{"id":32581,"date":"2025-02-09T01:34:59","date_gmt":"2025-02-09T01:34:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=32581"},"modified":"2025-02-09T01:34:59","modified_gmt":"2025-02-09T01:34:59","slug":"orioles-news-7-hopeful-predictions-as-we-get-set-for-spring-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=32581","title":{"rendered":"ORIOLES NEWS: 7 hopeful predictions as we get set for Spring Training"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The final week before\u00a0pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training\u00a0has been filled with all sorts of math. There are\u00a0PECOTA projections\u00a0and\u00a0FanGraphs playoff odds\u00a0— whatever your favorite flavor of projection system, they\u2019re all there for you, and they\u2019re all extremely helpful.<\/p>\n

\"MLB<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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There\u2019s so much to learn from each of these projections, and I\u2019m smarter having read all of them. I\u2019m sure you are, too.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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But \u2026\u00a0but \u2026<\/em>\u00a0well, I can\u2019t help but wonder if digging in\u00a0too<\/em> deeply into projections the week before pitchers and catchers report is to somewhat miss the point of Spring Training. After all, Spring Training isn\u2019t about cold hard facts and calculations. It\u2019s about hope! It\u2019s about all your players coming into camp in the best shape of their lives, it\u2019s about every team being tied for first place, it\u2019s about the season being fresh and new and full of infinite possibilities. It is, more than anything else, about optimism.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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So, as we head into pitchers and catchers week — the Cubs will become the first team to open camp on Sunday — let\u2019s lean into some optimism. Here are some best-case scenarios that we want to see happen, people and teams taking their best steps forward. Here\u2019s to hope!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Mike Trout\u00a0stays healthy all year<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Is there anything that the baseball world would love to see more? Trout has played more than 82 games only once since 2019 — the year he won his third and most recent MVP Award — losing time to the pandemic-shortened season and a wave of injuries. Last year was particularly dispiriting, with Trout seeing the field only 29 times and not playing a single game after April 29. It should be pointed out that he was excellent for those 29 games, putting up a 140 OPS+ and hitting 10 homers. But it has been a long, long time since we saw Mike Trout be Mike Trout for anything remotely resembling a full season.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The Angels are doing what they can to put a better team around him and keep him healthy. For one thing, you can expect him to\u00a0play a lot less center field this year, a move that\u2019s probably long overdue. And while the ultimately goal is to finally get him that first postseason victory, for now, we\u2019ll settle for just 125 games played or so. That isn\u2019t too much to ask \u2026 is it?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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