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MLB News and Notes | June 21st 2021

Wander Franco is Headed to the Show

The #1 overall prospect in all of Major League Baseball is finally set to make his debut as a Tampa Bay Ray. The shortstop has been absolutely lighting up the minor league for some time now and with the Rays just being swept by one of the worst offenses in the league, it was necessary to finally make the call for some much-needed production.

A huge series lies ahead for the Rays against the Boston Red Sox, so it will be very important that Franco makes his mark. If the Rays lose the series, they will have fallen behind the progress they made as leaders in the AL East division dramatically. Will Wander Franco be the solution that the Rays need, or will the Rays continue their slow demise on the season? We will see soon enough.

Shohei Ohtani to Compete in HR Derby

Japan’s own Shohei Ohtani has finally been proving why the Angels signed him in a huge way this season. As a dual-threat both at the plate and at bat, Ohtani has been doing everything he can to lead his team to victory on a nightly basis.

While Ohtani being even an average batter, would be quite impressive for a pitcher, Ohtani has proved to also be one of the best hitters in the league. Currently, amongst the league, Ohtani is in the top 50 of hitting leaders, has the third most runs batted in, and is tied for first with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the most home runs.

The two are in an intense battle for the M.V.P. trophy for the American League and Ohtani knows that he needs to prove his dominance with every chance he gets. That is why Ohtani has opted into the Home Run Derby and is going to challenge Guerrero Jr. in a situation he’s quite comfortable in. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, but Ohtani competing in the home run derby is history in the making and if he is able to win the derby, he could be the first pitcher in history to do so.

Cohen Says DeGrom’s Contract Needs to Wait

Steve Cohen since his purchase of the majority stake of the New York Mets has been quite a vocal leader. He regularly tweets on his twitter, talking to fans and trying to get a pulse for what the fans are feeling before and throughout the season.

With the rather large contract extension signed for Fransisco Lindor before the season started, many would understand that Cohen is not afraid to spend money to provide his team with success. However fast forward to June 20th and while the Mets are doing good, there is a looming question that hangs over the franchise. Will DeGrom remain a Met? He’s getting paid a cool $36 million at the moment, but only seems to get better with time.

With Cohen so focused on how the current season is going, when asked about possibly extending DeGrom right now, he responded,”I don’t think it’s the right moment… We’re focused on this year. Obviously, it’s something we’re thinking about. Listen, we love Jacob.”

If the Mets want to continue their pitching dominance, DeGrom is a high priority, so Cohen must approach this situation very carefully. If the Mets were to lose DeGrom, they would lose a piece of their identity.

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