Five MLB Teams Proving Us Wrong in April
Sportsgrid Staff
Host · Writer
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals, another team with an unexpected 12 wins, have started the season strongly following an unexpectedly aggressive offseason. They significantly strengthened their rotation by signing Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo, both of whom have been highly effective thus far.
Lugo, in particular, has been outstanding, achieving a 1.05 ERA over four starts and 25 2/3 innings pitched. Additionally, Cole Ragans and Brady Singer are both maintaining ERAs below 2.00.
The Royals' rotation has pitched more innings than any other team in baseball, and their collective 2.39 ERA is second only to the Boston Red Sox.
Offensively, the Royals are spearheaded by Bobby Witt Jr., who is making a strong early case for the AL MVP. Salvador Perez is enjoying a comeback season, while Vinnie Pasquantino has contributed significantly, creating an exciting new core alongside Witt.
With these performances, the Royals are positioning themselves as serious contenders in the open AL Central race.
Post appeared first on Just Baseball.
New York Yankees
If a new Power Ranking were created today, the New York Yankees could very well top the list as the best team in baseball. They are the first to reach 13 wins this season, achieving this milestone even before the Dodgers, who have played two more games.
The Yankees started the season on a high note, decisively sweeping the Astros in a four-game series in Houston. Given the recent playoff battles between these two teams, the Yankees' dominant performance in Houston was particularly impressive.
After their sweep of the Astros, the Yankees continued their strong performance by winning four consecutive series, claiming victory in their first five series of 2024. However, this week marked their first significant challenge of the season, as they lost the first two games against the Toronto Blue Jays, resulting in their first series loss of the year.
Despite this setback, the Yankees demonstrated their resilience yesterday by overcoming a 4-1 deficit to score five runs in the last two innings. This included a four-run burst in the ninth inning, preventing a sweep by their division rivals. This comeback underscores the potential of this Yankees team to excel throughout the year.
Cleveland Guardians
Currently tied with the Baltimore Orioles for the second-best record in the American League, the Cleveland Guardians have had an excellent start to their season. Steven Kwan, Andres Gimenez, and Josh Naylor have all been on fire, each hitting over .300 and maintaining an on-base percentage above .370. Even though Jose Ramirez has yet to find his best form, he has already racked up 15 RBIs and scored 14 runs, benefiting from the lineup's strong performance both ahead of and behind him.
Contrary to the expectations outlined heading into the season, the Guardians have performed remarkably well, proving to be the exact opposite of what we thought the outlook of this team would be.
Post appeared first on Just Baseball.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers have managed to maintain a competitive edge for over five years in a small market, a feat that doesn't receive nearly the recognition it deserves. Their financial constraints were apparent when they traded their top pitcher, Corbin Burnes, before he reached free agency.
Despite this significant loss and injuries to key players, the Brewers continue to lead the NL Central.
Eleven games into the season, Christian Yelich showed signs of his MVP-caliber form with five home runs and a 205 wRC+, but he recently landed on the injured list due to a back strain. Despite his absence, the Brewers' offense remains strong with catcher William Contreras and shortstop Willy Adames making significant contributions.
Joey Ortiz, a major acquisition from the Burnes trade, has seamlessly integrated into the team, hitting .324/.425/.412 in his first 15 games.
With a team wRC+ of 125, the Brewers boast the second-highest mark in baseball, trailing only the Atlanta Braves. They also rank third in the league with 24 home runs, and currently, nine of their hitters have a wRC+ of 100 or higher.
While questions remain about the Brewers' pitching depth for another NL Central title run, their potent lineup should not be underestimated.
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Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox currently boast the best starting rotation ERA in MLB at 1.85, thanks in large part to Kutter Crawford, who has surrendered just one earned run across 21 1/3 innings pitched. Despite Crawford's impressive performance, Tanner Houck has emerged as the more significant story for Boston.
Houck recently pitched a complete game shutout against the Cleveland Guardians, striking out nine and lowering his ERA to 1.35.
Garrett Whitlock and Nick Pivetta have also been performing well, though both have landed on the Injured List, posing a challenge to the team's depth. Despite these setbacks, Boston's rotation seems resilient, continually finding productivity from whoever steps up to pitch.
While Boston may not be a World Series contender, it's clear that there's more there with this team than we initially thought.
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Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals, another team with an unexpected 12 wins, have started the season strongly following an unexpectedly aggressive offseason. They significantly strengthened their rotation by signing Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo, both of whom have been highly effective thus far.
Lugo, in particular, has been outstanding, achieving a 1.05 ERA over four starts and 25 2/3 innings pitched. Additionally, Cole Ragans and Brady Singer are both maintaining ERAs below 2.00.
The Royals' rotation has pitched more innings than any other team in baseball, and their collective 2.39 ERA is second only to the Boston Red Sox.
Offensively, the Royals are spearheaded by Bobby Witt Jr., who is making a strong early case for the AL MVP. Salvador Perez is enjoying a comeback season, while Vinnie Pasquantino has contributed significantly, creating an exciting new core alongside Witt.
With these performances, the Royals are positioning themselves as serious contenders in the open AL Central race.
Post appeared first on Just Baseball.
New York Yankees
If a new Power Ranking were created today, the New York Yankees could very well top the list as the best team in baseball. They are the first to reach 13 wins this season, achieving this milestone even before the Dodgers, who have played two more games.
The Yankees started the season on a high note, decisively sweeping the Astros in a four-game series in Houston. Given the recent playoff battles between these two teams, the Yankees' dominant performance in Houston was particularly impressive.
After their sweep of the Astros, the Yankees continued their strong performance by winning four consecutive series, claiming victory in their first five series of 2024. However, this week marked their first significant challenge of the season, as they lost the first two games against the Toronto Blue Jays, resulting in their first series loss of the year.
Despite this setback, the Yankees demonstrated their resilience yesterday by overcoming a 4-1 deficit to score five runs in the last two innings. This included a four-run burst in the ninth inning, preventing a sweep by their division rivals. This comeback underscores the potential of this Yankees team to excel throughout the year.
