The 2020 MLB season is a shortened season with only 60 games. In this short season, it truly tests the front office, coaching staff and players since it’s so different from the traditional 162-game season. Because the season is so short and the situation after the COVID-19 pandemic is so different and unpredictable, it certainly requires different ways or creative ideas to compete in this season.
Some teams already set up the rotations before MLB suspended the spring training games. However, after the long “spring break”, MLB teams may have different ideas on the new season. Well, there might be some changes on the rotation, but the first starter and the second starter are not going to be changed much.
To understand which teams might have the best 1-2 pitching combo for this 60-game season, I looked back at the first 10 games for each team’s 1-2 combo last season. The 1-2 combo is based on the first 2 starting pitchers from the MLB depth chart. The new season is a 60-game season, so the first starter and the second starter should have at least 10 starts in this season. Now, let’s look at American League.
Orioles
John Means was an all-star last season and finished 2nd in the Rookie of the Year voting. He had 4 relief appearances and 6 starts in his first 10 games last season. He did well on his job and is worth watching how well he can do in the second full season. Alex Cobb only pitched 3 games last season due to injury. Being healthy would be the top priority.
Red Sox
Eduardo Rodriguez will be the Ace of the Red Sox this season after Chris Sale underwent Tommy John surgery. He began the first 10 games last season with a 5.43 ERA, but he pitched well post all-star with a 2.95 ERA. The Red Sox would want him to pitch as he did post all-star last season. Nathan Eovaldi was placed on the IL after the first 4 starts. He came back to the bullpen in July. AL East is truly competitive, Red Sox rotation without Chris Sale truly hurts.
Rays
Blake Snell, the 2018 Cy Young winner, didn’t replicate his performance in his first 10 starts last season. But he was still pretty trustworthy in the Rays rotation. Tyler Glasnow was on the IL in May and came back in September. If he can pitch as he did last season, the Rays will be really dangerous in this short season.
Blue Jays
Ryu did begin last season very well with the Dodgers and was a Cy Young favorite. Blue Jays definitely want him to repeat again. Tanner Roark began the season with the Reds last season and he did his job. The Blue Jays rotation is interesting to watch this season.
Yankees
Gerrit Cole almost struck out 100 times in the first 10 starts last season. He only took 5 losses last season, but 4 were in his first 10 starts. The new ace in New York will have to heat up in the beginning of the 2020 season. Tanaka was trustworthy as usual in the first 10 games last season. He should not have too many problems for the new season.
White Sox
Giolito did pitch well in the first 10 starts last season and was the AL pitcher of the month in May. Dallas Keuchel began the season in June since he signed the contract with the Braves last June. He will try to bounce back in Chicago and the White Sox will be an interesting team to watch.
Indians
Mike Clevinger and All-Star MVP Shane Bieber will take on more responsibilities after Corey Kluber was traded to the Rangers. Mike Clevinger was placed on the IL last season, he has to be healthy to help the Indians compete in the AL Central.
Tigers
Matthew Boyd is reliable in the Tigers rotation. In the first 10 starts last season, he gave the Tigers 7 quality starts. Jordan Zimmermann didn’t get any wins in his first 10 starts last season. He still needs 5 more wins to reach the 100-win milestone. It might not be easy to make it in this season.
Royals
Brad Keller did face some problems in his sophomore season in the big league and took 5 losses with a 4.66 ERA in the first 10 games last season. Duffy’s ERA was over 4.60 after the first 10 games.
Twins
Both Berrios and Odorizzi pitched well in the first 10 games. Each had a 6-2 record, the Twins will need them to replicate the performance to win the AL Central title.
Astros
There is no doubt that Verlander and Greinke are great pitchers. They didn’t have any problems in their first 10 starts and everything was under their control. Dusty Baker's first season in Houston will heavily rely on them.
Angels
Julio Teheran got only 3 wins while he had 4 losses, but his ERA was 3.88. He only failed to pitch 5 innings once in his first 10 starts last season. Andrew Heaney was back on the mound in May since his left elbow was injured. However, Angels fans are probably looking forward to seeing 2018 ROY Shohei Ohtani back on the mound. How fast will he throw?
Athletics
Athletics started the season with the Mariners in Tokyo. Mike Fiers only had 4 losses last season, but he took 3 losses in the first 10 starts. Manaea was back on the mound in September after left shoulder surgery. He pitched very well in 5 starts in September.
Mariners
Marco Gonzales is very reliable in the Mariners rotation. His first 10 starts last season gave what the Mariners needed. Yusei Kikuchi’s rookie season didn’t go as expected, but he did pitch well in his first 10 MLB starts. The Mariners won’t have to travel as much as they did. Maybe it’s interesting to see how far they can go.
Rangers
2-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber only pitched 7 games last season. The new season, in a new ballpark, the Rangers will need him and Mike Minor who was selected to be an all-star for the first time last season to build up a solid 1-2 pitching combo.
We saw some pitchers, who can be ready right on the first day of the season, meanwhile, some pitchers need some time to heat up. In the past, we probably didn't have to worry about anything in the first month since we know some players need time. However, this season will be really different. If a pitcher has some issues in the first 2 or 3 games, how will the front office and coaching staff react and help him adjust if the team wants to get into the playoff?
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