Opinions & Predictions Archives | Baseball Essential

Rebuild in Kansas City Will Be Royally Long, Ugly

Sep 14, 2017

Kansas City Royals, Opinions & Predictions

Over the past few years, the Kansas City Royals have been perhaps the most fascinating and intriguing team in Major League Baseball. They have never been the most powerful team at the plate, but their exception...

Oracular Voting Process Will Hurt Jose Altuve’s MVP Case

Tom Dorsa

Aug 2, 2017

American League, Opinions & Predictions

Just two weeks ago, baseball fans and experts alike had made the somewhat safe assumption that New York Yankees rookie sensation Aaron Judge could be penciled in as the American League's Most Valuable Player. H...

Rangers’ Window Has Closed; Now Is The Time To Sell Big

Tom Dorsa

Jul 28, 2017

Opinions & Predictions, Texas Rangers

As future Baseball Hall of Fame inductee and Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre creeps closer to becoming the 28th player in Major League Baseball history to reach 3,000 career hits, fans of the club in ...

Nationals’ Trade For Madson, Doolittle Still Not Enough To Beat Dodgers

Tom Dorsa

Jul 17, 2017

National League, Opinions & Predictions, Statistics

On Sunday afternoon, it was announced that the Washington Nationals had traded reliever Blake Treinen, left-handed pitching prospect Jesus Luzardo, and infielder prospect Sheldon Neuse to the Oakland Athletics ...

Most Versatile Player: Paul Goldschmidt Should Win NL MVP

Tom Dorsa

Jun 20, 2017

Arizona Diamondbacks, Opinions & Predictions, Statistics

When Paul Goldschmidt trotted onto the field in his August 1, 2011, major-league debut, fans and experts denoted the 6'3" righty as potentially the next Jeff Bagwell. Goldschmidt shares a position with the form...

Relax Philadelphia, Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

Ryan Waterman

May 30, 2017

Opinions & Predictions, Philadelphia Phillies

If you're a fan of the Philadelphia Phillies, the past month has been absolutely brutal. Through their first 20 games, Philadelphia seemed to be living up to the expectations that many fans had for this seas...

Opinion: Fastball-Oriented Pitching Is Ultimately Bad For Baseball

Tom Dorsa

May 30, 2017

Opinions & Predictions

From a baseball fan's standpoint, taking in masterful pitchers like Clayton Kershaw or Dallas Keuchel is a goosebumps-inducing activity. Their variety on the mound and their pure ability to keep the batters gue...

Brett Cecil: Big Bucks, But No Payoff

Billy Collins

May 16, 2017

Opinions & Predictions, St. Louis Cardinals

This past offseason, the St. Louis Cardinals signed relief pitcher Brett Cecil to a four-year contract worth $30.5 million. This deal was one of many in the deepest free agent class of bullpen arms in recent me...

ESPN Layoffs Reflect the Changing State of Baseball Journalism

Billy Collins

Apr 27, 2017

Headlines, Opinions & Predictions

The journalism industry is a complex one to say the least. In today’s world, hard-hitting, high quality journalism is not valued nearly as much as what I’m going to call “ratings drivers.” Hot takes are a bette...

The Unlucky Blue Jays Offense

Raza Malik

Apr 24, 2017

Opinions & Predictions, Statistics, Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays started the 2017 season following back-to-back trips to the American League Championship Series. The roster was relatively the same, besides the painful departures of Edwin Encarnacion and...