The Bandwagon’s 2023 MLB “Narratives Draft”
Yahoo Sports MLB writers Hannah Keyser and Zach Crizer reveal their top picks for the storylines they most want to see develop in the upcoming baseball season. Hear the full conversation on Yahoo Sports' new baseball podcast, "The Bandwagon". Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you listen.
Video Transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING]
HANNAH KEYSER: My number one overall first draft pick in the 2023 MLB narratives draft is Ronald Acuna Jr. spending the final week of the season in search of 40-40. So 40 runs, 40 stolen bases. Was that on your list, before I go first?
ZACH CRIZER: It was on my list, but it was not number one, so.
HANNAH KEYSER: OK. I was worried it was-- I was worried. So that was why [INAUDIBLE].
ZACH CRIZER: We're gonna have a different number one. Yes. Ronald Acuna Jr. came very close to 40-40, 40 home runs, 40 stolen bases a few years ago, and he has pretty openly said he would like to try it again.
HANNAH KEYSER: Yeah, I'm actually worried that it's in some ways sort of too realistic? I didn't know this until I was looking into it. Ronald Acuna Jr. is literally the only active player who has gotten close.
ZACH CRIZER: The number two pick, I am going to take a less specific thing. I am taking a hitter's pitch timer panic swing pays off. The hitter forgets to get in the box for the pitch timer. They don't get the violation, they remember to get in the box and look at the pitcher.
But the pitch is basically on the way. The pitcher has decided he's gonna go, and they have to jump in and just start swinging and not really think about it. And some guy is going to do this and he's gonna hit a home run, or hit like a walk off double into the gap. That is what I'm looking forward to.
HANNAH KEYSER: Edwin Diaz underwent surgery to repair the-- oh gosh, I should have looked into how to pronounce this. Patellar? Patellar tendon in his right knee. The general timeline--
ZACH CRIZER: I think you got that.
HANNAH KEYSER: --for recovery is around 8 months, although in certain cases, it is possible to return closer to six months. Somewhere between six months and eight months would put him right in time for the World Series for a triumphant return. First of all, I realize that this wishful thinking prediction. But-- what were you calling it? Speculative fiction. This piece of speculative fiction presupposes that the Mets make the World Series. I just think it would be delightful.
ZACH CRIZER: My number two pick is actually somewhat similar to the Acuna pick. Way less realistic. I would like-- I have projected a player to do this. But I would like Freddie Freeman to make baseball's latest bid for a .400 batting average.
Freddie Freeman, I think he stands as good a chance as anyone. He's been a very frequent batting champion contender. He's a very good hitter. I don't think he's gonna bat .400. But if for some reason he's gonna pass this particular record, he would do it against the Braves. Which is my favorite part.
HANNAH KEYSER: My third and final pick in the 2023 MLB narrative drafts is Jacob deGrom makes at least 25 starts. I don't think that that's that unlikely?
ZACH CRIZER: I like that this is--
HANNAH KEYSER: You know what, 30 starts. Scratch that.
ZACH CRIZER: There we go.
HANNAH KEYSER: Jacob deGrom makes 30 starts. If you're saying that Freddie Freeman hits .400, I'm allowed to say that Jacob deGrom makes 30 starts. I think that people forget that Jacob deGrom was freakishly durable for how hard he threw prior to a couple of years ago. I reject the starting point that Jacob deGrom simply can never have another relatively healthy season.
ZACH CRIZER: I am going to make a very obvious final pick. Actually, I don't know if it's obvious.
HANNAH KEYSER: I have no idea.
ZACH CRIZER: I think a lot of people want to see the opposite of this. But--
HANNAH KEYSER: Oh, I know what you're gonna day.
ZACH CRIZER: But I am taking Shohei Ohtani is not traded and in fact leads the Angels to the playoffs. I think if they're close to the playoff race on the trade deadline, which seems feasible. That creates the most pressure-packed final couple months in any recent memory for a single baseball team.
Which is, this might be the last time we have Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout playing together on the same team. We should probably make the playoffs now. So if they decide they're not gonna trade him, they should probably trade for anything that isn't nailed down that might help get there.
