Way-Too-Early MLB Quick Takes on Gerrit Cole, Yoenis Cespedes and More
The 2020 MLB season will be short, but not that short. A 60-game slate followed by the expanded, 16-team postseason will give us a lot of baseball.
So, with Opening Day barely in the rearview mirror, we're offering some quick takes on the early action.
Obviously, we can extrapolate only so much from a couple of contests. But after months of waiting for the game to return, forgive us for offering up 10 potentially premature observations from around both leagues.
The Nationals' Road to Repeating Already Looks Rocky
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Defending a title isn't easy. Since 1979, only the Toronto Blue Jays (1992-'93) and New York Yankees (1998-2000) have won more than one World Series in succession.
Two games into the season, the reigning champion Washington Nationals are already facing adversity.
First came the news, hours before the first pitch on Opening Day, that star outfielder Juan Soto will be sidelined indefinitely after testing positive for COVID-19.
Then, on Saturday, Stephen Strasburg—who the Nats signed to a seven-year, $245 million extension this offseason—was scratched from his start with a "nerve issue" in his right hand, per MLB.com's Jessica Camerato.
At this point, it's unclear when Soto or Strasburg will be back.
The Nationals are in for a dogfight in the deep National League East. It's early, but these are ominous signs.
Shane Bieber Made Us Beliebers
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After posting a 3.28 ERA with 259 strikeouts in 214.1 innings for Cleveland in 2019, Shane Bieber was an ace on the rise.
As he was entering just his third big league season, it was worth wondering what the 25-year-old would do for an encore.
He gave an early glimpse with a masterful Opening Day performance, striking out 14 in six shutout innings against the Kansas City Royals.
The Royals' lineup isn't exactly stacked. But Bieber looked like a guy with his sights set squarely on the American League Cy Young Award.
Bryce Harper Still Wants to Make Baseball Fun
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With his brash personality and demonstrative antics, Bryce Harper divides fans. Some love him, some less so.
But there's no denying he's one of the most entertaining players in the game, and he's clearly continuing his quest to make baseball fun again.
On Opening Day, Harper arrived in a well-tailored dark green suit with pictures featuring the Phillie Phanatic stitched inside the jacket. Later, he donned a pretty sharp pair of Phanatic-inspired cleats.
"I just love trying to develop something that really attaches myself with the fans and things like that," Harper told reporters. "I love this game. I love this city. I'm a fan, just like anybody else."
In a season defined by uncertainty, that kind of enthusiasm goes a long way.
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The Cardboard Fans Are Going to Stay Strange
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There is no way to make an MLB game played in a mostly empty stadium look or feel normal. That hasn't stopped the league from trying.
Teams are adding ambient crowd noises. They're playing walk-up songs and organ music. And they've placed cardboard cutouts of fans in some seats, especially behind home plate.
Clubs are trying to get creative. There are ordinary folks, celebrities, iconic former players and even the odd canine.
We aren't here to disparage the effort. And it must be cool in a surreal sort of way for people to see their faces during telecasts.
But the sight of slightly oversized, unblinking "spectators" in place of actual human beings will never quit being weird. And it took us about one inning of one game to realize this.
Yoenis Cespedes Is Back
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Yoenis Cespedes hadn't taken an at-bat in a big league game since July 20, 2018. Since then, injuries have sidelined the Cuban slugger and put his MLB future in doubt.
With extra time to get himself right during the coronavirus delay, Cespedes made his return to the New York Mets lineup on Opening Day and promptly became the answer to a trivia question.
Namely: Who was the first player to hit a home run as a designated hitter in a game featuring two National League teams?
The no-doubt solo blast, which represented the only run in the Mets' 1-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves, was vintage Cespedes. We're talking about the guy who made two All-Star appearances and had two top-10 MVP finishes from 2012 to 2016 and established himself among the most feared power bats in the game.
The 34-year-old probably won't return to his career peak. But that dinger was a very hopeful sign for the Queens contingent, which would benefit greatly from a productive Cespedes.
There Will Be No Yankee Adjustment for Gerrit Cole
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Gerrit Cole signed a nine-year, $324 million contract with the Yankees this offseason. It was worth wondering: Would the expectations of a massive payday and the pressure of donning pinstripes—not to mention moving to a new division—derail the 2019 AL Cy Young Award runner-up?
OK, "derail" might be a tad dramatic. But perhaps Cole would need an adjustment period?
After the smallest possible sample of one start, the answer appears to be no.
In the Yanks' rain-shortened Opening Day win over the Nationals, Cole threw five innings of one-hit, one-run ball with five strikeouts. Thanks to the inclement weather, it was a complete game of sorts.
Cole wasn't perfect. But if you're betting against his being every bit the ace New York hoped it was paying for...well, that's not a safe bet.
Baseball Is Better with Shohei Ohtani Pitching and Hitting
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On Sunday, Shohei Ohtani is set to make his return to the mound. The last time the two-way Japanese star pitched in a big league game was Sept. 2, 2018.
One Tommy John surgery and almost two years later, Ohtani will take the ball for the Los Angeles Angels. That's cause for celebration, whether or not you're a Halos fan.
In 2018, Ohtani showed us how scintillating it is when he plies his trade on the hill and in the batter's box. That season, en route to the AL Rookie of the Year award, he posted a .925 OPS with 22 homers in 367 plate appearances and averaged 11 K/9 with a 3.31 ERA in 51.2 innings.
Still just 26 years old, he has another chance to showcase his all-around dominance. And we get to watch.
The Wayward Toronto Blue Jays Could Be 2020's Team of Destiny
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After learning they couldn't play their home games in Toronto at the Rogers Centre because of the realities of the COVID-19 era, the Blue Jays searched for a new home and finally settled on Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York.
It'll be different, but it's better than having no home at all.
After that drama, the Jays came out on Opening Day and beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-4 in Florida. It felt like a statement for a young club that would probably have been a year or so away from contention in a normal season.
But, with the short campaign and expanded playoff format, anything can happen. And the Blue Jays boast an enviable young offensive core led by second-generation talents Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Cavan Biggio and Bo Bichette, plus a revamped pitching staff that added MLB ERA leader Hyun-Jin Ryu during the offseason.
In a world where more than half the teams make the dance, the squad that formerly played in Toronto (and hopefully will again) could be 2020's Cinderella.
The Luis Robert Era Has Begun
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No prospect trailed more hype into 2020 than Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert. In 2019, the Chi Sox phenom hit .328 with 32 home runs, 36 stolen bases and a 1.001 OPS between High-A and Triple-A.
All that was left was his MLB debut. But those don't always go as advertised, even for the great ones.
Robert, however, rose to the occasion by going 2-for-4 with a double. In his first big league at-bat, he swung at the first pitch and hit a single. The 115.8 mph exit velocity was the fastest for an inaugural MLB knock in the Statcast era, which began in 2015.
Chicago lost 10-5 to the division-rival Minnesota Twins. But Robert showed why he's a central piece for the up-and-coming White Sox and could soon become one of baseball's brightest stars.
The Dodgers Will Be Fine
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The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the 2020 season with a head of steam. They acquired star right fielder Mookie Betts from the Boston Red Sox in February and signed him to a 12-year, $365 million extension on the eve of Opening Day.
They had the hitting, the pitching and the depth to win the franchise's first title since 1988—short season or no.
So Dodgers fans can be forgiven for taking a collective inhale when the news hit that left-hander Clayton Kershaw was scratched from his first start with a back issue.
Never fear. The Dodgers simply turned to rookie Dustin May, who stepped in and threw 4.1 innings of one-run ball in L.A.'s 8-1 win over the San Francisco Giants while touching triple digits.
Betts and the Dodgers lineup did their thing. Kershaw got a clean MRI and expressed optimism he'd return soon.
Exhale, Dodger faithful. This crazy season may have more twists in store, but you're still the team to beat in the NL and probably baseball as a whole.
All statistics courtesy of Baseball Reference.
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