The Ultimate MLB Preview - NL Edition
Food Comparisons, Over/Unders, Key Additions, and a No Bullshit Preview
It’s 3:06 A.M., a few days past from the beginning of the MLB season. You read that right—MLB baseball in mid-March? When the Eastern seaboard is half-frozen and half dealing with 80-degree temperatures? For the second consecutive season, the baseball calendar has started in the neighboring countries of South Korea and Japan—where baseball is the sport.
If you take a grand purview of Americana, baseball was the sport that captured the zeitgeist—from the turn of the 20th century to the late 90s, baseball ruled, albeit regionally. Football began its stakeholders in the public eye with Tom Landry, Pat Summerall, and their respective Cowboys/Steelers teams of the 1970s.
Baseball’s popularity has waxed and waned—from the home run/steroid chase of the 90s, the dominant Yankees run of the Steinbrenner era, to modern-day mini-dynasties like the Giants, Cardinals, and Astros.
At this time two nights ago, I was watching the Dodgers battle the Cubs to start the season. These games were played in a ballpark in Japan that wouldn’t even budge a minor-league park here in the US. I live close to the Las Vegas Aviators Park, perched in between a Burlington Coat Factory and a Tom Ford outlet (if that isn’t Vegas, I don’t know what is), and their facilities would trump any ballpark in Japan.
Still, the seats were packed, and while Ohtani’s home run was a double at best—you be the judge:
There is a certain excitement, a level of pageantry, that baseball enables that other major American sports don’t rival. I can equate this to soccer fandom—the pitch, the 90 minutes, no commercials, the restful ebb and flow of a game…
It’s relaxing.
Unless your team sucks.
So with the start of the new season stateside on the horizon, we all have something to look forward to. Whether you’re a die-hard Southsider looking for the Sox to not have the worst record in MLB history or the Dodger die-hard who thinks they have the makings of the next dynasty, it’s the hope that matters.
My preview is not that objective, but is mired in a view that we all need to have with ourselves: painful realism.
Here is my MLB Preview 2k25 NL Edition:
NL West:
Los Angeles Dodgers:
Overview:
It’s funny that the last time the Dodgers won the World Series was the “asterisk” COVID-shortened season in good ol’ Arlington, Texas. The Dodgers check all the boxes in terms of building a champion—good farm system, a 2-5 lineup of All-Star MVPs, solid pitching, good coach, and overall good clubhouse ju-ju.
Last year, they were on the brink of losing to the Padres in the division series but came out in front and proved victorious in dominant fashion through the NLCS and World Series.
They got better. Adding key bullpen pieces like Kirby Yates, signing Japan’s best pitcher, and bringing back the entire crew, namely Teoscar Hernandez. Look, you can bet against them, but I wouldn’t until proven wrong.
O/U:
103 wins
Over. This team got better! I keep knocking this on the proverbial table! Quotation marks! It’s not fun betting against the Evil Empire.
Key Additions:
Signed SP Blake Snell to a 5-year deal
Signed SP Roki Sasaki as an international free agent
Signed OF Teoscar Hernández to a 3-year deal
Signed OF Michael Conforto to a 1-year deal
Signed RP Tanner Scott to a 4-year deal
Signed RP Blake Treinen to a 2-year deal
Signed IF Hyeseong Kim to a 3-year deal
Extended IF/OF Tommy Edman to a 5-year deal
Signed RF Kirby Yates to a 1-year deal
Re-signed SP Clayton Kershaw to a 1-year deal
Food Comparison:
Monsanto:
The evil empire. The largest food conglomerate in the US. There’s no salary cap in the MLB, which allows for a bunch of tomfoolery. The leading average ticket spend, reigning MLB champs, where it’s harder to get outta Chavez Ravine than taking a trip to the East Coast? This team. They got even better. Monsanto keeps making its GMO crops, acquiring companies, and feeding you microplastics, toxins, and corn. Will it stop? No. Will the Dodgers stop? No.
San Diego Padres:
Overview:
Have you ever done a fantasy draft and opted for the stars and scrubs approach? Meet Josh Daniels’ apprentice, AJ Preller (see the last name coordinance? I digress before I get myself in trouble…) both of whom were a part of the Texas Rangers mini-get to the World Series dynasty in the 2010s but have both been woefully mediocre in the last decade… Regardless, the Padres were up 2-1 to the Dodgers in dominant fashion before they blew it.
Did they improve? No. Can they beat the Dodgers? Yes. In a series in August. In October? Hell nah.
O/U:
85.5
Under. They lost their best hitter in Jurickson Profar and best reliever in Tanner Scott to guess who? The Dodgers and Braves.
Key Additions:
Signed catcher Elias Díaz to a 1-year deal
Signed SP Nick Pivetta to a 4-year deal
Prior to re-signing backup catcher Díaz, the Padres had not added a single free agent on an MLB contract this winter. They hadn't added a single free agent of note until their addition of Pivetta as spring training began. The Padres have not conducted a single significant trade. Their left fielder, All-Star Jurickson Profar, joined the Atlanta Braves. Their closer, Tanner Scott, one of the top relievers in baseball, signed with the rival Dodgers. A key member of their infield mix, Ha-Seong Kim, joined the Tampa Bay Rays.
This relative transactional freeze is almost certainly a product of the team’s messy ownership situation, featuring a fight over control of the franchise between the widow and brothers of late owner Peter Seidler. GM AJ Preller has claimed that San Diego’s payroll will remain in the top 10 league-wide, but so far, the Padres have been frozen solid in a transactional ice age.
Food Comparison:
High Brow-Low Brow Comparison:
Uni Enchilada
The Padres have a lot of high-end talent: Dylan Cease, Machacho, Luis Arraez, Tatis, etc… but beyond this treasure trove of talent they don’t have much depth. One injury,.. And they could slip. This is the ultimate star and scrubs approach— high brow low brow. In a town like San Diego has access to the nation’s best seafood.. Why not compare this situation to the end of this episode of CHef’s Night Out? An uni flour enchilada? High-priced items paired with bargain bin items.
Arizona Diamondbacks:
Overview:
Can you name two teams more maligned the following year after a World Series appearance than the Dbacks and Rangers? The Arizona team had a better regular season but just missed the playoffs, but they retooled and are merely vying for a Wild Card spot this year after your best hitter leaves for Houston, but one of the best pitchers in the league outwardly states he just wants to pitch in Arizona. Rare.
O/U:
86.5
Over. Better pitching. Naylor to take over Walker’s production.
Key Additions:
Signed SP Corbin Burnes to a 6-year deal
Acquired 1B Josh Naylor via trade from the Cleveland Guardians
Re-signed OF Randal Grichuk to a 1-year deal
The Corbin Burnes deal is an absolute coup, a massive win for a franchise that doesn’t typically swim in the deep end of free agency. It’s extraordinarily rare for a player such as Burnes, one of the best pitchers in baseball and the best starter available this offseason, to leave even a nickel on the table. The Diamondbacks weren’t planning to make a run at the burly hurler, but once Burnes voiced his desire to play near his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, it became too good of an opportunity to pass up.
Adding Naylor as a replacement for Christian Walker, who departed to Houston in free agency, was a solid move. Naylor doesn’t have Walker’s track record of consistency or his defensive chops, but he’s a more than sufficient fill-in. Keeping Randal Grichuk, especially with the departures of Joc Pederson and Kevin Newman, is a sneaky big deal; that trio was critical to the D-backs’ league-leading offense last season. Adding another reliable bench piece or two would be a smart play.
Last year, Arizona missed the playoffs by a single game, in large part because their bullpen was unreliable. So far this winter, they’ve done absolutely nothing to remedy that problem. That’s the only thing keeping them from an A-.
Food Comparison:
Sonoran Hot Dog:
A popular street food in Mexico, the Sonoran dog is one of the foremost foods associated with the state of Arizona. These dogs feature a bacon-wrapped dog on a crusty roll, topped with pinto beans, grilled onions, tomatoes, mayonnaise, mustard, and jalapeño salsa. So where is the through-line to the team? This year's Diamondbacks are an amalgamation of parts that could work brilliantly or just be a hodgepodge of differing skill sets that lead to a low ceiling.
The Sonoran dog, while much celebrated as a sumptuous street food, features a lot of ingredients that on paper, sound good, but don't necessarily mesh well together. Pinto beans, mayo, tomatoes, and a bacon-wrapped dog? The floor is there, much like the steady D-Backs rotation, but the entirety of the team may leave something to be desired.
San Francisco Giants:
Overview:
If you want to look mediocre up in the dictionary in baseball terms look to the Giants. With Buster Posey in the fol as head of baseball operations, that could change, but for the past decade they have been nothing short of the Atlanta Falcons of the MLB. Not horrible, not great. That will not change in the first season of this regime change.
O/U:
79.5
Over.
Key Additions:
Signed SS Willy Adames to a 7-year deal
Signed SP Justin Verlander to a 1-year deal
The first winter under the new president of baseball operations Buster Posey was ... fine. For years, the Giants had been looking for a major free agent to take their money. This offseason, Willy Adames, one of the better shortstops in MLB, happily obliged. The effervescent Dominican will boost the Giants — being able to pencil someone in at shortstop for the foreseeable future is a big deal — but Adames is not the game-changing offensive force this lineup has thirsted for since Posey himself retired.
Adames is a really good hitter but not necessarily a fearsome one. That player remains elusive for the Giants, who are seeking to reorient their ethos on the fly.
San Francisco’s other significant offseason move, signing future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander to a one-year deal, plays into that cultural reshaping under Posey. Verlander will pitch this season at age 42 and finally showed significant signs of decline in 2024. The Giants are not expecting dominance from the three-time Cy Young winner. They’re hoping he can supply guidance, professionalism, and dependability.
Is this roster significantly better than it was in 2024, essentially exchanging Adames for Blake Snell? Maybe? But it’s not good enough to win the division, which is the ultimate goal for Posey and Co.
Food Comparison:
Room-Temperature Oysters:
A lot of people equate San Francisco with the clam chowder sourdough bread bowl, which in its own right is iconic. Yet, a better bet when you're at the Wharf is a stop at Leo's Oyster Bar or Swan Oyster Depot. Freshness is key when ordering oysters. You can have your preference of which Coast's bivalves you like better—the fattier Pacific Northwest ones, or the brinier East Coast counterparts, but the defining factor of a good oyster-eating experience is temperature and freshness.
This Giants team is a perfect corollary to a plate of room-temperature, stagnant oysters. Since their dominance in the 2010s, this team has never bottomed out but has never been bonafide playoff contenders. A great home ballpark, a la the aesthetic quality of a plate of oysters with ice and mignonette, and a product that never leaves you in awe, but never greatly disappointed.
Colorado Rockies:
Overview:
There are a few things definitive in life: death, taxes, and the Rockies being the top 10 in attendance. That’s how the ownership group moves—put together a “mid” team, have a beautiful ballpark, and make a 90+ game beer garden for fans from all over. Couple in the elevation leading to more runs, and you have what you want in a ballpark experience. So why invest? Beats me.
O/U:
61.5
Under. Easy. No talent. Charlie Blackmon retired at the ripe age of 34. Lol
Key Additions:
Signed 2B Thairo Estrada to a 1-year deal
Signed IF Kyle Farmer to a 1-year deal
Re-signed C Jacob Stallings to a 1-year deal
The Rockies are MLB’s odd cousin, always hanging out in the corner doing their own thing. They’re not bothering anybody, but they’re also not engaging much with the other 29 teams.
Colorado has not had a winning season since 2018, yet they’ve had the same manager since then and the same GM since 2021. They are rarely involved in rumors for free agents or trades; it’s just a weird situation over there.
As such, it’s no surprise that the Rox made just a handful of moves this winter. Estrada and Farmer are nice pieces, but neither will turn Colorado into a contender. Such is life in the isolated hall of mirrors that is Coors Field
Food Comparison:
Coors Light.
No need to overthink this one. The Rockies, despite being one of the worst teams in baseball, perennially rank in the top half of attendance and ticket revenue. Coors Light, despite it tasting like dog's urine, is still the most popular beer in America. Plebs and gonna pleb, and people are gonna keep visiting Coors Field. I can't blame them.
The outside terrace and surrounding landscape of the ballpark are akin to a beer garden. I've been there, I get the appeal. I do not however want to watch a minute of Rockies baseball, nor do I ever want to drink a Coors Light.
NL Central:
Chicago Cubs:
Overview:
After years of half-measures and conservative additions, the Cubs finally swung big with their trade to acquire Kyle Tucker from Houston, giving them the superstar bat their roster has sorely lacked since the Bryant/Rizzo/Schwarber days.
Chicago paid a heavy price to get him, but it was refreshing to see this front office finally make an aggressive move that reflected a level of urgency to restore the Cubs’ status as one of MLB’s prominent franchises, rather than an underwhelming big-market club mired in mediocrity. Subsequently, they made a very post-Championship run Cubs move to follow—jettisoning Cody Bellinger to the Yankees and swallowing the salary, and not spending enough to shore up a weak bullpen and starting rotation.
Tucker could leave in a season, and the Cubs could circle around the mediocrity hamster wheel they seem so mired in once again.
O/U:
85.5
Under. Too many question marks outside of Justin Steele in terms of starting pitching, and too much riding on the ascension of top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong. Seiya Suzuki is a stud, but can never stay healthy.
Key Additions:
Acquired OF Kyle Tucker via trade from Houston
Signed SP Matthew Boyd to a 2-year deal
Signed C Carson Kelly to a 2-year deal
Acquired RP Ryan Pressly via trade from Houston
Acquired RP Eli Morgan via trade from Cleveland
Food Comparison:
Lou Malnati’s:
Love it or hate it, the deep dish pizza is a Chicago staple, and Lou Malnati's is the Chicago institution best known for churning out these, monstrous, lasagna-like pies. Praised for its butter crust, rich umami-heavy sauce, and heaps of cheese, the "Malnati Chicago Classic" has garnered a cult following, much like the fanbase of the Cubs. Cubs fans hold their team close to their hearts, always display their fandom proudly, but also realize that their long rich history has never amounted to a great number of championships or sustained success.
Deep-dish pizza is the same idea. Have it in micro-servings, but making it a staple of your diet is ultimately gonna burn you out and crash your lipids. When it's good, it's great, much like their Cinderella championship run that is now over a decade ago (how time flies), but the majority of the time, it's just there.
Milwaukee Brewers:
There are certain teams in sports, across all leagues, that as a gambler or fan, you have a hard time handicapping or just frankly overlook. The Brewers are one of those teams for me. Last season, the Brew Crew outperformed their projections and win total, winning the NL Central by a handful of games only to have their hearts ripped out by Pete Alonso and the Mets on a last-out walkoff in the Wild Card game.
For Milwaukee, it was another offseason of familiar faces finding homes elsewhere, as star shortstop Willy Adames secured a massive free-agent deal with San Francisco and closer Devin Williams was shipped to the Bronx entering the final year of his contract. Both of these moves were questionable, but if it is one thing that Milwaukee has done over the past decade is to be the most consistent team in the division, all while getting rid of big pieces seemingly every offseason. Brandon Woodruff is set to return from a year's absence, which could be a big boost if he returns to ace level.
O/U:
83.5
Over. The return of Woodruff from injury and the ascension of prospects like Jackson Chourio does not net a ten-loss windfall from last year’s 93-win season.
Key Additions:
Acquired SP Nestor Cortes, INF Caleb Durbin via trade from New York
Acquired RP Grant Anderson via trade from Texas
Selected RP Connor Thomas from St. Louis in Rule 5 Draft
Food Comparison:
Miller High Life
Much like how Coors is to Colorado, the Miller Brewing Company is to Milwaukee. Famously coined the “champagne of beers,” High Life has carved its place in Americana. For a domestic beer it’s passable, and so are the Brewers. The team lacks any and all wow factor, hasn’t contended for nearly 20 years, but always stems together scrappy, teams that grade out to a net positive. You know what you’re getting with Miller High Life—great iconography, nostalgia for yesteryears, and median-grade hops.
Pittsburgh Pirates:
Overview:
Raise your hand if the debut of Paul Skenes last year reinvigorated your love for baseball. *Raises hand* Less than 6 months after he was drafted number one overall by the Pirates, Skenes made his electric debut for the team, singlehandedly boosting the team’s jersey sales, and viewership and jumpstarting an otherwise bleeding fanbase.
You could pencil in 6 innings of 1 run ball with 8+ strikeouts every start, a consistency that we had not seen the likes of peak Jacob DeGrom or Clayton Kershaw. The rest of the discourse around the Pirates ends there. The team lost star outfielder Oneil Cruz to injury early in the season, only to have aging franchise bedrock Andrew McCutchen be their best hitter as he nears 40. The Pirates' ownership is notoriously frugal, and that continued this offseason, with a flurry of lackluster, status-quo innings eaters and league-average bats. When you have a generational star like Skenes, you need to maximize his window, or history will repeat itself in an eerie way much like another star pitcher of theirs did, Gerrit Cole.
O/U:
77.5
Under. The hitting is dreadful, the rotation is solid, but there is not enough upside to guarantee a jump from last year’s win total.
Key Additions:
Acquired INF Spencer Horwitz via trade from Toronto (via Cleveland)
Signed DH Andrew McCutchen to a 1-year deal
Signed INF/OF Adam Frazier to a 1-year deal
Signed RP Caleb Ferguson to a 1-year deal
Signed RP Tim Mayza to a 1-year deal
Food Comparison:
Foie Gras on top of Boxed Stuffing:
My pick for NL CY Young this year is Paul Skenes. Skenes is the foie gras in this equation—a super premium ingredient that holds its weight on its own. The rest of the Pirates are the Stauffer’s boxed stuffing—empty calories, processed carbs that the ownership group just trots out year after year without any upside.
St. Louis Cardinals:
Overview:
It feels weird to write about the Cardinals as one of the most irrelevant teams in baseball. There are certain franchises that are better for the league to be good—the Celtics/Lakers for the NBA, the Cowboys/Packers in the NFL, and the Cardinals and Yankees fall under that umbrella for baseball due to their rich histories and passionate fanbases.
You know you had a bad offseason when your president of baseball operations declares his intention to trade one of your star players (Nolan Arenado), then tip-toes around the thought of gutting the teams’ other stars all winter, yet never pulls the trigger.
With spring training underway, the Cardinals are still seeking a landing spot for Arenado, and Mozeliak said recently that it’s a “coin flip” whether they will find a deal, even with their continued intentions. It’s not that St. Louis’ roster looks particularly poor as currently constructed.
It’s that all the Cardinals talk this winter was about subtracting rather than adding, not just in regard to Arenado but also with trade rumors involving closer Ryan Helsley and starters Sonny Gray, Erick Fedde, and Steven Matz. Hard to sell your fans on a team with morale at an all-time low, no major prospects in the pipeline, and a playoff drought.
Key Additions:
None. Only team to not spend a dime all offseason, oh and they lost Paul Goldschmidt.
O/U:
77.5
Under. This has all the looks of a fire sale come the trade deadline.
Food Comparison:
Coca-Cola:
Say what you want, but Coca-Cola to me is an outdated American brand. A. Soft drinks have gone by the wayside for healthier alternatives like Poppi and Ollipop. B. Coke has been usurped by coffee and energy drinks C. Their stock has plummeted, and they are now banking on a big-money acquisition of milk company Fairlife to bring life back to the brand.
Long gone are the days of Pujols, Wainwright, and a perennial contender, which is fine with me because that means we don’t have to listen to Cardinals homer Joe Buck wax poetic about the glory days of the team and his biased commentary. Coke to me is the Caridnals, a faded American brand that is grasping at straws for relevancy.
Cincinnati Reds:
Overview:
Terry Francona wasn’t going to come out of retirement to manage a team he didn’t believe could be a winner. And based on the flurry of moves executed by the Cincinnati front office since Francona’s surprise hiring in October, it seems the franchise is rightfully committed to assembling a roster worthy of being led by a future Hall of Famer.
Retaining an underrated rotation anchor in Nick Martinez via the qualifying offer was a strong start, and that looks especially savvy in tandem with the acquisition of Singer to reinforce the staff further. Hays and Lux should bolster a lineup that badly needed a boost, and Rogers was a nice late-January addition to strengthen the bullpen. Factor in the ascension of Elly De La Cruz and pitcher Hunter Greene, and the path is open for the Reds to make a leap.
O/U:
78.5
Over. Easy over. Someone in this division has to have positive regression, and the addition of Francona, an adult in the room, coupled with new juice in the lineup and the bullpen could carve a route for them to win the division.
Key Additions:
Hired Terry Francona as manager
Signed SP Nick Martinez to a 1-year deal
Signed OF Austin Hays to a 1-year deal
Acquired SP Brady Singer via trade from Kansas City
Acquired 2B Gavin Lux via trade from Los Angeles
Acquired C Jose Trevino via trade from New York
Acquired RP Taylor Rogers via trade from San Francisco
Terry Francona wasn’t going to come out of retirement to manage a team he didn’t believe could be a winner. And based on the flurry of moves executed by the Cincinnati front office since Francona’s surprise hiring in October, it seems the franchise is rightfully committed to assembling a roster worthy of being led by a future Hall of Famer.
Retaining an underrated rotation anchor in Martinez via the qualifying offer was a strong start, and that looks especially savvy in tandem with the acquisition of Singer to reinforce the staff further. Hays and Lux should bolster a lineup that badly needed a boost, and Rogers was a nice late-January addition to strengthen the bullpen. Factor in the ascension of Elly De La Cruz and pitcher Hunter Greene, and the path is open for the Reds to make a leap.
Food Comparison:
Pizookie:
In Terry Francona's book Over the Monster, he states that his favorite food is grape popsicles, even lamenting to the point of consuming 17 in one night. In addition, TIto mentioned that he loves ice cream sundaes, and cookies. We could go many routes with that anecdote, but a fitting comparison to this young, hungry, fun-to-watch Reds team is the famed Pizookie dessert from BJ's Brewhouse.
Lmao this guy was Bodybuilding.com Forums Alum like me and Erick Koenrich Power Sytems in the Ice Cream Forum
The Pizookie is essentially a warm skillet cookie cooked in a cast iron with loads of brown butter, and heaps of chocolate chips and served with vanilla ice cream. This Reds team has a little bit of everything for the average baseball fan—baserunning pizazz from De La Cruz, good young pitching, interesting prospects, and the stability of a championship-winning, culture-shifting coach. Put a Pizookie in front of anyone and it’s hard not to be pleased. This might sound like a bit of a hyperbole, but hey, gotta like someone in this division other than the chalk in the Cubs.
New York Mets:
Overview:
Coming off a magical and improbable run last season mired by a Grimace-led second-half surge, a Pete Alonso last strike walk-off in the Wild Card game, and an appearance in the NLCS, the Mets enter this 2025 campaign with something that that they have not handled well: expectations. What was once reserved for the other New York team, unlimited pocketbooks, has now transferred over from Steinrunner to Mets owner Steve Cohen.
Cohen went out and stole all-star Juan Soto from the Yankees in the richest deal in MLB history. They also brought back Alonso, but will their luck continue?
On paper, they still stand as the third-best team in the division without a solid pitching rotation and regression probability.
O/U:
91
Under. The division is deep, and their pitching rotation still has question marks. Soto will give more punch to the offense but the hitters 5-9 in the order leave something to be desired. 91 is a tick too high.
Key Additions:
Signed OF Juan Soto to a 15-year deal
Re-signed SP Sean Manaea to a 3-year deal
Signed SP Clay Holmes to a 3-year deal
Signed SP Frankie Montas to a 2-year deal
Signed SP Griffin Canning to a 1-year deal
Acquired OF Jose Sirí via trade from the Tampa Bay Rays
Re-signed Pete Alonso to a 2-year deal
Signed RP Ryne Stanek to a 1-year deal
Food Comparison:
Overpriced Omakase:
If it’s one thing that New York does best outside of slice shops, red sauce joints, and the cornucopia of ethnic choices in Queens, it’s overpriced omakase. When you have trust fund babies, finance bros, and the rich running around boroughs like Manhattan, swiping their Black Cards numb, it’s no wonder that there are vast numbers of unimaginative, by-the-numbers omakase restaurants popping up left and right.
The Mets spent $765 million dollars on one player. They can afford luxuries when your owner scoffs at numbers like that. While Soto and Alonso can be compared to premium cuts of toro and nodoguru, the rest of the meal is mostly flash, not substance. Not to say that omakases are a bad experience, but often you’re coming home boiling some eggs and having some carrots and hummus afterward. Big ticket dining, low enjoyment quotient.
Philadelphia Phillies:
Despite winning the NL East last season, Phillies fans’ last memory of the team was a disheartening loss to the Mets in the NLDS. In the aftermath, all reports indicated that President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski would oversee a roster refresh in the winter. For the second consecutive October, the Phillies’ vaunted offense had imploded on the big stage beneath an avalanche of strikeouts.
Shaking things up seemed logical, and prudent. Instead, Dombrowski doubled down on starting pitching, reinforcing what was already a strength of his club. Minor signings here and there, and adding a new closer may not move the needle for the Phils, whose fate ultimately rests on the team's best hitters in October.
O/U: 91.5
Over. The Phillies will continue their NL East reign in the regular season, and adding Kepler, Luzardo, and Romano are marginal moves on paper, but stabilize what is already a deep roster.
Key Additions:
Acquired SP Jesús Luzardo via trade from the Miami Marlins
Signed RP Jordan Romano to a 1-year deal
Signed OF Max Kepler to a 1-year deal
Signed SP/RP Joe Ross to a 1-year deal
Food Comparison:
A Ribeye Cooked More than Medium Rare:
The fatty richness of a good ribeye is unparalleled. Philly, contrary to popular belief, is as much of red sauce, steakhouse city much like Chicago and New York, but always gets classified as the “cheese steak” town. A prized cut, the ribeye needs attention and fine-tuning to get the elusive char and doneness that results in a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
The Phillies are one of the prime cuts in the National League, yet always fumble in the postseason. Hence the comparison to a well-done steak. It’s a farce to burn a steak of this quality to any doneness above a medium-rare sear. A great product is lessened, similar to the great regular seasons, the star power of Bryce Harper, and their great pitching rotation, which all comes to a screeching end in the postseason.
Atlanta Braves:
Overview:
Just a few months into the 2024 season, the Braves looked as if they were destined for the season from hell. Losing franchise cornerstone Ronald Acuna Jr,, then losing ace Spencer Strider in a month, the team looked poised to have a down year, but as proven throughout the last decade, this Braves team was resilient, striking gold in a Chris Sale renaissance, having good pitchers come out of nowhere, and patching together a potent offense on the shoulders of Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson.
The two aforementioned players, Acuna and Strider should be back in a month or so, and the Braves look to set their flag as one of the National League’s perennial contenders once more. They are one of the few teams to have a winning record against the Dodgers over the past five seasons
O/U:
93.5
Under. The addition of Acuna and Strider could improve their 89-win clip of the previous year by four games, but that is also banking on Chris Sale staying healthy, and downplaying the departure of key players like Max Fried and Charlie Morton. 93 feels just right.
Key Additions:
Signed OF Bryan De La Cruz to a split deal
Signed OF Jurickson Profar to a 3-year deal
Food Comparison:
Peach Galette:
Galettes don't get their proper shine. A hybrid of a cake and crepe, these French pastries are flat, freeform cakes where the center of the dough is filled with fruit and then has its edges folded over the filling.
In an age where diners are looking for more light dessert options, galettes should be found more on menus. Georgia's state fruit is the peach, a stone fruit that in my opinion, tastes better baked or brulee-d, making it a great galette option. The Braves have all the pieces that make them a well-rounded team. Much like how the flaky crust plays in hand to the butter and fruit filling, the Braves bullpen, power hitting, and pedigree make them into a cohesive unit, much like the ingredients in the galette.
Washington Nationals:
Every season, across all sports, there are a handful of teams I designate as “rat teams”. Teams that you gamble on and on paper look bad, but wind up screwing you over night after night with improbable wins. Last season, the Nats definitely fit that build. Projected as one of the worst teams, the Nationals exceeded their win total last year through a mix of interesting young players like CJ Abrams, James Wood, MacKenzie Gore, and Jake Irvin.
Not household names by any stretch, the Nationals are a rebuilding team that will be sneaky in stretches. Note: They have been the worst team in baseball since 2020. In an alternate timeline, an offseason existed that would’ve sprung the Nationals into genuine wild-card contention. Washington, buoyed by Patrick Corbin’s massive contract coming off the books, could’ve been active at the top of the free-agent market. But the Nationals entered spring training without a truly significant addition.
O/U:
72.5
Under. The Nationals overperformed and won 71 games last year. I see them hovering around that number, but the addition of Nate Lowe, who suddenly becomes their best hitter will add much-needed on-base percentage to their lackluster lineup.
Key Additions:
Signed SP Trevor Williams to a 2-year deal
Signed SP Mike Soroka to a 1-year deal
Acquired 1B Nate Lowe via trade from the Texas Rangers
Signed RP Jorge Lopez to a 1-year deal
Signed 1B Josh Bell to a 1-year deal
Food Comparison:
Sloppy Joe
An iconic Washington DC institution is Ben's Chili Bowl. A no-frills establishment slinging bowls of chili, half-smokes, and burgers to everyone from Martin Luther King to Barack Obama. While chili is a comforting staple that is part of the American culinary tradition, its kissing cousin—the Sloppy Joe is not.
Succumbed to cafeterias, middle-school lunches, and "Man-Wich," the Sloppy Joe lacks what good chili does best—incorporate the flavors of onion, garlic, tomato paste, and a soothing broth. It's practically as if someone through a brick of ground meat into a pot and dumped an entire bottle of Heinz ketchup in it. The sandwich itself is edible, I liked it as a kid, but as a grown person asking for one is appropo. The Nats could profile into a Ben's Chili-tradition-laden organization, as they had a decent culture and a good team in the 2010s, butnow they are just mired in mediocrity and a team full of juveniles (see: CJ Abrams).
Miami Marlins:
The Marlins are one of two MLB teams, alongside the White Sox, actively trying to lose. It is, once again, rebuild time in Miami. And so the Fish, under new president of baseball operations Peter Bendix, is trading away any veteran player worth his salt. Miami is two years away from being four years away.
O/U:
63.5
Under. The Marlins could be the worst team in baseball. I follow the sport to what I believe is a level on par with some beat reporters, but I couldn’t name a player on this roster outside of Sandy Alcantara.
Key Additions:
Traded 3B/1B Jake Burger to Texas
Traded SP Jesús Luzardo to Philadelphia
Acquired 1B Matt Mervis via trade from the Chicago Cubs
Food Comparison:
Goya TV Dinner
No need for in-depth analysis here. Goya is synonymous with the Latin community, and while I am not writing this disparagingly, their line of frozen dinners leaves something to be desired. The Marlins are going to be the worst team in the NL. Don’t litter your body with mystery foods.
NL Predictions:
Divisions:
NL East Winner: Phillies
NL Central Winner: Cubs
3. NL West Winner: Dodgers
Wild Cards:
Atlanta Braves
San Diego Padres
New York Metropolitans
Superlatives:
NL CY Young: Paul Skenes
NL MVP: Shohei Ohtani
NLCS: Dodgers vs. Braves:
Dodgers in 6.
Your writing is very genuine,and I feel a strong sense of familiarity with it,and feel a connection to it.
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