Living in Arizona has exposed me to many spicy foods. Unfortunately, the only spicy things I like in my life are flaming hot sports takes. So, let's hop into some of my scorching takes for the 2020 MLB season.
1. Chris Davis Ends 2020 Hitting 25+ HR and Batting over .234
You mean Khris Davis right Colin, the Oakland A's slugger? Nope! I mean the slumping Baltimore Orioles first baseman and designated hitter.
First and foremost, we know the playing time is going to be there since Davis will be making around $20 million dollars a year until 2023.
Secondly, have you seen Davis this spring training? Davis has a .467 BA, .615 OBP, 3 HR, and 9 RBI through nine games this spring.
I know it doesn't count, but for a power hitter who only has 28 HR to his credit the past two season combined along with horrific batting averages of .168 in 2018 and .179 in 2019, a great spring shows me Davis is comfortable in the box again. He is drawing walks and getting ahead of pitch counts.
There is absolutely no pressure coming into 2020 for Davis. The organization is in the middle of a massive rebuild and pitchers will be supplying meatballs early on until proven otherwise because of Davis' track record. We are going to see Davis re-emerge this season and slug 25+ home runs, and bat over .234 (his career average), unless he gets hurt again.
2. The Arizona Diamondbacks Earn a 2020 Wild Card Spot
Photo by: Colin Romaglia
The desert will be back in a similar position to 2017, fighting a one-game playoff, and is my surprise pick from the National League to make the postseason.
We all know the Dodgers are winning the National League West, but what about the other teams in the D-backs' division? The Padres are 2 years' worth of player development away from a deep MLB playoff push. The Giants are stuck between rebuilding and playing veterans well past their primes and the Rockies still lost over 90 games in 2019 despite having an incredible offense.
This left the D-backs with some daylight to buy during the offseason and boy did they cash out. They signed a new ace with tons of playoff experience, Madison Bumgarner, traded for a five-tool centerfielder, Starling Marté, and brought former Sun Devil, Kole Calhoun, back to the desert.
The D-backs only fell four wins short of making the postseason in 2019, finishing with a record of 85-77. With the NL Central and NL East each containing four playoff hopeful teams, I think they will tire each other out and bring the NL wild card spot win total to somewhere in the mid-80s in 2020. The D-backs will have no problem reaching that mark.
Will Ketel Marte and Eduardo Escobar experience the same success they had in 2019? I'm not sure, but Starling Marté and David Peralta will certainly take on most of the offensive burden this season.
3. Gerrit Cole Ends 2020 with an ERA above 3.50
Yes, Gerrit Cole is an elite pitcher, and he has the capability to strikeout 300+ batters this season. However, you can't ignore the fact that he gives up a lot of homeruns (He's averaging 1.2 HR per 9-innings the past three seasons).
His velocity lends itself to hard contact. Additionally, he's a right-handed pitcher who is moving to Yankee Stadium, which has one of the shortest right field porches in the league. Opponents are going to stack lefties against Cole, and a lot of should-be fly balls outs will turn into home runs when he pitches at home.
He's still going to win well over 15 games on an elite Yankees team and probably maintain a strikeout per 9-innings above 10; just don't expect his ERA be the sparkling 2.88 In 2018 or 2.50 in 2019.
4. The Texas Rangers Make the Postseason for the First Time Since 2016
Here it is, I needed to save my hottest take for last. It may seem outlandish, but there's no doubt most MLB fans in 2020 would want the Rangers representing Texas in the postseason instead of you know who.
The Rangers made fantastic pitching additions this offseason, taking chances on forgotten ace Corey Kluber (who was hampered in 2019 by a broken arm and oblique injury) and 31-year-old Kyle Gibson. Their rotation is filled with innings eaters who should be able to make 30 starts each and keep their team close most games (Kluber, Gibson, Mike Minor, and Lance Lynn).
Throw in a lineup that finished 12th in runs scored last season with 810 and you might just have the perfect mixture.
The biggest drawbacks to this hot take are that the Rangers bullpen is still a mystery, and the AL West is the most competitive division in the American League (with the Astros, Athletics, and Angels). If they make the big dance, this will be my proudest "I told you so".
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