It seems like just yesterday that the Boston Red Sox lifted the 2018 World Series trophy, doesn’t it? Be that as it may, the 2019 season is nearly upon us, as pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training on February 12 and 13.

As big fans of socks, we’re also big fans of baseball. Here are some trends and big stories Socks Rock is looking out for during the coming season.

Where Will Superstars Land?

As of this writing, baseball superstars like Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, and others are still free agents. These players have the ability to turn mediocre teams into playoff contenders and playoff contenders into World Series frontrunners. With Spring Training games around the corner, these eleventh-hour free agency decisions will have a significant impact on MLB’s competitive landscape in 2019 and beyond.

What Will Happen with Pace of Play and Pitcher Usage?

Although the length of the average MLB game dropped by a few minutes in 2018, the general trend toward longer games continues to generate discussion among baseball fans, members of the media, and league officials. The decline of the starting pitcher and the increased use of relief pitchers receive a lot of the blame for slowing the pace of MLB games. Various proposals to limit reliever usage and cut down on the dead time of pitching changes have made their way through the baseball community. It will be interesting to see whether pace-of-play concerns fuel more talk of rule changes in 2019.

Will the Dodgers Come Up Short Again?

The Los Angeles Dodgers represented the National League in the World Series in 2017 and 2018 but fell short of the championship two years in a row. No team has lost three consecutive World Series since the New York Giants were stymied in the championship from 1911 to 1913. To this point, the Dodgers haven’t made any of the splashy free-agent acquisitions that were expected to come from their front office, but they’re still in a strong position to perform well in 2019. It goes without saying that they hope to make the World Series in 2019, but another runner-up finish would be a historic disappointment for the team and its fans.

What Will Sock Fashion Look Like?

At Socks Rock, socks are never far from our minds! No sport places more importance on socks than baseball does, so we always keep our eye on MLB sock styles. Will high socks continue their fashion resurgence among major leaguers? Will baseball stirrups continue to gain ground on conventional socks? Only time will tell, but signs point to yes on both counts.

If you see a sock you like during the baseball season, you can easily customize exactly what you want at our website. If you wish the baseball socks you saw on TV were more original and want to create something all your own, we can do that, too!