NL East
Who’s Hot?
Washington Nationals
The Nationals certainly haven’t been a powerhouse over the first week of the season, but still share first place with the Mets with a 4-3 record. Their .308 team batting average is the best in baseball, with six of their everyday players hitting above .333 and three above .400. Ryan Zimmerman has been a pleasant surprise at first base, hitting .400 with 3 HR and 6 RBI’s while appearing in all seven of their games. Daniel Murphy finds himself right back on track to win a batting title with a .419 average. While their starting pitching has been okay, the bullpen has been the main source of the club’s issues thus far, with Shawn Kelley and Blake Treinen each blowing a save this past week.
Who’s Not?
Atlanta Braves
The 1-5 Braves haven’t shown any signs that they’re ready to come out of rebuilding mode, scoring just 18 runs in their first six games, which ranks the worst in baseball. Only three players on the roster have hit a home run, with Freddie Freeman and Matt Kemp looking like their only sources of production in that lineup with Dansby Swanson off to a .179 start. Julio Teheran didn’t give up a run in either of his first two starts, as the only other quality start the team got was from Bartolo Colon. The bullpen was no better, with Jim Johnson and Jose Ramirez each blowing a save this week.
Top Performers by Team
Mets- RF Jay Bruce (.304/4 HR/6 RBI)
Nationals- 1B Ryan Zimmerman (.400/3 HR/6 RBI)
Marlins- C J.T. Realmuto (.500/2 HR/6 RBI)
Braves- SP Julio Teheran (0-0/13 IP/0 ER)
Phillies- SP Jerad Eickhoff (0-1/13.2 IP/3 ER)
AL East
Who’s Hot?
Baltimore Orioles
While they’ve only played five games, the Orioles have gotten off to a hot start going 4-1 over that stretch. Dylan Bundy gave up just one run while striking out eight over 7 innings in his first start of the season, with Wade Miley also getting off to a nice start putting up 5 scoreless frames. Closer Zach Britton has already recorded an AL-high 3 saves over five scoreless innings. The club is still waiting for their high-powered offense to kick in, after leading the league in home runs last season.
Who’s Not?
Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays offense took a seat this week, scoring an American League worst 20 runs over their first 6 games. Josh Donaldson has been their only source of production hitting .348 with 2 HR thus far, with the rest of the team hitting just two home runs combined over the past week. With the exception of Francisco Liriano’s disastrous season debut, the remaining members of their rotation all managed to put up quality starts in their debuts. Yet because of this lack of run support, the Blue Jays find themselves off to a cold start sitting at 1-5.
Top Performers by Team
Yankees- 3B Chase Headley (.375/2 HR/3 RBI)
Orioles- RP Zach Britton (5 IP/0 ER/3 SV)
Blue Jays- 3B Josh Donaldson (.348/2 HR/3 RBI)
Red Sox- SP Chris Sale (2-0/14.2 IP/2 ER)
Rays- SP Chris Archer (1-0/14.2 IP/4 ER)
NL Central
Who’s Hot?
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds have found themselves with the reigning champion Cubs at the top of the NL Central, after a surprising 5-2 start to the season. Their starting pitching has been a pleasant surprise, with their 2.76 team ERA ranking first in the National League. Scott Feldman and Brandon Finnegan have each produced a quality start, while 24-year-old Amir Garrett put up six scoreless innings in his MLB debut. Yet most of their pitching success has come from their bullpen, with Michael Lorenzen, Raisel Iglesias and Cody Reed combining for 15 scoreless innings out of the ‘pen. The Reds lineup has also been formidable, with five of their position players already hitting two home runs so far this season.
Who’s Not?
St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals find themselves in last place in the NL Central, after struggling across the board this week. Yadier Molina is their only position player hitting above .250, not to mention that they’ve hit just four home runs as a team. Their starting pitching has been fine with the exception of Adam Wainwright, who did not make it past five innings in either of his first two starts. The bullpen is what has their team ERA at 5.37, as Matt Bowman and Trevor Rosenthal (only one appearance) remain the only two pitchers in the bullpen who have yet to give up a run this season.
Top Performers by Team
Cubs- SP Jake Arrieta (2-0/13 IP/3 ER)
Cardinals- C Yadier Molina (.318/0 HR/4 RBI)
Reds- RP Michael Lorenzen (1-0/6 IP/0 ER)
Brewers- 3B Travis Shaw (.280/1 HR/6 RBI)
Pirates- CF Starling Marte (.360/1 HR/5 RBI)
AL Central
Who’s Hot?
Minnesota Twins
The Twins have gotten off to a surprising 5-1 start, which can mostly be attributed to their starting pitching. Their 2.04 ERA thus far is the best in Major League Baseball. Ervin Santana has been lights out, giving up just one run over 13 innings pitched in his two starts this season. Hector Santiago and Phil Hughes have also produced one quality start each, while closer Brandon Kintzler has already record 3 saves over 4.1 scoreless innings. Miguel Sano is headed towards the breakout season many anticipated for the young third baseman, hitting .350 with 2 HR with 8 RBI’s over the club’s first six games. Newly signed catcher Jason Castro is also off to a hot start, recording 6 RBI’s in these six games while hitting .353.
Who’s Not?
Kansas City Royals
The Royals’ lineup has produced just 21 runs this season, which ranks the second-worst in baseball among teams that have played seven or more games. Only two of their starters (Mike Moustakas and Salvador Perez) are hitting above .230. Perez and Moustakas have been their only source of production thus far, hitting 7 out of the team’s 10 home runs this season. Newly signed designated hitter Brandon Moss has just one hit in his first 16 at bats, while Eric Hosmer and Alcides Escobar are also sitting under .200.
Top Performers by Team
Indians- SS Francisco Lindor (.308/4 HR/ 8 RBI)
Twins- SP Ervin Santana (2-0/13 IP/1 ER)
Royals- C Salvador Perez (.286/4 HR/4 RBI)
White Sox- C Geovany Soto (.273/3 HR/ 5 RBI)
Tigers- SP Justin Verlander (1-0/13.1 IP/2 ER)
NL West
Who’s Hot?
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks find themselves at the top of one of the toughest divisions in baseball, after a 6-2 start to the season. They most notably swept the Cleveland Indians, the defending AL Champs, with Zack Greinke and Patrick Corbin each putting up a quality start in that series. Most of their success can be attributed to their lineup however, which has produced an MLB-high 49 runs over eight games. A lot of this production has come from their infield, with Jake Lamb and Paul Goldschmidt combining for 12 RBI’s and middle infielders Brandon Drury and Chris Owings posting a collective .377 batting average.
Who’s Not?
San Francisco Giants
The Giants’ pitching did not live up to standards this week, leaving the team with a 3-5 record and a team ERA of 4.92 through eight games. With the exception of Madison Bumgarner, nobody on their staff put up a quality start in their first appearance of the season. Their bullpen has also been subpar, with Mark Melancon blowing his first save opportunity on opening day. Their lineup has been underwhelming, with Madison Bumgarner (yes, the pitcher) joining Brandon Belt as the only player on the roster with multiple home runs thus far.
Top Performers by Team
Dodgers- SS Corey Seager (.300/2 HR/8 RBI)
Rockies- 1B Mark Reynolds (.345/4 HR/10 RBI)
D-backs- 1B Paul Goldschmidt (.300/2 HR/5 RBI)
Giants- SP Madison Bumgarner (0-1/15 IP/5 ER)
Padres- 1B Wil Myers (.382/3 HR/7 RBI)
AL West
Who’s Hot?
Los Angeles Angels
The Angels’ lineup has gotten them off to a 5-2 start in what looks to be a very competitive AL West, with their .291 team batting average ranking first in the American League by a large margin. Yunel Escobar and Kole Calhoun are hitting for a combined .382, while Mike Trout leads the team with 2 HR and 7 RBI’s through their first seven games. The team did lose starting pitcher Garrett Richards to yet another injury, who was pulled from his first start after 4.2 scoreless innings and was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a bicep strain.
Who’s Not?
Seattle Mariners
Despite getting four quality starts from James Paxton and Hisashi Iwakuma combined, the Mariners find themselves at 2-6 to begin the season. Jean Segura is their only regular player hitting above .260, and was placed on the DL on today with a hamstring injury. Newly acquired Mitch Haniger is the sole player on the team with more than one home run, with the team’s atrocious .299 slugging percentage ranking second-worst in baseball.
Top Performers by Team
Angels- 3B Yunel Escobar (.414/1 HR/4 RBI)
Mariners- SP James Paxton (1-0/13 IP/0 ER)
Rangers- RF Nomar Mazara (.417/2 HR/9 RBI)
Astros- SP Dallas Keuchel (1-0/14 IP/1 ER)
A’s- LF Khris Davis (.345/4 HR/6 RBI)
Who got Hurt?
-C Buster Posey, SF (concussion)
-SS Adeiny Hechavarria, MIA (oblique)
-SS Trea Turner, WAS (hamstring)
-C Gary Sanchez, NYY (biceps)
-SP Trevor Cahill, SD (back)
-SP Junior Guerra (calf)
-SP Garrett Richards, LAA (biceps)
In Case You Missed It:
-Wil Myers recorded the first cycle of the season yesterday, second in Padres history
-The Braves signed 2006 MVP winner Ryan Howard to a minor league contract
-Jason Motte has a minor league deal with the Braves after being released on 4/5
-Melvin Upton signed a minor league contract with the Giants
-Derek Jeter is interested in purchasing the Marlins, although this remains unlikely*
*Stats and Info from MLB.com
Metro Sports Today 