3 MLB Teams That Could Make a Jump in 2020

Los Angeles Angels

This offseason, the Angels made a splash with the signing of superstar third-baseman Anthony Rendon, who has played his entire career, thus far, for the Nationals. Rendon hit .319 last season and led the MLB in RBIs with 126 on the year, which earned him his $245 million contract over seven years this offseason. This Angels batting lineup will now be lethal and daunting for opposing pitchers as the team already has one of the MLB's greatest hitters of all time in Mike Trout. Last season, Trout hit 45 HRs, the most of his career and 5th most in the MLB last year, while just playing in 134 of the 162 games in the season. I am sure legendary Angels manager, Joe Maddon, will place Trout and Rendon back-to-back in the lineup, presumably at 3rd and 4th, to create one of the most menacing batting orders in the league this season. Furthermore, the Angels have been rehabbing Shohei Ohtani's knee and elbow, and he could soon turn into a stud in this league both on the mound and in the batter's box, dependent on his health. The LA Angels finished last season 72-90, placing them at 10th in the American League. The Angels hope to improve on their uninspired season last year with a more victorious one, and this has been made possible by their successful offseason and much-improved batting lineup. 

New York Yankees

Boy, did the Yankees PAY Gerrit Cole. Cole received a nine-year $324 million contract from the Yankees, making him the highest paid MLB pitcher of all time. Yet, this contract was entirely worth it and will be monumental for the Yankees' success moving forward. Last year, the biggest thing holding the Yankees back from a World Series run was their starting pitching, after the injury to Luis Severino kept him out for almost the entirety of the season. What better way to fix that than signing one of the league's most talented and accomplished aces? In 2019, Cole finished the year with a 2.50 ERA (3rd best in the league), 326 strikeouts (the most in the league), and went 20-5 as the starter (2nd most wins in the league.) These are sensational statistics that proved crucial to the Astros in their 2019 playoff run, falling short in the World Series against the Nationals in a thrilling 7-game series. The addition of Gerrit Cole will make an 103 win team, last season, even better in the upcoming season. The offseason that the New York Yankees had made them this year's Vegas favorites to win the World Series, and this expectation could very well turn to a reality.



Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays made a huge signing in LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu from the Dodgers. Ryu posted an unbelievable ERA of 2.32 last season which was the lowest mark in the entire MLB and the Blue Jays desperately needed a starting ace. Toronto went 67-95 last season, mainly due to their underwhelming pitching rotation. The Blue Jays have some firepower in their batting lineup with the likes of Randal Grichuk and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., to name a few. This is a Blue Jays team that has filled their biggest void this offseason and could make a serious jump in the upcoming season. So, look out for the team up north next season. 

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