BASEBALL IS BACK - AND MAYBE BETTER THAN EVER?

Can Max Scherzer lead a repeat for the Nationals?

Today marks the first full slate of games for Major League Baseball.  As always, with the return of the Boys of Summer, championship hopes spring eternal.  Young fans are envisioning the division and world series trophies being raised, pennants being hung,and parades celebrating the long season.

Let's also face some facts.  Certain teams never have a chance.  Over 162 games, the cream rises to the top almost always when it comes to baseball.  This year, the Dodgers and Yankees were ticketed on March 31st for a trip to the World Series, and no one else really had much of a chance.  Not the semi-dismantled champion Washington Nationals, who replaced a stud like Anthony Rendon with ragged and inconsistent Eric Thames.  Not, the Cleveland Indians, who let go of Corey Kluber and will now rely on the likes of Shane Beiber and Mike Clevinger to step it up, and more importantly, Jose Ramirez, to return to greatness.  Probably not the Blue Jays, who now boasts a core of amazing up-and-coming talent in Cavan Biggio, Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. and Bo Bichette.

Certain teams had no chance.  My hometown team, the Pirates, on the page are even worse than last year.  The Tigers might have some nice prospects, but their pitching can't hold up, nor can that offense. The White Sox have aging stars and a few great newbies, but nothing to keep them afloat in the A.L. Central.

In recent years, the inequality in baseball has begun to represent the wealth disparities of the real world.  There are teams that have huge conglomerates of investors and boatloads of money to buy up the star players and there are others that have no such luxury.  Thus, when a team like the Dodgers, already owning one of the biggest studs in the league in Cody Bellinger adds another MVP candidate like Mookie Betts, or when the Yankees seduce arguably the best pitcher in the league in Gerrit Cole to join hitters like Judge, Stanton, and Torres, you know you're looking at new dream teams that can't be taken down without a small miracle or health disaster.

But.... this year is different.

This year isn't a long season.  It's 60 games.  It's a shortened season.

And in a shortened season, where one bad streak could sink a schedule, or one health issue could change the entire contour of a team, ANY team has a chance.  Baseball is just freaky enough that statistics can't bear out the same way over a 60-game season.

Everyone is in it now.  Everyone could make some noise.  Over half the teams will make the playoffs.  With a little luck, some good health, and maybe one gust of wind blowing toward the outfield, a team like the Marlins might suddenly appear in the newly designed post-season.  Maybe, just maybe, the Pirates end up with a ten game win streak as their numbers stretch to their best possible positive skew, they are back to relevance.

Don't count on it.  But in truth, this will be the first baseball season I can remember in years where today, everyone ACTUALLY has a shot to be a champion.  While others will claim this is a sham season, I think more fans are likely to stay with it all season, and the playoff tournament may turn out to be among the most watched MLB season ever.

Enjoy this year -- even if you do root for the White Sox!  You never know!