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Now that we’re a month deep into the baseball season, it’s time to take a look at some MLB early-season surprises in 2023.
Whereas the season remains to be younger, we thought we’d provide our evaluation of the season up to now. Particularly, we need to discover the issues we didn’t anticipate to see at this level within the season.
MLB early season surprises 2023
Clearly, based mostly on preseason predictions and position rankings, we had an thought of how the 2023 MLB season would possibly unfold. In fact, it’s within the nature of baseball that issues don’t go as deliberate.
Simply so we’re clear, there is no such thing as a assure that these tendencies will proceed all through the entire season. However with a month of baseball within the books, let’s discover the ten greatest MLB early-season surprises in 2023.
Tampa’s utter dominance
We’ve grown accustomed to the Rays being good lately, however Tampa beginning the yr 13-0 was absolutely one of many greatest MLB early-season surprises in 2023. In fact, the truth that they beat the Tigers, Nationals, A’s, and Purple Sox in these 13 video games detracts a bit of bit from what the Rays achieved.
However even in opposition to dangerous groups, 13 straight wins isn’t a simple feat within the huge leagues. Take into account that all however two of these wins got here with a margin of not less than 4 runs, so it’s not as in the event that they needed to win lots of shut video games. It’s not as if Tampa leveled off that a lot after that begin. The Rays completed April 14-2 at residence and with a run differential of almost +100, making it clear that they’re the pre-eminent crew within the huge leagues this yr.
Orioles search for actual
Elsewhere within the AL East, the Orioles have confirmed to be a shock crew early in 2023 by trying like a legit playoff contender. To be honest, Baltimore fired some warning photographs final yr earlier than fading late.
However after a powerful April, the Orioles look poised to take one other huge step ahead in 2023. The shocking half is that they’ve appeared each bit pretty much as good because the Yankees and Blue Jays, that means there’s an argument that Baltimore is the second-best crew within the AL East. Earlier than the season, even essentially the most optimistic Baltimore followers didn’t assume that was attainable.
White Sox disappoint once more
A few years in the past, the White Sox appeared poised to contend for AL Central titles for a few years to return. However they had been large disappointments final yr and are on their method to doing the identical this season.
The shocking half is simply how shortly the White Sox have floundered. Chicago had a double-digit shedding streak on the finish of April, sending the White Sox to the underside of the division. Even for those who’re not stunned that the White Sox did not hold tempo on the high of the division, there was no predicting they might fall behind this shortly or look so inept in April.
First-place Pirates
It could be early within the season, however it’s nonetheless exhausting to reconcile the truth that the Pirates sit atop the NL Central a month into the season. They’re actually one of many high MLB early-season surprises in 2023.
Whereas they’ve had among the finest farm programs in baseball over the last few years, the Pirates have additionally misplaced not less than 100 video games in back-to-back seasons. Even being in rivalry to win the division could be a large bounce in a single yr.
Additionally, bear in mind the Pirates haven’t received a division title since 1992 when Barry Bonds received MVP honors for the Pirates, who had been within the NL East on the time. To this point, it hasn’t been a fluke, making Pittsburgh a crew to match shifting ahead.
Sluggish begin for the Cardinals
Whereas the Pirates have shocked baseball by main the NL Central, the Cardinals have been equally shocking for various causes. St. Louis was the apparent division favourite heading into the season. However they sit in final place after the primary month of 2023.
The crew’s pitching hasn’t been there, however they’ve additionally appeared just like the worst offensive crew within the division. No one needs to be writing off St. Louis simply but, however it’s actually shocking to see a crew like that stumble out of the gate.
Diamondbacks bounce forward
We all know earlier than the season that the Diamondbacks could be a younger and thrilling crew to look at. Nevertheless, few folks would have predicted that Arizona would lead the NL West for the overwhelming majority of April.
The D’Backs received off to a scorching begin and have been in a position to maintain a slight lead over the Padres and Dodgers all through the primary month of the season. In fact, whether or not the D’Backs have endurance is one other query. However Arizona’s begin has been promising.
Mediocre NL West
Regardless of getting off to a quick begin in April, the Diamondbacks haven’t been in a position to create that a lot separation from their NL West rivals. That’s as a result of the whole division has been mired in mediocrity in the course of the first month of the season.
The Padres and Dodgers had been each anticipated to be Nationwide League powerhouses this season. However each have hovered across the .500 mark so far.
Neither appears like an distinctive crew regardless of possessing much more expertise than most different MLB groups. In the meantime, the Giants are striving to acquire mediocrity following a disappointing begin to the season. Should just like the Diamondbacks, they’ve did not capitalize on sluggish begins by the Dodgers and Padres, turning the whole division right into a den of mediocrity.
Padres can’t hit
Probably the most surprising a part of the season so far is how dangerous the Padres have been offensively. They began to click on late in April once they loved the altitude in Mexico Metropolis. However for a lot of April, Xander Bogaerts was the one hitter residing as much as expectations. Juan Soto endured maybe the worst month of his profession whereas Manny Machado, Jake Cronenworth, and Ha-Seong Kim additionally had horrible begins to the season.
No one might have predicted that each one of these gamers would get off to such dangerous begins or that the Padres could be one of many worst offensive groups in baseball for many of April.
Traditionally dangerous A’s
We knew that the A’s could be dangerous this yr, however they’ve been surprisingly worse than anticipated. For many of April, that they had a workers ERA over 8.00, which is traditionally dangerous. At their present tempo, the A’s might be fortunate to win 30-35 video games this season.
That makes them virtually illogically dangerous, not simply traditionally dangerous.
To be honest, most of Oakland’s video games in April got here in opposition to groups with a profitable document, so it’s exhausting to think about the A’s maintaining this dreadful tempo all yr. Nonetheless, it’s been shocking to see a big-league crew look this dangerous.
Stolen base free-for-all
Most of us had a suspicion that stolen bases would enhance league-wide given the brand new guidelines concerning the pitch clock and the variety of disengagements pitchers are allowed. But it surely’s been shocking to see simply how a lot runners are taking off, actually.
Not solely are stolen base makes an attempt up significantly however so is the success fee on stolen bases. In the course of the first week of the season, tried base stealers had been profitable greater than 80% of the time.
This might probably be the primary season in MLB historical past that base stealers are profitable not less than 80% of the time. Plus, the 2023 season is on tempo to have essentially the most stolen bases since 1999. We knew the brand new guidelines would change the sport, however it’s been shocking to see it change this a lot.
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