Comfortable Thanksgiving, everybody. Within the phrases of a fantastic hen I as soon as met, “Gobble, gobble.” Thanksgiving just isn’t a vacation historically related to baseball, however in the event you’re studying a baseball web site on Thanksgiving Day, you already know that in a simply world, each vacation is one related to baseball.
So, immediately, on Turkey Day, we give you an previous Thanksgiving staple: We offer you one thing for each group’s fanbase to be glad about. Even when the season didn’t go the way you wished it to, there’s nonetheless one thing you are feeling fortunate to have.
Right here’s one factor for everybody to provide thanks for. Benefit from the yams.
Final 12 months was an absolute mess, and the kind of 12 months that always results in a reckoning. However in case you are a Jays fan, you could have been capable of observe gamers resembling Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette from their time as extremely touted prospects by means of their maturation as huge league stars. Each are scheduled to succeed in free company subsequent offseason, however moderately than beginning a rebuild, the Blue Jays are conserving the band collectively to make one final run on the playoffs.
The playoffs have been irritating the final two years, however that is nonetheless a group that’s the envy of baseball. Baltimore is filled with younger expertise, backed by a fanbase determined to win, and has clear alternatives to improve in its first offseason below new possession. It was a really tough decade for the Orioles devoted. These are actually the great instances. There are even higher instances coming.
First off, everybody’s grateful that the Rays are going to have a spot to play in 2025, in a stadium that ought to truly show a fairly terrific surroundings for the following 12 months. This can be a group with its typical share of younger expertise, and this might be the 12 months Junior Caminero firmly establishes himself as the following huge factor.
There are all kinds of indicators that the Crimson Sox could be able to spend huge this offseason, and that’s coming off a 12 months that was much more profitable than many individuals thought it was going to be. The Crimson Sox have idled for some time now, however there’s a basis of expertise right here, with the chance to develop, and a fanbase that is able to, ultimately, get shifting.
Hey, you lastly made that World Sequence you’d been ready 15 years for. Positive, it didn’t finish with a twenty eighth championship, which implies it’s considerably disappointing. However the Yankees nonetheless have Aaron Choose and the cash to deliver again Juan Soto … if they will make it occur. And once more, though you didn’t win it, nobody must be shaking their head at a World Sequence look.
The Guardians have reached the playoffs six of the final 9 seasons and gained their division 5 instances throughout that point. That’s, primarily, the second-best stretch in franchise historical past, behind solely these Nineteen Nineties groups. There was some playoff frustration, however these are in some ways one of the best of instances for Guardians followers.
Royals followers get to observe Bobby Witt Jr. day-after-day, which is just about the absolute best present, all informed, particularly when you think about that they’re locked into doing so for the following decade. He made his first playoff look this 12 months. It gained’t be his final.
That wonderful September run didn’t simply electrify the fanbase — it served as a proof of idea for every little thing this franchise has been making an attempt to do for a decade now. They appear primed so as to add this offseason, and perhaps make this the AL Central juggernaut shifting ahead. It’s an excellent time in Detroit sports activities proper now!
This 12 months was disappointing, however that is nonetheless as stalwart of a franchise as this division has, with stars like Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton that may be the envy of any group. The query, as at all times, is well being. And we should always at all times attempt to be glad about no matter well being we’ve, each Thanksgiving.
A making an attempt 2024 is sort of over. That’s one thing to be glad about, and so they even have a extremely regarded new supervisor to assist them flip the web page.
The Angels have already made some strikes this offseason, making it clear that they’re not slinking away after some tough seasons. They’ve received extra younger expertise than you would possibly assume, and you will have imprecise reminiscences of a Mike Trout fellow who shall be again for Opening Day.
Their unimaginable ALCS streak lastly ended, however they proved in 2024, after a tough begin, that they aren’t going wherever. The Astros have been the group of the AL over the past decade, and there’s no purpose to assume that gained’t stay the case for no less than yet one more 12 months.
After an emotional goodbye to Oakland, the A’s will begin a brand new journey in Sacramento, and so they’re hardly doing so with a naked cabinet: Who would have thought we’d have a second coming of the Bash Brothers with Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler?
That beginning rotation, mixed with Julio Rodríguez, offers them a excessive flooring. Certainly one of these years, it’s all going to come back collectively completely — perhaps it’s this one.
The title protection was a little bit of a dud, however a wholesome Corey Seager (and a wholesome Jacob deGrom?) would get them proper again within the combine in 2025. And all that 2023 World Sequence champions merchandise you got nonetheless seems to be fairly, doesn’t it?
Nearly every little thing aside from Chris Sale went fallacious for the Braves in 2024 … and so they nonetheless made the playoffs. They’ll get nearly all people again for 2025, and their luck ought to enhance. Thus, they might be the NL favorites once more.
Each single member of the Marlins rotation and on a regular basis lineup is at present below 30 years previous. That kind of youth motion has typically labored out fairly excellently for the Marlins up to now.
The Mets gave their followers the trip of a lifetime this October, and bear in mind, they really did it a 12 months sooner than anybody anticipated. Now that we’ve seen the place this group appears to be going, Mets followers have an entire offseason to observe their proprietor and entrance workplace add to it. This might get thrilling.
The final time we noticed all this younger expertise in a single place in a Nationals uniform, they had been about to start out a run of postseason appearances that may culminate with the 2019 World Sequence title.
The current run of irritating postseason exits shouldn’t distract from the truth that the Phillies have a core that’s most likely higher than anybody else’s in baseball … a core they could properly add to this offseason. Positive, they’re getting older. However hey, aren’t all of us.
Bear in mind when everybody wrote off the Brewers as a result of they misplaced their supervisor and their ace heading into the 2024 season? Effectively, they ended up sprinting away with the division anyway. Pat Murphy stepped in for Craig Counsell to win the NL Supervisor of the 12 months Award, and the group made its sixth postseason look in seven years.
The Cardinals look to be taking a step again this 12 months, however it could simply look that method, as they give attention to younger gamers resembling Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman and Masyn Winn. That ought to give them, and Cardinals followers, a concrete reply as to what the way forward for this franchise is de facto going to appear to be.
The Cubs haven’t lived as much as expectations the final couple of years, however they’re hardly shrinking from these expectations shifting ahead. That is nonetheless going to be a group price popping out to see at wonderful Wrigley Subject anytime you could have the chance to take action.
Paul Skenes is purpose sufficient to be grateful, in fact, however don’t neglect Jared Jones and Mitch Keller. If the Pirates are ever capable of sneak within the playoffs — and so they simply would possibly in 2025 — that’s a triumvirate nobody will need to take care of.
Elly De La Cruz completed within the high 5 of NL MVP voting, and it nonetheless seems like he’s solely scratching the floor of what he’s able to conducting. And with Terry Francona now in cost, the Reds clearly have an arrow pointing up.
The Diamondbacks reached the World Sequence in 2023 and had been nonetheless most likely a greater group in 2024. Ketel Marte has formally reached full-on star standing; Corbin Carroll might be subsequent.
They simply gained the World Sequence. Higher but, each the group and the followers received to benefit from the full-on celebration that the pandemic made unimaginable in 2020.
After years of frustration, the Giants have a True Large answerable for baseball operations now, with Buster Posey offering much-needed route for the entire enterprise. The Giants are doing every little thing they will to deliver again these good previous days.
Final 12 months could in actual fact have been one of the best Padres group ever, one which got here this near beating these blasted Dodgers. The ascension of Jackson Merrill has elevated this entire franchise to a model new stage.
The Rockies are at all times searching for somebody to construct round, and Ezequiel Tovar is certain beginning to appear to be that man, as a 23-year-old Gold Glove Award-winning shortstop.
