Some things that will make this season interesting

[SteveA]

Obviously this season will always have an asterisk on it in some people's minds.   But there are a few things that will make it intersting:

   1) The sprint of a 60 game season.   At least for teams in contention.   After 60 games last year the Nats were 27-33, and they won it all.   The Phillies led the NL East, the Cubs led the NL Central.   Neither made the playoffs.   There will be a lot of "unexpected" team performances due to the small sample size.   The pennant races could be great.  The importance of an individual game go way up.   A 5 game losing streak could knock a team out of contention.   

   2) With the season being a sprint and there being an August 31 trading deadline, I don't expect to see significant deadline deals this year.   I don't see a team trading prospects after playing 35 games with 25 left to play to try to improve their chances of winning a title that a lot of people feel won't mean much anyway.   So this is going to be a sprint where teams are going to go with what they've got.   People who don't like a team making huge changes to the character of their team by getting a Verlander at the deadline will enjoy this.

   3) Of course all of the "average" stats will have some outlier numbers.   The Cy Young Winner will likely be 10-1 with a 1.36 ERA.   Someone may hit .400, certainly several people will hit .350+,   There's going to be some incredible cards in next year's Strat-o-matic set.

   4) The extra inning experiment.   Not sure if I like it but I'm willing to approach it with an open mind.   It might even put a premium on having a player who has mastered the lost art of bunting!   Get that guy over with one out at home and you've got a good chance to win the game.

   5) Instead of rosters expanding in September, they will shrink, essentially.   (First two weeks of the season will be a 30 man roster, next two weeks will be a 28 man roster, then there will be a 26 man roster starting about August 21 through the end of the year).

   6) For losing teams like us, following the daily doings of the "taxi team" in Bowie or Aberdeen or Frederick will almost be like a second spring training, especially if they find a way to play actual games against other teams' taxi squads.   There will certainly be some 4A filler on those 30 man taxi squads to come up when guys get hurt, but there will probably also be some premium prospects.

   7) At some point I suspect they could start allowing fans in games in some limited, social distancing fashion, before just opening up to full crowds.   Would be a lot of fun to go to a game with just a few people spread out in each section, especially if you are in a section that will get some foul balls.   Bring a glove!

[VaBird1]

I hope we see managers trying some different things since it's such a short season.

[Ruzious]

Good post.  I definitely don't like the extra inning experiment, but gimmicks like that can help the O's.  

With the 60 game sprint, all you need are a couple of good streaks, and you  could be in contention.  The O's still have no shot at the playoffs, but they could make it interesting for a while.  And each game should be more meaningful.  

 

[Dipper9]

27 minutes ago, SteveA said:

 

     Would be a lot of fun to go to a game with just a few people spread out in each section, especially if you are in a section that will get some foul balls.   Bring a glove!

Um....I've been doing this for the past 20 years!  lol

[Tony-OH]

The only issue I have with the new rules is the extra innings rule. Having a runner on second base to start extras is dumb. Who gets the runs scored? Does the pitcher get an earned run when the runner scores from second even though he didn't allow him there?

Love adding the universal DH an hope that stays, but count me against the extra innings. I'd honestly rather just say you can play up to 12 innings then it's a tie.

[Frobby]

Nice post.   The only thing I’d quibble with is whether “multiple” players will bat over .350 after 60 games.    I couldn’t find a list of batting leaders at the 60-game mark from last year, but of the 19 qualifiers who batted .300+ on the season, only one was batting over .350 after 60 games — Cody Bellinger, .376.     So, while it certainly could happen, I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s likely that multiple guys will hit that high.    

[VaBird1]

10 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

The only issue I have with the new rules is the extra innings rule. Having a runner on second base to start extras is dumb. Who gets the runs scored? Does the pitcher get an earned run when the runner scores from second even though he didn't allow him there?

Love adding the universal DH an hope that stays, but count me against the extra innings. I'd honestly rather just say you can play up to 12 innings then it's a tie.

I think they count it as an unearned run.  I believe the runner is treated as if he reached on error.

[Moose Milligan]

It'd be interesting if we were any good.

[Dipper9]

20 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

The only issue I have with the new rules is the extra innings rule. Having a runner on second base to start extras is dumb. Who gets the runs scored? Does the pitcher get an earned run when the runner scores from second even though he didn't allow him there?

Love adding the universal DH an hope that stays, but count me against the extra innings. I'd honestly rather just say you can play up to 12 innings then it's a tie.

Agree completely.  This is such a dumb rule. 

[MCO'sFan]

With the schedule the way it is the O's may be a lock for the 1-1 next draft. It is a brutal schedule with 60% or more of the schedule against the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Braves, and Nationals. Toronto, Mets and Phillies should be decent. Just the Marlins who should be on our level and we only play them 5 times? Anything can happen in a short season but....

[orioles119]

17 minutes ago, MCO'sFan said:

With the schedule the way it is the O's may be a lock for the 1-1 next draft. It is a brutal schedule with 60% or more of the schedule against the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Braves, and Nationals. Toronto, Mets and Phillies should be decent. Just the Marlins who should be on our level and we only play them 5 times? Anything can happen in a short season but....

This will be the year they go 29-31 and screw up getting the top pick.

[BohKnowsBmore]

28 minutes ago, Dipper9 said:

Agree completely.  This is such a dumb rule. 

It feels like a crappy suggestion from a media personality who doesn't really even seem to enjoy the sport. Sounds like something a Mike Greenberg or Tony Kornheiser would stump for to speed the game up.

[Oriole1940]

Yes, I say that it smacks of school yard ball when even girls used to participate, and out play some of the boys, I might add.  As to the obsession to speed the game up.  When you folks have lived as long as I have, you just might realize that life is/has been one big RUSH.  Baseball was the one place where I could sit back, have a beer and some popcorn and for a few minutes not have a care in the world. If I really wanted to participate,  I could always scream at the ump. I hope they still allow that.  

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, Oriole1940 said:

Yes, I say that it smacks of school yard ball when even girls used to participate, and out play some of the boys, I might add.  As to the obsession to speed the game up.  When you folks have lived as long as I have, you just might realize that life is/has been one big RUSH.  Baseball was the one place where I could sit back, have a beer and some popcorn and for a few minutes not have a care in the world. If I really wanted to participate,  I could always scream at the ump. I hope they still allow that.  

Funny, for the most part the older folks are that I interact with the less patient they are.

[bpilktree]

So based on the schedule should look like this 10 games against the AL east teams each.  6 games against the Nationals.  3 games verse the 4 NL east teams.  So that gets us 58 games not sure what the other 2 would be.