10 biggest surprises so far this season
If you may imagine it, the MLB season is now by some means 1 / 4 of the best way accomplished. It’s loopy how shortly that sneaks up on you, isn’t it? One minute, you’re like, “Hey, baseball has a pitch timer now?” and the following you’ve not solely gotten used to it, you don’t even discover it anymore. It’ll be October earlier than you realize it.
Suffice it to say, the season has not precisely gone the best way anybody may have anticipated. Sure, the Braves look like working away with the NL East already, Shohei Ohtani is doing the unthinkable once more and a lot of the groups in final place are those you might need anticipated. But there’s a lot to be shocked by from the primary fourth of the season. Here’s a take a look at the ten most stunning developments thus far.
1. Rays! Rays! Rays!
Look, lots of people thought the Rays can be good this 12 months. (Not me, essentially. But lots of people!) They have made the playoffs 4 consecutive seasons, in any case. No one on the planet noticed 30-9 coming, although. The Rays have performed nearly every part proper. They have an .855 staff OPS, which is finest within the Majors, and a 2.93 staff ERA — additionally the most effective within the Majors. They’ve obtained a official MVP candidate in Wander Franco and a official Cy Young candidate in Shane McClanahan. They’ve obtained the most important lead of any American League division chief regardless of having the third-, sixth- and seventh-best groups in baseball in that very division. That’s the one dangerous news right here: To win that division, they could simply should maintain this up all 12 months.
2. The Yankees are in final place (and the Mets have a worse report)
Good factor the Knicks are nonetheless combating their means by the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs, as a result of the baseball groups have had a tough time residing as much as their lofty preseason expectations. We’re in all probability extra down on the Yankees than we must be: They are 21-18, in any case, regardless of coping with a barrage of accidents and a slower-than-you’d-like begin for Aaron Judge. But that 21-18 doesn’t change the truth that they’re in final place. The Yankees! In final place! The Mets’ report is worse, at 18-20, thanks largely to a struggling rotation, worrisome as a result of, in fact, that’s what the Mets have been presupposed to be good at. There’s loads of hope for every of those groups — FanGraphs has each their playoff odds nicely over 50 % — however you may already see each these dugouts begin to sweat a bit bit. It was presupposed to be simpler than it has been thus far.
3. All that Cardinals drama
The Cardinals have had only one (1) shedding season this century (2007), however it’s extra than simply that: The Cardinals are without end the environment friendly, skilled operation, the one with out a lot inside drama and tabloid intrigue. But not this this 12 months. From the “hustle” battle between supervisor Oliver Marmol and outfielder Tyler O’Neill, to stunningly shedding the primary sport of every of their first 11 sequence to begin the season and, most notoriously, pulling prime free agent acquisition Willson Contreras off the catching place a month into the season. The consequence, shockingly, has been the worst report within the National League. The Cardinals are too proficient to remain in final place for lengthy, however they primarily should play like a 100-win staff the remainder of the best way to actually have a probability on the postseason. Does this seem like a 100-win staff to you?
4. Hey, didn’t you guys simply make the World Series?
It was an exhilarating World Series final 12 months, wasn’t it? The Phillies securing the ultimate NL Wild Card bid and working with all of it the best way to the Fall Classic, the Astros lastly silencing the doubters and profitable their second championship. Fans of every staff ought to maintain these recollections shut, as a result of 2023’s begin hasn’t regarded something like October. The Astros, thanks largely to pitching accidents and a lineup that is clearly lacking the injured Jose Altuve, are wanting up on the Rangers and the Angels within the standings, however the Phillies is perhaps in a good worse spot: underneath .500 in third place, with a struggling Trea Turner and Aaron Nola, one thing nobody may have seen coming. There isn’t a lot margin for error in that division. The Phillies might have already used theirs.
5. Jarred Kelenic isn’t a misplaced trigger in any case
Kelenic has been on fairly a reputational huge league journey. At first he was the following Mets famous person … then he was the new prospect they supposedly foolishly traded to the Mariners for a washed Robinson Canó … then he reached the Majors and couldn’t hit a lick, making the commerce seem like a genius transfer for the Mets, who now had Edwin Díaz. You may be forgiven for questioning if he have been a misplaced trigger. Turns out: He isn’t. Kelenic has been the Mariners’ finest hitter, lifting a lineup that wants each run it could possibly get. (By the best way: Julio Rodríguez’s sluggish begin shouldn’t be one thing anybody noticed coming both.) Kelenic now seems, as soon as once more, like he’s central to the Mariners’ future. Which is smart: He is, in any case, nonetheless solely 23.
6. The finest hitter in baseball is … Brent Rooker?
Last November, the Royals — a staff that isn’t precisely overflowing with hitters — waived Rooker, and the A’s picked him up, nearly on a whim. The man who had a complete of 10 homers in three seasons for 3 groups was inserted into the A’s beginning lineup, and he has exploded, hitting 10 homers already this 12 months and main the Majors in each slugging and OPS. He’s coming by it truthfully too, with a batting eye that has resulted in a .424 OBP, only one level behind AL chief Matt Chapman. There isn’t loads going proper in Oakland proper now, however Rooker, a 28-year-old journeyman, is probably essentially the most out-of-nowhere pleased story within the sport at this second.
7. Eduardo Rodriguez is essentially the most dominant pitcher in baseball
Rodriguez has had a tumultuous few years to say the least. After ending sixth within the AL Cy Young voting in 2019 with Boston, he missed the 2020 season after contracting Covid after which being recognized with myocarditis. He struggled to get again to type for the Red Sox in 2021, earlier than signing an enormous free-agent contract with the Tigers that November. His first season in Detroit was marred by a rib harm after which a stint on the restricted listing to cope with private issues. It was not possible to know what to anticipate in 2023, however he has regarded higher than he has at another time in his profession, and that features that 19-win 2019 season. Rodriguez at present has a 1.57 ERA by 51 2/3 innings (eight begins), and has walked simply 10 batters. The Tigers are solely a few video games out of first. The inspiring story of E-Rod is among the major the reason why.
8. The Pirates are in first place?
It may not really feel that means proper now for the Pirates, who’ve misplaced 9 of their final 10 video games, however they are surely in first place, nonetheless, 1 / 4 of the best way by the season. A blistering begin is clearly the rationale for that, with stunning beginning pitching, a shutdown bullpen and a resurgent Andrew McCutchen, who seems as good as he all the time has in that uniform. They’re going to have to drag out of their skid quickly to remain up right here, however truthfully, that the Pirates are in first place on May 12 is among the finest issues to occur to this franchise in fairly some time.
9. The Marlins are 12-0 in one-run video games
That’s unbelievable: What a stat! That is a very jaw-dropping run, one unprecedented in Major League Baseball historical past: It has been since 1972 {that a} staff (the Mets) even began 11-0 in one-run video games. Going 12-0 in one-run video games is how a staff with the worst run differential within the National League — and the third-worst in baseball coming into Thursday, forward of solely the A’s and the White Sox — has a .500 report. Is this sustainable? It would appear awfully unlikely. But not any extra unlikely than going 12-0 of their first 12 one-run video games.
10. Who wants deGrom and Seager?
If you have been involved concerning the Rangers signing Jacob deGrom — and plenty of have been — it was probably not since you didn’t suppose deGrom can be good, however that he can be each: a) unavailable; and b) not sufficient. Didn’t this staff have extra holes to fill than ace? Well, apparently not: Despite deGrom making solely six begins within the early going (which isn’t dangerous for him, although it’s going to be a minimum of a couple of extra weeks till he returns) and Corey Seager barely enjoying in any respect due to harm, the Rangers are in first place! The offense seems notably deep, and it’s led by Marcus Semien, who seems like an MVP candidate once more, and Jonah Heim, who has emerged as probably the greatest hitting catchers within the sport.
