Five MLB players primed for bounce back seasons in 2021

COVID-19 threw a wrench into the lives of everyone, including MLB players and schedule-makers. Starting Spring Training in February, then stopping in mid-March before beginning the season in July, altered player preparation dramatically. As a result, some familiar faces uncharacteristically struggled throughout 2020.

Here are five players that fans and bettors should expect marked improvement from in 2021.

1. Nolan Arenado

We’ll start with Nolan Arenado, the only player on this list getting a change of scenery in 2021. The former third baseman for the Colorado Rockies will now ply his trade for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Arenado had an OPS+ above 124 in five straight seasons before 2020 – all of which he received All-Star honors for – before posting an 84 OPS+. The three-time NL leader in homers knocked just eight pitches over the wall last season, and posted a bating average 40 points below his career mark of .293.

A nagging left shoulder injury, in addition to some animus with Rockies’ brass and the COVID pause, likely all played some part in Arenado’s sub-par season. Don’t be surprised if he returns to his MVP-caliber ways in 2021.

2. Christian Yelich

One of baseball’s best contact hitters in Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat in 2020. That is bound to change in 2021.

Yelich was still hitting the ball hard when he made contact last year (he was third in average exit velocity), but his customary 21% strikeout rate soared to 30.8% in 2020.

This can probably be chalked up to timing, something easily upset by lack of routine. And 2020 was anything but routine.

3. Sean Manaea

A solid September (3.04 ERA) spared Sean Manaea a truly disastrous 2020, but a 9.00 ERA through his first four starts had to set off alarm bells for the Oakland A’s. His lone postseason outing was forgettable – four runs allowed over 4 1/3 innings in a loss to the Houston Astros.

Manaea posted a career-best 5.63 strikeout/walk ratio in 2020, but a career-worst .270 opponent batting average. This suggests that his stuff is still strong, but he either challenged hitters too often or left too many pitches over the plate.

Command is something that can be fine-tuned in Spring Training.

4. Austin Meadows

Fresh off his first career All-Star nomination, Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Austin Meadows’ 2020 was unfortunately all about stops-and-starts.

He played just 36 regular season games, starting late and checking out early. Meadows returned for the playoffs but was a lousy 7-for-51 (.137) with 18 strikeouts.

Hopefully for Meadows, he can return to his 2019 form that saw him hit .291 with 33 homers.

5. Madison Bumgarner

Did the San Francisco Giants know what they were doing when they let Madison Bumgarner walk to the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks?

The southpaw starter’s 2020 could not have gone much worse, as he was 1-4 over nine outings with a 6.48 ERA – well above his career 3.20 mark. He missed about a month of the season with a back injury.

However, Bumgarner’s final two starts of the campaign – consecutive five-inning shutouts – suggest that he’ll bounce back in a big way in 2021.