Marvel League Baseball

By Peyton Schultze

Baseball is back! With Marvel-mania about to kick in again with the releases of Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame, we compare some of the MLB’s best to some of the most interesting Marvel characters.

As Spring Training officially kicks off today with pitchers and catchers reporting to many of their respective teams around the league, the excitement of the 2019 regular season is just beginning. In that same breath, we stand only a few weeks away from the debut of Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel, another exciting chapter in the ever-evolving story of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With that being said, is there a better time to somehow mention baseball and superheroes in the same sentence? Our answer to that is no, and without further ado, we present our MLB Team/Superhero comparisons heading into the 2019 season.

Boston Red Sox and Thanos

Fierce, powerful and dominant. The Boston Red Sox and the Mad Titan have a lot in common and will be tough for anyone to overthrow.

Heading into next year, the Boston Red Sox are once again on top of the baseball world. In 2018, the Red Sox captured their 4th World Series title in 14 years by running over the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games and hope to continue their reign in 2019. Although the team has not filled all of their holes this offseason (closer Craig Kimbrel still remains unsigned), Boston figures to be one of the select teams in the American League with a legitimate shot at the World Series. The Red Sox still have two more championships to go until they complete their own Boston Infinity Gauntlet over the past two decades (the Patriots completed their own this month), but with stars like Mookie Betts and Chris Sale back for another season, Boston has a great shot at capturing another title and ruling over the rest of Major League Baseball for another season. Watch out for the mighty Red Sox in 2019 as they look to plow through the rest of Major League Baseball once again.

New York Yankees and Doctor Strange

After losing to the Red Sox in the 2018 ALDS, are the Yankees destined to lose again in 2019? Or do they secretly hold the keys to a 28th world title this year?

With a solid pitching staff and one of baseball’s best offenses, the New York Yankees were a playoff lock in 2018. But their intriguing season quickly fell apart. Almost immediately into the playoffs, the Yankees ran into their purest rival and the eventual-champions in the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS after a Wild Card win over the Oakland A’s. Mostly dismantled through four games in the Boston series, New York was sent home early in the playoffs and forced to look towards 2019. Yet with a loaded roster and playoff experience, the Yankees may be the best shot at taking down the Red Sox at the top of the AL and enter 2019 as somewhat of a mystery team. After a strange offseason, the Yankees’ current roster seems incomplete (especially with Manny Machado still on the open-market) yet still possess a roster filled with young and talented superstars such as Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. New York is not only home to the Sanctum Sanctorum and the Master of the Mystic Arts, but is known as the concrete jungle where dreams are made of. So can the Yankees bring their dream to real life and secure another World Series in 2019?

Houston Astros and Black Panther

After surprising the league and winning the World Series in 2017, the Astros were not the same in 2018. But can they return to glory once again this season?

In 2018, the Houston Astros were beat up. Although the team returned stars such as Alex Bregman, Justin Verlander and George Springer from their World Series team of the previous year, the Astros were virtually unrecognizable after emerging as baseball’s best young team in 2017. Part of this was due to injuries to some of their best key players, while some of it was due to a typical World Series hangover. Yet in 2019, Houston once again expects to be a lethal threat to a World Series after a disappointing season last year. With a loaded and deep roster full of All-Stars and vital role players, Houston has all the ingredients to make a run through the American League and back into the World Series. But make no mistake about it; there will be several other foes out for blood in the AL, so Houston must be prepared for a tough and grueling season once again. Similar to the situation in the film, Black Panther, King T’Challa was forced to take back his kingdom and rise above any challenge in his way. So will the Astros be able to re-emerge and take over baseball’s throne again in 2019?

Cleveland Indians and Ant-Man

After several postseason moments where they failed to rise to the occasion, can the Indians final break through in the American League?

Since falling to the Chicago Cubs in the 2016 World Series, the Cleveland Indians have continuously failed to meet postseason expectations. Although they possess a roster that is as talented as almost any other in the league, Cleveland has constantly shrunk in the biggest of playoff moments and failed to rise to the occasion. While they still have a dominant staff and two of the best players in baseball with Francisco Lindor and José Ramírez, the Indians will have an uphill battle towards their first World Series berth since that dreadful 2016 3-1 choke. Yet for a team that is known for shrinking, there is always a way to rise above. For instance, Ant-Man remains the smallest hero in the MCU, yet has had his fair share of world-saving moments in his three Marvel on-screen appearances. So can the Indians use this same type of formula to rise up on top in 2019? We will soon see.

Oakland A’s and Black Widow

The A’s snuck up on a lot of teams in 2018. Can they repeat it once again this year?

In 2018, the Oakland A’s were one of baseball’s surprise teams, finishing 97-65 after many predicted that they would possibly finish last in the AL West. However, despite their thrilling season that was constantly stacked against all odds, they fell to the powerful New York Yankees in the AL Wild Card Game. But heading into 2019, the A’s are once again a dark-horse in the American League and a team that has a lot of potential to upset teams such as Houston, New York and even Boston. Although the team lacks a plethora of superstars on the roster, Oakland grinds out tough victories through precise situational hitting and pitching. Comparing this to Black Widow, the Avengers’ notorious spy has a knack for taking her enemies by surprise with her wide array of skills. This is quite similar to what makes up this A’s roster. In addition, Black Widow lacks any sort of true superpower, and instead relies on her creative mind and combat skills to get her out of tough situations. Is it possible that baseball analysts are once again sleeping on Oakland, yet the A’s will find a way to make another stunning regular season run?

Los Angeles Dodgers and Iron Man

No team in the league has been more consistent over the past five years than the Dodgers; but can they finally win their first title since 1988?

Over the past six seasons, the Los Angeles Dodgers have captured the NL West and made it to the postseason. And even in each of the past two seasons, the Dodgers have made the World Series. Yet in both of those appearances, the Dodgers came out with the same result: empty-handed and without a world title. Over the past six years, every year has seemed like boom-or-bust for the Dodgers. And with that being said, Los Angeles has been a very tough team to beat. But with their model consistency also comes a vast array of failures. Similar to Tony Stark/Iron Man’s catastrophic struggles within the MCU (almost dying to terrorists, letting Ultron cause chaos, allowing Thanos to snap away half of human existence), the Dodgers have ultimately came up short despite their best efforts. But Iron Man has also saved the day numerous times and risen above his failures. In regard to the Dodgers, it has to change one day right? With this type of consistency over the past decade, the Dodgers are running out of time to finally capture a title. So will 2019 be the year where Los Angeles finally takes it all, or will they add to their recent history of playoff struggles once again?

Colorado Rockies and Rocket Raccoon

Two loose cannons: the Colorado Rockies and Rocket Raccoon are two x-factors in their respective universes that have a wild style of play.

In the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado Rockies have a fiery offense and young pitching staff that makes them an intriguing team heading into 2019. Last year, the Rockies had a surprising season that saw them makes the playoffs and then stun the Chicago Cubs in the NL Wild Card Game before falling to the Brewers in the NLDS. The Rockies have a lot of young players, such as Kyle Freeland and German Márquez in their starting pitching staff, that makes them an exciting team with now-high expectations following a great 2018 campaign. However, the Rockies also have a decent shot of falling off again this year, as the team still has several roster holes that have not been cleared up (such as a shaky bullpen). The Rockies are just like Rocket Raccoon, the cocky and brash raccoon that helps lead the Guardians of the Galaxy. Rocket is certainly a part of the big picture of the MCU, yet often makes some poor choices that makes him seem like a wild-card character that can cause some havoc. The Rockies and Rocket are very hard to predict and have a certain unpredictable nature that makes fans interested. The Rockies will be interesting to watch in 2019, especially as they look to end the Dodgers’ reign atop the NL West.

Philadelphia Phillies and Spider-Man

The time might be now for the young and captivating Phillies, especially after a solid 2018 campaign.

With Spring Training just beginning for many, it is still a major surprise that Manny Machado and Bryce Harper remain unsigned. While both are likely expected to sign in the coming weeks, there is a high chance that the Phillies will land at least one. After a successful year last year that landed just short of a Wild Card berth, the Phillies have made some noise this offseason in baseball’s rumor mill. After acquiring former Marlins’ catcher, JT Realmuto, the Phillies have put themselves in a position to contend in 2019 and look to be a new hot-shot team that could take the league by storm this year. Likewise, Spider-Man’s role in the MCU was discovered after his first appearance in Captain America: Civil War, in which Spidey shocked many members of the Avengers and quickly emerged as a reliable ally with a lot of potential to lead the team in the future. Philadelphia has a legitimate shot at doing something similar this year, especially with a roster that could soon be adding a superstar or two to an already-dangerous lineup. The Phillies could be a major contender in the MLB in 2019, as they look to sling through the NL and back into the World Series for the first time since 2009.

Atlanta Braves and Scarlet Witch

Young, powerful and dangerous: the Atlanta Braves are a riveting team heading into Spring Training and the 2019 regular season.

For Braves fans, 2018 was a peek at the bright future of an emerging franchise that figures to be near the top for years to come. After pulling off a spectacular regular season that few saw coming, the Braves lost to the Dodgers in four games in the NLDS. While the Braves did not play their best in the playoffs against Los Angeles, Atlanta and their young stars arrived earlier than many expected and figure to be another threat with a lot of potential right now and in the coming years. Compared to Scarlet Witch, one of the most purely powerful characters in the MCU, the Braves are still also very raw. Both are very young and have a long way to go until they reach their prime for peak performance, yet have shown flashes of greatness already that brings a lot of hope for the future. Yet both the Braves and Scarlet Witch will need to clear the hurdles in front of them. For the Braves, they must continue to develop consistently and not just accept that they are already one of the NL’s best teams. With that mindset, Atlanta will once again find themselves outside of the playoffs or again losing in the NLDS. As for Scarlet Witch, she must not let her love for Vision get in the way of doing the right thing and helping save the world. The Braves are full of youngsters with immense potential; so can they repeat their success from last year and translate it into a 2019 World Series?

Chicago Cubs and Star-Lord

The Cubs were not themselves in 2018 and are looking to return to their championship form in the upcoming season.

For the Cubs, 2018 may have been somewhat of an outlier. Although Chicago was not anywhere near the same team they were in 2016 or even 2017, the Cubs still made the playoffs and looked like a lock to beat the Rockies and head into a wild matchup in the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers. However, that is not how their story would unfold. In the NL Wild Card Game, the Cubs suddenly become somewhat accident-prone and shockingly lost in crazy game to the Rockies and were sent home from the playoffs early. Heading into Spring Training, the Cubs are looking to once again shed their “choker” label and return to their dominant form from the 2016 title-winning season. Their journey over the past several years has been a wild ride over the years and similar to that of the leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Much like the Cubs, Star-Lord has had his fair share of wins and losses (helping save the world from Ronin, destroying Ego, losing Gamora at the hands of Thanos) and is looking for some kind of redemption, especially after his documented mistakes out of pure anger in Avengers: Infinity War. The Cubs also face a tough path back towards the top, but will certainly be motivated to get there after a disappointing season last year. Chicago should be in for a wild ride this year, and their trek back toward baseball glory will certainly be a fascinating story to watch.

Milwaukee Brewers and Thor

The Brewers will certainly come out seeking a vengeance after a heartbreaking loss in Game 7 of the NLCS to the Dodgers.

In 2018, they almost had it. In what could have been their first NL Pennant in the history of the Milwaukee Brewers had they won, the Los Angeles Dodgers were able to come out on top over the Brewers in the enticing 2018 NLCS. Last year, the Brewers came out of nowhere to win the NL Central, led by the NL MVP in Christian Yelich and the best bullpen in baseball. This same formula carried over into the playoffs, where the Brewers looked virtually unbeatable at times in the playoffs against the Rockies and Dodgers. But their dream came crashing down in Game 7 of the NLCS, in which the experienced and battle-tested Dodgers came out victorious in the end to secure a second straight World Series. Now, the Brewers are going to out for blood in hopes of finishing what they started last year. Much like Thor, the mighty god of thunder and current king of the remaining people of Asgard, the Brewers have suffered a lot of remorse and pain over the past year. The Brewers were forced to head home last season after so much promise, whereas Thor has virtually lost everything he has ever cared about (such as his trickster brother, Loki) and failed to kill Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. But make no mistake about it, these two will be back. In Avengers: Endgame, Thor will likely obsess over what it will finally take to make things right and reverse Thanos’ infamous snap. Meanwhile, the Brewers will try to do whatever it takes to reverse the results of last year’s playoffs and make it to their first World Series in 2019. The 2019 Brewers are going to be out seeking revenge, and their maddening pursuit should be a compelling story to watch for.