Story Lines To Watch For In The 2020 MLB Season

One of my favorite seasons is rolling around. Baseball season returns in less than a month, with teams already reporting for spring training. But what are the story lines you should keep an eye on for the upcoming season?

• How Bad Will The Astros Get Hit (Literally) This Season? With the hullabaloo behind the Astros cheating scandal, expect the Houston Astros to be hit hard. Literally. In fact, the "Beanening" is already happening in spring training, with players like Jose Altuve getting plunked. The bigger question is how will the Astros respond to the scandal? Will they fall out of place or will they still be World Series contenders?
  
• How Far Will The Yankees Go This Season? Adding former Astro Gerrit Cole (20-5, 2.50 ERA, 326 SO, 0.89 WHIP) bolsters the Yankees rotation to new heights. Thus, a destructive unit has been formed. However, with the injury bug taking out Yankees left and right (Gary Sanchez's back and Aaron Judge's rib), how will the Yankees hold up?
  
• Can The Dodgers Finally Win It All? Adding Mookie Betts (.295, 29 homers, 80 RBIs, .391 OBP, .915 OPS) is another step in Andrew Friedman's attempt to finally bring a World Series title to Los Angeles. It's all contingent on if Clayton Kershaw can finally shake his postseason woes, too. Kershaw's postseason ERA of 4.43 and 45 walks in 25 postseason starts has been what has partially defined Kershaw for his career.
  
• Did Mike Trout Finally Get Some Help? Anthony Rendon will serve as some protection to Mike Trout in the lineup. However, with the rotation raising a red flag, will the Angels make the postseason with the Rangers improving and the Astros and Athletics in the division?