中英對照版》20個對2020球季感到興奮的理由（上）

原文標題：

20 reasons to be excited for the 2020 season

20個對2020球季感到興奮的理由

原文連結：https://www.mlb.com/news/reasons-to-be-excited-for-2020-baseball-season

Let's see, where were we? Mookie Betts was wearing Dodger blue, Mike Trout was welcoming Anthony Rendon to the Angels and Gerrit Cole was freshly shaved in Yankee pinstripes.

我們來看看進展到哪一步了？Mookie Betts要穿上道奇藍，Mike Trout歡迎Anthony Rendon來到洛杉磯，Gerrit Cole把鬍子刮乾淨披上洋基條紋衫。

Wait, there's more. Madison Bumgarner was preparing for his first season in Arizona, Josh Donaldson had signed with the Bomba Squad, and certain divisions (such as the NL East and Central) looked completely wide open.

請留步，還有更多消息啦。Madison Bumgarner準備他在亞利桑那的第一個球季，Josh Donaldson跟Bomba Squad（炸彈部隊，雙城隊）簽約，以及一些分區（像是國聯東區及中區）看起來人人有機會，個個沒把握。

So there you go. Now we can finally get back to the things we love in a sport that is about to have its most long-awaited Opening Day ever and a 60-game sprint to the postseason.

所以久等了吧，現在我們終於可以回歸我們鍾愛的運動賽事，包括歷史上等待最久的開幕賽，以及只有60場例行賽，宛如衝刺到季後賽。

We don't know how a lot of it is going to look or feel. We just know this: We're about to get one of the best things about summer back.

我們並不知道很多事情將會如何發展以及會觸發什麼感受。我們只知道：我們即將迎回夏天最美好的其中一件事。

So here's to Max Scherzer dropping a knee-buckling, brain-freezing hammer of a curveball on some poor hitter. Or Cody Bellinger driving a pitch over the fence, or Ronald Acuña Jr. flying around the bases or Lorenzo Cain laying out to swipe a ball off the turf.

Max Scherzer逼得一些可憐的打者屈膝、凍腦，如重鎚般的曲球即將再現。或是Cody Bellinger再把球扛出牆外，或是Ronald Acuña Jr.在壘包間飛奔來去，或是Lorenzo Cain在草地上飛撲將球一把接住。

Here are 20 reasons to be excited for Opening Day:

這裡是20個你應該對開幕日感到興奮的理由

1. Games! Real games!

比賽！真正的比賽！

Almost eight months have passed since Nationals reliever Daniel Hudson got the final out of the 2019 World Series. We had the kind of chaotic offseason that whets the appetite for a wild regular-season ride.

自從國民隊的後援投手Daniel Hudson拿下2019年世界大賽的最後一個出局後， 8個月過去了。我們經歷了一團混亂的休季期間，促進了我們對例行賽帶來一些精彩表現的渴望。

Now it'll be compressed into 60 games that will begin on July 23 and offer a smorgasbord of possibilities. It might look a little different without fans in the stands, but we'll adjust.

現在球季壓縮到剩60場，會在7月23日展開，只能說是小菜一碟。而且觀眾席沒有球迷，但我們會調整適應的。

2. When a fast start and a fast finish is the same thing.

當很快開始跟很快結束是同一件事

A veteran player once told me he never even checks the standings until August. He meant that a baseball season eventually exposes every weakness and reveals every strength.

一個老鳥球員曾告訴我，直到8月以前他都不會注意球隊的排名。他的意思是球季很長，足以暴露所有弱點，以及反映路遙知馬力。

That might not be the case in a 60-game season. Every team could be one hot streak -- and virtually every team has one or two really good stretches -- from opening the postseason door.

但這應該不適用於60場的例行賽。如果有哪一隊狀況特別好，維持的時間可能就是介於開季到開始季後賽——而且幾乎每一支球隊在(譯者註：正常長度的例行賽)，都有一到兩段狀況火燙的區間。

For example, if the season ended after 60 games last year, the Rangers would have been in the and Nationals out. In that way, every game counts in a way it doesn't usually count in a normal season.

舉例而言，如果去年球季只有60場比賽，遊騎兵隊將擠進、國民隊將無緣季後賽。在這種情況下，每一場比賽的份量都跟正常的球季不同。

3. Will Mookie Betts get the Dodgers over the hump?

Mookie Betts能把道奇扛過最後一哩路嗎？

Isn't that the single biggest question this season? The Dodgers added one of baseball's five best players to a team that has won seven straight NL West championships and made it to the World Series in 2017 and 2018. 

這不就是這個球季最顯著的問題嗎？道奇隊把5位最優秀球員之一的Mookie Betts加入到陣容中，道奇隊又已連續7次拿下國聯西區冠軍，並且在2017-2018年搶進世界大賽。

But there's a sense of unfinished business for a franchise that hasn't won the World Series since 1988.

但對這支球隊而言，總有一股未竟之感，因為它們自1988年後就未拿過世界大賽冠軍了。

4. DH for all.

兩聯盟都有指定打擊

Yes, we'll have the DH in both leagues for the first time, and it'll be fascinating to see the reaction of National League fans who've long preferred pitchers hitting and the myriad strategies that presents. 

對的，這是第一個球季我們在兩個聯盟都設有指定打擊，國聯的球迷長久以來較傾向讓投手打擊，以及偏好因應投手打擊衍生的一些戰術應用，這令人期待他們對實施後的反應。

Managers will love it because they can use the spot to rotate their regulars while no longer exposing pitchers to an unnecessary injury risk.

總教練將會很開心，因為他們可以利用DH 練兵，也可以避免投手暴露於不必要的受傷風險中。

5. Here's to the defending champs.

關於衛冕冠軍

Few World Series winners have been as tough and resilient as the Nationals, who rallied furiously from a 19-31 start in the regular season, then trailed the Brewers late in the NL Wild Card Game and were down to the Dodgers in the fifth and deciding NLDS Game 5.

少數的世界大賽冠軍隊伍經歷有如國民隊這樣艱辛及坐雲霄飛車般的過程，他們從例行賽開季的19勝31敗，快速地奮起，然後在球季尾聲在外卡緊追釀酒人，他們以國聯第5名的成績在國聯冠軍賽第5戰擊敗道奇。

They finished the deal by winning Games 6 and 7 of the World Series on the road. Last year, they lost Bryce Harper and won a World Series, and this past winter they bid farewell to Anthony Rendon. Can they overcome the loss of another superstar?

最後他們在客場贏得了世界大賽的第6及第7戰，達到了艱鉅的目標。去年他們失去了Bryce Harper但贏得了世界大賽，而在去年冬季，他們跟Anthony Rendon道別。他們今年能再克服失去另一位巨星嗎？

6. In the AL, is it the Yankees against the field?

洋基能在美聯稱霸嗎？

This delayed start has allowed Giancarlo Stanton, James Paxton and Aaron Hicks to get healthy. If Aaron Judge is ready to go -- or maybe if he isn't -- the Yankees appear to be the AL's best team, and not by a small margin.

球季的延遲得以讓 Giancarlo Stanton、James Paxton及Aaron Hicks康復。如果Aaron Judge又能投入比賽（也有可能還不能），洋基目前看起來像是美聯最佳的隊伍，而且不是只比其他球隊稍佳而已。

7. Shohei Ohtani and the two-way experiment.

大谷翔平以及他的雙刀流實驗

He appears to be fully recovered from Tommy John surgery and prepared to pitch some and hit some for the Angels. 

大谷翔平似乎已從Tommy John手術完全復原，也準備為天使隊再現雙刀流。

Talent isn't the issue. He has proven he's capable of dominance on the mound or at the plate. What we still don't know is if anyone is capable of doing both over the long haul. New Angels manager Joe Maddon is going to have some fun figuring things out.

他的天賦不是我們要討論的，他已經證明他能主宰投手丘及打擊區。但我們不知道的是單一球員是不是可以長時間都以雙刀流出賽。這個探索的過程，對新任天使隊總教練Joe Maddon 而言，是一件耐人尋味的事情。

8. A real threat to Houston in the AL West.

This shortened season opens the door for the A's to unseat the Astros, and after the offseason revelation of Houston's illegal sign-stealing scheme, there are a lot of folks who probably wouldn't mind seeing that.

美聯西區的太空人面臨真正的威脅

縮水的賽季讓運動家把太空人從冠軍寶座上 拉下來，去年休季期間休士頓違法偷暗號的密謀曝光後，很多人其實並不介意看到太空人面臨這樣的情況。

Oakland's biggest question is the workload for three potentially dominant starters: Sean Manaea, Jesus Luzardo and A.J. Puk. A 60-game season could take care of that issue, and if they have all three for the entire run, Oakland's rotation matches up with pretty much any.

奧克蘭運動家隊最大的問題是三大優質潛力球星的負荷量，Sean Manaea,、Jesus Luzardo和A.J. Puk，60場的例行賽得以解決這個問題，而運動家如果能讓3位投手全數發揮可靠戰力，奧克蘭的輪值將傲視聯盟。