clearcut favorites. But with the nature of the schedule, maybe it lends itself to us seeing a dark horse or a surprise team in the mix. The Rays… I don’t know how much of a dark horse they are. They’re a known commodity, but I think if outside of the Yankees and the Dodgers winning it as the two heavy favorites, I would put the Rays as a team that could win. Shehadi: For me, it’s the Reds. I just feel like in the NL Central, there’s not just one clear cut dominant team. Nicholas Castellanos, the pitching staff, I feel like they could nickel and dime you for a couple of wins. And that’s all you need. You need to get off to a hot start. We talk about it all the time. It’s just such a different season and it’s such a different experience. So, if you can rattle off seven wins in the beginning, you’re gold. DeRosa: Sixty games,240 at-bats. I used to say, my season didn’t start until I had about 150 at-bats under my belt. Now it’s like, that’s not an option. So, Bryce Harper is the guy that comes to mind.
