Arizona Diamondbacks-
Our Pitching is brutal
When you get a chance just go take a look at the numbers for the Diamondback starting pitchers. The pitcher with the best ERA in the rotation currently is Josh Collmenter. If you have no idea who that guy is, I don't blame you. Collmenter has an ERA of 3.44 which is nothing to stare at. Not to mention this guy was originally in the bullpen. The next lowest ERA is 4.82 which is held by Wade Miley. Newest addition Bronson Arroyo has not been good either. Maybe Bronson should bring back the cornrows, at least he still has that leg kick.
Atlanta Braves-
You can never have enough pitching
The Braves faced a ton of injuries in the rotation early on, but have managed to still have outstanding pitching. Plugging in guys like David Hale, Aaron Harang, and even now Gavin Floyd. All it takes is one pitch and all of a sudden the guy goes under the knife and he is out for a year. Pitching depth will go a long way in this league.
Baltimore Orioles-
Nelson Cruz was worth the risk
Nelson Cruz sat around a while this winter, waiting for the right team to offer him the perfect contract. That never happened because Cruz was coming off a suspension for PEDs. This made a lot of teams nervous about giving him a contract (this didn't stop the Cards to giving Peralta a boatload of money). Cruz signed late in the offseason with O's for only a one-year deal. Well all Cruz has done this season is produce. He has 10 bombs and has driven in 30 runs. It has been well worth it for the Orioles.
Boston Red Sox-
We miss Jacoby
I don't think the Red Sox realized how hard it would be to replace a guy like Jacoby Ellsbury. He was the guy who set the table for the rest of the lineup as the leadoff hitter. Sizemore has been a good story, but he is no Ellsbury. They have already sent down Nava who struggled. Jackie Bradley Jr could be a good player but it doesn't look like he is ready. Lets put it this way, the leadoff spot for the Red Sox has produced a .215 AVG and a .302 OBP. Ellsbury this season is hitting .306 with a .369 OBP, and oh yeah he is playing for the Yankees. That probably makes it worse.
Chicago Cubs-
There is hope but it is going to take time
The Cubs have been one of the worst teams thus far. One thing is for certain though they do have some young talent. Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro have really found their swing this season and looks like they could be apart of the solution. The minor leagues is also loaded with guys like Baez, Bryant and Soler. Especially Javier Baez who I think could be a star in this league. I know waiting and being a Cubs fan seems ironic, because they have been waiting for a long time. Just hang in there it will get better soon. Well it can't get much worse right?
Chicago White Sox-Jose Abreu is a franchise changing player
This is the greatest thing that has happened to the White Sox in quite sometime. Joes Abreu has been as advertised and even more. The dude just hits bombs period. He had 13 of them so far go along with 37 runs driven in. Not to mention he is slugging .610. He has been the main reason why this team has played some decent baseball so far. This guy is a must watch when he steps into the box.
Cincinnati Reds-
Johnny Cueto is the Ace
The Reds coming into the season had 5 legitimate pitchers and no one knew who the ace of the staff was.Well I think Cueto has taken over the role. He showed flashes of being that ace last year before some injuries slowed him down. This year Cueto has been one of the pitchers in the game, and someone who no one is really talking about either. His ERA is 1.43 and he is holding opposing lineups to a .138 batting average. He is very much capable of taking the Cy Young this year.
Cleveland Indians
-Last year was a fluke
This team had a magical run last season, and got great production out of some players that had no expectations. They have too many holes to actually make the playoff for the second straight season. Their lineup has been poor besides Michael Brantley who is starting to turn into a dynamic player. They also have one of the most overrated players in the league Nick Swisher who is hitting .203. It also doesn't help that Carlos Santana is hitting .148. They do not have enough fire power to make another run this season.
Colorado Rockies-
They are not the same team on the road
The difference between Coors Field and the rest of the parks is very significant. The numbers between away and home show why. Their record itself shows the difference. When the Rockies are at home they are 13-5 and are hitting .355 with 33HR and 136 RBI. On the road they are 10-12 and they are hitting .258 with 24HR and 86 RBI. These stats really do show how big of an impact that ballpark does have on the game. The Rockies have played well this year, just keep an eye on them when they hit the road.
Detroit Tigers-
No Fielder No Problem
There was a lot of talk about the Fielder for Kinsler swap this offseason. A lot of people thought it would affect the lineup without that protection in the lineup behind Miggy. The Tigers have not missed Fielder one bit, they have rolled this season so far. Kinsler has been great too, he is hitting .303 with 3HR and 13 RBI. It hasn't affect Miguel Cabrera at all who is starting to kick it into gear. This team will cruise into October, how far they play into October is another story.
Houston Astros-
Continue to build the farm
The Astros in my eyes are far away from being a respectable ball club. They have decent young players but they are still ways away and need time to develop. They rushed Springer to the big club and he has struggled since the call up. There aren't many guys on the team, that they can look at and know they are apart of the future. The Astros need to continue to acquire young talent, and draft well if they want to turn this around.
Kansas City Royals-
Mike Moustakas is not a major leaguer and Yordano Ventura is one
Well that is kind of two things we have learned about the Royals so far. Moustakas is hitting a brutal .147, but does lead the team in home runs with 4. That is a whole other issue the Royals are dealing with. Moustakas once a highly touted prospect has gotten worse and worse every year. He can not be counted on any longer to be apart of the future of the Royals.A bright spot is my boy Yordano Ventura. He has been electric this year and is going to be a stud in this league for years to come. 42.1 innings with 44 strikeouts to go along with a 2.34 ERA.
Los Angeles Angels-
Albert Pujols is back
This one was way too easy. A lot of people thought Pujols was all but done, and would never put up Pujols type numbers. Well we were all wrong about this one. He has 10 HR to go along with 26 runs driven in. When Hamilton gets back from injury, watch out for the Angels lineup. With those two along with Trout it will be a deadly lineup. Also keep your eye on rookie C.J Cron who has done nothing but rake since getting called up last week.
Los Angeles Dodgers-
As long as Puig produces,you gotta live with him
Yeah sometimes Puig makes a play where he makes you scratch your head. He does sometimes play reckless and you wish he can take it down a notch, but why? The guy does go out there and plays 100% every night and just puts up numbers. He has driven 29 RBI, has 7 bombs and is hitting .319. He is also the most exciting player to watch in all of baseball. How do you not love that bat flip? When Puig isn't hitting anymore, that is when his antics will become too much.Dodgers will have to put up with the things that come with Yasiel Puig.
Miami Marlins-
They have learned to hit in that big ballpark
The Marlins young lineup has really adapted to their large ballpark. They use all parts of the field and they have had a lot of success at home this year with a 17-5 record. The young guys have really produced, along with that Stanton guy. Even this stadium can't hold his tremendous power. Marlins did just take a big blow, now that Jose Fernandez will be getting Tommy John. The Marlins do have some young talent. I think question is how long until they start trading these guys?
Milwaukee Brewers-
They are a contender in the NL
The Brewers came out of the gate fast, and have been the biggest surprise so far this season. The pitching is deep from top to bottom. Francisco Rodriguez has found himself has the Brewers closer this year. They are a little beat up in the lineup right now, but when they get healthy this team can definitely give the Cards a run for their money. Watch out for the Brew Crew.
Minnesota Twins-
Their pitching still sucks
The Twins went into the offseason trying to rebuild their starting rotation. Their first mistake was re-signing Mike Pelfrey. They also picked up Phil Hughes, and Ricky Nolasco in the offseason. Hughes has been ok so far, Nolasco has been awful. The Twins actually have one the leagues highest scoring offenses, but it still has amounted into not a lot of wins because of the lack of pitching. Their arms need to figure it out soon, or it could be some ugly baseball this summer.
New York Mets-
They still need bullpen help
I think everyone knows this , besides the Mets themselves. Being a Met fan and watching the same shitty bullpen everyday is getting a little old. Think about this, the Mets have gotten saves from guys like Kyle Farnsworth, Jose Valverde and Dice-K. That has to be a joke right? Every since Sandy Alderson took over as GM he has done NOTHING to help improve the bullpen. This is something that needs to be addressed ASAP, but I do love having a guy named PAPA GRANDE out there though. Even though he throws 93 right down the pipe.
New York Yankees-
They don't have a reliable starter (besides Tanaka)
They have had some injuries like Sabathia and Pineda. C.C before he hit the DL was getting his bell rung out on the mound. He is just not the same pitcher anymore, let alone a decent one. Kuroda is starting to show his age, so they have the likes of David Phelps and Vidal Nuno. One thing that is a bright spot is Tanaka who has been worth every penny so far. The Yanks will definitely be in the market for starting pitching come trade deadline or even sooner if they continue to lose
Oakland Athletics-
Who is even on this team?
Most people have no idea who is actually on this baseball team. That usually means the team is horrible, well it is the complete opposite. This team is always in first place and they need to be taken seriously. They have no big name stars, but they have some guys who can play baseball. Their pitching staff has the lowest ERA with a 2.96. Led by Sonny Gray who has been a dominant pitcher this year. The combination of Gray, Kazmir (hurts to say that name), and Chavez (WHO?) have been deadly. The Chavez I speak of, no its not Eric Chavez. Jesse Chavez a late addition to the rotation after the A's lost 2 pitchers to Tommy John, is 3-1 with a 2.44 ERA.
Philadelphia Phillies-
The "old guys" have found the fountain of youth
The trio of Rollins, Utley and Howard look like they have plenty left in the tank. Many thought they were all but done. They started to find some of their old mojo this season. Especially Chase Utley who is hitting .326. Unfortunately they don't have many other baseball players on the team and it only has resulted in a 17-19 record. Makes me think their value will never be higher than it is right now. I could definitely see Rollins and Utley on the move when the trade deadline rolls around.
Pittsburgh Pirates-
They need help in the lineup
I have the solution to this problem the Pirates have here, CALL UP GREGORY POLANCO. Polanco is a top prospect who is currently in Triple-A currently and he is tearing it up down there. He is batting .361 5 HR 32 RBI and 8 SB. This guy needs to be plugged into the lineup in the big leagues. The Pirates can keep preaching patience, but when the team is 7.5 GB already in May it is time to make a move.
San Diego Padres-
Andrew Cashner is a stud
Padres need to hold on to Cashner, because he is a legit ace. He has pitched well this season to a 2.86 ERA in 8 starts. The sad part about this, he has a record of 2-5, that says something about their lineup. Cashner in my mind has not even reached his full potential yet, he will continue to get better and better as he racks up innings. Keep your eye on this kid out in San Diego and plus he has the sickest beard.
San Francisco Giants-
Tim Hudson and Bumgarner are the best pitchers on the staff
I don't think anyone can figure out what happened to Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum. They were once the most dominant pitchers in the game, now they are no more than a 4 or a 5 starter in the rotation. Matt Cain also hit the DL because he cut himself making a sandwich. It hasn't stop the Giants from winning though. Hudson and Bumgarner have carried the rotation this season, with ERAs under 3. At this point if they get any production out of Cain and Lincecum it is a bonus.
Seattle Mariners-
They need to help out Cano
The Mariners went out and signed Cano to a giant contract this season. It has no doubt made the team better, as they sit over .500 right now with a 20-19 record. They still need more hitting behind him if they want to take the next step. Cano has only 1 HR but has driven 22 so far and is hitting over .300. They have some decent bats like Seager and Smoak, but those guys are nothing to be afraid of. Why would you give Cano anything to hit with the rest of that lineup. Get another bat, and get your moneys worth with Cano.
St. Louis Cardinals-
No timely hitting this year
Last year the Card's bread and butter was hitting with runners in scoring position. They had a .330 RISP last year which was unreal. Coming into the year obviously you can't expect numbers like that again. That number has dropped significantly this year. Their RISP this year is .233 with has led them to being 11th in NL in scoring. That is too low for a team that is expected to be World Series contenders. The hits should start to come a little bit more, but it is something to keep your eye on as the Cards sit in second place 5.5 GB.
Tampa Bay Rays-
No longer have dominant pitching
The Rays the last couple years always had young arms that would carry the team. That is no longer the case anymore. It doesn't help that Matt Moore got bit by the Tommy John bug this year, but they used to be able to replace injuries with another young arm. It has finally caught up to them. They have Erik Bedard in the rotation, that right there says it all. Even though Bedard actually has even pitched that bad. Their team ERA is 4.32 which is not Ray like. Some of the young guys like Archer and Odorizzi have really struggled this year with ERAs both over 5. With no pitching it could be a long year for the Rays.
Texas Rangers-
Maybe they should of kept Kinsler
When the Rangers first traded for Fielder, my first thought was wow that is going to be a great move for the Rangers. Well so far the Tigers look like they have made out in this deal. Fielder has really struggled this season. He is hitting .243 with only 3 HR. In that ballpark Fielder should be an auto lock for at least 35 bombs. It is still early in the season, but it looks like the Tigers got rid of Fielder at the right time especially with that large contract he is still under until 2020.
Toronto Blue Jays-
They are contenders in the AL East
Coming into the season it looked like the Blue Jays would be a good, but with not much of a chance in that loaded division. Well so far this year, no one has really showed to be an elite. All the teams have huge flaws and every team can be beat. Well why not the Blue Jays this season. Jose Bautista looks like he could be an MVP candidate this year. The Jays are 20-20 in second place and a 1.5 behind the O's. They have bats up and down the lineup, and they could be even if better if they can get a healthy Jose Reyes. The staff has been lead by Mark Buehrle who has been lights out this season. He is 7-1 with a 2.04 ERA. Look out for the Blue Jays.
Washington Nationals-
They need to get healthy
You can say this about every team, but the National's lineup has been depleted with injuries. Currently Harper, Zimmerman and LaRoche are all on the DL. This team has the best rotation in baseball and the lineup can also be dynamic. The Nats are just hoping their pitching can help keep them afloat while they wait for some reinforcements. They just need to hang around the top of the division.
