Tigers Thinking Big in 2021
By Joe Simpson Chieftain Staff
The official MLB season starts April 1 . This is a highly anticipated season for Detroit fans . There have been a lot of little off-season moves by the Tigers , and maybe these moves will be enough for their first playoff run since 2014 .
One move was re-signing infielder Jonathan Schoop , who played well in 2020 before he was injured . Former All-Star P Michael Fulmer , also coming off an injury , is another .
The first overall pick in 2020 , Spencer Torkelson , is a powerhouse at the plate and a smooth third baseman with a very strong arm . Detroit fans are hoping to see Torkelson prove himself .
Elsewhere , there is a lot of competition in the league this year with some superstar teams to watch . The two that stand out are
Madness
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istry . These guys really play well together .
UCLA , No . 11 seed ( East )
A team that was in a play-in game , UCLA was obviously very highly slept-on , which leaves the Bruins with a chip on their shoulder . Although they are led by star player , Jules Bernard , they are one organism on the court and play with great unselfishness .
Corey Kispert
Tigers ’ No . 1 pick Spencer Torkelson
the Atlanta Braves , who will have 1B Freddie Freeman , OF Ronald Acuña , Jr ., and infielders Ozzie Alibies and Dansby Swanson ; and the Los Angeles Dodgers , who will have an outfield of Mookie Betts , Cody Bellinger and Justin Turner .
Gonzaga , No . 1 seed ( West )
Senior Corey Kispert , Sophomore Drew Timme , and Freshman Jalen Suggs all are Top 10 players in the country . The Zags play lights-out defense and are unselfish on offense . It ’ s hard to see how they could lose .
USC , No . 11 seed ( West )
USC can ’ t quite match the experience of Gonzaga , whom they must beat to make the Final 4 . The Trojans have nine players who are Sophomores or younger , but PAC-12 Player of the Year Evan Mobley ( 15 ppg , 8 rpg ) leads a very dangerous team .
Oregon St ., No . 12 seed ( Midwest )
Probably the biggest sleeper left . Ethan Thompson ( 15.8 ppg ) and Warith Alatishe ( 8.7 rpg ) lead OSU ’ s first Elite Eight appearance since 1982 . They are riding the underdog effect and a seven-game winning streak . freep . com
MLB Predictions
World Series Dodgers over Yankees . After losing to the cheating Houston Astros in 2017 and the Boston Red Sox in 2018 , L . A . finally won it all last year ., so they have momentum going into this season . In addition to the All-Star outfield , they have the best pitching core in the MLB and maybe the best we have seen in the last decade .
NL MVP OF Juan Soto , Washington Nationals
AL MVP 3B Anthony Rendon , L . A . Angels
NL Cy Young Trevor Bauer , L . A . Dodgers
AL Cy Young Gerrit Cole , New York Yankees
Houston , No . 2 seed ( Midwest )
Led by Quentin Grimes ( 18 ppg ) and Justin Gotham ( 8.6 rpg ), the Cougars are not used to losing and determined to leave their mark .
Baylor , No . 1 seed ( South )
With their excellent defense and fluent offense , these guys are more than capable of winning it all . Jared Butler , MaCio Teague , Davion Mitchell , and Adam Flagler all average more than 13 ppg .
Arkansas , No . 3 seed ( South ) Even though they ’ re a 3-seed , Arkansas is kind of an underdog . Moses Moody and Justin Smith are the best dynamic duo in the game , on both defense and offense . They score a lot ( 82.4 ppg ), but the Razorbacks have proven themselves as a dominant defensive force .
Brother Rice High School Chieftain Page 10 ap ri l 2021