TEAM TO BEAT
LOS ANGELES DODGERS
The Dodgers have won nine of the last 10 division titles and are coming off a 111-win season, but the gap between them and the rest of the division is narrowing. The archrival Giants won the division in 2021, and the Padres upset the Dodgers in the NL Division Series last year. The Dodgers have significant talent to replace after Trea Turner, Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner and Tyler Anderson departed and Gavin Lux was lost for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Still, the Dodgers' organizational depth remains the best in MLB, and they have a long track record of seamlessly replacing injured or departed stars. The Dodgers boast the division's best rotation by a wide margin and their lineup remains potent with Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Max Muncy and offseason signee J.D. Martinez. A rookie class led by Miguel Vargas, Bobby Miller, James Outman, Ryan Pepiot and Gavin Stone could be baseball's best.
TOP PLAYER
MANNY MACHADO, 3B, PADRES
Machado has blossomed into one of MLB's top players and the Padres' clubhouse leader over the last three seasons. He hit .298/.366/.531 with 32 home runs, 107 RBIs and 100 runs scored last year while playing standout defense at third base and finished second in NL MVP voting. He was rewarded with an 11-year, $350 million extension in February, the fourth-largest contract in MLB history. The division is loaded with stars, including fellow Padres Fernando Tatis Jr. and Juan Soto and Dodgers standouts Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, but Machado is playing at the highest level of them all right now.
TOP PITCHER
JULIO URIAS, LHP, DODGERS
Denne historien er fra April 2023-utgaven av Baseball America.
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Denne historien er fra April 2023-utgaven av Baseball America.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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INDEPENDENT SPIRIT
Following the dissolution of the Pac-12, Oregon State embraces the uncertainty-and challenge of playing with no conference affiliation and remaining a national power
MLB FEELS THE LOSS OF MR. BASEBALL, BOB UECKER
Bob Uecker was never afraid to laugh at himself. His sense of humor endeared him to millions and earned him a place of reverence in the game, making his Mr. Baseball moniker entirely fitting.
BASEBALL LOSES RICKEY HENDERSON, ITS MAN OF STEAL
From roaming the hallways at Oakland Technical High to breaking records down the road at the Oakland Coliseum, left fielder Rickey Henderson personified the heart and grit of his home city.
A WINNING COMBINATION
More talent and better training methods have made college baseball a more attractive precursor to pro ball. Preseason No. 1 Texas A&M typifies this talent-rich new reality.
IT'S NOT HOW YOU START
Evidence mounts that baseball players, especially pitchers, should aim to peak around age 20
WHY COLLEGE BASEBALL COACHES ARE PURSUING OLDER ROSTERS
Nick Mingione was certain about two things heading into the 2023 season, his seventh at the helm of Kentucky's baseball program.
TWINSPIRATION
Witherspoon twins Kyson and Malachi draw inspiration from their determined single mother and each other as their baseball journey leads them to the front of Oklahoma's rotation
SURVIVE AND ADAPT
To be a college baseball coach is to be at the whim of the money-making sports, football and basketball. Success in such an environment is dependent on resiliency and malleability.
INDEPENDENT/PARTNER LEAGUES PLAYER OF THE YEAR ADAM FOGEL, MISSOULA PADDLEHEADS
Adam Fogel sets the Pioneer League home run record in a season to remember
MINOR LEAGUE EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR MIKE ABRAMSON, HARTFORD YARD GOATS
Hartford GM Mike Abramson’s tireless dedication has made the Yard Goats one of the best tickets in the minor leagues
