MLB News

Astros Cheating Scandal

Alex Bregman running the bases of game five of the 2017 World Series

Scandal or propaganda? Recently the Astros have been called out for stealing signs at their home games. According to ex-Astros pitcher Mike Fiers, who now plays for the Athletics, there was a camera in center field which would observe the sign the catcher gave to the pitcher and then someone would make a loud noise signaling to the batter what the next pitch would be. According to mlb.com, a team cannot have any advantage whatsoever in a game, which the Astros allegedly did. According to people.com, the Astros were caught stealing signs in game five of the World Series. According to people.com, Whenever an Astros player went up, loud bangs were heard to tell them what the next pitch would be. Countless baseball fans are angered by the Astros organization for their actions. The MLB will conduct an interview of the Astro players from the 2017 roster to see if the Astros did really cheat. Some people that they will check are Carlos Beltran, A.J. Hinch, Brandon Taubman, and Alex Cora, and other current players. After the allegations arose, many players came out to talk about this. Kenly Jansen, a closer for the Los Angeles Dodgers, stated that the MLB should do something about the cheating and put a fine or, "ban a player" if needed. A couple days after the allegation, Yu Darvish, a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, stated that he believed that the Brewers were also cheating. Christian Yelich, an outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers, was heated after the comment by stating, "Nobody needs help facing you." While most believe that the Astros have been using a camera in the center-field area, this may not be true. It is not been proven or stated by the MLB whether the Astros have been cheating or not. Until we find out, it will remain a mystery and the Astros innocent.

Sights used: Google.com, cbssports.com, people.com, youtube.com, nymag.com

2020 MLB Predictions

Here are the MLB predictions 2020

As the 2019 MLB season has come to an end and 2020 season is only a couple months away. Here are some predictions for the highly anticipated 2020 season.

Finals Standings:

AL East: (1st place to last) Yankees, Rays, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Orioles

AL Central: (1st place to last) Twins, White Sox, Indians, Royals, Tigers

AL West: (1st place to last) Astros, Athletics, Rangers, Angels, Mariners

NL East: (1st place to last) Braves, Mets, Nationals, Phillies, Marlins

NL Central: (1st place to last) Brewers, Cubs, Cardinals, Reds, Pirates

NL West: (1st place to last) Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Padres, Rockies, Giants

Playoff predictions wild card matches:

American League: Athletics vs. White Sox 

White Sox win-Athletics continue the losing streak in the wild card games.

National League: Mets vs. Cubs 

Cubs win in extra innings.

The division series:

American League:

Astros vs. Twins - goes to four games, Astros win

White Sox vs. Yankees - Yankees sweep

National League:

Dodgers vs. Braves - goes to five games, Dodgers win

Brewers vs. Cubs - goes to five games - Cubs win in extras

The Championship Series:

American League:

Astros vs. Yankees - Yankees win in seven games

National League:

Dodgers vs. Cubs - Dodgers win in five games

The World Series:

Dodgers vs. Yankees - Dodgers win it all in six games

2019 MLB Trade Rumors

Here are some trade rumors for MLB players in the 2019 offseason:

1. 

Hyun‑jin Ryu:

 

Hyun-jin Ryu had a phenomenal 2019 season. He had a league-best 2.32 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 14 wins, and he got his first home run this year! He was a potential CY Young candidate this year. This year the Dodgers were stacked on offense but had poor pitching. The Dodgers will likely sign him for the 2020 season because they need PITCHING. He must remain healthy throughout the 2020 season because he had missed a huge portion of the 2019 season. Some other possible landings: Yankees, Phillies

2. Anthony Rendon

Anthony Rendon had an MVP type year in the 2019 season. He had a 3.19 batting average, 34 home runs, 174 hits, and a 6.3 war.  He is one of the most underrated players in the game. Every team needing offense should try and get him.  Anthony Rendon would be most suitable for the Rangers. The Rangers have a lot of money they could spend to buy a player and the weakest position on the team is third base. Rendon would bring both power and defense to their lineup. Some other possible landings: Dodgers, White Sox, Nationals

3. Marcell Ozuna

Marcell Ozuna had a decent year this 2019 season. He had a .241 batting average, 29 home runs, 117 hits, and a 2.2 war this season. Although it was not his best year, Ozuna hits for power and can be a valuable asset for weaker hitting teams. One possible destination for him is to stay with the Cardinals. Ozuna had helped lead the Cardinals to the NLCS, even though the Cardinals weren't the best team heading into the playoffs. The Cardinals would thrive with Ozuna if he can perform better next year. Some other possible landing options: Yankees, Pirates

4. Stephen Strasburg

Stephen Strasburg had an amazing year this 2019 season. He pitched amazing, won the World Series, and won the World Series MVP. He had a 3.32 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP, and 251 strikeouts. Strasburg would be a good fit for the Red Sox. The Red Sox had a disappointing 2019 season with only 84 wins as compared to their 2018 season with 108 wins. Everyone had expected the Red Sox to be first in their division, but the team collapsed and fell short of the playoffs. Adding pitching to their roster would greatly improve their defense. Strasburg's strong arm would help the Red Sox win more games and possibly be contenders next season. Additionally, Strasburg pitches amazing in the playoffs. In the World Series, Stephen Strasburg had an ERA of 2.51 and only allowed four earned runs! Other possible landings: Dodgers, Padres 

5. Gerrit Cole

Gerrit Cole had a great 2019 season. He plays at a Cy Young caliber level producing crazy numbers! He had 20 wins this season(which is really difficult to achieve), a 2.50 ERA, and a .89 WHIP. Any team with poor pitching should try and get him. Cole, however, would be the best fit for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are stacked with an offensive lineup. Even their pitchers can hit home runs. But the key thing that they are missing is pitching. Most of the pitchers do not perform well with stress. With Gerrit Cole in the rotation, that team would be unstoppable. Some other possible landings: Every other team in need of pitching(Yankees, Giants, etc...)

These are five possible moves for the game's best free agents.