10 biggest MLB stories of 2021
A rather eventful year in baseball on and off the field brought plenty of storylines, controversies, and change over the past 365 days. Let's look back at the 10 biggest MLB stories of 2021.
10. Rise of the Guardians
Two years after abandoning their Chief Wahoo logo, Cleveland's baseball franchise finally chose a new name. Protests against the "Indians" moniker - in use for over a century - grew larger in the wake of other professional franchises moving away from Native mascots and nicknames. Following a long process, Cleveland chose to rebrand as the Guardians, an homage to famous statues on the Hope Memorial Bridge near Progressive Field. Will the change help end Cleveland's 74-year World Series drought? Guardians fans can only hope.
9. Mets' circus continues
The Mets started 2021 full of hope with new ownership and a new star, and they enter 2022 with renewed optimism. In between, fans in Flushing were treated to the same old circus they've come to know too well. Star shortstop Francisco Lindor signed a record extension mere months after being acquired from Cleveland, but he struggled with injuries, was booed by home fans, and had a memorable dust-up with a teammate. New York brought in Javier Baez for the stretch run, but the Mets' playoff hopes were dashed when Jacob deGrom's arm troubles interrupted his historic season. Questions about workplace culture also loomed large over the team as they went through multiple general managers and failed to reel in a big-fish executive. So, once again, the Mets tried to spend their way out of trouble this winter, landing several free agents - including Max Scherzer - hours before the lockout began. There's never a dull moment on the Mets' merry-go-round.
8. Giants shock the world
The NL West race was supposed to be a battle of Southern California titans in the Dodgers and Padres. Instead, Gabe Kapler's veteran Giants came out of nowhere to defy all sorts of odds and finished the season with a franchise-record 107 wins. Buster Posey, the heartbeat of San Francisco's dynasty in the 2010s, turned in a stellar comeback campaign before retiring at the top of his game. Other heroes included shortstop Brandon Crawford, who finished fourth in NL MVP voting; a stellar rotation headlined by All-Star Kevin Gausman and breakout star Logan Webb; and "Late Night" LaMonte Wade Jr., an unknown trade acquisition who provided plenty of ninth-inning magic all year. The Giants drew their longtime rivals from L.A. in a memorable NLDS matchup and almost continued their run before a controversial end in Game 5. Still, they were the most surprising team story of 2021, and it was a ride that fans in San Francisco will never forget.
7. Braves win it all
The Braves were spinning their wheels below .500 when the trade deadline passed. Ronald Acuna Jr. suffered a season-ending knee injury at the All-Star break, Marcell Ozuna was on administrative leave after domestic violence charges, and Mike Soroka didn't pitch following a setback in his Achilles injury. But that didn't deter Alex Anthopoulos from making several unheralded deadline deals that ultimately brought a title back to Atlanta. With a completely remade outfield that included eventual World Series MVP Jorge Soler and NLCS MVP Eddie Rosario, the Braves finally climbed above .500 in August and caught the Phillies to take the NL East with just 88 wins before storming through the postseason for one of the most unlikely championships.
6. AL East madness
There were many fascinating playoff races in 2021, but none came close to matching the AL East for sheer chaos. The East featured four 90-win teams, which has only happened one other time in MLB (1978). The Rays pulled away late to finish first with a franchise-record 100 wins, while the Red Sox, Yankees, and Blue Jays were locked in a furious battle for the two wild-card spots. Ultimately, New York and Boston won out with 92 wins each, leaving Toronto out of the playoffs at 91. Incredibly, the fourth-place Blue Jays had one more win than the Mariners, who finished second in the AL West. It might be a long time before we see this kind of a division race again.
5. Superstars cash in
Until baseball ground to a halt earlier this month, this was a year of new looks and mammoth contracts for many of the sport's star players. It started last January when George Springer flew north to Toronto and Francisco Lindor was traded to Queens. Lindor then signed a record 10-year, $341-million extension with the Mets, just a few months after Fernando Tatis Jr. inked a $340-million deal with the Padres. It continued into a wild July trade deadline as surprise names found new homes and then kept going into this offseason's flurry. In November alone, players signed $1.67 billion worth of contracts in free agency, which doesn't include extensions for the likes of Wander Franco and Jose Berrios. When MLB resumes, Carlos Correa, Freddie Freeman, and Trevor Story are still on the market. This wild year of change isn't done yet.
4. Fans return
So long cutouts, we hardly knew ye. The very bizarre pandemic season slowly gave way to normalcy this summer as restrictions were lifted and fans returned to ballparks in droves. Neutral-site playoff games gave way to energetic and vibrant home crowds all summer and into October. The wandering Blue Jays played home games in two minor-league ballparks before finally getting their triumphant Toronto homecoming in July. And after over a year of waiting, fans could finally let the Houston Astros hear just what they thought about the sign-stealing scandal. In many ways, 2021 showed us just how integral fans are to baseball and how badly they were missed.
3. Sticky stuff crackdown
Baseball has weathered quite a few on-field controversies over the past few years, but none quite like the "sticky stuff" epidemic. MLB began cracking down on pitchers using foreign substances in the middle of last season, with the popular Spider Tack a particular target. The issue percolated below the surface for some time but came to a head in May after umpires confiscated Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos' hat, prompting a long-winded rant from manager Mike Shildt.
Pitchers became subject to random spot-checks beginning June 21 - usually two per game for starters - with ejections and suspensions for those caught in the act. The results were immediate. Hitters slashed a collective .248/.320/.419 from June 21 on, compared to a pre-crackdown line of .239/.313./400. A record nine no-hitters were thrown in 2021, but only three of those came after the crackdowns started. This drama has long-term ramifications for baseball and will probably continue for several years.
2. Ohtani's magical season
We got a glimpse of what Shohei Ohtani could be in 2018 before Tommy John surgery ended his season. This year, a fully healthy Ohtani set the baseball world on fire. The 27-year-old was the majors' first true two-way player in over a century, posting a .965 OPS with 46 homers and eight triples as a DH, along with a 3.18 ERA and 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings in 23 starts on the mound. As if that wasn't enough, he participated in the Home Run Derby, started the All-Star Game as both a pitcher and DH, and was the unanimous choice as AL MVP. He even got into seven games as an outfielder, with four of those appearances coming when he started on the mound. There's nobody else on the planet quite like Ohtani, and baseball is in good hands if he's the face of it going forward.
1. Lockout shuts down baseball
The specter of a lockout loomed large over the entire 2021 season. Those fears became a reality a few minutes past midnight ET on Dec. 2 when the collective bargaining agreement expired, and MLB locked out its players. It's baseball's first work stoppage since the 1994 player's strike. The main reason for the shutdown is economics, but other issues - from expanded playoffs to a universal designated hitter - are also being discussed. The lockout also halted an offseason full of action, with many star players still on the open market. Baseball could look very different on and off the field whenever a deal is reached and the sport resumes.