When late March rolls around, it’s another Opening Day, followed by early-season heroics, midseason slumps and amazing award races to top off the six months of nonstop Major League Baseball.
Around this time, you hear Yankee fans state their case on why they will bring home another World Series trophy, but as we know hasn’t happened in over 15 years. Then there are the bandwagon fans hopping on the Dodgers’ back-to-back train with another expensive offseason in free agency.
Yet, I don’t see this happening. Sure, Shohei Ohtani is back on the mound, and they picked up two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell, but when you get the best hitter in baseball in Juan Soto, that puts you above the rest. That is why “Ya Gotta Believe” in the New York Mets bringing a title back to Queens.
“It’s the year for the Mets,” says Nonnewaug sophomore pitcher and Mets superfan Ryan Alther. “The addition of Juan Soto really puts us over the top. Sure, we lost [Luis] Severino and [Jose] Iglesias, but additions of Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes makes up for it. Sure, the Mets will face competition from divisional rivals, but I think they have the talent to win.”
Alther comprehends the possible struggles the Mets may face but doesn’t see the offense getting beat. That makes sense having two possible MVPs and a guy with three 40-home run seasons already.
Danny Searles, a sophomore Red Sox fan, has hopes that the Red Sox can make a postseason run, too.
“I think the Red Sox can make a deep postseason run,” Searles said. “We picked up Alex Bregman and the best lefty in baseball, Garrett Crochet, and former all-star Walker Buehler. After a down year last year, I think the Sox are back at the top of the AL East.”
Along with prognosticators from mlb.com, Searles shares the same prediction: They both see the Red Sox as primary contenders for the American League as a whole. I share concerns with the competition within the division with the Yankees and Orioles.
