MLB's Young Superstars
https://www.si.com/mlb/2017/03/31/power-play-baseball-enters-new-era-fueled-home-runs-and-young-stars
Do you prefer to watch young prospects, or established stars?
Does the rise of baseball's young talent make you more intrigued to watch?
Do you think baseball's future is more optimistic than it seemed to be 5 years ago?
Do you prefer to watch hitters who hit for average, or power?
Should rules be made to restrict infield shifts?
I enjoy watching young prospects better than established starts because personally I feel that it is more interesting and more thrilling throughout the whole season rather the play offs for the stars. I don't see myself watching a lot of baseball in the future, but it is more interesting that these younger athletes will have the ability to play at the major level, giving veteran players more competition. I think that after a while, the veterans have the same play style and it can become boring and predicable, so this new talent can liven the game more. I think that baseball was America's pastime and is currently taking a hit due to the rise of other sports, lacrosse being the most progressive sport, and that the MLB will have to take action ensuring that the interest in baseball is still thriving. I also think that the MLB has done a great job with fan loyalty and the die-hard fans will not give up baseball, but I do think that the younger talent can make the MLB a faster paced game which could attract more fans. I think that hitters who hit for power is more interesting for fans who only watch a few games a season, but fans who stick with a team through the whole season would prefer the average to be better than power. Due to me not constantly watching baseball, if I ever go to a game, I want it to be interesting and see some powerful hits, not just bunts and ground-outs. I don't think that there should be rules made to restrict infield shifts because then there would be little strategy on defense except for catching the ball. Teams can analyze the stats, Ichiro would be most likely to bunt, and they should be able to use this information to shift their defense to maximize the potential of getting that person out at first on a bunt/grounder.
ReplyDeleteI personally am not a fan of baseball when it comes to the MLB due to the fact that I cannot sit through that long of a game with usually little action. On the other hand I do show out and watch the staples baseball games because I find the games interesting when there are kids that I know playing. I am still not very intrigued to watch baseball because I just cannot sit through a full game. I believe that baseball was the best in our time around the 2008-2010 era and I find it very hard to beat a time like that. I'm a big power guy based solely on the fact that I just like to watch baseball for the homers because they are to me, the most interesting part of baseball. I don't think there should be shifting changes because it's just strategy to change the infield and I don't think there is any necessary change.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, watching the established stars of baseball is more entertaining than watching young talent. The stars tend to be much more consistent in their level of play whereas the newer players go on hot and cold streaks throughout the season. However, the oldest and most talented baseball players have been retiring in recent years: "With longtime stars such as Mariano Rivera (2013), Derek Jeter ('14) and David Ortiz ('16) having retired in recent years the most important players in baseball are young." This means that the future of baseball is in the hands of young stars that are now taking the spotlight. This increase in young talent will hopefully draw in new fans of baseball, and increase the amount of young kids who grow up playing the sport. If that happens, I think that the future of baseball will be full of new and excited players and fans. Unfortunately, this is much easier said than done. Baseball is infamous for being an incredibly slow and hard-to-watch sport, with lots of down time between pitches and at-bats. Therefore, it's going to take a lot of exciting new talent to bring in fans.
ReplyDeleteI personally don't watch or keep up with baseball. I don't enjoy watching the MLB because I think it gets to strenuous and boring. The rise of new young talent doesn't really get me more intrigued in the sport. Although in the article these players are bringing record home runs hit in seasons the rest of the game still needs a reboot. With the new players, baseball seems to be changing with players trying to only hit home runs and players getting more strike outs and home runs than ever before. If i was to watch I would preferably like to watch players who hit for power because it brings great hits and even better catches from outfielders. I also don't think there should be a shift because its a big strategy for teams and would mess them up.
ReplyDeleteI have been a baseball fan since I was old enough to start really paying attention at age 7 or 8, going to tons of games with my dad and playing different video games, fantasy baseball, and playing the sport myself which helped spark my interest. However I, like many other youth athletes, began to lose interest in baseball the older the older I got. This makes me think that baseball is definitely decreasing in popularity as the youth of today is losing interest in it, with faster paced sports like soccer or basketball taking its place. I personally enjoy watching established stars rather than young talent, as baseball players can stay in their prime for a very long time but many prospects never reach anywhere close to their full potential. It will be interesting to see how new rule changes the popularity with young fans.
ReplyDeleteI agree that baseball is not something I get very interested in because they are such long games that get to be a little boring. However, my dad is a really big baseball fan so I have gone to a bunch of games and watched on TV as well. This being said it was always more interesting to see star players you know more about but I think the young and upcoming players addition to the teams will create a new era and make it more interesting with new talent. For the MBL hopefully this can lead to a bigger fan base and more popularity with changes to come.
ReplyDeleteSimilar to what Griffin said, my love for baseball has been diminishing since I started watching and playing in second grade. I stopped playing in 6th grade and only played fantasy baseball in 7th and 8th grade, so that could be a factor. But there's no doubt that my deep interest and time for baseball has left. There were iconic players such as Vladimir Guerrero, A-Rod, Johan Santana, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, but currently there aren't many that come to mind. There are many stats to prove that and how low the TV ratings have gone. I prefer to watch established stars, and I think the country agrees with that. In contrast to the article, although the 2016 World Series had an all time-high TV rating, baseball is on the decline and other sports are surpassing it. It's a shame that my love for baseball has decreased, and I think entertainment with respect to game speed is responsible for it. Why watch an MLB game when you can see Lebron or Steph Curry work some fast amazingness in front of your eyes. I don't think baseball's future is optimistic and the TV rates will likely continue to drop. The article also says that power and HR's have taken over the league, but consistent hitting is far more important in the eyes of coaching staffs and fans. The bottom line is that the game is too slow, and other sports are simply more prevalent due to game speed. I love to watch baseball every now and then, but it gets boring real quick on television. Lastly, rules shouldn't be made to restrict infield shifting because it'd be too difficult and it's part of the game
ReplyDeleteWhile baseball is somewhat boring to watch, I do enjoy watching it fairly often. When watching baseball people usually prefer the classic superstars. I myself, enjoy(ed) watching veterans like David Ortiz, David Wright, or Clayton Kershaw dominate games either offensively or defensively. Baseball, however, is at a bit of an odd crossroads. Most veteran players of the past decade have begun to retire at rapid rates, leaving mostly fresh faces rather than a mix of youth and veteran leadership. The rise of baseball's youth is extremely exciting for the future, however, their development will take time. Players don't simply become superstars overnight. I do think baseball's future is in good hands, but I don't see things improving even in the past 5 years. The Pittsburgh Pirates just had a player (Starling Marte) suspended for PEDs, and the past year has been a grim one, with two of the game's rising stars - Jose Fernandez and Yordano Ventura - dying in freak accidents. While there is certainly talent, the promise baseball has lost is also great. Baseball is certainly becoming a game of power, and power teams (natural power teams that is) are fun to watch. The New York Mets in particular, have become a power team that thrives on the long ball, and it is extremely entertaining to watch players like Yoenis Cespedes hit monstrous home runs almost every game. Lastly, I do not believe that rules should be made restricting shifts, because putting a shift on someone is merely a strategy within the game. It doesn't give the other team a major advantage, as the batter could easily hit opposite side and wind up with a double or triple if they had the skill to do it.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I am not a big fan of baseball and do not watch often. But I would prefer to watch the established stars instead of the young prospects. The stars would play a more interesting game because they are more athletic than the prospects. But from reading the article and finding out that young talent is on the rise, it does make more more interested to watch it. The article mentioned that the amount of home runs last year broke the record by 14%. From this statistic it makes the younger athletes more interesting to watch from the professionals because it will be a more intriguing game. Because of these statistics, I believe youth baseball will become more popular brining in more athletes to play. And, the more people that play, the more competitive it will be making the game more interesting to watch.
ReplyDeleteYoung Stars are always a highlight to watch in any sport. These young stars bring life back to sports that may have lost a little. I love to watch new prospects play. I believe they are more energized and hungry than an established star. Of course established stars will always be the face of any sport their playing but young prospects have a chance to be that next big superstar. I am not a huge baseball fan because I truly believe the pace of the game is way to slow to be entertaining. But I do see young prospects bringing viewership back. Of course I would want to see a hitter hit for power and not average. From the article it states “This generation of young hitters grew up not giving a whit about batting average and without a taboo associated with strikeouts. The preferred hitting method now is to launch the ball in the air, strikeouts be damned.” It makes the game more interesting to watch and you feel like anything could happen at any given moment. Lastly there should not be a rule to restrict infield shifts. Sports are about strategy and that would be taking away a key factor in the game.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I love to watch the younger players in the league. It is always fun getting to see some 19-22 year old come in and play great against these established superstars. The younger players also usually make a lot of flashy athletic plays in the field which always makes baseball more enjoyable to watch. I do think that the rise of talent has made me more inclined to watch baseball. I find myself always watching games when I get to see players like Francisco Lindor or Mookie Betts. Because of all this young talent, I do believe that the future of the MLB is much better. In addition to the young talent, I think that Cubs winning the world series this past season is another huge factor that will increase interest in the sport. Simply the story behind the Cubs 109 year path to the world is something that will draw more attention to the sport. When I watch baseball, I love to see homeruns, however, nothing is more exciting than watch a player who can both hit for power and hit for average. Bryce Harper is the perfect example of this. Most of time he is going to get a hit, but you also know that every once in a while, once of those hits is going to be a monster homerun. Nothing is better than that to me.
ReplyDeleteMy preference for watching prospects over young stars, or vice versa, depends on the situation. Certain stars are just so much fun to watch. Stars might have an attitude, might make mistakes, or make some incredible plays. They can be very fun to watch because of their raw talent and huge potential. It makes everyone so excited. Established stars do incredible things every night, so when we see young guys do it, it excites us. That's not to say that the established players don't excite me. Honestly I prefer the established guys. They're faster, smarter, and more exciting. The pace of the game is completely different. I do believe that the rise in young talent has intrigued me. The young guys add such a unique element to the game. They add danger and excitement. It makes thing even more interesting. Baseball's future is looking much better than it did before. People are more excited to watch baseball for many reasons. The game is more intense, the players are better, and the games are more dramatic. Many times people would complain that the game is too slow and it's not that fun. I haven't heard those comments in a very long time. I think the reputation of the sport has definitely improved.
ReplyDeleteI prefer to watch hitters who hit for both average and power. The league needs more versatile hitters. You usually only see one or the other. If you have players who can do both, then the games will be more offensive. I don't think that rules should restrict the infield shift. Baseball is the only sport that doesn't need much work. It's such a fun game with so much going on. It hasn't changed much because it works. There's no reason to mess with the game unless things aren't looking good.
I really like watching the younger prospects play in the MLB. I grew up watching big names like Ryan Howard, Josh Becket and David Ortiz. Now all of these players are retired and washed out. Now the big names in the game are Bryce Harper, Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw. I really prefer watching these new guys because they show a new style of play in the MLB. They are real atheletes that would be successfull in any other professional sport too. They play with electrecity and dominate the game at such a young age. Another youngster I enjoy watching is Aaron Judge on the Yankees, I hate the Yankees but the dudes a total beast. I prefer watching people hit for power because who doesn't like watching a home run blast.
ReplyDeleteAs stated in the article, Major League Baseball is entering a brand new era. For the most part, the stars of the 1990's and early 2000's have retired and a new wave of talent has made its way into the big leagues. With this influx comes a new style of play—flashy and confident—a far cry from the "put your head down" mentality of the last twenty years. The movement of bat flips and home run celebrations has been rejected by some, but there is no doubt this is the way the game is going. Personally, this new wave certainly makes me more inclined to watch. I am a baseball fan to begin with, but the flashiness of this young talent is riveting. And the younger generations understand this—their outbursts are celebrated by teenage fans. The fact is, baseball is in a much better place than it was five years ago. However older players and fans feel about Jose Bautista's gargantuan bat flip in the 2015 ALDS, it inspired a wave of viral internet videos, which is certainly something the MLB should be aiming for in an age where clips of Steph Curry and LeBron James dominate Twitter feeds.
ReplyDeleteI prefer to watch hitters that hit for average. While towering home runs are always fun, it comes at a cost. The biggest power hitters also strike out the most, and there is nothing more frustrating than watch a power hitter strike out with a man in scoring position while swinging for the fences, when all he needed was a little flare into left field for a single. As for shifts, they should absolutely, unequivocally be a part of the game. Under no circumstance should there be rules made to restrict these defensive alignments. Part of the game is learning to hit away from the defense, and the next great skill—the "sixth tool"—will be the ability to hit to all fields and beat the shift.
I played baseball for a good portion of my life. Although I do agree with Dan that the game is more exciting with the young stars, there are still many issues evident with the game. The problem with the game, however, is not the infield shifts or the fact that hitters are hitting for power or contact or that there are more youngsters than ever before. The problem has to do with the game speed. It takes way too long for a pitcher to reset and deliver a ball. If the MLB can find a way to make it so pitchers are spending less time in between pitches doodling around, then I think that viewership and popularity of the sport would go up. I do also think that having young stars is good for the game. Just like I grew up watching Jeter, Ortiz, and Rivera, kids today will be able to grow up watching players like Trout, Harper, and Gary Sanchez. Kids love to have players that they can revolve their childhood fanhood around.
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ReplyDeleteI am not an avid baseball fan but I do enjoy going to games when I am given the oppurtunity. In my personal preferance watching established stars is more exciting because every time they get to the plate you know that something can happen, and if you take your eyes off of them that you may miss a spectacular play. Im not saying that young prospects are not amazing, but they are not proven so they do not have the same wow factor. The rise of baseballs young talent does make me want to watch more, considering in a few years it has been predicted that bryce harper will sign a $400 million dollar contract. The young players are taking the game over by storm, making baseballs future a lot brighter than it previously was. I prefer watching hitters who get on base, it does not matter to me how but I want them to get on base to help the team. If they hit a homerun im cheering, and if they hit a single im cheering. I am not very familiar with baseball rules but I do not think the rules should be changed to restrict infield shifts. I think the sport of baseball is doing better than it used too, and more people seem to be enjoying the sport.
Baseball is interesting because the game itself and the style of play has changed drastically in the last 30 years. Now I believe there is more excitement and and athletes are much more specialized in their field of play. You look at pro players from the 1970s-90s and today, and you can just see the difference in athletic ability and strength. The game has become much more athletic and people get excited seeing young talent, especially if they are impacting the MLB right away. In my opinion, as a huge baseball fan and player, young talent is really what I think excites me. Bryce harper is a 24 year old super star who is among one of the most complete baseball players in the entire MLB. He also influenced so many youth baseball players when we were in little league by doing his eye black very funky. He is "different" and his style of play is different from your typical super star. There is no doubt he is always prepared, takes care of his body, and a good guy, but when it comes to game time there is no messing around. He has a temper and some people like it and others don't. But it makes him interesting. I can't really classify which I rather watch; power hitters or ones for average because baseball is such a complete game that has so many aspects. I enjoy watching but obviously seeing home runs hit and highlight plays are extremely exciting which attracts a lot of viewers.
ReplyDeleteI prefer to watch older stars due to their history in the sport and their long-standing achievements which make games more exciting. I don't think I would necessarily watch more baseball due to younger talent, but I definitely think it would make a game more interesting because younger players are more relatable in age. I don't think baseball's future has changed over the years and young talent won't change the game in the short term. I also think hitting for power is more exciting to watch and more engaging.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I don't really watch MLB that much but I do watch Staples baseball and the occasional MLB game. I think watching young prospects is way more exciting than veterans because young prospects are on the rise. It's thrilling to know that these players are doing extremely well and haven't even hit their prime yet. They are more athletic because of how young they are and that makes for more exciting plays in baseball. Unfortunately, baseball isn't the most exciting sport for me to watch, however when these young prospects are on SC top 10 for making a diving catch in the outfield, that is pretty cool to see. I'll always have respect for the veterans who have been in the league for many years and have earned that respect, but I prefer watching the young players make exciting plays and continue to be on the rise.
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