April arrived, meaning one thing, Major League Baseball is back for another fulfilling season. After over a week of action, much has occurred, and there is much to break down. We will start by looking at who has gotten to a good start to begin 2023.
Trending up
Tampa Bay Rays (9-0)
The Rays have begun the season 9-0 and are beating teams easily. Although it has been against the Tigers, A's, and Nationals, who are a combined 7-21 to this point in the season. The Rays have outscored those three teams by a margin of 75-18. It is still impressive to win nine games and give credit where credit is due. The Rays seem to find somehow a way to get players while they're at their best. Franco is leading the charge with four homers so far, while Arozerena has 11 RBIs after the first nine games. The ERA is the best in baseball, with a team number of 1.89. They were led by Springs, who has 19 strikeouts in 2023 after just 13 innings of work. Tampa has won their last two games 11-0 in both outings. Tampa Bay is out in front to begin the season, but teams will watch where they end up as they play better. But do not be surprised if the Rays stay around deep into the season.
Milwaukee Brewers (7-2)
Shifting to the National League, the Brew Crew has things rolling early. Their pitchers have thrown three shutouts so far after just nine games. Woodruff and Peralta are coming on strong and have allowed just two earned runs in 23.2 IP this season. Burnes had a rough first start but will likely come around the join the rotation trio. They have series wins over the Cubs, Cardinals, and Mets, two teams I feel can make the postseason—an excellent beginning to 2023 for the Brewers. Brian Anderson has anchored the offense with 10 RBIs.
New York Yankees (6-3)
The Bronx Bombers have stuck to that name this season following their series victory over Baltimore this weekend. Aaron Judge has hit four home runs already, including two in the game on Sunday. Stanton also went deep in the series against the O's. Torres has the second most hits on the team behind Judge. Gerrit Cole has come out to a strong start after two outings and struck out 19 batters. The Yankees have taken series over the Giants and the defending NL Champion Phillies. New York should be on track to return to the playoffs after recent runs over the past five seasons. So far, so good for the Yankees.
Arizona Diamondbacks (6-4)
This may surprise some, but the D-Backs have quietly assembled a lineup that isn't too bad. Right now, averaging five runs a game and have taken six of ten against the Dodgers and Padres. Marte and Corbin will play nicely in everyday affairs. Arizona is coming off two wins over the Dodgers, scoring 12 and 11 runs. They also have a veteran in Longoria who still has enough to put the ball out of the yard, going deep twice this young season.
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Detroit Tigers (2-7)
Well, it wasn't an expected big year or playoffs for this Tigers team, but it may be worse than anticipated with the turnout of opening games. Starting the season by getting swept by the Rays and shutout on opening day was rough. Things looked to be a little better after a series victory over the Astros in Houston. But it seemed to revert to the similar team this fanbase has seen since 2017, and it is just a flat-out losing product. Blowout losses like the 14-5 thrashing the Red Sox gave the Tigers over this past weekend are happening too often. It is just a time game with how long they keep Schoop on, and Cabrera hasn't hit .200 since July of 2022. The starting pitching has been pretty bad this year, with an ERA over 7. The hitting hasn't been much better, scoring one run in less in almost half of the games. Scott Harris sure has his hands complete to turn this product around.
Oakland Athletics (2-7)
The Oakland Athletics are in a rough spot for the franchise. AAA teams are consistently putting more fans in their stands than the Coliseum of Oakland. There are many names that average fans would recognize, the fans are fed up, and the product has reached an unbearable point. Oakland is out to a predictable slow start and will need a complete overhaul to improve as a franchise. They have a -45 run difference just nine games into the year. It will be another dog days season in Oakland.
Washington Nationals (3-7)
From champions of it all just four seasons ago, the Nationals find themselves at the bottom of the barrel in baseball. The team is now entering a rebuild with filler pieces this season, and the Corbin contract only continues to get worse for the team. Lane Thomas and Victor Robles are starting with good individual performances and look to keep that going. But things will be worse before they are better in Washington.
Kansas City Royals (3-7)
The Royals have gotten off to a slow start and, like the Tigers, have been swept twice this season. Getting swept by the Twins to begin the season also dropped a complete set to the Giants. Bobby Witt Jr. will be fun to watch, and having Grienke back on staff is always interesting. But it looks like a competition of who will finish last in Central Detroit or Kansas City.
Early deceivers
Phillies (3-6)
Philly has started the season with a 3-6 record, which does not reflect where this team will end up this season. This is just a slow start, with a couple of starts not going their way. They don't have Harper and have played decent teams, including the Yankees. When the trio of Walker, Wheeler, and Nola are all rolling, this team will be hard to hit against. Then flipping it over to keeping most of the lineup that got them to the World Series last year is a good look. Don't let this slow start fool you that the Phillies will be solid this season.
Pirates (6-3)
Taking on the White Sox, Reds, and Red Sox, the Pirates reached a 6-3 record. But they just lost Oniel to injury after running into the catcher this weekend for 10-12 weeks. The Pirates organization has had trouble putting together a good product in recent years, and I can't see this run of winning games lasting long.
Teams of intrigue
Guardians (6-4)
Cleveland got to the playoffs last season, winning the AL Central. The question is how long they can keep this rotation alive and keep moving. So far this season, the Guardians are out to a 6-4 record after ten games, and right now, it will be hard to tell where they will land. They still have Jose Rameriz anchoring the lineup and Bieber and Plesac leading the rotation.
Blue Jays (6-4)
Toronto should be a team on people's radars in 2023. With a rotation including Manoah, Bassitt, and Gausman have a trio of pitchers that have ace-like stuff. Matt Chapman is on fire with 14 RBIs this season, and this lineup has depth. The Blue Jays, I expect to put some things together and make the playoffs this season.
Closing
The 2023 season is here, and I can't wait to see where it will go. The new rules are going in nicely, the pace feels much nicer, and the players adjust accordingly. There will be more action to keep track of. Make sure to check in on the Weekly Wave for recent MLB action.