The baseball season is rarely a straight shot for any team. A club can be playing extremely well for a few weeks and then lose a bunch of games on the road and be right back to square one by the time they return home for a few. The ups and downs of a baseball season are what make the games so interesting.
No, fans watch to see if a young pitcher’s recent string of quality starts is for real, or if a veteran is due for a hot streak after having been in a slump for weeks. Fans watch for injuries to key players, for managers’ decisions regarding the starting rotation and lineups, for the different rivalries going on between teams and for a plethora of other storylines.
A healthy mix of competitive series, lineups and pitching staffs, and emerging storylines will be on display in the next batch of games. While some individual contests may have greater impact on the standings, all will offer a glimpse of which teams are equipped to handle the increased pressure as the season wears on.
Here is what you need to know as the schedule comes into focus for the next few weeks of action.
Key Matchups Could Shape the Standings
Not every baseball game is made equal; wins in April are just as valuable as wins in September, however, games within a team’s division can have bigger consequences than interleague games. Also, as the season wears on, games against teams that are around the same spot in the standings as your own can carry more weight as the race for a playoff berth heats up.
Divisions have games between rivals, which are always compelling. Teams know each other’s strengths and weaknesses so fans can watch for a team to exploit a specific area in a lineup or for a manager to employ different strategies in different situations. These games can be crucial for a team’s standing in the division as well as their chances for postseason play.
A three-game series between two teams in the same division is a great opportunity for one team to pull ahead of the other and gain some momentum in the season. On the flip side, the team that loses could return to the field for their next game and find that they need to make some changes to their starting rotation, their bullpen, or their everyday lineup.
Some games between different leagues in baseball will also be important to pay attention to. For some teams, they might not face another team in their league for a long time. Therefore, they would have to readjust to that team’s starting pitcher and their fielders, etc. This is when a team’s preparation for these types of games becomes key.
Also, the games between teams of contrasting styles can be very interesting. There are the power-hitting teams, that face off against the teams with the best strikeout staff in the league. And there are the very fast and aggressive offenses that have to face off against very good defensive teams.
Games that have differing styles of play, like a team with a lot of power versus a team with a lot of strikeouts, can make for very interesting games. Neither team can play strictly within their means, which usually leads to some good baseball.
Starting Pitching Will Set the ToneStarting Pitching Will Set the Tone
Most baseball previews begin with a discussion of the teams’ starting pitchers. There’s a good reason for this: the starter can set the tone for how the game is played and can even keep his relievers from getting tired by pitching deep into the game.
But a pitcher’s regular season stats are not the only thing to take into account when trying to figure out how he will perform in his upcoming starts.
More important is the last time a pitcher took the mound, how many innings they have thrown recently, and how they have been using their pitches. Have they been relying on more curveballs or change-ups to get outs, and how have they been doing against stronger-hitting left-handed bats, for example. Also, an established ace may have had a couple of rough starts recently, and be due for a solid outing. On the other hand, a less known starter may be pitching better than their record indicates.
The pitcher’s strengths and weaknesses, specifically as they relate to lineups comprised of left handed or right handed hitters, will also play a huge role in determining the likely outcome of a game. Furthermore, a pitcher who relies heavily on a change up or a curveball may get burned by lineups that are extremely disciplined and refuse to swing at pitches outside of the strike zone.
If you know how deep into a game a starter typically works, you can anticipate how much of the game will be turned over to the bullpen. For example, a starter who normally completes 6–7 innings is more likely to ease the burden on his pen than a starter who is on a very limited pitch count. The impact on the outcome of the game of a long start versus a short start can be dramatic, particularly in the context of a long road trip.
Bullpen usage is an important consideration in long series. The wear and tear that bullpen arms go through from one night to the next can have a big impact on how they perform from game to game. Thus, a manager must be very strategic in how he uses his bullpen, not only from night to night, but also from series to series.
Bullpen Decisions May Determine Close Games
Modern baseball is a very relief-oriented form of the game. Even if the starting pitcher pitches well, the end of the game is usually determined by the bullpen. The manager must decide when to take the starter out of the game, who to bring in to face certain parts of the opposing team’s lineup, and whether to go to the best closer available in the ninth, or bring another high quality reliever in for a couple of crucial innings prior to the ninth.
A closer may be on an unusual amount of rest. A top set up man may be getting to a point in his appearance count where he is typically removed for good. A long reliever may be getting to a point in his appearance count where he is typically inserted into the bullpen for the later parts of the game as a long reliever. A relief pitcher who has good overall numbers may get blown out by left handed hitters.
As stated above, the score alone does not tell the story of the game completely. For example, a team is up by a score of 5-4 in the 7th inning. Yet, the team is in difficulty. The best relievers of the team are rested, having pitched the previous night.
During those periods of consecutive games, the quality of a team’s bullpen depth will be exposed. Those teams with a number of arms that can get the job done will be able to survive short starts as well as games that go into extra frames. A team that only has two or three arms that it can count on will be in big trouble when all of those arms are not available.
There is also much that can be learned for those looking to do some MLB picking as we approach the regular season. By using a quality MLB handicapper such as those found at Doc’s MLB handicapper betting tips, you can get a solid grasp on the best possible information to form your baseball picks, including information on the past performances of the teams involved as well as information on past matchups between the two teams involved in the contest at hand.
In summary, no one factor can be relied upon in the evaluation of the likely outcome of a baseball game.
Recent Form Matters, but It Can Be Misleading
A winning streak in baseball is always newsworthy and even a losing streak can get a lot of attention. But how many games a team has won or lost in a row does not necessarily tell you everything about a team.
A team might win several games in a row against inferior opponents, receiving some good bounces in close games. Alternatively, a team can lose a string of games while hitting the ball well and having a good staff of starting pitchers.
What Fans Should Expect
The upcoming games will likely be decided by a combination of excellent pitching, frequently changing lineups, and several close fought bullpen sessions. Individual performances will also play a large role in determining the winner of most games.
While there are many baseball games that will meet our expectations, there are others that will be won by people you least expect to contribute to the victory. That is baseball.
Fans should check the confirmed starting pitchers as well as the daily lineups for each team. They should also keep track of any injuries to players, the workloads of each team’s bullpen, and a team’s last performances. Fans should not put too much stock in a team’s performance in a series of games and certainly not in a brief winning streak.