Five Comeback Players to Keep Your Eye On

Bumgarner signed a 5 year 85 million dollar contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks in the winter of 2019 and many people thought the Dbacks were going to be contenders with the many accusations made that year. They hoped Bumgarner would be a big key factor as they needed a veteran pitcher as they traded Grenkie away in the 2019 trade deadline. Bumgarner fit this role very well as he also had his catcher Stephen Vogt sign a deal with the Dbacks. Bumgarner was looking to help get the Dbacks into contention, but this did not exactly go to plan. Bumgarner would be named opening Day starter against the Padres to open the 2020 shortened season he did fairly well going 6 innings only giving up 3 runs. He ended up losing the game but it was not a disappointing start. This would go downhill however Bumgarner a few starts later in San Diego again did not meet expectations getting beat up only going two innings giving up 6 earned runs, 4 of those runs were home runs. After this start he missed some time due to a lower back injury. Once Bumgarner returned he still wasn’t not the same, the Dbacks “ace” was not in good condition and they wondered what the next 5 years would be like. This was until Bumgarner’s last 2 starts of the season. Bumgarner in both these starts would face the Astros and Rockies where he went 5 innings and gave up 2 hits and no runs in both starts. the Dbacks lost the game against the Astros but they beat the Rockies and Bumgarner was awarded his first win of the season. At the end of the 2020 Season Bumgarner went 1-4 with a 6.48 ERA however Bumgarner was dominated his last two outings and in his first spring training game of the 2021 season he went two innings striking out the side in both innings. Bumgarner is looking at hopefully a comeback year in 2021.

Nolan is a 5x All Star, a 8x Gold Glove Award Winner, a 4x Silver Slugger award winner and many more accomplishments. For all of his career Arenado has been the face of the Colorado Rockies, but if you’re the face of the team you would be happy in that city and franchise right? However this was not the case for Arenado. He loved the state of Colorado but did not like the Rockies front office. Nolan would only make two postseason appearances with the Rox where he would lose the NL Wild Card game to the Dbacks in 2017 and then play a tie breaker game for the 2018 NL West division championship against the Los Angeles Dodgers where they would lose that as well. The Rockies would then go to the NL wild card game against the Cubs and defeat them in extra innings but get swept in the NLDS by the Brewers. These were big heart breaks for Nolan he was so close to bringing the Rockies their first division title and many more. Nolan thought this team had so much potential but he believed the front office didn’t do anything to help the Rockies do great things. Colorado would miss the playoffs in 2019 but they would start the 2020 season on a strong foot but fall off in the middle of the season. Nolan was furious with the team and it affected Nolan’s stats. Nolan had a career low of a .253 batting average and only hit 8 home runs. Nolan would miss the the last few games with an injury and many knew this would be the last time Arenado would play with Colorado. they stood corrected as they would trade Arenado to the Cardinals in early February of 2021. A new team that has great potential not to just make it to the playoffs but win it all can really help Arenado get back up on his feet and take a lot of pressure of his shoulders.

Ketel Marte had a break out 2019 season reaching the all star game and becoming the new face of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ketel would enter the 2020 season looking to continue dominating with his offense and defense. Ketel did not achieve this and had a very disappointing year. He only hit 2 homeruns in 195 PA. His slugging was at an all time low and it was very disappointing to see him have such a bad year. Ketel has worked a lot this off-season trying to maintain himself as every at bat last year he tried hitting a homerun, Ketel is still young and is learning a lot. With the help from his coaches and less stress of the COVID-19 pandemic Marte can easily get back to his old self and prove that his 2019 season was not a fluke. Ketel looks much stronger than last year and i think he can easily get his power back.

Yelich has been one of the best players the last few years but 2020 hit him hard. His offensive stats weren’t pretty, he was batting .205 with only 41 hits and he was in a slump all year. The Brewers themselves struggled barely making the wild card series as the last seed but were swept by the Dodgers. Yelich was terrible in that series. Yelich was another player who may have not been in the right mindset to the new lifestyle and his bad start was another thing for him to cope with. Yelich is one of the best power hitters and I believe as he adapts and gets his mindset right he will return to his former state. The Brewers acquired a lot of good talent this offseason and much like the Arenado case Yelich will no longer have to rely on himself to be the difference maker in games. With support and the right mindset Christian Yelich will be back to his old self. This of course comes with him not trying to hit home runs every swing. Like I said with Ketel Marte, he needs to settle down and have fun. Yelich is one of the happiest guys on the field and his presence is known around Milwaukee. Yelich did not seem himself this year and it also brought the Brewers done with him. As long as Yelich has fun he will be back to the power hitting machine he was in previous year.

They’re many players who will have a better 2021 season, some of these players will definitely be ones to keep an eye on, but the number 1 player will definitely be someone to watch. So in my opinion the player to watch this year is.

Escobar has always been a decent player but never a dominant one. So why is he number 1 on this list? Well not only do i think Eduardo will have a better season i think he will have his best season. Eduardo put on a lot of weight during quarantine and was much bigger. This affected his mechanics and overall performance, but in this short off season Escobar dropped 20 pounds. So far this spring Escobar is in much better shape and looks like he could be one of the best players in baseball this year. The attitude he brings to the field is very noticeable and is a fan favorite. He strives off the support of supporters and with fans in the stands this year that may very well boost his performance. Don’t be surprised if you hear Escobar becoming a star in this 2021 season. Escobar is a very hard worker and takes his time to get better. He has said he is eager to get back on the field and as a veteran knows how to control his mindset. Watch out for Eduardo Escobar this year.

In conclusion, many players look to have a better 2021 season. I’m excited to see all these players perform this year. You may not agree with this list but take some time to realize what these players have done this offseason. They are all hard workers and will definitely be someone to keep an eye out for in the upcoming 2021 MLB Season.