Written by Tom Verducci at SI.com
Baseball is on a roll. The 2016 season ended with the most watched World Series game in a quarter of a century, followed by a parade that drew the largest recorded gathering of mankind in the history of the Western Hemisphere. This year began with the biggest, most successful international baseball tournament ever.
So where does the sport go from here? Trying to piggyback on the momentum, commissioner Rob Manfred missed his window to convince the players of the need for a more consumer-friendly game (i.e., played at faster pace by reducing the growing dead time).
It’s not quite post-apocalyptic baseball, but hardly anyone is alive who knows what the immediate aftermath of a Chicago Cubs world championship is like. There is now an opportunity to make the game even more popular.
And if it does happen—if this is the start to more popularity—the driving force will be the intersection of the two most dominant trends in the game today: young stars and home runs.
The game in 2017 belongs to young sluggers like never before in its history. Last year players 25 and under hit 1,448 home runs—not only a record number but also more than any other year by a margin of 14%.
With longtime stars such as Mariano Rivera (2013), Derek Jeter (’14) and David Ortiz (’16) having retired in recent years the most important players in baseball are young. Among the most marketable players, in ascending order of age, are Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, 22, Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager, 22, Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor, 23, Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts, 24, Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper, 24, Orioles third baseman Manny Machado, 24, Mets righthander Noah Syndergaard, 24, Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado, 25, Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, 25; Angels outfielder Mike Trout, 25,Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, 27, Dodgers lefthander Clayton Kershaw, 29, and Giants catcher Buster Posey, 30. They likely will be joined this year by Dodgers lefty Julio Urias, 20, andTwins outfielder Byron Buxton, 23, if not Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torrers, 20, and Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benetendi, 22.
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