Baseball is back, and almost back to normal.This season won't be a COVID-mandated 60-game dash to October. There won't becardboard cutouts substituting for fans, and therewon't be only piped-in cheers during big moments. No, this will be the closest thing to busine s as usual since the 2019 season and it only looks to feel more normal as the season goes along.But what will the season hold? What major storylines will emerge? , so the po sibilities feel almost endle s. But I do have a few specific asks.Here are 21 things I want to seeduring the 2021 MLB season:MORE: 1. I want to see the Padres give the Dodgers a real challenge. The Padres are the bandwagon darlings of MLB, and with good reason: So much talent, young and veteran, and an energy and swagger that's been mi sing from baseball for a long time. In some ways, the Padres are talked about more than the Dodgers, the reigning World Series champs and their biggest stumbling block to deep October postseason. So this season, I want the Padres to really give the Dodgers Kristaps Porzingis Jersey a run. I'm not convinced that San Diego won't end up with a division title. But even if that doesn't happen, it should be an exciting race, especially head-to-head.2.I want to see a player emerge as baseball's newest cult hero. One of the best things about baseball is its ability to produce out-of-nowhere star players. Or, at least, a player who becomes a fun storyline for a short to medium stretch during a season. Think RandyArozarenain last year's postseason, or WhitMerrifieldwhen he had his 31-game hitting streak from 2018 to 2019.Sometimes it's a major unexpected storyline, such as when Pete Alonso hit 53 homers as a rookie in 2019. These guys don't appear every year, but that's part of the fun the waiting, the wondering.3.I want to see Mike Trout in the postseason. Every baseball fan wants this, and we've wanted it for a long time. In his already Hall of Fame career, Trout still regarded by most as the best player in baseball has played in just three postseason games, all in the 2014ALDS. The Angels, in a perpetual state of low-end mediocrity, have wasted most of his prime, as the team hasn't even sniffed postseason contention since 2015. Will that change this season? Some say they'll be in a good position.Don't screw this up, Angels.4.I want to see RonaldAcunaJr.have a 40/40 season.Acunacame so close to this milestone in 2019 before a mild slump late in the season limited his chances to swipe bases (he finished with a league-leading 37 stolen bases to go with 41 homers). But all the ingredients are still there forAcunato pull this off, perhaps even by mid-September.5. DeAndre Jordan Jersey I want to see the universal DH. I know it's not happening, but I still want to see it. Nobody wants to watch pitchers hit. If fact, I'd go so far as to say that if MLB wants to attract new fans, it cannot be devoted to unexciting, automatic outs in the lineup. Not to mention the prospect New York Knicks Hats of pitcher injuries related to swinging the bat, running the bases or getting hit by a pitch.6.I want to see stadiums full of fans by July. With vaccinations ramping up acro s the country, and , it's looking more and more like things will feel very close to normal at some point during the summer. Most teams will stay conservative early in the season as far as attendance limits, but most also plan to review those guidelines and adjust them as warranted. Baring a drastic surge inCOVIDcases or something else unforeseen, it wouldn't surprise me at all for most teams to be near or at full capacity by mid-season. There will likely still be someCOVIDprotocols in place, but even a masked-up sellout crowd is better than no sellout crowd. Related ...7.I want to see normal All-Star Week festivities. The Braves have already said that they plan to be at full capacity for the All-Star Game, which is a positive sign. A few months ago, I had visions of a Home Run Derby in front of cardboard cut-outs, or perhaps a few thousand fans, or perhaps just a scaled-down version of the usual All-Star Game activities. It was a le s-than-exciting though. But it doesn't appear that will be the case, which is a pleasant surprise. We're still a few months away from July, obviously, but things look good at the moment. Speaking of All-Stars ...8.I want to see Juan Soto get even better. He's already great. He's basically a 10, but I want to see him turned up to 11. Some even legitimately believe that he's the next Ted Williams. Whether he's the next Williams or just the first Juan Soto, he's an incredibly talented player who's fast becoming a top draw in baseball. His lefty power swing looks so effortle s, seemingly just a flick of the wrist that sends balls 400-plus feet. And he's still just 22, so he's probably not even in his prime yet. Speaking of guys still not in their prime ...9.I want to Myles Powell Jersey see FernandoTatisJr. get even better. This guy is just fun to watch. He's got talent, he's got swagger, he doesn't care about silly unwritten rules and, with his 14-year mega-contract, he's very likely going to be a face of baseball for a long time. Still, he's yet to play a full "normal" season thanks to injury (2019) and the pandemic (2020). But he's offered countle s flashes of what we can expect long-term, with his .956 career OPS being perhaps the greatest indicator. He's another guy who baseball fans should make an effort to enjoy. Speaking of players we enjoy ...10.I want to seeShoheiOhtanistay healthy and wow us. There were times during the 2018 season whenOhtani'sperformance just boggled the mind a modern player able to throw triple-digit fastballs and nasty breaking stuff, but also able to hit 400-foot bombs as a DH. A true two-way phenomenon whose existence could potentially change the way players are developed. But then arm injuries interrupted that 2018 AL Rookie of the Year season and limited his mound time in 2019, too. And then he was just bad in 2020 on both ends (minus 0.5 WAR combined). He looked strong in pitching outings Marcus Morris Sr. Jersey this spring, though he exited his last start with a blister, and he was a monster with the bat (five homers, 1.701 OPS).Who knows whether the two-way thing will continue for the long-haul, but he's giving it another go this season with no restrictions to start the season.I look forward to it. Sticking with the Angels ...11.I want to see AlbertPujolsgo out with a bang of some sort.Pujolsis, by all accounts, about to begin his final season. He's far removed from his prime, and he's barely a replacement-level MLB player at this point his past three WAR totals: 0.8, 0.5, minus 0.1 but he can still get into one every now and then and hit the ball a long way. We shouldn't expect even an All