Spring is finally here, and baseball is set at the starting line. With the season almost a month in, what better way to get hyped for the summer months than 10 reasons that you should watch baseball this season.

1. The Playoff Races

The Padres, Dodgers, and Giants are all in the same division. The Cubs, Reds, Pirates, and Cardinals are in another. The Braves, Mets, and Nationals are in one, and the Royals and Tigers share one. Point is, these teams are title contenders and can possibly win the World Series, and the late summer and crisp fall months will be a great time to go watch these division races in action.

2. MLB: 15 The Show

One of the best things a baseball fan can own is MLB: 15 The Show. Made by San Diego Studios, creators of the popular racing game series Modnation Racers, this is the definitive video game for a baseball enthusiast. This year they are adding plenty of new features, such as new animations for batting, fielding, and pitching, new licensed equipment (I.E Nike, Adidas, Reebok), and even updated A.I. for computer controlled outfielders, meaning that they will react closer to how a real player would, instead of how a computer A.I. would. San Diego Studios promises this will be a major improvement over other games in the series.

3. Alex Rodriguez’s (Possible) Final Season

Despite the constant steroid accusations, there is no denial that Alex Rodriguez has a profound impact on baseball, and he is one of the final players from the New York Yankees on the 2009 Champions. While many disagree with his decisions, he still remains someone that should be given a farewell from fans. Even if it is scornful.

4. National League pitching is looking better than ever

Clayton Kershaw, Johnny Cueto, Adam Wrainwright, Doug Fister, and Cole Hamles are the top five National League pitchers in ERA last year, and Kershaw is the notable standout, with an ERA .47, almost a half run under the second place pitcher, Felix Hernandez. It shows that the era of the batter has ended leaving behind the steroid era in a 99 mph fastball.

5. The Nationals

From one of the best built rotations in Baseball, this team went from losing over 100 games in the late 2000’s, to rising to the powerhouse of the national league east. They are the only team with a legitimate shot of winning the division title. With a great pitching rotation of Doug Fister, Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg,  and Gio Gonzalez, one cannot possibly go wrong with them hurling the ball.

6. The Giants Dynasty.

One has a young slugger in Buster Posey, a pitching squad that has absolute dominance, and three World Series in five years, and that describes the San Francisco Giants. Out of the four teams in California, this team would be the best in that group if not for a certain rival.

7. The Dodgers/Giants Rivalry

In the 1940’s and 50’s the Dodgers were always a great team, but the Giants and Yankees always managed to be one step ahead. Until 1955, when Brooklyn won their first and only World Series; then they and the Giants moved west. While the Giants have found recent success, the Dodgers have yet to win a World Series in the new millennium. This year the division race will get bigger and better in the NL West as these two teams are stacked for winning. Look forward to a hectic September for these two teams.

8. The Braves

People might be scratching their head, at this one. The Braves traded away all their star players, including fan favorites Evan Gattis and Craig Kimbrel. John Hart, president of Baseball Operations for the team, stated many times that the team plans for success in the 2017 season when the new baseball stadium, currently named Sun Trust Field, opens. They might be shocked though, as the Braves went on a five game winning streak to kick off the season. True, they have lost a lot more since then and now are 10-9. But the streak proves something. When they play well, the Braves, can win, and this mindset could lead to a wild card spot or a division title.

9. All-Star Game

The All-Star game, first introduced in 1933, stays one of the biggest hearts of the summer and for good reason. It is the one game of the summer where fans can get to decide who plays in the game. Now, not everyone gets to play, mostly due to injury. The game includes the home run derby as a warm up, so it is not a total loss if you cannot see a favorite hitter in the game itself.

10. What more does one need?

Unlike football, one doesn’t need to wait a week for a game. Unlike basketball, teams are not decided by three or four guys. A balanced attack is a necessity for baseball, and it is something to watch. The fact of the matter states that baseball is a unique sport. It requires patience, something most other sports don’t have. In football, basketball, or hockey, something is always happening. In baseball, one could witness a stare down between the pitcher and batter last for over a minute while they think up a move to use. It is a sight to see. Also, what sport has a song written about it? Baseball. Where’s the football song? Nowhere. Finally, what sport has over 2,500 individual games fans can watch in one year alone? Baseball. This is why so many fans have come back after the steroid era. Baseball is fun again and we as fans need to be there to support our teams, home or away.