TEXAS RANGERS 2023 SEASON PREVIEW - MAR.3-MAR.9,2023 VOL.21,ISSUE27 - INTERNATIONAL ATHLETIC
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Texas Rangers
2023 Season Preview
Mar. 3 - Mar. 9, 2023 Vol. 21, Issue 27 www.sportspagdfw.com FREE
2 March 3, 2023 - March 9, 2023 | The Sports Page Weekly | Volume 21 Issue 27 | www.sportspagedfw.com | follow us on twitter @sportspagdfw.com
Follow us on twitter @sportspagedfw | www.sportspagedfw.com | The Sports Page Weekly | Volume 21 - Issue 24 | February 10, 2023 - February 16, 2023 3
AROUND THE AREA
Mar. 3, 2023 - Mar. 9, 2023
Vol. 21, Issue 27
LOCAL NEWS OF INTEREST
sportspagedfw.com
Established 2002
Cover Photo:
Single-game tickets on sale March 3
4 AROUND THE AREA game on Wednesdays and $4 beers at the tionship with the Dallas/Fort Worth
MLB RULES CHANGES FOR THE Karbach Brewing Skyporch from the time Metroplex on the 20th anniversary of her
5 2023 SEASON
BY MLB.COM
gates open until the first pitch on Fridays
and Saturdays from June 2-Sept. 2.
epic endeavor to compete on the PGA
TOUR. She made history and established a
GOLF, ETC Season tickets, 20-game plans, suites benchmark in the women’s movement for
6 BY TOM WARD
and group tickets can now be purchased at greater equality in sports.
mlb.com/rangers/tickets. Romo, now an NFL analyst for CBS,
7 THE ARNOLD PALMER
INVITATIONAL PREVIEW
BY PGATOUR.COM How to buy Texas Rangers single-game
finished runner-up in a playoff last year to
Mardy Fish in an exciting finish before the
tickets, which go on sale March 3 Las Colinas crowd. Romo drew the largest
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT All individual single-game tickets, except galleries throughout the weekend last year
8 BAY HILL GOLF CLUB
BY PGATOUR.COM
Opening Day, will be available at 10 a.m. and is expected to contend for the
If you want to catch the debut season of Celebrity Division title again.
10 PUERTO RICO OPEN PREVIEW
BY PGATOUR.COM
the Bruce Bochy era in Texas, here’s your
chance.
Grounds tickets will be provided free of
charge for all three days of the tournament,
Texas Rangers individual single-game with Invited sponsoring admission on
WHO IS PLAING ON THE LIV
tickets will go on sale Friday, March 3 at
11 TOUR THIS YEAR
BY JOE RIVERA 10 a.m. Tickets can be purchased in person
Tony Romo joins celebrity field for PGA
TOUR Champions event in Las Colinas
Friday, April 21, Energy Transfer on
Saturday, April 22, and Choctaw Casinos
2023 TEXAS RANGERS at Globe Life Field’s southeast box office, The field will include 78 PGA TOUR & Resorts on Sunday, April 23.
12 BASEBALL PREVIEW
BY JON THOMAS
over the phone at 972-726-4377 or online Champions players and 40 celebrities who Additionally, upgraded Clubhouse tickets
at texasrangers.com/tickets. will compete in separate competitions for and other hospitality packages are also
13 OUR THOUGHTS ON THE 2023
MLB AMERICAN LEAGUE
BY JON THOMAS
All tickets except for the March 30
Opening Day game versus the Philadelphia
$2.5 million in prize money.
Tony Romo, the golfer, will be making
available for purchase.
Phillies will be available for purchase. another appearance in North Texas soon.
14 BIG 12 BASEBALL POWER
RANKINGS WEEK 2 Fans interested in tickets to the Rangers’ The Invited Celebrity Classic announced
BY STAFF home opener can sign up for the team’s Wednesday that the former Dallas
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS AND newsletter (texasrangers.com/newsletter). Cowboys quarterback will be a part of the
16 NOTES BY BO CARTER
Those signed up by 11 p.m. on Thursday, tournament’s celebrity field next month.
March 9 will be entered into a drawing, The tournament will be hosted at
where a limited number of fans will be Invited’s Las Colinas Country Club on
randomly selected to buy Opening Day April 21-23. The field will include 78 PGA Conference USA Basketball
Follow us on tickets on Friday, March 10. TOUR Champions players and 40 celebri- Championships next week in Frisco
Twitter & Facebook The Rangers’ promotional schedule
includes 30 giveaways. Promotions include
ties who will compete in separate competi-
tions for $2.5 million in prize money.
Conference USA returns to Frisco,
Texas with its premier basketball event at
Marcus Semien (April 21), Corey Seager World Golf Hall of Famer Annika Ford Center at The Star. The 2022 C-USA
twitter.com/sportspagedfw (May 19), Nathaniel Lowe (June 3) and Sörenstam and newly-retired MLB star Basketball Championships take place
Jacob deGrom (June 16) bobblehead give- Albert Pujols were also announced as par- March 9-12, featuring 28 men’s and
facebook.com/sportspageweek- aways. ticipants. women’s basketball teams playing 26
Publisher Contact Us Weekly promotions include $1 Texas This year’s tournament will include a games with C-USA titles and NCAA auto-
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NCAA Basketball Poll
Dic Humphrey, Tom Ward, Bo
Carter, Richard Pollak, Robert
AP
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4 March 3, 2023 - March 9, 2023 | The Sports Page Weekly | Volume 21 Issue 27 | www.sportspagedfw.com | follow us on twitter @sportspagdfw.com
BASEBALL MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
MLB rules changes for the 2023 season
By mlb.com tion with the arrival of the pitch timer. 4. What are "special circumstances"? rule book as a 95-foot radius drawn from
We know how Major League Baseball’s The reason is that, in order to enforce The obvious one is injury. But others the center of the pitcher’s rubber, and each
new rules for 2023 look on paper. But how the timer, the umpire on the field and the might include a catcher making the last out infielder must have their feet entirely with-
will they look in practice? timer operator need a clear indication of on the bases as an offensive player and in the boundary (meaning on the dirt).
The arrival of the pitch timer, restric- when the pitch has begun. needing time to put on his equipment at the For the first time, the dirt area of the
tions on extreme infield shifts and bigger “When the pitcher is bouncing on his start of a half-inning or a PitchCom mal- infield had to be adjusted over the offsea-
bases combine for the most significant foot,” Sword explained, “it’s not clear function for the pitcher or catcher. son in several Major League parks in order
alterations to MLB rules in decades, and when you have begun your pitch delivery.” 5. Positioning of the timers. to comply with the letter of the law and
that’s going to take some getting used to In the windup, pitchers are allowed to There will be a timer positioned on each ensure uniformity league-wide. The radius
for everybody. The overarching theme is take one step back and one step forward at side of the center-field batter’s eye so that will be measured and monitored by LiDAR
that these changes are good for the enter- the start of their delivery and no more. The the umpire has a clear view regardless of technology to ensure all parks are in com-
tainment product -- creating more action in clock stops when the pitcher steps back or whether a right-handed or left-handed bat- pliance.
a shorter window of time. laterally. ter is at the plate. 4. Violations can be declined by the
“I think fans are going to get today's From the stretch, pitchers can still tap Similarly, there will be two timers behind offensive team.
athletes, which are the best that have ever their feet prior to the delivery of the pitch, home plate, one on each side, so that the Finally, you might be wondering what
played the game, playing the game with the but they must come to a complete stop with pitcher has a clear view of the timer as happens if a pitch and play go off even
pace and rhythm that existed in the 1970s their feet set at some point. The clock stops well. And don’t worry about being distract- though a violation of the shift rule has been
and 80s,” said MLB executive vice presi- when the pitcher lifts his free leg after ed as a viewer: Those timers will be out of called by the umpire. The answer is that, as
dent of baseball operations Morgan Sword, assuming and holding the set position. view of the center-field broadcast cameras. in football when teams can decline a penal-
“which to me is going to produce a form of MLB studied the deliveries of every SHIFT RESTRICTIONS ty, the offensive team can advise the home-
this sport that no one has ever seen before. pitcher in the league via video and reached The basics: As the pitch is thrown, the plate umpire to decline the penalty and
I'm really, really excited about it.” out to those who will be affected by this defensive team must have a minimum of accept the result of the play.
But first, there are questions to answer more strict enforcement. Astros pitcher four players within the outer boundary of So if, say, a home run is hit on that pitch,
and specifics to consider. So let’s go over Luis Garcia, who has been known to take the infield, with at least two infielders the shift infraction is simply waved off.
both the basics of each new rule and, fol- little “cha-cha” steps prior to his delivery, completely on either side of second base, 5. Outfielders can still shift.
lowing a demonstration from MLB vice is one such pitcher. or else the penalty will be an automatic You can position an outfielder as a “fifth
president of on-field strategy Joe Martinez, “There’s a whole host of funky deliver- ball. The rule is aimed at showcasing the infielder,” on either side of second base,
the nuance attached to them. ies that are within the rules,” Sword said. athleticism of middle infielders and restor- and you can move a corner outfielder to the
PITCH TIMER “We encourage funky pitchers to be funky ing traditional outcomes on balls in play. other side of the outfield if you want.
The basics: To create a crisper pace of within the rules.” The nuance: BIGGER BASES
play, there will be a 30-second timer 2. The hitter’s responsibility. 1. The rule cannot be circumvented. The “base”ics: The bases are now 18
between batters and then a 15-second timer What does it mean to be “alert” to the When MLB discussed this rule with inches on each side instead of the tradition-
between each pitch with the bases empty pitcher? It means having both feet in the managers, coaches and other personnel in al 15 inches on each side. This allows play-
and a 20-second timer between each pitch box with your head looking up at the pitch- the course of drafting it, two possible ers more room to operate around the bases
with runners on base. er. The body does not yet have to be in the methods of circumvention came up, and to reduce the risk of injury (there was a 13
The pitcher must go into his motion hitting position, but it must be able to both are addressed in the written rule. percent decline in injuries near the bases in
prior to the expiration of the timer or else quickly assume a hitting position. The first is the idea of a “motion” the Minor Leagues last year) and could
be charged with an automatic ball. The The batter does have one timeout per defense -- i.e., a defender sprinting across also encourage runners to be more aggres-
pitcher is allotted two “disengagements” (a plate appearance. It may be called prior to the bag or into the outfield as the pitch is sive on stolen-base attempts (the success
step-off or a pickoff attempt) without the first pitch or between pitches. The released so that he can be in an extreme rate on steal attempts in the Minors with
penalty. A third disengagement will be timer will stop and restart once the batter shift once the ball is put in play. If that the bigger bases increased between 1 and 2
ruled a balk, unless an out is recorded on begins to return to the box or play is other- sounds physically difficult, it is. And it is percent).
the bases (i.e.,a successful pickoff attempt). wise ready to resume. also illegal. Umpires are instructed to call The nuance: The bigger bases are the
The batter must be in the batter’s box 3. The umpire’s responsibility. this as a violation of the rule. most straightforward of the changes for
and alert to the pitcher by the 8-second Timer enforcement makes the umpire’s The other potential circumvention 2023, so there’s not much to write home
mark on the timer or else be charged with job more difficult than ever. But the home- method that has been nipped in the bud is a about here.
an automatic strike. plate umpire will be assisted with a Riedel team having its best defender swap posi- But when one sees the new base up
The pitch timer reduced the average belt pack (the same one introduced last tions with a lesser defender on the other close next to an old base, the additional
game time in the Minor Leagues last year year for public communications regarding side of the second-base bag in order to be amount of surface area is, indeed, signifi-
by 25 minutes, and the limit on pickoff instant replay reviews) that will buzz when aligned with the hitter’s pull side. There cant to the eye. While the larger bases
attempts led to a 26 percent increase in the timer hits zero. The in-field umps will will be no switching sides in agiven inning, might appear flatter, they are actually the
stolen-base attempts. While it’s too early to have a small, watch-like device called unless there is a substitution. Positions same height as ever. The bases are the
say if those exact numbers will translate at “ClockCom” (made by the same manufac- must be designated on the lineup card. same material and manufactured by the
the Major League level, it’s fair to expect a turer as PitchCom) that will also buzz 2. "Either side of second base" does, in same provider as in the past.
noticeable reduction in the length of games when the timer hits zero. fact,mean "either SIDE of second base." One other note: The bigger bases reduce
and increase in steal attempts. The home-plate umpire will also have So there is not an imaginary dividing the space between home and first by three
The nuance: Because the pitch timer is, by the ability, via the belt pack, to communi- line running through the middle of the bag. inches and between first and second by 4.5
far, the most noticeable of the new rules, it cate with the Field Timing Coordinator (the Rather, the imaginary dividing lines run inches. But it doesn’t affect the sacred “90
has, by far, the most nuance. So let’s break person running the timer). Umpires have along the left and right corners of the bag. feet between bases.” Why? Because it’s
it down into sections … the discretion to start, stop or reset the 3. The dirt will be policed. never been 90 feet “between” bases. The
1. The pitcher’s responsibility. timer in special circumstances. Regarding the “outer boundary” of the measurement from home plate is to the
We know the pitcher must begin his Largely, the job of calling timer viola- infield, where the dirt meets the outfield back corner of the corner bases, and the
motion before the timer expires. But the tions will fall to the home-plate umpire, but grass, MLB will be paying attention to dirt measurement from the corner bases is to
most interesting detail is that MLB will be any of the four are empowered to make the in a way it never has before. the center of second base. That’s
more strictly enforcing balks in conjunc- call. The outfield boundary is defined in the unchanged.
Follow us on twitter @sportspagedfw | www.sportspagedfw.com | The Sports Page Weekly | Volume 21 - Issue 27 | March 3, 2023 - March 9, 2023 5
GOLF, ETC. WITH TOM WARD
The King and I: Arnold Palmer
by his nickname “The King” passed away a meeting. I was quite anxious, but Arnold a low single digit handicap and won the
in September of 2016. Palmer epitomized helped ease my tension and ended up play- National Cartoonists Society golf tourna-
class on and off the golf course and was a ing well that day with the legend. ment 15 times.
beloved figure in the world of sports and a Upon completion of the round, Mr. Al sent some of his artwork over the
real trailblazer for the game of golf. He Palmer told me he was impressed with my years which included a few pieces of his
was renowned for his interactions with fans game. Later on he arranged for me to get a favorite golfer Arnold Palmer. I asked Al if
and his charitable work. staff bag and a set of clubs. That was a spe- he ever sent Mr. Palmer any of his art-
There is an expression that goes “Never cial day and one that I will never forget. work? Al told me that he didn’t. So I men-
meet your Heroes”, because you’ll end up The takeaway from my first encounter tioned to him that I would reach out to Mr.
being disappointed. That was the exact with Mr. Palmer was that he is a genuinely, Palmer on his behalf and forward some of
opposite of my experience with both good decent man. I was impressed by his the drawings. AL was a modest man, but I
TOM WARD
TOMPWARD@SBCGLOBAL.NET
Arnold and his wife Winnie. kindness and thoughtfulness. So every year could tell he was excited at the possibility
Back in 1983, I was living in Cocoa when the tournament rolls around I flash of his golfing hero receiving some of his
This week the PGA Tour tees off at the Beach, Florida playing in some tourna- back to my wonderful experience with the art.
Bay hill Golf Club and Lodge in Orlando, ments throughout the state and received an Arnold Palmer and his lovely wife. I shipped two of Al’s Arnold Palmer
Florida for the Arnold Palmer Invitational invitation to play with Arnold through a Another one of Arnold’s legion of fans, pieces to the great man himself directly to
presented by MasterCard. mutual acquaintance. known as Arnie’s army, was my friend the his Latrobe, Pennsylvania address. Within a
Since 1979, the tournament title has had I arrived early at Bay Hill. Mrs. Palmer late artist Al Plastino. Plastino was a terrif- few weeks, I received a nice autographed
a number of different names, most of them greeted me and was gracious, offering a ic illustrator/artist who drew the Superman photo from Arnold signed to Al thanking
including "Bay Hill," but has played under tour of the grounds. Afterwards, she invit- comics starting back in 1947, as well as him for the drawings. I sent the photo on to
the Palmer name since 2007. ed me into their condo where she made Batman and many other comic book super Al and he was quite pleased that Arnold
Sadly, the great Arnold Palmer known sandwiches and iced tea (with lemonade), heroes throughout his long career. Al may had replied.
while we waited for Arnold to return from have drawn many heroes for the comics, That was the kind of person Arnold
but his real life sports hero was Arnold Palmer was. A special man whose impact
Palmer. on the game is still felt today.
Plastino was an avid golfer who sported Please visit www.teetimewithtom.com
6 March 3, 2023 - March 9, 2023 | The Sports Page Weekly | Volume 21 Issue 27 | www.sportspagedfw.com | follow us on twitter @sportspagdfw.com
GOLF PGA TOUR
This week: Arnold Palmer Invitational
since 2020. Morikawa finished T9 that
year, while Schauffele was T24 … World
No. 9 Justin Thomas is set for his first start
at Bay Hill since 2015 … Jason Day, win-
ner of the 2016 Arnold Palmer Invitational,
returns to Bay Hill on a heater. He’s fresh
off three consecutive top-10 finishes at the
Farmers Insurance Open, WM Phoenix
Open and The Genesis Invitational …
Rahm has a chance to join Fred Couples,
Ernie Els and Hale Irwin as the only play-
ers to win the TOUR’s three elevated, play-
er-hosted invitationals: Tiger Woods’ The
Genesis Invitational, the Arnold Palmer
Invitational presented by Mastercard and
Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament pre-
sented by Workday. Rahm won The
Genesis earlier this month and the
Memorial in 2020.
72-HOLE RECORD: 264, Payne Stewart
(1987)
18-HOLE RECORD: 62, Andy Bean
(Round 2, 1981), Greg Norman (Round 2,
1984), Adam Scott (Round 1, 2014)
LAST TIME: In some of the toughest
conditions in tournament history, Scottie
Scottie Scheffler returns to defend his 2022 title
Scheffler fired a final-round, even-par 72 to
finish one clear of Tyrrell Hatton, Billy
sented by Velocity Global is well-repre- 2. Scottie Scheffler 2. Max Homa Horschel and Viktor Hovland. It was
sented in the sponsor exemptions. The No. 3. Rory McIlroy 3. K.Bradley Scheffler’s second TOUR win in three
1 player in the Class of 2022 and current 4. Patrick Cantlay 4. S. Power starts, having earned his maiden TOUR
No. 1 are both in the field. Pierceson 6. Xander Schauffele 5. S.Scheffler title at the WM Phoenix Open three weeks
Coody, who has won two of his first 15 7. Will Zalatoris 6. Chris Kirk prior. It was a day – and tournament –
Korn Ferry Tour starts since turning pro 8. Max Homa 7. Tom Kim purely of survival, with tough scoring con-
last summer, is in the field, one week after 9. Justin Thomas 8. Tony Finau ditions all week and a lightning-fast golf
The Arnold Palmer Invitational making the cut at The Honda Classic in his 10. Collin Morikawa 9. Si Woo Kim course. Only 10 players finished the tour-
March 2 - 5, 2023 first PGA TOUR start as a pro. Ludvig 11. Viktor Hovland 10. S.Theegala nament under par. Hatton made seven
Bay Hill Club and Lodge Aberg, the current No. 1 in PGA TOUR U, FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 550 birdies in a final-round, 3-under 69; he fin-
Bay Hill, Florida is trying to extend his lead in the standings. FedExCup points. ished an hour ahead of the final group and
Purse - $20,000,000 The Texas Tech star arrives at Bay Hill COURSE: Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club looked well positioned to win the tourna-
Winners share - $3,600,000 after a win Feb. 22 at The Prestige in La & Lodge, par 72, 7,466 yards. Bay Hill ment. Scheffler, however, hung tough with
Defending Champ - Scotty Scheffler Quinta, California. The top spot in PGA will once again host the Arnold Palmer a birdie at the par-5 12th followed by six
TOUR U is especially important this year, Invitational, as it has every year since consecutive closing pars. Scheffler’s 5-
By Adam Stanley as the No. 1 player after the NCAA 1979. It’s a mostly flat layout but features under total was one ahead of the three-way
The PGA TOUR returns to Arnold Championship will earn immediate status water challenges on most holes. The past runner-up. Chris Kirk and Gary Woodland
Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge for the on the PGA TOUR and be eligible for all two iterations have featured blustery, rock- finished a shot further back and tied for
Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by full-field, open events. Also in the field on hard conditions. The 2022 final-round scor- fifth, with Kirk earning a spot at The 150th
Mastercard, the TOUR’s fourth designated a sponsor exemption is Cole Hammer, a ing average was 75.48, compared to 75.49 Open at St. Andrews via the Open
event of 2023. World No. 1 Jon Rahm – teammate of Coody on the Texas team that a year prior. Scottie Scheffler won at 5 Qualifying Series.
with three wins in six TOUR starts this won the 2022 NCAA Championship. under last year, while Tyrrell Hatton won at
season – leads a star-studded field in Hammer, who finished fifth in last year’s 4 under in 2020 – the highest winning total
HOW TO WATCH
Orlando. class of PGA TOUR U grads, had a T5 fin- since 1983. One thing that Hatton and
FIELD NOTES: Forty-four of the top 50 ish late last year in The RSM Classic. Scheffler had in common for their wins?
Television: Thursday-Friday, 2 p.m.-6 p.m.
in the Official World Golf Ranking are set Other players competing at Bay Hill on Elite iron play. Scheffler was first in
(Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 12:30
to tee it up at Bay Hill – the most in any sponsor exemptions include major winners Strokes Gained: Approach the Green last
p.m.-2:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2:30 p.m.-6
event since last year’s Open Championship Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson and Padraig season at Bay Hill, while Hatton was sec-
p.m. (NBC).
… The field includes the top 30 on the Harrington, as well as 2022 Korn Ferry ond in the same category in 2020.
FedExCup and all 13 TOUR winners so far Tour Player of the Year Justin Suh. DP STORYLINES: The Bay Hill field is
PGA TOUR Live is available exclusively
this season … Scottie Scheffler returns to World Tour winners Adrian Meronk and loaded with star power. This season’s first
on ESPN+
defend his 2022 title … Other Arnold Thriston Lawrence also received invita- three designated events have been won by
Palmer Invitational winners returning to tions. Jon Rahm (Sentry Tournament of
Radio: Thursday-Friday, 12 p.m.–6 p.m.
Bay Hill include Tyrrell Hatton (runner-up HIGHEST-RATED PLAYERS IN THE Champions, The Genesis Invitational) and
ET. Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m.-6 p.m. (PGA
a year ago), Jason Day, Francesco Molinari FIELD Scottie Scheffler (WM Phoenix Open) …
TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGA-
and defending FedExCup champion Rory World Ranking FedExCup Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele
TOUR.com/liveaudio)
McIlroy … PGA TOUR University pre- 1. Jon Rahm 1. Jon Rahm are teeing it up at Bay Hill for the first time
Follow us on twitter @sportspagedfw | www.sportspagedfw.com | The Sports Page Weekly | Volume 21 - Issue 27 | March 3, 2023 - March 9, 2023 7
Five Things to Know about Bay Hill
Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge features 7,381 yards of beautiful ponds, Bermudagrass and some of the most challenging golf in the world
By Jeff Eisenband the Orlando area for Walt Disney World. hosted the Arnold Palmer Invitational pre- No. 6 takes the challenge of No. 3 and
The Florida Swing now shifts to the Dick Wilson designed two nine-hole cours- sented by Mastercard ever since. extends it into a par-5 with a more severe
center of the state, a theater for some of the es – Champion and Challenger – that 2. AERIAL APPROACH dogleg left. On the tee, players can choose
PGA TOUR’s greatest moments of the last opened in 1961. The course was seeded Coming off PGA National, which fea- their best line to clear the massive lake and
half-century, many of which have featured with Tifway Bermudagrass, becoming the tured just two par-5s and 15 holes with give themselves a shot at the green in two.
a certain Big Cat. Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill first golf course in the world to use the water in play, Bay Hill offers more of a Water short and left will almost definitely
Club & Lodge features 7,381 yards of now-iconic surface. challenge related to length, although target come into play for any player hitting into
beautiful ponds, Bermudagrass and some After Wilson’s passing in 1965, Bob golf is not lost on the premises. Since the green in two.
of the most challenging golf in the world. Simmons designed another nine holes, the 2016, Bay Hill has required more approach On paper, the hole plays 555 yards, but a
So put up your umbrella, pour some iced Charger, which upped Bay Hill to 27 holes. shots of 200+ yards than any other course completely direct shot at the pin requires
tea and lemonade (and then iced tea again Around this time, Palmer became infatu- on the PGA TOUR. That’s due in large part 350 yards of carry. No player has converted
if you’re a real pro) and get ready for the ated with the property. In 1965, Palmer vis- to Bay Hill’s long par-3s and reachable such a drive in PGA TOUR history.
best players in the world to sweat out long ited Bay Hill to play in and win a charity par-5s. Many of those shots require long Other holes, such as Nos. 9 and No. 10
irons over water, as the Arnold Palmer golf tournament. As the story goes, Palmer irons over water and force players to start include bunkers jutting into the fairway,
Invitational presented by Mastercard tees it went home directly after and told his wife thinking about their approach-shot clubs asking players for a challenging decision to
up from Bay Hill for the 45th time. Winnie he wanted to buy the course. In while still on the tee box. attack or stay short. Hole No. 16 is a 511-
1. PALMER’S PET PROJECT 1970, he took a five-year lease on the club No. 3 should immediately get a player’s yard par 5 that also uses bunkers to shrink
In the 1970s, a magical attraction with an option to buy. pulse pumping on the tee box. The L- the fairway before players must carry water
emerged in the Orlando area under the After taking full ownership in 1975, shaped hole pivots right at the 250 to 300- for their second shot to this very reachable
direction of one of America’s most cele- Palmer added his own touches to the yard mark where players would prefer to par-5. A moat of water short of the green
brated 20th-century figures. That would, of course and in 1979, the Florida Citrus play their drives. With water along the penalizes any short mishit with a similar
course, be Bay Hill Club & Lodge under Open moved from nearby Rio Pinar entire left side of this dogleg left, players layout to No. 15 at TPC Scottsdale three
ownership by Arnold Palmer. Country Club to Bay Hill. The Champion must either challenge the edge of the water weeks back.
The history of Bay Hill actually goes and Challenger courses originally com- with driver or take less club and worry No. 18 provides a final test that requires
back slightly before Palmer’s purchasing – bined to make up the 18 holes for the 1979 about water left of the green on the an aerial approach to pass.
and before Walt Disney began surveying Bay Hill Citrus Classic and the venue has approach shot.
8 March 3, 2023 - March 9, 2023 | The Sports Page Weekly | Volume 21 Issue 27 | www.sportspagedfw.com | follow us on twitter @sportspagdfw.com
nature final green. The tee shot is mostly
straight with water only coming into play
on the right for the longest of hitters. But
the short hitters are not off the hook. A tee
shot left brings out of bounds into play
while a tee shot right demands the
approach shot be hit out of the rough and
fully over water.
A long, curved green hugs the water,
and with the Sunday pin position typically
all the way to the right, the final round asks
contenders to hit their final iron shots over
water with rocks defending against any
short bailout. Bunkers on the left and in the
back of the green provide a cushion and a
punishment for any players taking the safe
route.
That traditional Sunday hole location
has been the setting for many dramatic
72nd-hole birdie putts, including several by
Woods, as well as past Bay Hill winners
Francesco Molinari and Rory McIlroy.
For much of the API’s history, Arnold
Palmer himself would be waiting on the
18th green on Sunday, ready to be the first
to greet the victor. In three of his eight vic-
tories, Woods felt the drama on 18, making
putts to win by one stroke and claim his
Palmer handshakes.
The unpredictability of Bay Hill’s 18th
hole has led to 12 one-stroke winners since
2000. However, the API has not seen a
playoff since 1999.
The 18th hole at Bay Hill. (David Cannon/Getty Images)
3. TOUGH TEST After all, the course is still recovering from
From 1994-2006, Bay Hill went roughly two decades of Tiger dominating
through a 13-year period seeing its highest it.
winning score at 12 under. While by no His first victory at Bay Hill was more
means a cupcake, Bay Hill was clearly than three decades ago, as he claimed the
more forgiving than some of its Florida 1991 U.S. Junior Amateur at Bay Hill for
counterparts. the first of his three consecutive victories
Over the last decade-and-a-half, head- in that championship (followed by three
lined by a 2009 redesign led by Palmer, consecutive U.S. Amateur wins).
Bay Hill has sharpened its teeth. Since After missing the cut as an amateur in
2007, only three Arnold Palmer Invitational 1994, Woods played the API 16 times from
winners have finished with a score of 14 1997-2013. He made every cut. He record-
under or lower. In 2020, with Tyrrell ed top-25 finishes in 14 of those years and
Hatton winning at 4 under and only four top-10 finishes nine times. He won eight of
players finishing under par, Bay Hill those events (2000-2003, 2008-2009, 2012-
ranked as the toughest stop on the PGA 2013). Woods came back one more time in
TOUR with an average score of 2.1 over 2018, finishing T5 (his first top-five since
par. That number remained north of par in August 2013).
2021, with an average score of slightly The Arnold Palmer Invitational is the
more than 1 over. Scottie Scheffler shot 5 only active PGA TOUR event that saw
under last year to win and only 10 players Woods win eight times at the same venue.
finished under par. Woods also won the WGC-Bridgestone
One of the trademarks of the 2009 Invitational eight times at Firestone
redesign is the par-3 second hole, which Country Club and he won the Farmers
consistently plays as one of the hardest Insurance Open seven times at Torrey
holes on the course. When redesigning all Pines, along with the 2008 U.S. Open on
18 greens, Palmer had the second green the Torrey Pines’ South Course.
turned 30 degrees clockwise and the back As noted by Justin Ray, from 2000-
tee box lengthened. This creates a downhill 2013, Woods was 109 under at Bay Hill.
shot from as far back as 245 yards, with a The next closest player in that stretch was
mostly horizontal green just slanted enough Vijay Singh at 36 under. He has earned
to hold long irons or woods. $7,657,559 at the API in his career.
4. TIGER TAMED IT 5. FAMOUS FINISH
While Tiger Woods may not be playing After grinding through 17 holes at Bay
the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week, Hill, the 18th hole asks for one more shot
his presence is always felt at Bay Hill. to be carried over water to the course’s sig-
Follow us on twitter @sportspagedfw | www.sportspagedfw.com | The Sports Page Weekly | Volume 21 - Issue 27 | March 3, 2023 - March 9, 2023 9
The First Look: Puerto Rico Open
held the 54-hole lead two years ago.
72-HOLE RECORD: 267, Chesson
Hadley (2014).
18-HOLE RECORD: 62, Jhonattan Vegas
(Round 4, 2020)
LAST TIME: Ryan Brehm ran away with
the 2022 Puerto Rico Open, winning by six
shots and securing his PGA TOUR card in
the process. Brehm, who needed a win or
solo second to retain TOUR status, birdied
five of the first 11 holes in the final round
and topped Max McGreevy by six strokes.
Brehm had a three-shot lead through 54
holes and closed in 5-under 67 to finish 20
under. It was a make-or-break final start on
a minor medical extension for Brehm. It
was Brehm’s 68th start on TOUR and his
first win. With his wife Chelsey on the bag,
they became the first husband-and-wife
duo since 2013 to win on TOUR. Tommy
Gainey and Brandon Wu finished tied for
third at 13 under, while Chad Ramey and
Callum Tarren were a shot further back and
tied for fifth.
How to Watch
Television: Thursday-Friday,10 a.m.-1p.m.
Ryan Brehem will not return this year to defend his title (Golf Channel); Saturday, 2:30 p.m.-5 p.m.
(GC); Sunday, 2:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. (GC)
12 in PGA TOUR University presented by
Velocity Global's Class of 2022. He went
on to win twice on PGA TOUR Canada
Puerto Rico Open last year … Nearly all the 2022 Korn Ferry
March 2 - 5, 2023 Tour graduates are in the field … Max
Grand Reserve Country Club McGreevy, who finished second in Puerto
Rio Grande, Puerto Rico Rico a year ago, is back and hoping for a
Purse - $3,800,000 little more magic … Recent TOUR winners
Winners share - $684,000 heading to Puerto Rico include Erik van
Defending Champ - Ryan Brehm Rooyen, Richy Werenski, Andrew Landry
and Jim Herman.
By Adam Stanley FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 300
An international field of proven winners FedExCup points.
and seasoned veterans descends upon COURSE: Grand Reserve Golf Club
Grand Reserve GC for the 15th playing of (Championship Course), par 72, 7,506
the Puerto Rico Open. yards (yardage subject to change). The oft-
FIELD NOTES: Georgia Southern's Ben windy Grand Reserve GC will once again
Carr, the runner-up in last year's U.S. play host to the Puerto Rico Open. It’s a
Amateur, is making his PGA TOUR debut lengthy beast, with two par-5s on the back
on a sponsor exemption before competing nine alone measuring more than 600 yards.
in this year's Masters. He will play at The club hosted the Latin America
Augusta National in April by virtue of Amateur Championship in January, won by
being runner-up to Sam Bennett in last Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira of Argentina
year's U.S. Amateur. Carr, a fifth-year sen- by four shots.
ior at Georgia Southern, recently earned STORYLINES: The Puerto Rico Open
PGA TOUR Canada status for 2023 via Q- has never seen a back-to-back winner, and
School..Other sponsor exemptions include that will continue, as reigning champ Ryan
21-year-old Akshay Bhatia, longtime Brehm will compete at the Arnold Palmer
Puerto Rican pro Rafael Campos, former Invitational presented by Mastercard..With
SMU standout Noah Goodwin and the spots open for those lower on the TOUR’s
University of Louisville’s Jiri Zuska, run- Priority Ranking at Grand Reserve this is
ner-up at the Elite Amateur Series last year. an important week for plenty to earn Fed
Bhatia, who won on the Korn Ferry Tour ExCup points as the season chugs along …
last year, is 17th on this season's points list. Nine of the last 14 winners in Puerto Rico
He has made the cut in all three of his have made the tournament their first TOUR
PGA TOUR starts this season, including title …The feel-good local story once again
last week's The Honda Classic. Goodwin, is that of Rafael Campos, who always
the 2017 U.S. Junior champion, was No. seems to be in the mix in his homeland and
10 March 3, 2023 - March 9, 2023 | The Sports Page Weekly | Volume 21 Issue 27 | www.sportspagedfw.com | follow us on twitter @sportspagdfw.comWho is playing LIV Golf in 2023?
LIV Golf players 2023 Anirban Lahiri India
LIV Golf has succeeded at poaching Danny Lee New Zealand
some of the PGA Tour's most notable play- Marc Leishman Australia
ers, including Phil Mickelson, Cameron Graeme McDowell Ireland
Smith, Dustin Johnson, Bryson Phil Mickelson USA
DeChambeau and others. A number of Jed Morgan Australia
golfers who participated in 2022 tourna- Sebastian Munoz Colombia
ments won’t be part of this year's lineup. Kevin Na USA
Here's the full lineup for their 2023 Joaquin Niemann Chile
season: Louis Oosthuizen South Africa
Carlos Ortiz Mexico
Player Country Mito Pereire Chile
Abraham Ancer Spain Pat Perez USA
Richard Bland England Thomas Pieters Belgium
Dean Burmester South Africa James Piot USA
Paul Casey England Ian Poulter England
Eugenio Chacarra Spain David Puig Spain
Bryson DeChambeau USA Patrick Reed USA
Sergio Garcia Spain Charl Schwartzel South Africa
The LIV Golf Series will have more events in 2023 Taalor Gooch USA Cameron Smith Australia
Branden Grace South Africa Brendan Steele USA
Updated list of PGA Tour defectors words:Cash, moolah, green, dough, shekel. Sam Horsfield England Henrik Stenson Sweden
includes Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson LIV Golf is backed and funded by the Charles Howell III USA Cameron Tringale USA
& more Saudi Arabian government's Public Dustin Johnson USA Peter Uihlein USA
Investment Fund, hence the controversy Matt Jones Australia Harold Varner III USA
By Joe Rivera surrounding players jumping ship; The Martin Kaymer Germany Scott Vincent Zimbabwe
In 2022, the LIV Golf Series emerged as nation has often been criticized for its han- Sihwan Kim USA Bubba Watson USA
a rival to the U.S.-based PGA Tour, with dling of human rights over the years, Brooks Koepka USA Lee Westwood England
several big names jumping the pond to join including its assassination of journalist Chase Koekpa USA Bernd Wiesberger South Africa
the startup golf league. LIV Golf wrangled Jamal Khashoggi. Some paint the money as Jason Kokrak USA Matthew Wolff USA
some high-profile players, and their ranks "blood money," and others accuse the
only have grown in popularity and recogni- Saudi government of "sportswashing" its
tion from there. image via its backing of LIV Golf.
Now, with more events on the 2023 Regardless of where the money is com-
schedule, plenty more PGA Tour golfers ing from, LIV offers something that the
have jumped to LIV Golf, with the tour PGA Tour does not, by giving contracts to
trimming some of the lesser known (and its players, in stark contrast of the PGA
less successful) players entering the second Tour's merit-based reputation.
season. Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, the first and most
Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and notable player to join the LIV Golf Tour,
other heavy hitters joined the blossoming was reportedly offered $200 million to
roster of golfers in 2022. make the jump. Mickelson has earned $94
The decisions for these players to jump million on the course during his PGA Tour
over to the new tour have left the PGA career, per Spotrac.
Tour in a difficult spot, leading to lots of Former world No. 1 golfer Dustin
difficult decisions. In June PGA Tour pres- Johnson was another LIV Golf defector,
ident Jay Monahan announced indefinite and had earned $74,276,710 on the course
suspensions for all current and future play- in his career. LIV Golf signed Johnson to a
ers who choose to join LIV Golf. That four-year contract worth a reported $125
means Mickelson, Johnson and others million.
won't have the opportunity to play in PGA LIV also had its sights set on golf's
Tour events. greatest player, Tiger Woods. Woods was
PGA Tour golfers, including Rory reportedly offered between $700 and $800
McIlroy and Tiger Woods, have realized million to join with the upstart league, an
that LIV may be here to stay, leading to offer which he declined.
players meetings to discuss the elephant in In addition to the hefty sums of money
the clubhouse. The PGA Tour later going to former PGA players, players also
announced many changes to finances and face a less intensive schedule and earn a
tournament structures to make the Tour bigger paycheck for winning some tourna-
more appealing for the players and its fans. ments. For example, the inaugural LIV
Will the changes be enough? Time will Golf event in London paid out $4 million
tell. Here's why so many of the game's best to the winner, Charl Schwartzel — a num-
are jumping to the new circuit, and who ber that surpasses any PGA tournament
you can see at a LIV Golf event in 2023: winner save for the Players Championship
Why are PGA Tour golfers going to LIV ($4.5 million in 2023). Some players have
Golf? also praised the atmosphere around the
In a word: Money. In several more tournaments.
Follow us on twitter @sportspagedfw | www.sportspagedfw.com | The Sports Page Weekly | Volume 21 - Issue 27 | March 3, 2023 - March 9, 2023 11MLB TEXAS RANGERS
2023 Texas Rangers Season Preview
ence of former first-rounder and top
prospect Josh Jung at the hot corner. Jung
appeared to be on the cusp of breaking
camp last spring before a hip injury cost
him the season’s first half. He then ripped
Triple-A pitching to shreds upon his return
before posting an 83 OPS+ in a 102 PA
cameo last September. ZiPS has him pro-
jected at nearly a three-WAR pace should
he receive substantial playing time this sea-
son, and without many other additions to
the offense, Texas is counting on him for a
healthy amount of run production in sup-
plement to Seager, Semien, García, and
Lowe.
The Rangers’ catching tandem of Jonah
Heim and Mitch Garver are also set to
return, making up what they lack in defen-
sive dexterity with a boatload of punch in
the bat. The journeyman combination of
Robbie Grossman and Brad Miller near the
bottom of the lineup won’t be inspiring any
confidence, and while minor league sign-
ings Clint Frazier and Yoshi Tsutsugo may
very well make the team, the time for
dreaming on them as potential impact bats
has definitively passed.
A more compelling scenario for the
Rangers would be one in which one of sev-
eral high-minors hitting prospects lives up
The Rangers will look to see their spending spree pay off in 2023 to their ranking and provides a spark to a
lineup that still seems to be missing a
Will winning the offseason finally trans- Astros, or even Angels, but now having to continue to be slightly above-average, chunk of production. Second baseman and
late to winning in the regular season? seen six consecutive losing seasons, I’m something the Rangers haven’t gotten out 2020 first-round pick Justin Foscue has a
sure the fans won’t be complaining. of the back half of their rotation since they minor league OPS closer to .900 than .800
By Jon Thomas The biggest difference? Some guy were still reaping the benefits of the Mark and will likely start the season with Triple-
Taking a page from the playbook of named Jake. Even though his personal Teixeira trade. Good times! A Round Rock, and while outfielder Evan
their AL West brethren in Los Angeles, the tastes might be exquisitely boring to a Anyhow, deGrom, Heaney, and Eovaldi Carter is just 20 years old and has just
Texas Rangers went with a strict stars-and- frankly disconcerting degree, when healthy, will join Jon Gray and Pérez, who returns barely tasted Double-A action, it’s not
scrubs approach last season, and as their he’s still the best pitcher on the planet. It’s on a one-year deal after accepting the qual- inconceivable that the consensus Top 100
final record indicated, it was much more of been more than three years since he broke ifying offer, to constitute the team’s prospect could make his way to the big
the latter than the former. Corey Seager, 100 innings in a single summer, but he still Opening Day rotation, a solid mercenary leagues in a role that’s currently occupied
Marcus Semien, Nathaniel Lowe, and would have been the 2022 Rangers’ sec- group that’s a far cry from what they’ve by Grossman or former prospect Leody
Adolis Garcia did their parts, combining ond-best pitcher by WAR to Pérez in any worked with in recent years. No Ranger Taveras, who looks more like a prototypi-
for a cool 16.7 rWAR. Unfortunately, that of those years. has thrown more innings since the start of cal fourth outfielder than any kind of
was close to equal to the contributions of News of the five-year, $185 million deal 2021 than Dane Dunning, and while he’s impact starter through 660 MLB plate
the other 20+ members of the roster, and he signed with the team was met with puz- technically on the outside looking in on a appearances.
that’s including an even 5.0 rWAR from a zlement in some corners, given the gap five-man rotation, a rotation that includes The Rangers still have a pretty low
resurgent Martín Pérez. Not a pretty scene between the number of quality innings deGrom, Eovaldi, and Heaney is simply floor, but flush with “the owner is sick of
in Arlington! deGrom that is capable of providing and not a true five-man rotation. Hearn looks being bad” money, this roster has a higher
Texas Rangers the substantially greater influx of quality set for a full-time bullpen move in 2023, ceiling than any they’ve begun the year
2022 record: 68-94 (4th, AL West) innings the Rangers will need to be com- but if the hip injury that ended Dunning’s with since they won the AL West in 2016
2023 FanGraphs projection: 83-79 petitive in 2023. That puzzlement would 2022 season prevents him from being an — the last non-Astros team to do so in a
(4th, AL West) make sense if it were the only significant effective sixth starter, Howard and Otto standard season. It’s already a time of tran-
Now having landed perhaps three of the addition made to their rotation, but fear will likely be next in like. sition for the organization, which is enter-
ten biggest fish in free agency over the past not, Andrew Heaney and Nathan Eovaldi The team also has Jake Odorizzi in tow ing a season without former GM Jon
two offseasons, the Rangers will look to are here! Signed to highly reasonable deals following a swap with Atlanta, as well as Daniels at the helm for the first time since
see their spending spree pay off in 2023: of $25 million and $34 million guaranteed, the oft-injured but sometime effective erstwhile owner George W. Bush’s second
After flopping to 68 wins last season, their Heaney and Eovaldi are nothing special, Danny Duffy on a minor-league deal. It’s inauguration. New GM Chris Young has a
83-win projection is the single biggest but “nothing special” is still a pretty hefty unclear what role they’ll be set to play if high mountain to climb to beat the Astros,
year-over-year improvement foreseen by upgrade over “300 innings at a 5+ ERA they land with the team, but they may be but after several years of languishing in the
this season’s edition of the FanGraphs fore- from Glenn Otto, Taylor Hearn, Cole factors as well. pits with little in the way of upward mobil-
casted standings. FanGraphs still doesn’t Ragans, and Spencer Howard,” which is On the offensive side of things, the ity, it’s finally time for the Rangers to at
think it’s enough to transcend the Mariners, what they got in 2022. Both are projected biggest change from 2022 will be the pres- least try to make the trek.
12 March 3, 2023 - March 9, 2023 | The Sports Page Weekly | Volume 21 Issue 27 | www.sportspagedfw.com | follow us on twitter @sportspagdfw.comHere’s what we think of the 2023 A.L
again, the AL MVP will be a showdown the season. But it’s not crazy to see Ohtani
between Judge and Ohtani. having an even better season in 2023 —
Cleveland Guardians — JB rings the he’s still improving as a pitcher, and he’s as
Bell: Josh Bell just feels like the perfect fit dangerous as ever as a DH — and helping
for a Cleveland offense that’s perpetually the Angels actually stay in playoff con-
searching for, well, offense outside of Jose tention past the All-Star break, which
Ramirez. With Bell finding his Nationals would be a refreshing change of pace.
swing, he leads the Guardians to yet anoth- Houston Astros — Hunter arrives, for real:
er AL Central title. Folks, Hunter Brown is the real deal. Sure,
Kansas City Royals — Junior’s the Astros would have loved to have Justin
Sophomore surge: It was, at times, a rough Verlander back, but knowing their rotation
debut season for Bobby Witt Jr. It’s easy to was already deep, and that this hard-throw-
forget that he started the season playing a ing right-hander was waiting in the wings,
relatively new position — learning third made that departure easier. He made two
base at the big league level is not easy — spot starts and five relief appearances dur-
but now he’s back where he belongs, at ing the regular season, posting a 0.89 ERA.
shortstop. Last year, he had a .759 OPS in Then, he pitched 3 2/3 innings of relief in
97 games at short and a .673 OPS in 52 the postseason, allowing just two hits. So, a
games at third. Despite everything, he still prediction: If Brown doesn’t win the AL
finished his Age 22 season with 20 homers Rookie of the Year award, he’ll finish top
and 30 stolen bases. Big things are ahead, three.
including an All-Star nod this summer. Oakland Athletics — Runnin’ Ruiz: Let’s
Detroit Tigers — Miggy pulls a Pujols: see what Esteury Ruiz can do, see whether
One optimistic prediction for every ing year-to-year turnarounds that we’ve There was magic in St. Louis last summer, he can reward the A’s for their faith in
American League team in 2023 seen in a while. And, folks, he’s just get- as retiring future Hall of Famer Albert making him the centerpiece of the trade
ting warmed up. He probably won’t win Pujols found a season’s worth of magic and that sent away catcher Sean Murphy. Last
By Jon Thomas the AL MVP — Shohei Ohtani and Aaron looked like his old slugger self for six year, in 114 minor-league games (65 in
This is the time of year when hope Judge kind of make that feel impossible magical months. Miguel Cabrera, we want Triple-A and 49 at Double-A), Ruiz put up
abounds, and best-case scenarios are debat- right now — but he’ll be in that next-tier a repeat of that to celebrate the end of your jaw-dropping numbers: a .333/.447/.526
ed among fans. conversation. Cooperstown-bound career. There won’t be slash line, .974 OPS, 16 homers, 65 RBIs,
Everything is golden, and nothing has Tampa Bay Rays — Wanderful Franco: a milestone chase — he reached 500 85 stolen bases and 33 doubles. Those
been ruined by the cruel blanket of reality. Yeah, Wander Franco’s sophomore season homers in 2021 and 3,000 hits in 2022 — would be amazing 150-game totals, but he
So let’s take a few minutes and make was not quite to the level folks expected — but we’d settle for a few magical walk-offs did it in 114 games. Wow. With a no-pres-
some optimistic predictions about the 2023 especially those collectors who went crazy and maybe even an unexpected playoff sure situation in Oakland, where he can
baseball season. We’ll try to keep them for his rookie cards last spring — but let’s push. Make it happen, Miggy. play without the worry of being benched
rooted in reality, at least a little, but we’ll remind you that he just turns 22 on March Minnesota Twins — Buxton stays healthy: because of playoff implications, he could
look at one aspect of every team with rose- 1, and he already has 153 career MLB For as long as he’s in a Twins uniform, this thrive. So, a prediction: Ruiz receives votes
colored glasses. games under his belt, with a 6.1 bWAR and will be the wish and so it’s our optimistic for AL Rookie of the Year. That might not
Optimistic AL East predictions 122 OPS+ under his belt. Did I mention prediction: Byron Buxton will stay healthy. sound like much, but considering how
Toronto Blue Jays — Big bounce-back: In he’s just turning 22 in a month? He’ll make Baseball fans across the country, not just stacked the 2023 rookie class is in the AL,
his Age 23 season, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. his first All-Star teams this summer. Twins fans, want to see what he’s capable and considering voters only have three
hit 32 home runs, with a 137 OPS+ and 3.9 Boston Red Sox — Best-case scenarios: It of with six injury-free months of baseball. spots on the ballot, just getting votes will
bWAR. In a vacuum, it’s hard to imagine was, putting it nicely, an odd offseason for He’s played basically one full season’s be a huge accomplishment this year.
that type of production as anything but a the Red Sox. But let’s look through rose- worth of games over the past two years, Seattle Mariners — 40-40 vision for J-
rousing success. But baseball isn’t played colored glasses and assume that Enrique and these are his totals: 153 games, 47 Ro: The sky is the limit for Julio Rodriguez
in a vacuum, and coming off an Age 22 Hernandez can handle primary duties at homers, 150 OPS+, 8.5 bWAR. Let that be who had 28 homers and 25 stolen bases in
season when he hit 48 homers, with a 167 shortstop — Trevor Story’s out for months, his 2023, please. his Age 21 season, in only 132 games. A
OPS+ and 6.8 bWAR, yeah, 2022 was a bit at least — despite entering his Age 31 sea- Chicago White Sox — A fresh start: The 40-homer, 40-stolen base season doesn’t
disappointing. I don’t expect that he’ll be son and having started just 64 games there 2022 season was a debacle and the offsea- seem impossible. Dream big, fans, because
“down” again in 2023. Maybe he won’t in the bigs in his career. And let’s assume son wasn’t much better, what with losing you know J-Rod already is.
reach his 2021 levels, but I would expect that Masataka Yoshida is worth what the Jose Abreu, Johnny Cueto and Josh Texas Rangers — This year, it works: Last
him somewhere in between, and he’ll help Red Sox paid him, and not what most oth- Harrison and not making any significant year, after the signings of Corey Seager
lead the Jays back into the postseason, ers in the industry thought he’d get when additions to the roster, outside of Andrew and Marcus Semien, the hope for Rangers
maybe even as the AL East champs he came over from Japan. Let’s assume Benintendi (forget about Mike Clevinger). fans is that the team would contend for a
(though wild-card seems more realistic). that 30-somethings Chris Sale, James But just getting past 2022 and being able to playoff berth in 2022. That always seemed
Also, Jose Berrios will be better in 2023, Paxton can both make 25-30 starts in put it in the rearview mirror, with new a bit naive, though, considering the issues
his Age 29 season, than he was in 2022 bounce-back seasons, and Corey Kluber skipper Pedro Grifol providing a new voice the Rangers had in their rotation and at
(5.23 ERA/4.55 FIP). can do it again in his Age 37 season. And and leadership, that’s a big step forward. other positions. But now? They added
Baltimore Orioles — Adley 4 MVP: let’s assume that Aldaberto Mondesi and It’s easy to see Luis Robert finally becom- Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and
Damn, that Adley Rutschman kid is spe- Adam Duvall will stay healthy and hit ing the star his talent says he can be, and Andrew Heaney to the rotation, along with
cial, isn't he? Most other years, Rutschman above .250. If all that happens, a push for a seeing these White Sox push Cleveland for Martin Perez and Jon Gray. That’s a big
would have run away with the AL Rookie wild-card spot is possible. the AL Central title. difference, if those three veterans stay
of the Year award after what he did in New York Yankees — Judge runs it back: Los Angeles Angels — Shohei soars: We healthy (a relatively big “if” of course).
2022; despite not making his MLB debut Maybe he doesn’t hit 62 homers again, but are trying to keep these predictions reason- The Rangers stick around in the playoff
until late May, he posted a 5.2 bWAR and what Aaron Judge did in 2022 was not a able, so you won’t see any predictions of conversation through at least August,
led the Orioles to one of the more astound- fluke, folks. He’s that good. And once Shohei Ohtani signing an extension during which would be a big jump from 2022.
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