20 | April | 2022 | Plaid Line

By: Abby Altman

It has been 4 years since the Los Angeles Dodgers last won the World Series title, but their lineup has only gotten more and more impressive in that time. Recent additions to the Dodgers lineup include 1st baseman Freddie Freeman and shortstop Trea Turner.

In 2021, the Dodgers took 2nd in the NL West, just 1 game behind the San Francisco Giants, whom they beat in the wildcard round of the 2021 playoffs.

The Dodgers lost to the Atlanta Braves, who went on to win the World Series, in the NL championship series.

The Dodgers were considered one of the top teams in baseball last season, landing 2nd in the MLB’s end of season power rankings. To nobody’s surprise, the Dodgers are starting off 2022 hot.

In the opening series against the Rockies, the Dodgers won game 1, but lost the series, starting the season 1-2. The Dodgers bats were hot, recording 25 hits in the first series, before getting even hotter in the next 2 series.

“We know we have, top to bottom, the best lineup in baseball,” said Dodgers outfielder Chris Taylor Sunday afternoon after the conclusion of game 3.

“We didn’t show that this weekend,” he said.

The 2022 Dodgers have high standards for themselves, and they met those against the Twins and the Reds this past week. The Dodgers came to Minnesota for a 2 game series against the Twins, and came out on top winning 7-2 and 7-0 for the sweep.

After the 2 series road trip, the Dodgers went home to Los Angeles and faced the Cincinnati Reds, winning 9-3, 3-1, 5-2, and 9-1, for a 4 game sweep.

After a not perfect, but still hot start, the Dodgers have only improved, and are currently sitting at an 8-3 record, just 2+ weeks into the start of the season. While it is in no way an accurate portrayal of what the rest of the season will look like, only 1 other team in the MLB has had as good of a start to their season, and that is the 2021 NL West champions, the San Francisco Giants.

The Dodgers, at the time of this writing, as a team are 2nd in the league in runs scored and 4th in the league in batting average. Home runs are not the powerpoint of the Dodgers lineup, hitting only 7 as a team, which is tied for 21st in the league. Regardless, the Dodgers lineup is beyond impressive.

1st baseman Freddie Freeman is a reigning World Series champion, 2021 Silver Slugger award winner and the 2020 NL MVP, among many other awards stretching all the way back to 2010. Freeman is also ranked 9th on the MLB’s list of the top 100 players in 2022.

Shortstop Trea Turner is ranked 13th on the MLB’s top 100 ranking. He led the league in hits and batting average in the 2021 season, and came in 5th in voting for the 2021 NL MVP.

Right fielder Mookie Betts tops the Dodgers appearances in the MLB rankings at number 6. Betts is the 4th highest ranked outfielder in the MLB.

The Dodgers also had 8 other players in the MLB’s top 100 players ranking, including Chris Taylor at 95, Justin Turner at 64, Will Smith at 53, and Max Muncy at 35. 3 Dodgers pitchers also made the list.

As of right now, stats would not place the Dodgers as the best lineup in the MLB, but looking at how the players stack up, the 2022 Dodgers have potential to be the greatest of all time.

If anyone is confident in this lineup, it’s their manager Dave Roberts. “We are winning the World Series in 2022. I know where you’re going with that,” Roberts said in an appearance on the ‘Dan Patrick Show’. “We will win the World Series this year, put it on record”.

Depending on how the rest of the season plays out, the MLB may be witnessing the beginning of a baseball dynasty.

By: Haroon Yonis

Image taken from: https://www.fodors.com/news/photos/the-most-delicious-sodas-from-around-the-world

Acesulfame Potassium, also commonly referred to as Ace-K, is a artificial sweetener, used in drinks such as diet soda, and low calorie candies. For the average person, it may seem as the perfect sugar substitute, as it cuts your calories, while giving you the sweet taste you love.

Many health agencies, such as the FDA, claim that Ace-K is perfectly safe, and may actually be beneficial to you if you swap it with sugar in many of your favorite foods.

But that is unfortunately not true, and it could be dangerous if you take their advice, and continue consuming Ace-K. Not only is it not natural, it also has been found, in multiple authentic studies, to increase your chances of getting cancer. According to Medpage, artificial sweeteners had an undeniable correlation to cancers such as breast, colon, and liver.

What was most surprising was that even in low dosages, this particular substance was linked to a higher risk of cancer. Not only does it cause cancer, but it is also 200 times sweeter than sugar!

Our bodies are not built to consume such toxic and sweet things, and the studies prove that. Fortunately, there are many great natural alternatives to Ace-K. Some of these other alternatives include: nectar, honey, and maple syrup. These are tasty sweeteners that do not include the risks associated with Ace-K.

Ace-K is found usually in desserts such as soda, ice cream, candies, and pastries. They are very common in other household brands such as Monster and Red Bull.

The most surprising thing about Ace-K is the FDA’s opinion on it. In 1980, the FDA banned an artificial sweetener that had very similar components to that of Ace-K, called cyclamate.

It banned cyclamate over a study that associated it with cancer, yet despite Ace-K’s obvious association with a multitude of lethal cancers, the FDA continues to irresponsibly call it safe for human consumption.

The best advice is just to generally stay away from artificial sweeteners, and to replace them with safe, natural sweeteners that are commonly found in nature.

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