This week in baseball blogs…
- MLB & Fantasy Baseball Analyzed tries to determine whether five highly effective hitters from 2017 will be able to repeat or improve on that success this season.
- Big Three Sports explains why Dansby Swanson could be in for a better year after a disappointing 2017.
- The Point of Pittsburgh wonders if team morale will improve now that Andrew McCutchen is not in the clubhouse.
- District On Deck lists five X-factors for Bryce Harper in his contract year.
- Always The Jake previews Francisco Lindor’s season.
- The First Out At Third names five dark-horse Cy Young candidates for 2018.
- Chin Music Baseball reacts to the Twins’ Logan Morrison signing.
- NY Yankees Digest runs down the best trades in franchise history, while Bronx Bomber Ball ranks the Yanks’ all-time best players at each position.
- The Junkball Daily identifies the trickiest strike three pitcher in baseball.
- BP Toronto ponders whether Justin Smoak’s late-2017 struggles are worth worrying about.
- A’s Farm breaks down the Oakland A’s and Triple-A Nashville Sounds’ likely rosters for 2018.
- Rox Pile forecasts the Rockies’ opening-day roster.
- Pirates Breakdown teases “Pirates Guide,” its season preview book for the team.
- Baseball Census scouts free agent pitchers Jair Jurrjens and Daniel Schlereth, both of whom have pitched against KBO teams this week.
- Motor City Bengals examines the Tigers’ second base options.
- Pro Sports Fandom (links: 1, 2) makes a slew of predictions for this season.
- Real McCoy Minor News highlights the early spring performances of a few young players.
- Jays From the Couch is optimistic Seung-hwan Oh will bounce back this year.
- Underthought takes a look at four of the best hitter performances and asks readers to vote on who had the best day during the 2017 season.
- Ladodgerreport hopes the club stretches out Kenta Maeda.
- The Runner Sports (links: 1, 2) delves into Yankees prospect Miguel Andujar’s red-hot spring and how it could affect Brandon Drury, and writes about what Houston’s Alex Bregman has done to get in better shape.
- STL Hat Trick sees Sam Tuivailala as a potential closer for the Cardinals.
- The K Zone focuses on the offseason’s managerial hires.
- Camden Depot tries to figure out who will lead off for the Orioles.
- Everything Bluebirds asks why the Blue Jays have been going after so many Cardinals.
- Mets Daddy explains how the team should divide playing time between catchers Travis d’Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki.
- Baseball Takes compares the careers of Derek Jeter and Lou Whitaker.
- Extra Innings UK (links: 1, 2) wraps up the week’s headlines and articles in international baseball, and offers its second weekly update of Europeans playing baseball at American universities.
- Sports Talk Philly has thoughts from manager Gabe Kapler on his stint as a player in Japan.
- Call to the Pen lists Kapler’s pros and cons.
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