What did each team learn during the season First month
US Eastern Conference
Blue Jays: Spin is fine
Enter the year, around the blue One of the bigger concerns about the Birds’ roster is how well José Berríos and Yusei will play with Kikuchi on the back end. Not only have both had terrible seasons, but Hyun Jin Ryu is months away from recovering from Tommy John surgery, and No. 1 rookie Ricky Tiedemann still needs more grinding in the minor leagues,” The next guy to play” wasn’t exactly knocking on the door. Still, Berríos and Kikuchi are two of the club’s better stories, exceeding all outside expectations and bolstering a rotation that was suddenly a clear force after an early stumble. — Keegan Matheson
Oriole: 2017 Success is not a fluke Baltimore was in the playoff chase all of September last year and ended up with Finished, performance exceeded expectations won, and only three games out of the AL wild card spot. After a relatively quiet offseason, the Orioles have doubters coming in 2021, questioning if they did enough to build their 05 success. So far, the O’s are proving as good as they were at the end of last season — maybe even better, thanks to the continued development of their young core. pass20 Game, Baltimore is -9. The only years in franchise history with a better start are 986 and40, each one started -8. – Jack Lear
Red Sox: Lots of fights in lineup While the Red Sox are still grappling with starting rotation issues, the offense has established an identity as a relentless team that never quits the game. The Red Sox pulled out of their MLB lead on Saturday Book 3rd comeback win of the season, 3rd exit. Boston is 3rd in the majors (83), tied for second doubles (40) tied for eighth in home runs (26). Rafael Devers, Alex Verdugo, Masataka Yoshida and Jarren Duran were the main contributors to the lineup that lost red-hot Adam Duvall to a fractured left wrist on April 9.
– Ian Brown
Yankees: left field ruled out Yankees no-punch offense Worrying, especially considering they’re without Giancarlo Stanton and (at least for a while) Aaron Judge. They get very little yield from 5-No. There are nine spots in the sequence, but let’s zoom in on left field, which general manager Brian Cashman identified this past offseason as an area of need. When Andrew Benintendi left the board in free agency, the Yankees largely stayed put, hoping to generate production from within. Oswaldo Cabrera, Aaron Hicks, Willie Calhoun and Franchy Cordero have all been given chances, but none have been answered so far. Jack Bowles swung a hot rod at Triple-A, but he hurt his knee in the first inning after being called up, and a trade for Brian Reynolds to the Buccaneers wasn’t on the table. What’s next? — Brian Hodge
Al central
guardian : Time to trust the kids again The Guardians have had more problems with their rotation than they’ve had to deal with in recent memory, whether it’s injuries or slow starts for pitchers. Over the past few weeks, the team has attempted to grapple with these dilemmas by once again turning to the next generation of talent. Cleveland added Peyton Battenfield to the rotation, who is off to a relatively strong start to his career. He’s the key to opening the door for top prospects knocking on the door. The team’s No. 8 pick, Logan Allen, made his debut last week and became just the sixth pitcher in club history to strike out at least eight in his debut. Three days later, No. 5 prospect Tanner Bibee did the same, becoming the seventh pitcher with at least eight strikeouts in a career start. With No. 2 prospect Gavin Williams continuing his dominance at Triple-A Columbus, the rotation could get younger — and more dynamic — in the near future.
– Mandy Bell
Royals: Edward Olivares is an everyday Player
Olivares at 986and That kept him out for most of the season. Real are committed to seeing how he fits into their squad over the next few years and so far he has shown just how important he is to the club’s future. this14 year old outfielder is hitting.200/.204/.385 and put the Twins on the weekend, he has the ability to hit any ball in the zone any way. He’s made strides in his strike zone awareness, and the Royals are happy with his ability at the plate. They’ll continue to work with him on his outfield defense and baserunning in the hopes that he’ll be a well-rounded player for them. –Anne Rogers
Tigers: Jack Rogers is back
Rodgers is on his way to becoming a Tiger when Tommy John surgery stopped his career, he was the next mainstay at home plate . After missing a season and a half, Rodgers picked up pretty much where he left off, not only scoring high for his work behind the plate but also providing some strength at the plate. In the process, he parted ways with Eric Haase and helped stabilize Detroit’s weaknesses over the past few years. –Jason Baker
Twins: Rotation Depth is True
Kenta Maeda and Tyler Maeda can go down Well with the injuries, the next two pitchers are already a proven MLB starter with 3. 37 Career ERA (Bailey Ober) and back-to-back organization Minor League Pitcher of the Year (Louie Varland). It’s even better when the rotation is steered by Sonny Gray — a qualified MLB leader in ERA — flanked by Pablo López and Joe Ryan. According to FanGraphs (4.8), this makes the pitcher tied for first in the major leagues in WAR and the best rotation in baseball by this metric (3.8). –Park Dohyung
White Sox: Last year’s disappointment has continued The team has changed Pedro Grifol replaced bench coach Miguel Cairo, who replaced Toni La Russa at the end of the game because Sick Hall of Fame season. But the White Sox the results actually got worse. this10 The squad was never more than five games behind. 418, and no more than five games. 418, while the current version is missing of and is 8- So far this season. They’ve dealt with injuries to key players like shortstop Tim Anderson and third baseman Jon Moncada, while closer Liam Hendricks is returning after treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. But in this hypothetical window of contention after the rebuild, the White Sox have just two playoff total victories and are already in .
–Scott Merkin
AP West
Angel: Increased offensive depth paid off
The Angels bolstered their depth this offseason, trading veteran outfielder Hunter Renfroe and infielder Gio Urshela, along with infielder Brandon Drury signed a two-year contract. Renfroe has been one of the club’s best hitters as he shares the team lead with Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout and leads the club in RBI. Urshela has been consistent all season, shooting average and playing solid defense around the diamond. Drury got off to a slow start but has been heating up over the last week and also brings versatility to the infield. The Angels were hurt last year by a lack of depth that has been key to them this season, especially after knocking out veteran David Fletcher roster. –Red Bollinger
Astros: Hunter Brown is the real deal The Astros’ top pick this season, Brown has been a solid addition to Houston’s rotation. this12 The year-old right-hander wasn’t even guaranteed a rotation spot in spring training, but the injury to Lance McCullers Jr. opened the door. Browns are 3-0 with 2. 22 ERA and 1. In his first five games, including three starts, he pitched seven innings without allowing a home run. Brown High 66 quick Balls, hard sliders and big ball curveballs create a lot of swing and miss and soft contact. He was struck out 24 hitters and walks exist11 1/3 inning and has put himself up for AL Rookie of the Year award. –Brian McTaggart
Mariners: Their iso magic hasn’t happened yet leads the majors in both games (25) and (24), they fell to 3-9 in such a match in, the most such loss in this category so far Most in baseball this year. Backsliding here is probably always doomed, but it’s eye-opening to see what’s so evident. The Mariners still have an elite bullpen for those high-stakes moments late in the game, but they desperately need more consistent run production to back it up. – Daniel Kramer
Warriors: Ronald Acuña Jr. is back Acuña, no longer suffering from the lingering effects of ACL surgery, was once again one of the most dynamic players in the game. His MLB lead The steal gives us reason to believe he will be in 23 – Homer /22 – Stealing Club He completes three stolen bases shy to join 986. his. 885 OPS passed 20 The game also confirmed that he was once again one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball. If he stays healthy, he should be an MVP candidate. — Mark Bowman
Marlins: Luis Arraez can hit Of course, Arraez won 2021 AL batting champion but no transfer to NL There is a learning curve. He averages ahead of majors (.438) and base percentage (.378) Among qualifying hitters. Arraez had at least one hit in addition to his three 12 START AND Multi-tap game. The only thing slowing him down — by his standards — was a laceration on his left index finger and a bruise on his left knee. – Christina De Nicola
Mets: Lineup needs more thumping
Over time, the pitching staff will Players return while stabilizing from injuries. But power production numbers are a lingering problem for the Mets, who are 7-2 when Pete Alonso homers and 8- mark when he doesn’t. Alonso already accounted for Metropolis
Home runs, the largest percentage of all home runs by the team’s long ball production.If this trend continues, the Mets may need to get serious at the trade deadline Consider the acquisition of DH. – Anthony Dicomo
National: MacKenzie Gore looks like future ace
Gore has been on the Nationals since last August The Padres in the Juan Soto trade. The southpaw didn’t make his Nats debut until this season, and 824 The third overall pick performed as advertised. He is 3-1 and 3. ERA and 14 Strikes out while holding your opponent in. 94 Batting average over the first five games. Al Gore tied his career Strikeout for the Mets.
– Jessica Camerato
Phillies: José Alvarado is an excellent backup ] Everything Todt, Brandon Marsh and Christian do, it’s a toss-up between this or “Kevin Long is the best hitting coach in baseball” Patch (before the injury). But it has to be Alvarado. Remember, that’s the lefty who was relegated to the minor leagues with seven points last season in May. 32 times. But since returning three weeks later, Alvarado has 1. 24 ERA when accumulated 40 strikes out to walk over24 1/3 Bureau. Specific to this year, he s is only allowed to run once 1 /3 innings (0. ERA) while striking out 05 of;s faced — and goes zero. – Todd Zoleecki
Central Netherlands
Brewers: Defense wins the game
The Brewers have a hunch their defense will improve as free agent Bryan Anderson hits third base and right field, rookie Garrett Mitchell, Bryce Turang and Joey Wimmer take advantage of their speed. But they don’t necessarily expect to be the No. 1 team in baseball in defensive runs, even after Mitchell’s season-ending season with a shoulder injury. Anderson has been terrific at both positions, and Turang’s range has had a big impact on teams no longer being able to load infielders on one side of the field. Milwaukee’s leap was also helped by a huge improvement from first-year catcher William Contreras. – Adam McAvey
Cardinals: Pitching depth is not what they hoped for For a team entering the season with World Series hopes, the first Moon is intuition. The rotation, still awaiting the return of Adam Wainwright, has been mediocre. The starter has just four quality starts overall and is one of the worst two-hitters in the league. Things didn’t work out in the bullpen either. There has been a flurry of failed saves that seem to be a byproduct of the team’s late relievers not getting a consistent job.
– John Denton
Cubs: Offense better than expected
Manager David Ross has been able to launch A consistent top four of Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki while mixing and matching the rest. Hoerner has been a tone-setter with his great contact ability while fully embracing the speed element while on base. The likes of Cody Bellinger and Patrick Wisdom provide much-needed strength to a lineup that is expected to be primarily a gap-to-gap group. All in all, the Cubs offense has 88 wRC+ as A unit that ranks first in the NL and third in the MLB behind the Rangers (66) and light (94).
–Jordan Bastian
Reds: The team’s defense is not up to par According to Statcast, the club ranks in the MLB in terms of percentage of ground balls converted to strikeouts and near the bottom in percentage of strikeouts Bottom is above average. Shortstop Jose Barrero regressed 986. Second baseman Jonathan India can make the regular game, but lacks range. The team is mixing and matching at first base without Joey Votto, but their best infielder may be Will Myers, who has played about half his games as an outfielder this month. Reds pitchers could use more help behind them to avoid giving opponents extra outs. — Mark Shelton
Defender: Zac Gallen might be better than he was last season
Gallen rides a 11-No points lost in the game, the distance 26 1/ He completed a 3-game winning streak last year. But linebackers manager Torey Lovullo felt Gallen was more dominant in this one. A perfectionist, Gallen is always looking to get better, and somehow after last year’s stellar season, he seems to be doing just that.
– Steve Gilbert
Dodgers: James Outman is the legitimate NL top pick of the year Best Rookie Candidate Altman is the last standing player on the roster for spring training, but 10 The year-old rookie has been in the Dodgers lineup One of the most consistent hitters. Outman will need to reduce his strikeouts to maintain this level of production, but his seven homers in March/April were the most by a Dodgers rookie season start. –JUAN TORIBIO
4657
Giants: JD Davis deserves to play every day Davis didn’t seem to have a clear path to playing regularly at the start of the season, but he has established himself Status as the Giants’ starting third baseman after batting. 204 and. 745 OPS and his first six home runs game. Perhaps even more surprising is how much his defense has improved at No. 3, and he’s tied for second in the majors this year with four above-average strikeouts.
–Maria Guardado
Soto this spring during the Cactus League game and at the World Baseball Classic. But his struggles early in the regular season have him searching for answers again as he tries to regain his ability to get the ball across the field with authority. Soto hit the ball before going 2-of-4 in isolation against the Giants on Sunday. 83/.289/.200 Since joining the Padres – not bad for anyone else, but well below his career mark. Again, this is Juan Soto. He’s still walking and reaching base. When his swing gets knocked back — opposing pitchers beware. — AJ Cassavell
Oriole: 2017 Success is not a fluke Baltimore was in the playoff chase all of September last year and ended up with Finished, performance exceeded expectations won, and only three games out of the AL wild card spot. After a relatively quiet offseason, the Orioles have doubters coming in 2021, questioning if they did enough to build their 05 success. So far, the O’s are proving as good as they were at the end of last season — maybe even better, thanks to the continued development of their young core. pass20 Game, Baltimore is -9. The only years in franchise history with a better start are 986 and40, each one started -8. – Jack Lear
Red Sox: Lots of fights in lineup While the Red Sox are still grappling with starting rotation issues, the offense has established an identity as a relentless team that never quits the game. The Red Sox pulled out of their MLB lead on Saturday Book 3rd comeback win of the season, 3rd exit. Boston is 3rd in the majors (83), tied for second doubles (40) tied for eighth in home runs (26). Rafael Devers, Alex Verdugo, Masataka Yoshida and Jarren Duran were the main contributors to the lineup that lost red-hot Adam Duvall to a fractured left wrist on April 9.
– Ian Brown
Yankees: left field ruled out Yankees no-punch offense Worrying, especially considering they’re without Giancarlo Stanton and (at least for a while) Aaron Judge. They get very little yield from 5-No. There are nine spots in the sequence, but let’s zoom in on left field, which general manager Brian Cashman identified this past offseason as an area of need. When Andrew Benintendi left the board in free agency, the Yankees largely stayed put, hoping to generate production from within. Oswaldo Cabrera, Aaron Hicks, Willie Calhoun and Franchy Cordero have all been given chances, but none have been answered so far. Jack Bowles swung a hot rod at Triple-A, but he hurt his knee in the first inning after being called up, and a trade for Brian Reynolds to the Buccaneers wasn’t on the table. What’s next? — Brian Hodge
Al central
guardian : Time to trust the kids again The Guardians have had more problems with their rotation than they’ve had to deal with in recent memory, whether it’s injuries or slow starts for pitchers. Over the past few weeks, the team has attempted to grapple with these dilemmas by once again turning to the next generation of talent. Cleveland added Peyton Battenfield to the rotation, who is off to a relatively strong start to his career. He’s the key to opening the door for top prospects knocking on the door. The team’s No. 8 pick, Logan Allen, made his debut last week and became just the sixth pitcher in club history to strike out at least eight in his debut. Three days later, No. 5 prospect Tanner Bibee did the same, becoming the seventh pitcher with at least eight strikeouts in a career start. With No. 2 prospect Gavin Williams continuing his dominance at Triple-A Columbus, the rotation could get younger — and more dynamic — in the near future.
– Mandy Bell
Royals: Edward Olivares is an everyday Player
Olivares at 986and That kept him out for most of the season. Real are committed to seeing how he fits into their squad over the next few years and so far he has shown just how important he is to the club’s future. this14 year old outfielder is hitting.200/.204/.385 and put the Twins on the weekend, he has the ability to hit any ball in the zone any way. He’s made strides in his strike zone awareness, and the Royals are happy with his ability at the plate. They’ll continue to work with him on his outfield defense and baserunning in the hopes that he’ll be a well-rounded player for them. –Anne Rogers
Tigers: Jack Rogers is back
Rodgers is on his way to becoming a Tiger when Tommy John surgery stopped his career, he was the next mainstay at home plate . After missing a season and a half, Rodgers picked up pretty much where he left off, not only scoring high for his work behind the plate but also providing some strength at the plate. In the process, he parted ways with Eric Haase and helped stabilize Detroit’s weaknesses over the past few years. –Jason Baker
Twins: Rotation Depth is True
Kenta Maeda and Tyler Maeda can go down Well with the injuries, the next two pitchers are already a proven MLB starter with 3. 37 Career ERA (Bailey Ober) and back-to-back organization Minor League Pitcher of the Year (Louie Varland). It’s even better when the rotation is steered by Sonny Gray — a qualified MLB leader in ERA — flanked by Pablo López and Joe Ryan. According to FanGraphs (4.8), this makes the pitcher tied for first in the major leagues in WAR and the best rotation in baseball by this metric (3.8). –Park Dohyung
White Sox: Last year’s disappointment has continued The team has changed Pedro Grifol replaced bench coach Miguel Cairo, who replaced Toni La Russa at the end of the game because Sick Hall of Fame season. But the White Sox the results actually got worse. this10 The squad was never more than five games behind. 418, and no more than five games. 418, while the current version is missing of and is 8- So far this season. They’ve dealt with injuries to key players like shortstop Tim Anderson and third baseman Jon Moncada, while closer Liam Hendricks is returning after treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. But in this hypothetical window of contention after the rebuild, the White Sox have just two playoff total victories and are already in .
–Scott Merkin
AP West
Angel: Increased offensive depth paid off
The Angels bolstered their depth this offseason, trading veteran outfielder Hunter Renfroe and infielder Gio Urshela, along with infielder Brandon Drury signed a two-year contract. Renfroe has been one of the club’s best hitters as he shares the team lead with Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout and leads the club in RBI. Urshela has been consistent all season, shooting average and playing solid defense around the diamond. Drury got off to a slow start but has been heating up over the last week and also brings versatility to the infield. The Angels were hurt last year by a lack of depth that has been key to them this season, especially after knocking out veteran David Fletcher roster. –Red Bollinger
Astros: Hunter Brown is the real deal The Astros’ top pick this season, Brown has been a solid addition to Houston’s rotation. this12 The year-old right-hander wasn’t even guaranteed a rotation spot in spring training, but the injury to Lance McCullers Jr. opened the door. Browns are 3-0 with 2. 22 ERA and 1. In his first five games, including three starts, he pitched seven innings without allowing a home run. Brown High 66 quick Balls, hard sliders and big ball curveballs create a lot of swing and miss and soft contact. He was struck out 24 hitters and walks exist11 1/3 inning and has put himself up for AL Rookie of the Year award. –Brian McTaggart
Mariners: Their iso magic hasn’t happened yet leads the majors in both games (25) and (24), they fell to 3-9 in such a match in, the most such loss in this category so far Most in baseball this year. Backsliding here is probably always doomed, but it’s eye-opening to see what’s so evident. The Mariners still have an elite bullpen for those high-stakes moments late in the game, but they desperately need more consistent run production to back it up. – Daniel Kramer
Warriors: Ronald Acuña Jr. is back Acuña, no longer suffering from the lingering effects of ACL surgery, was once again one of the most dynamic players in the game. His MLB lead The steal gives us reason to believe he will be in 23 – Homer /22 – Stealing Club He completes three stolen bases shy to join 986. his. 885 OPS passed 20 The game also confirmed that he was once again one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball. If he stays healthy, he should be an MVP candidate. — Mark Bowman
Marlins: Luis Arraez can hit Of course, Arraez won 2021 AL batting champion but no transfer to NL There is a learning curve. He averages ahead of majors (.438) and base percentage (.378) Among qualifying hitters. Arraez had at least one hit in addition to his three 12 START AND Multi-tap game. The only thing slowing him down — by his standards — was a laceration on his left index finger and a bruise on his left knee. – Christina De Nicola
Mets: Lineup needs more thumping
Over time, the pitching staff will Players return while stabilizing from injuries. But power production numbers are a lingering problem for the Mets, who are 7-2 when Pete Alonso homers and 8- mark when he doesn’t. Alonso already accounted for Metropolis
Home runs, the largest percentage of all home runs by the team’s long ball production.If this trend continues, the Mets may need to get serious at the trade deadline Consider the acquisition of DH. – Anthony Dicomo
National: MacKenzie Gore looks like future ace
Gore has been on the Nationals since last August The Padres in the Juan Soto trade. The southpaw didn’t make his Nats debut until this season, and 824 The third overall pick performed as advertised. He is 3-1 and 3. ERA and 14 Strikes out while holding your opponent in. 94 Batting average over the first five games. Al Gore tied his career Strikeout for the Mets.
– Jessica Camerato
Phillies: José Alvarado is an excellent backup ] Everything Todt, Brandon Marsh and Christian do, it’s a toss-up between this or “Kevin Long is the best hitting coach in baseball” Patch (before the injury). But it has to be Alvarado. Remember, that’s the lefty who was relegated to the minor leagues with seven points last season in May. 32 times. But since returning three weeks later, Alvarado has 1. 24 ERA when accumulated 40 strikes out to walk over24 1/3 Bureau. Specific to this year, he s is only allowed to run once 1 /3 innings (0. ERA) while striking out 05 of;s faced — and goes zero. – Todd Zoleecki
Central Netherlands
Brewers: Defense wins the game
The Brewers have a hunch their defense will improve as free agent Bryan Anderson hits third base and right field, rookie Garrett Mitchell, Bryce Turang and Joey Wimmer take advantage of their speed. But they don’t necessarily expect to be the No. 1 team in baseball in defensive runs, even after Mitchell’s season-ending season with a shoulder injury. Anderson has been terrific at both positions, and Turang’s range has had a big impact on teams no longer being able to load infielders on one side of the field. Milwaukee’s leap was also helped by a huge improvement from first-year catcher William Contreras. – Adam McAvey
Cardinals: Pitching depth is not what they hoped for For a team entering the season with World Series hopes, the first Moon is intuition. The rotation, still awaiting the return of Adam Wainwright, has been mediocre. The starter has just four quality starts overall and is one of the worst two-hitters in the league. Things didn’t work out in the bullpen either. There has been a flurry of failed saves that seem to be a byproduct of the team’s late relievers not getting a consistent job.
– John Denton
Cubs: Offense better than expected
Manager David Ross has been able to launch A consistent top four of Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki while mixing and matching the rest. Hoerner has been a tone-setter with his great contact ability while fully embracing the speed element while on base. The likes of Cody Bellinger and Patrick Wisdom provide much-needed strength to a lineup that is expected to be primarily a gap-to-gap group. All in all, the Cubs offense has 88 wRC+ as A unit that ranks first in the NL and third in the MLB behind the Rangers (66) and light (94).
–Jordan Bastian
Reds: The team’s defense is not up to par According to Statcast, the club ranks in the MLB in terms of percentage of ground balls converted to strikeouts and near the bottom in percentage of strikeouts Bottom is above average. Shortstop Jose Barrero regressed 986. Second baseman Jonathan India can make the regular game, but lacks range. The team is mixing and matching at first base without Joey Votto, but their best infielder may be Will Myers, who has played about half his games as an outfielder this month. Reds pitchers could use more help behind them to avoid giving opponents extra outs. — Mark Shelton
Defender: Zac Gallen might be better than he was last season
Gallen rides a 11-No points lost in the game, the distance 26 1/ He completed a 3-game winning streak last year. But linebackers manager Torey Lovullo felt Gallen was more dominant in this one. A perfectionist, Gallen is always looking to get better, and somehow after last year’s stellar season, he seems to be doing just that.
– Steve Gilbert
Dodgers: James Outman is the legitimate NL top pick of the year Best Rookie Candidate Altman is the last standing player on the roster for spring training, but 10 The year-old rookie has been in the Dodgers lineup One of the most consistent hitters. Outman will need to reduce his strikeouts to maintain this level of production, but his seven homers in March/April were the most by a Dodgers rookie season start. –JUAN TORIBIO
4657
Giants: JD Davis deserves to play every day Davis didn’t seem to have a clear path to playing regularly at the start of the season, but he has established himself Status as the Giants’ starting third baseman after batting. 204 and. 745 OPS and his first six home runs game. Perhaps even more surprising is how much his defense has improved at No. 3, and he’s tied for second in the majors this year with four above-average strikeouts.
–Maria Guardado
Soto this spring during the Cactus League game and at the World Baseball Classic. But his struggles early in the regular season have him searching for answers again as he tries to regain his ability to get the ball across the field with authority. Soto hit the ball before going 2-of-4 in isolation against the Giants on Sunday. 83/.289/.200 Since joining the Padres – not bad for anyone else, but well below his career mark. Again, this is Juan Soto. He’s still walking and reaching base. When his swing gets knocked back — opposing pitchers beware. — AJ Cassavell
Oriole: 2017 Success is not a fluke Baltimore was in the playoff chase all of September last year and ended up with Finished, performance exceeded expectations won, and only three games out of the AL wild card spot. After a relatively quiet offseason, the Orioles have doubters coming in 2021, questioning if they did enough to build their 05 success. So far, the O’s are proving as good as they were at the end of last season — maybe even better, thanks to the continued development of their young core. pass20 Game, Baltimore is -9. The only years in franchise history with a better start are 986 and40, each one started -8. – Jack Lear
Red Sox: Lots of fights in lineup While the Red Sox are still grappling with starting rotation issues, the offense has established an identity as a relentless team that never quits the game. The Red Sox pulled out of their MLB lead on Saturday Book 3rd comeback win of the season, 3rd exit. Boston is 3rd in the majors (83), tied for second doubles (40) tied for eighth in home runs (26). Rafael Devers, Alex Verdugo, Masataka Yoshida and Jarren Duran were the main contributors to the lineup that lost red-hot Adam Duvall to a fractured left wrist on April 9.
Al central
guardian : Time to trust the kids again The Guardians have had more problems with their rotation than they’ve had to deal with in recent memory, whether it’s injuries or slow starts for pitchers. Over the past few weeks, the team has attempted to grapple with these dilemmas by once again turning to the next generation of talent. Cleveland added Peyton Battenfield to the rotation, who is off to a relatively strong start to his career. He’s the key to opening the door for top prospects knocking on the door. The team’s No. 8 pick, Logan Allen, made his debut last week and became just the sixth pitcher in club history to strike out at least eight in his debut. Three days later, No. 5 prospect Tanner Bibee did the same, becoming the seventh pitcher with at least eight strikeouts in a career start. With No. 2 prospect Gavin Williams continuing his dominance at Triple-A Columbus, the rotation could get younger — and more dynamic — in the near future.
Olivares at 986and That kept him out for most of the season. Real are committed to seeing how he fits into their squad over the next few years and so far he has shown just how important he is to the club’s future. this14 year old outfielder is hitting.200/.204/.385 and put the Twins on the weekend, he has the ability to hit any ball in the zone any way. He’s made strides in his strike zone awareness, and the Royals are happy with his ability at the plate. They’ll continue to work with him on his outfield defense and baserunning in the hopes that he’ll be a well-rounded player for them. –Anne Rogers
Tigers: Jack Rogers is back
Rodgers is on his way to becoming a Tiger when Tommy John surgery stopped his career, he was the next mainstay at home plate . After missing a season and a half, Rodgers picked up pretty much where he left off, not only scoring high for his work behind the plate but also providing some strength at the plate. In the process, he parted ways with Eric Haase and helped stabilize Detroit’s weaknesses over the past few years. –Jason Baker
Twins: Rotation Depth is True
Kenta Maeda and Tyler Maeda can go down Well with the injuries, the next two pitchers are already a proven MLB starter with 3. 37 Career ERA (Bailey Ober) and back-to-back organization Minor League Pitcher of the Year (Louie Varland). It’s even better when the rotation is steered by Sonny Gray — a qualified MLB leader in ERA — flanked by Pablo López and Joe Ryan. According to FanGraphs (4.8), this makes the pitcher tied for first in the major leagues in WAR and the best rotation in baseball by this metric (3.8). –Park Dohyung
White Sox: Last year’s disappointment has continued The team has changed Pedro Grifol replaced bench coach Miguel Cairo, who replaced Toni La Russa at the end of the game because Sick Hall of Fame season. But the White Sox the results actually got worse. this10 The squad was never more than five games behind. 418, and no more than five games. 418, while the current version is missing of and is 8- So far this season. They’ve dealt with injuries to key players like shortstop Tim Anderson and third baseman Jon Moncada, while closer Liam Hendricks is returning after treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. But in this hypothetical window of contention after the rebuild, the White Sox have just two playoff total victories and are already in .
–Scott Merkin
AP West
Angel: Increased offensive depth paid off
The Angels bolstered their depth this offseason, trading veteran outfielder Hunter Renfroe and infielder Gio Urshela, along with infielder Brandon Drury signed a two-year contract. Renfroe has been one of the club’s best hitters as he shares the team lead with Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout and leads the club in RBI. Urshela has been consistent all season, shooting average and playing solid defense around the diamond. Drury got off to a slow start but has been heating up over the last week and also brings versatility to the infield. The Angels were hurt last year by a lack of depth that has been key to them this season, especially after knocking out veteran David Fletcher roster. –Red Bollinger
Astros: Hunter Brown is the real deal The Astros’ top pick this season, Brown has been a solid addition to Houston’s rotation. this12 The year-old right-hander wasn’t even guaranteed a rotation spot in spring training, but the injury to Lance McCullers Jr. opened the door. Browns are 3-0 with 2. 22 ERA and 1. In his first five games, including three starts, he pitched seven innings without allowing a home run. Brown High 66 quick Balls, hard sliders and big ball curveballs create a lot of swing and miss and soft contact. He was struck out 24 hitters and walks exist11 1/3 inning and has put himself up for AL Rookie of the Year award. –Brian McTaggart
Mariners: Their iso magic hasn’t happened yet leads the majors in both games (25) and (24), they fell to 3-9 in such a match in, the most such loss in this category so far Most in baseball this year. Backsliding here is probably always doomed, but it’s eye-opening to see what’s so evident. The Mariners still have an elite bullpen for those high-stakes moments late in the game, but they desperately need more consistent run production to back it up. – Daniel Kramer
Warriors: Ronald Acuña Jr. is back Acuña, no longer suffering from the lingering effects of ACL surgery, was once again one of the most dynamic players in the game. His MLB lead The steal gives us reason to believe he will be in 23 – Homer /22 – Stealing Club He completes three stolen bases shy to join 986. his. 885 OPS passed 20 The game also confirmed that he was once again one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball. If he stays healthy, he should be an MVP candidate. — Mark Bowman
Marlins: Luis Arraez can hit Of course, Arraez won 2021 AL batting champion but no transfer to NL There is a learning curve. He averages ahead of majors (.438) and base percentage (.378) Among qualifying hitters. Arraez had at least one hit in addition to his three 12 START AND Multi-tap game. The only thing slowing him down — by his standards — was a laceration on his left index finger and a bruise on his left knee. – Christina De Nicola
Mets: Lineup needs more thumping
Over time, the pitching staff will Players return while stabilizing from injuries. But power production numbers are a lingering problem for the Mets, who are 7-2 when Pete Alonso homers and 8- mark when he doesn’t. Alonso already accounted for Metropolis
Home runs, the largest percentage of all home runs by the team’s long ball production.If this trend continues, the Mets may need to get serious at the trade deadline Consider the acquisition of DH. – Anthony Dicomo
National: MacKenzie Gore looks like future ace
Gore has been on the Nationals since last August The Padres in the Juan Soto trade. The southpaw didn’t make his Nats debut until this season, and 824 The third overall pick performed as advertised. He is 3-1 and 3. ERA and 14 Strikes out while holding your opponent in. 94 Batting average over the first five games. Al Gore tied his career Strikeout for the Mets.
– Jessica Camerato
Phillies: José Alvarado is an excellent backup ] Everything Todt, Brandon Marsh and Christian do, it’s a toss-up between this or “Kevin Long is the best hitting coach in baseball” Patch (before the injury). But it has to be Alvarado. Remember, that’s the lefty who was relegated to the minor leagues with seven points last season in May. 32 times. But since returning three weeks later, Alvarado has 1. 24 ERA when accumulated 40 strikes out to walk over24 1/3 Bureau. Specific to this year, he s is only allowed to run once 1 /3 innings (0. ERA) while striking out 05 of;s faced — and goes zero. – Todd Zoleecki
Central Netherlands
Brewers: Defense wins the game
The Brewers have a hunch their defense will improve as free agent Bryan Anderson hits third base and right field, rookie Garrett Mitchell, Bryce Turang and Joey Wimmer take advantage of their speed. But they don’t necessarily expect to be the No. 1 team in baseball in defensive runs, even after Mitchell’s season-ending season with a shoulder injury. Anderson has been terrific at both positions, and Turang’s range has had a big impact on teams no longer being able to load infielders on one side of the field. Milwaukee’s leap was also helped by a huge improvement from first-year catcher William Contreras. – Adam McAvey
Cardinals: Pitching depth is not what they hoped for For a team entering the season with World Series hopes, the first Moon is intuition. The rotation, still awaiting the return of Adam Wainwright, has been mediocre. The starter has just four quality starts overall and is one of the worst two-hitters in the league. Things didn’t work out in the bullpen either. There has been a flurry of failed saves that seem to be a byproduct of the team’s late relievers not getting a consistent job.
– John Denton
Cubs: Offense better than expected
Manager David Ross has been able to launch A consistent top four of Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki while mixing and matching the rest. Hoerner has been a tone-setter with his great contact ability while fully embracing the speed element while on base. The likes of Cody Bellinger and Patrick Wisdom provide much-needed strength to a lineup that is expected to be primarily a gap-to-gap group. All in all, the Cubs offense has 88 wRC+ as A unit that ranks first in the NL and third in the MLB behind the Rangers (66) and light (94).
–Jordan Bastian
Reds: The team’s defense is not up to par According to Statcast, the club ranks in the MLB in terms of percentage of ground balls converted to strikeouts and near the bottom in percentage of strikeouts Bottom is above average. Shortstop Jose Barrero regressed 986. Second baseman Jonathan India can make the regular game, but lacks range. The team is mixing and matching at first base without Joey Votto, but their best infielder may be Will Myers, who has played about half his games as an outfielder this month. Reds pitchers could use more help behind them to avoid giving opponents extra outs. — Mark Shelton
Defender: Zac Gallen might be better than he was last season
Gallen rides a 11-No points lost in the game, the distance 26 1/ He completed a 3-game winning streak last year. But linebackers manager Torey Lovullo felt Gallen was more dominant in this one. A perfectionist, Gallen is always looking to get better, and somehow after last year’s stellar season, he seems to be doing just that.
– Steve Gilbert
Dodgers: James Outman is the legitimate NL top pick of the year Best Rookie Candidate Altman is the last standing player on the roster for spring training, but 10 The year-old rookie has been in the Dodgers lineup One of the most consistent hitters. Outman will need to reduce his strikeouts to maintain this level of production, but his seven homers in March/April were the most by a Dodgers rookie season start. –JUAN TORIBIO
4657
Giants: JD Davis deserves to play every day Davis didn’t seem to have a clear path to playing regularly at the start of the season, but he has established himself Status as the Giants’ starting third baseman after batting. 204 and. 745 OPS and his first six home runs game. Perhaps even more surprising is how much his defense has improved at No. 3, and he’s tied for second in the majors this year with four above-average strikeouts.
–Maria Guardado
Soto this spring during the Cactus League game and at the World Baseball Classic. But his struggles early in the regular season have him searching for answers again as he tries to regain his ability to get the ball across the field with authority. Soto hit the ball before going 2-of-4 in isolation against the Giants on Sunday. 83/.289/.200 Since joining the Padres – not bad for anyone else, but well below his career mark. Again, this is Juan Soto. He’s still walking and reaching base. When his swing gets knocked back — opposing pitchers beware. — AJ Cassavell
Kenta Maeda and Tyler Maeda can go down Well with the injuries, the next two pitchers are already a proven MLB starter with 3. 37 Career ERA (Bailey Ober) and back-to-back organization Minor League Pitcher of the Year (Louie Varland). It’s even better when the rotation is steered by Sonny Gray — a qualified MLB leader in ERA — flanked by Pablo López and Joe Ryan. According to FanGraphs (4.8), this makes the pitcher tied for first in the major leagues in WAR and the best rotation in baseball by this metric (3.8). –Park Dohyung
White Sox: Last year’s disappointment has continued The team has changed Pedro Grifol replaced bench coach Miguel Cairo, who replaced Toni La Russa at the end of the game because Sick Hall of Fame season. But the White Sox the results actually got worse. this10 The squad was never more than five games behind. 418, and no more than five games. 418, while the current version is missing of and is 8- So far this season. They’ve dealt with injuries to key players like shortstop Tim Anderson and third baseman Jon Moncada, while closer Liam Hendricks is returning after treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. But in this hypothetical window of contention after the rebuild, the White Sox have just two playoff total victories and are already in .
–Scott Merkin
AP West
Angel: Increased offensive depth paid off
The Angels bolstered their depth this offseason, trading veteran outfielder Hunter Renfroe and infielder Gio Urshela, along with infielder Brandon Drury signed a two-year contract. Renfroe has been one of the club’s best hitters as he shares the team lead with Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout and leads the club in RBI. Urshela has been consistent all season, shooting average and playing solid defense around the diamond. Drury got off to a slow start but has been heating up over the last week and also brings versatility to the infield. The Angels were hurt last year by a lack of depth that has been key to them this season, especially after knocking out veteran David Fletcher roster. –Red Bollinger
Astros: Hunter Brown is the real deal The Astros’ top pick this season, Brown has been a solid addition to Houston’s rotation. this12 The year-old right-hander wasn’t even guaranteed a rotation spot in spring training, but the injury to Lance McCullers Jr. opened the door. Browns are 3-0 with 2. 22 ERA and 1. In his first five games, including three starts, he pitched seven innings without allowing a home run. Brown High 66 quick Balls, hard sliders and big ball curveballs create a lot of swing and miss and soft contact. He was struck out 24 hitters and walks exist11 1/3 inning and has put himself up for AL Rookie of the Year award. –Brian McTaggart
Mariners: Their iso magic hasn’t happened yet leads the majors in both games (25) and (24), they fell to 3-9 in such a match in, the most such loss in this category so far Most in baseball this year. Backsliding here is probably always doomed, but it’s eye-opening to see what’s so evident. The Mariners still have an elite bullpen for those high-stakes moments late in the game, but they desperately need more consistent run production to back it up. – Daniel Kramer
Warriors: Ronald Acuña Jr. is back Acuña, no longer suffering from the lingering effects of ACL surgery, was once again one of the most dynamic players in the game. His MLB lead The steal gives us reason to believe he will be in 23 – Homer /22 – Stealing Club He completes three stolen bases shy to join 986. his. 885 OPS passed 20 The game also confirmed that he was once again one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball. If he stays healthy, he should be an MVP candidate. — Mark Bowman
Marlins: Luis Arraez can hit Of course, Arraez won 2021 AL batting champion but no transfer to NL There is a learning curve. He averages ahead of majors (.438) and base percentage (.378) Among qualifying hitters. Arraez had at least one hit in addition to his three 12 START AND Multi-tap game. The only thing slowing him down — by his standards — was a laceration on his left index finger and a bruise on his left knee. – Christina De Nicola
Mets: Lineup needs more thumping
Over time, the pitching staff will Players return while stabilizing from injuries. But power production numbers are a lingering problem for the Mets, who are 7-2 when Pete Alonso homers and 8- mark when he doesn’t. Alonso already accounted for Metropolis
Home runs, the largest percentage of all home runs by the team’s long ball production.If this trend continues, the Mets may need to get serious at the trade deadline Consider the acquisition of DH. – Anthony Dicomo
National: MacKenzie Gore looks like future ace
Gore has been on the Nationals since last August The Padres in the Juan Soto trade. The southpaw didn’t make his Nats debut until this season, and 824 The third overall pick performed as advertised. He is 3-1 and 3. ERA and 14 Strikes out while holding your opponent in. 94 Batting average over the first five games. Al Gore tied his career Strikeout for the Mets.
– Jessica Camerato
Phillies: José Alvarado is an excellent backup ] Everything Todt, Brandon Marsh and Christian do, it’s a toss-up between this or “Kevin Long is the best hitting coach in baseball” Patch (before the injury). But it has to be Alvarado. Remember, that’s the lefty who was relegated to the minor leagues with seven points last season in May. 32 times. But since returning three weeks later, Alvarado has 1. 24 ERA when accumulated 40 strikes out to walk over24 1/3 Bureau. Specific to this year, he s is only allowed to run once 1 /3 innings (0. ERA) while striking out 05 of;s faced — and goes zero. – Todd Zoleecki
Central Netherlands
Brewers: Defense wins the game
The Brewers have a hunch their defense will improve as free agent Bryan Anderson hits third base and right field, rookie Garrett Mitchell, Bryce Turang and Joey Wimmer take advantage of their speed. But they don’t necessarily expect to be the No. 1 team in baseball in defensive runs, even after Mitchell’s season-ending season with a shoulder injury. Anderson has been terrific at both positions, and Turang’s range has had a big impact on teams no longer being able to load infielders on one side of the field. Milwaukee’s leap was also helped by a huge improvement from first-year catcher William Contreras. – Adam McAvey
Cardinals: Pitching depth is not what they hoped for For a team entering the season with World Series hopes, the first Moon is intuition. The rotation, still awaiting the return of Adam Wainwright, has been mediocre. The starter has just four quality starts overall and is one of the worst two-hitters in the league. Things didn’t work out in the bullpen either. There has been a flurry of failed saves that seem to be a byproduct of the team’s late relievers not getting a consistent job.
– John Denton
Cubs: Offense better than expected
Manager David Ross has been able to launch A consistent top four of Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki while mixing and matching the rest. Hoerner has been a tone-setter with his great contact ability while fully embracing the speed element while on base. The likes of Cody Bellinger and Patrick Wisdom provide much-needed strength to a lineup that is expected to be primarily a gap-to-gap group. All in all, the Cubs offense has 88 wRC+ as A unit that ranks first in the NL and third in the MLB behind the Rangers (66) and light (94).
–Jordan Bastian
Reds: The team’s defense is not up to par According to Statcast, the club ranks in the MLB in terms of percentage of ground balls converted to strikeouts and near the bottom in percentage of strikeouts Bottom is above average. Shortstop Jose Barrero regressed 986. Second baseman Jonathan India can make the regular game, but lacks range. The team is mixing and matching at first base without Joey Votto, but their best infielder may be Will Myers, who has played about half his games as an outfielder this month. Reds pitchers could use more help behind them to avoid giving opponents extra outs. — Mark Shelton
Defender: Zac Gallen might be better than he was last season
Gallen rides a 11-No points lost in the game, the distance 26 1/ He completed a 3-game winning streak last year. But linebackers manager Torey Lovullo felt Gallen was more dominant in this one. A perfectionist, Gallen is always looking to get better, and somehow after last year’s stellar season, he seems to be doing just that.
– Steve Gilbert
Dodgers: James Outman is the legitimate NL top pick of the year Best Rookie Candidate Altman is the last standing player on the roster for spring training, but 10 The year-old rookie has been in the Dodgers lineup One of the most consistent hitters. Outman will need to reduce his strikeouts to maintain this level of production, but his seven homers in March/April were the most by a Dodgers rookie season start. –JUAN TORIBIO
4657
Giants: JD Davis deserves to play every day Davis didn’t seem to have a clear path to playing regularly at the start of the season, but he has established himself Status as the Giants’ starting third baseman after batting. 204 and. 745 OPS and his first six home runs game. Perhaps even more surprising is how much his defense has improved at No. 3, and he’s tied for second in the majors this year with four above-average strikeouts.
–Maria Guardado
Soto this spring during the Cactus League game and at the World Baseball Classic. But his struggles early in the regular season have him searching for answers again as he tries to regain his ability to get the ball across the field with authority. Soto hit the ball before going 2-of-4 in isolation against the Giants on Sunday. 83/.289/.200 Since joining the Padres – not bad for anyone else, but well below his career mark. Again, this is Juan Soto. He’s still walking and reaching base. When his swing gets knocked back — opposing pitchers beware. — AJ Cassavell
White Sox: Last year’s disappointment has continued The team has changed Pedro Grifol replaced bench coach Miguel Cairo, who replaced Toni La Russa at the end of the game because Sick Hall of Fame season. But the White Sox the results actually got worse. this10 The squad was never more than five games behind. 418, and no more than five games. 418, while the current version is missing of and is 8- So far this season. They’ve dealt with injuries to key players like shortstop Tim Anderson and third baseman Jon Moncada, while closer Liam Hendricks is returning after treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. But in this hypothetical window of contention after the rebuild, the White Sox have just two playoff total victories and are already in .
–Scott Merkin
AP West
Angel: Increased offensive depth paid off
The Angels bolstered their depth this offseason, trading veteran outfielder Hunter Renfroe and infielder Gio Urshela, along with infielder Brandon Drury signed a two-year contract. Renfroe has been one of the club’s best hitters as he shares the team lead with Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout and leads the club in RBI. Urshela has been consistent all season, shooting average and playing solid defense around the diamond. Drury got off to a slow start but has been heating up over the last week and also brings versatility to the infield. The Angels were hurt last year by a lack of depth that has been key to them this season, especially after knocking out veteran David Fletcher roster. –Red Bollinger
Astros: Hunter Brown is the real deal The Astros’ top pick this season, Brown has been a solid addition to Houston’s rotation. this12 The year-old right-hander wasn’t even guaranteed a rotation spot in spring training, but the injury to Lance McCullers Jr. opened the door. Browns are 3-0 with 2. 22 ERA and 1. In his first five games, including three starts, he pitched seven innings without allowing a home run. Brown High 66 quick Balls, hard sliders and big ball curveballs create a lot of swing and miss and soft contact. He was struck out 24 hitters and walks exist11 1/3 inning and has put himself up for AL Rookie of the Year award. –Brian McTaggart
Mariners: Their iso magic hasn’t happened yet leads the majors in both games (25) and (24), they fell to 3-9 in such a match in, the most such loss in this category so far Most in baseball this year. Backsliding here is probably always doomed, but it’s eye-opening to see what’s so evident. The Mariners still have an elite bullpen for those high-stakes moments late in the game, but they desperately need more consistent run production to back it up. – Daniel Kramer
Warriors: Ronald Acuña Jr. is back Acuña, no longer suffering from the lingering effects of ACL surgery, was once again one of the most dynamic players in the game. His MLB lead The steal gives us reason to believe he will be in 23 – Homer /22 – Stealing Club He completes three stolen bases shy to join 986. his. 885 OPS passed 20 The game also confirmed that he was once again one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball. If he stays healthy, he should be an MVP candidate. — Mark Bowman
Marlins: Luis Arraez can hit Of course, Arraez won 2021 AL batting champion but no transfer to NL There is a learning curve. He averages ahead of majors (.438) and base percentage (.378) Among qualifying hitters. Arraez had at least one hit in addition to his three 12 START AND Multi-tap game. The only thing slowing him down — by his standards — was a laceration on his left index finger and a bruise on his left knee. – Christina De Nicola
Mets: Lineup needs more thumping
Over time, the pitching staff will Players return while stabilizing from injuries. But power production numbers are a lingering problem for the Mets, who are 7-2 when Pete Alonso homers and 8- mark when he doesn’t. Alonso already accounted for Metropolis
Home runs, the largest percentage of all home runs by the team’s long ball production.If this trend continues, the Mets may need to get serious at the trade deadline Consider the acquisition of DH. – Anthony Dicomo
National: MacKenzie Gore looks like future ace
Gore has been on the Nationals since last August The Padres in the Juan Soto trade. The southpaw didn’t make his Nats debut until this season, and 824 The third overall pick performed as advertised. He is 3-1 and 3. ERA and 14 Strikes out while holding your opponent in. 94 Batting average over the first five games. Al Gore tied his career Strikeout for the Mets.
– Jessica Camerato
Phillies: José Alvarado is an excellent backup ] Everything Todt, Brandon Marsh and Christian do, it’s a toss-up between this or “Kevin Long is the best hitting coach in baseball” Patch (before the injury). But it has to be Alvarado. Remember, that’s the lefty who was relegated to the minor leagues with seven points last season in May. 32 times. But since returning three weeks later, Alvarado has 1. 24 ERA when accumulated 40 strikes out to walk over24 1/3 Bureau. Specific to this year, he s is only allowed to run once 1 /3 innings (0. ERA) while striking out 05 of;s faced — and goes zero. – Todd Zoleecki
Central Netherlands
Brewers: Defense wins the game
The Brewers have a hunch their defense will improve as free agent Bryan Anderson hits third base and right field, rookie Garrett Mitchell, Bryce Turang and Joey Wimmer take advantage of their speed. But they don’t necessarily expect to be the No. 1 team in baseball in defensive runs, even after Mitchell’s season-ending season with a shoulder injury. Anderson has been terrific at both positions, and Turang’s range has had a big impact on teams no longer being able to load infielders on one side of the field. Milwaukee’s leap was also helped by a huge improvement from first-year catcher William Contreras. – Adam McAvey
Cardinals: Pitching depth is not what they hoped for For a team entering the season with World Series hopes, the first Moon is intuition. The rotation, still awaiting the return of Adam Wainwright, has been mediocre. The starter has just four quality starts overall and is one of the worst two-hitters in the league. Things didn’t work out in the bullpen either. There has been a flurry of failed saves that seem to be a byproduct of the team’s late relievers not getting a consistent job.
– John Denton
Cubs: Offense better than expected
Manager David Ross has been able to launch A consistent top four of Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki while mixing and matching the rest. Hoerner has been a tone-setter with his great contact ability while fully embracing the speed element while on base. The likes of Cody Bellinger and Patrick Wisdom provide much-needed strength to a lineup that is expected to be primarily a gap-to-gap group. All in all, the Cubs offense has 88 wRC+ as A unit that ranks first in the NL and third in the MLB behind the Rangers (66) and light (94).
–Jordan Bastian
Reds: The team’s defense is not up to par According to Statcast, the club ranks in the MLB in terms of percentage of ground balls converted to strikeouts and near the bottom in percentage of strikeouts Bottom is above average. Shortstop Jose Barrero regressed 986. Second baseman Jonathan India can make the regular game, but lacks range. The team is mixing and matching at first base without Joey Votto, but their best infielder may be Will Myers, who has played about half his games as an outfielder this month. Reds pitchers could use more help behind them to avoid giving opponents extra outs. — Mark Shelton
Defender: Zac Gallen might be better than he was last season
Gallen rides a 11-No points lost in the game, the distance 26 1/ He completed a 3-game winning streak last year. But linebackers manager Torey Lovullo felt Gallen was more dominant in this one. A perfectionist, Gallen is always looking to get better, and somehow after last year’s stellar season, he seems to be doing just that.
– Steve Gilbert
Dodgers: James Outman is the legitimate NL top pick of the year Best Rookie Candidate Altman is the last standing player on the roster for spring training, but 10 The year-old rookie has been in the Dodgers lineup One of the most consistent hitters. Outman will need to reduce his strikeouts to maintain this level of production, but his seven homers in March/April were the most by a Dodgers rookie season start. –JUAN TORIBIO
4657
Giants: JD Davis deserves to play every day Davis didn’t seem to have a clear path to playing regularly at the start of the season, but he has established himself Status as the Giants’ starting third baseman after batting. 204 and. 745 OPS and his first six home runs game. Perhaps even more surprising is how much his defense has improved at No. 3, and he’s tied for second in the majors this year with four above-average strikeouts.
–Maria Guardado
Soto this spring during the Cactus League game and at the World Baseball Classic. But his struggles early in the regular season have him searching for answers again as he tries to regain his ability to get the ball across the field with authority. Soto hit the ball before going 2-of-4 in isolation against the Giants on Sunday. 83/.289/.200 Since joining the Padres – not bad for anyone else, but well below his career mark. Again, this is Juan Soto. He’s still walking and reaching base. When his swing gets knocked back — opposing pitchers beware. — AJ Cassavell
AP West
Angel: Increased offensive depth paid off
The Angels bolstered their depth this offseason, trading veteran outfielder Hunter Renfroe and infielder Gio Urshela, along with infielder Brandon Drury signed a two-year contract. Renfroe has been one of the club’s best hitters as he shares the team lead with Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout and leads the club in RBI. Urshela has been consistent all season, shooting average and playing solid defense around the diamond. Drury got off to a slow start but has been heating up over the last week and also brings versatility to the infield. The Angels were hurt last year by a lack of depth that has been key to them this season, especially after knocking out veteran David Fletcher roster. –Red Bollinger
Warriors: Ronald Acuña Jr. is back Acuña, no longer suffering from the lingering effects of ACL surgery, was once again one of the most dynamic players in the game. His MLB lead The steal gives us reason to believe he will be in 23 – Homer /22 – Stealing Club He completes three stolen bases shy to join 986. his. 885 OPS passed 20 The game also confirmed that he was once again one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball. If he stays healthy, he should be an MVP candidate. — Mark Bowman
Marlins: Luis Arraez can hit Of course, Arraez won 2021 AL batting champion but no transfer to NL There is a learning curve. He averages ahead of majors (.438) and base percentage (.378) Among qualifying hitters. Arraez had at least one hit in addition to his three 12 START AND Multi-tap game. The only thing slowing him down — by his standards — was a laceration on his left index finger and a bruise on his left knee. – Christina De Nicola
Mets: Lineup needs more thumping
Over time, the pitching staff will Players return while stabilizing from injuries. But power production numbers are a lingering problem for the Mets, who are 7-2 when Pete Alonso homers and 8- mark when he doesn’t. Alonso already accounted for Metropolis
Home runs, the largest percentage of all home runs by the team’s long ball production.If this trend continues, the Mets may need to get serious at the trade deadline Consider the acquisition of DH. – Anthony Dicomo
National: MacKenzie Gore looks like future ace
Gore has been on the Nationals since last August The Padres in the Juan Soto trade. The southpaw didn’t make his Nats debut until this season, and 824 The third overall pick performed as advertised. He is 3-1 and 3. ERA and 14 Strikes out while holding your opponent in. 94 Batting average over the first five games. Al Gore tied his career Strikeout for the Mets.
– Jessica Camerato
Phillies: José Alvarado is an excellent backup ] Everything Todt, Brandon Marsh and Christian do, it’s a toss-up between this or “Kevin Long is the best hitting coach in baseball” Patch (before the injury). But it has to be Alvarado. Remember, that’s the lefty who was relegated to the minor leagues with seven points last season in May. 32 times. But since returning three weeks later, Alvarado has 1. 24 ERA when accumulated 40 strikes out to walk over24 1/3 Bureau. Specific to this year, he s is only allowed to run once 1 /3 innings (0. ERA) while striking out 05 of;s faced — and goes zero. – Todd Zoleecki
Central Netherlands
Brewers: Defense wins the game
The Brewers have a hunch their defense will improve as free agent Bryan Anderson hits third base and right field, rookie Garrett Mitchell, Bryce Turang and Joey Wimmer take advantage of their speed. But they don’t necessarily expect to be the No. 1 team in baseball in defensive runs, even after Mitchell’s season-ending season with a shoulder injury. Anderson has been terrific at both positions, and Turang’s range has had a big impact on teams no longer being able to load infielders on one side of the field. Milwaukee’s leap was also helped by a huge improvement from first-year catcher William Contreras. – Adam McAvey
Cardinals: Pitching depth is not what they hoped for For a team entering the season with World Series hopes, the first Moon is intuition. The rotation, still awaiting the return of Adam Wainwright, has been mediocre. The starter has just four quality starts overall and is one of the worst two-hitters in the league. Things didn’t work out in the bullpen either. There has been a flurry of failed saves that seem to be a byproduct of the team’s late relievers not getting a consistent job.
– John Denton
Cubs: Offense better than expected
Manager David Ross has been able to launch A consistent top four of Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki while mixing and matching the rest. Hoerner has been a tone-setter with his great contact ability while fully embracing the speed element while on base. The likes of Cody Bellinger and Patrick Wisdom provide much-needed strength to a lineup that is expected to be primarily a gap-to-gap group. All in all, the Cubs offense has 88 wRC+ as A unit that ranks first in the NL and third in the MLB behind the Rangers (66) and light (94).
–Jordan Bastian
Reds: The team’s defense is not up to par According to Statcast, the club ranks in the MLB in terms of percentage of ground balls converted to strikeouts and near the bottom in percentage of strikeouts Bottom is above average. Shortstop Jose Barrero regressed 986. Second baseman Jonathan India can make the regular game, but lacks range. The team is mixing and matching at first base without Joey Votto, but their best infielder may be Will Myers, who has played about half his games as an outfielder this month. Reds pitchers could use more help behind them to avoid giving opponents extra outs. — Mark Shelton
Defender: Zac Gallen might be better than he was last season
Gallen rides a 11-No points lost in the game, the distance 26 1/ He completed a 3-game winning streak last year. But linebackers manager Torey Lovullo felt Gallen was more dominant in this one. A perfectionist, Gallen is always looking to get better, and somehow after last year’s stellar season, he seems to be doing just that.
– Steve Gilbert
Dodgers: James Outman is the legitimate NL top pick of the year Best Rookie Candidate Altman is the last standing player on the roster for spring training, but 10 The year-old rookie has been in the Dodgers lineup One of the most consistent hitters. Outman will need to reduce his strikeouts to maintain this level of production, but his seven homers in March/April were the most by a Dodgers rookie season start. –JUAN TORIBIO
4657
Giants: JD Davis deserves to play every day Davis didn’t seem to have a clear path to playing regularly at the start of the season, but he has established himself Status as the Giants’ starting third baseman after batting. 204 and. 745 OPS and his first six home runs game. Perhaps even more surprising is how much his defense has improved at No. 3, and he’s tied for second in the majors this year with four above-average strikeouts.
–Maria Guardado
Soto this spring during the Cactus League game and at the World Baseball Classic. But his struggles early in the regular season have him searching for answers again as he tries to regain his ability to get the ball across the field with authority. Soto hit the ball before going 2-of-4 in isolation against the Giants on Sunday. 83/.289/.200 Since joining the Padres – not bad for anyone else, but well below his career mark. Again, this is Juan Soto. He’s still walking and reaching base. When his swing gets knocked back — opposing pitchers beware. — AJ Cassavell
Warriors: Ronald Acuña Jr. is back Acuña, no longer suffering from the lingering effects of ACL surgery, was once again one of the most dynamic players in the game. His MLB lead The steal gives us reason to believe he will be in 23 – Homer /22 – Stealing Club He completes three stolen bases shy to join 986. his. 885 OPS passed 20 The game also confirmed that he was once again one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball. If he stays healthy, he should be an MVP candidate. — Mark Bowman
Marlins: Luis Arraez can hit Of course, Arraez won 2021 AL batting champion but no transfer to NL There is a learning curve. He averages ahead of majors (.438) and base percentage (.378) Among qualifying hitters. Arraez had at least one hit in addition to his three 12 START AND Multi-tap game. The only thing slowing him down — by his standards — was a laceration on his left index finger and a bruise on his left knee. – Christina De Nicola
Mets: Lineup needs more thumping
Over time, the pitching staff will Players return while stabilizing from injuries. But power production numbers are a lingering problem for the Mets, who are 7-2 when Pete Alonso homers and 8- mark when he doesn’t. Alonso already accounted for Metropolis
Home runs, the largest percentage of all home runs by the team’s long ball production.If this trend continues, the Mets may need to get serious at the trade deadline Consider the acquisition of DH. – Anthony Dicomo
National: MacKenzie Gore looks like future ace
Gore has been on the Nationals since last August The Padres in the Juan Soto trade. The southpaw didn’t make his Nats debut until this season, and 824 The third overall pick performed as advertised. He is 3-1 and 3. ERA and 14 Strikes out while holding your opponent in. 94 Batting average over the first five games. Al Gore tied his career Strikeout for the Mets.
– Jessica Camerato
Phillies: José Alvarado is an excellent backup ] Everything Todt, Brandon Marsh and Christian do, it’s a toss-up between this or “Kevin Long is the best hitting coach in baseball” Patch (before the injury). But it has to be Alvarado. Remember, that’s the lefty who was relegated to the minor leagues with seven points last season in May. 32 times. But since returning three weeks later, Alvarado has 1. 24 ERA when accumulated 40 strikes out to walk over24 1/3 Bureau. Specific to this year, he s is only allowed to run once 1 /3 innings (0. ERA) while striking out 05 of;s faced — and goes zero. – Todd Zoleecki
Central Netherlands
Brewers: Defense wins the game
The Brewers have a hunch their defense will improve as free agent Bryan Anderson hits third base and right field, rookie Garrett Mitchell, Bryce Turang and Joey Wimmer take advantage of their speed. But they don’t necessarily expect to be the No. 1 team in baseball in defensive runs, even after Mitchell’s season-ending season with a shoulder injury. Anderson has been terrific at both positions, and Turang’s range has had a big impact on teams no longer being able to load infielders on one side of the field. Milwaukee’s leap was also helped by a huge improvement from first-year catcher William Contreras. – Adam McAvey
Cardinals: Pitching depth is not what they hoped for For a team entering the season with World Series hopes, the first Moon is intuition. The rotation, still awaiting the return of Adam Wainwright, has been mediocre. The starter has just four quality starts overall and is one of the worst two-hitters in the league. Things didn’t work out in the bullpen either. There has been a flurry of failed saves that seem to be a byproduct of the team’s late relievers not getting a consistent job.
– John Denton
Cubs: Offense better than expected
Manager David Ross has been able to launch A consistent top four of Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki while mixing and matching the rest. Hoerner has been a tone-setter with his great contact ability while fully embracing the speed element while on base. The likes of Cody Bellinger and Patrick Wisdom provide much-needed strength to a lineup that is expected to be primarily a gap-to-gap group. All in all, the Cubs offense has 88 wRC+ as A unit that ranks first in the NL and third in the MLB behind the Rangers (66) and light (94).
–Jordan Bastian
Reds: The team’s defense is not up to par According to Statcast, the club ranks in the MLB in terms of percentage of ground balls converted to strikeouts and near the bottom in percentage of strikeouts Bottom is above average. Shortstop Jose Barrero regressed 986. Second baseman Jonathan India can make the regular game, but lacks range. The team is mixing and matching at first base without Joey Votto, but their best infielder may be Will Myers, who has played about half his games as an outfielder this month. Reds pitchers could use more help behind them to avoid giving opponents extra outs. — Mark Shelton
Defender: Zac Gallen might be better than he was last season
Gallen rides a 11-No points lost in the game, the distance 26 1/ He completed a 3-game winning streak last year. But linebackers manager Torey Lovullo felt Gallen was more dominant in this one. A perfectionist, Gallen is always looking to get better, and somehow after last year’s stellar season, he seems to be doing just that.
– Steve Gilbert
Dodgers: James Outman is the legitimate NL top pick of the year Best Rookie Candidate Altman is the last standing player on the roster for spring training, but 10 The year-old rookie has been in the Dodgers lineup One of the most consistent hitters. Outman will need to reduce his strikeouts to maintain this level of production, but his seven homers in March/April were the most by a Dodgers rookie season start. –JUAN TORIBIO
4657
Giants: JD Davis deserves to play every day Davis didn’t seem to have a clear path to playing regularly at the start of the season, but he has established himself Status as the Giants’ starting third baseman after batting. 204 and. 745 OPS and his first six home runs game. Perhaps even more surprising is how much his defense has improved at No. 3, and he’s tied for second in the majors this year with four above-average strikeouts.
–Maria Guardado
Soto this spring during the Cactus League game and at the World Baseball Classic. But his struggles early in the regular season have him searching for answers again as he tries to regain his ability to get the ball across the field with authority. Soto hit the ball before going 2-of-4 in isolation against the Giants on Sunday. 83/.289/.200 Since joining the Padres – not bad for anyone else, but well below his career mark. Again, this is Juan Soto. He’s still walking and reaching base. When his swing gets knocked back — opposing pitchers beware. — AJ Cassavell
Mets: Lineup needs more thumping
Over time, the pitching staff will Players return while stabilizing from injuries. But power production numbers are a lingering problem for the Mets, who are 7-2 when Pete Alonso homers and 8- mark when he doesn’t. Alonso already accounted for Metropolis
Home runs, the largest percentage of all home runs by the team’s long ball production.If this trend continues, the Mets may need to get serious at the trade deadline Consider the acquisition of DH. – Anthony Dicomo
National: MacKenzie Gore looks like future ace
Gore has been on the Nationals since last August The Padres in the Juan Soto trade. The southpaw didn’t make his Nats debut until this season, and 824 The third overall pick performed as advertised. He is 3-1 and 3. ERA and 14 Strikes out while holding your opponent in. 94 Batting average over the first five games. Al Gore tied his career Strikeout for the Mets.
– Jessica Camerato
Phillies: José Alvarado is an excellent backup ] Everything Todt, Brandon Marsh and Christian do, it’s a toss-up between this or “Kevin Long is the best hitting coach in baseball” Patch (before the injury). But it has to be Alvarado. Remember, that’s the lefty who was relegated to the minor leagues with seven points last season in May. 32 times. But since returning three weeks later, Alvarado has 1. 24 ERA when accumulated 40 strikes out to walk over24 1/3 Bureau. Specific to this year, he s is only allowed to run once 1 /3 innings (0. ERA) while striking out 05 of;s faced — and goes zero. – Todd Zoleecki
Central Netherlands
Brewers: Defense wins the game
The Brewers have a hunch their defense will improve as free agent Bryan Anderson hits third base and right field, rookie Garrett Mitchell, Bryce Turang and Joey Wimmer take advantage of their speed. But they don’t necessarily expect to be the No. 1 team in baseball in defensive runs, even after Mitchell’s season-ending season with a shoulder injury. Anderson has been terrific at both positions, and Turang’s range has had a big impact on teams no longer being able to load infielders on one side of the field. Milwaukee’s leap was also helped by a huge improvement from first-year catcher William Contreras. – Adam McAvey
Cardinals: Pitching depth is not what they hoped for For a team entering the season with World Series hopes, the first Moon is intuition. The rotation, still awaiting the return of Adam Wainwright, has been mediocre. The starter has just four quality starts overall and is one of the worst two-hitters in the league. Things didn’t work out in the bullpen either. There has been a flurry of failed saves that seem to be a byproduct of the team’s late relievers not getting a consistent job.
– John Denton
Cubs: Offense better than expected
Manager David Ross has been able to launch A consistent top four of Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki while mixing and matching the rest. Hoerner has been a tone-setter with his great contact ability while fully embracing the speed element while on base. The likes of Cody Bellinger and Patrick Wisdom provide much-needed strength to a lineup that is expected to be primarily a gap-to-gap group. All in all, the Cubs offense has 88 wRC+ as A unit that ranks first in the NL and third in the MLB behind the Rangers (66) and light (94).
–Jordan Bastian
Reds: The team’s defense is not up to par According to Statcast, the club ranks in the MLB in terms of percentage of ground balls converted to strikeouts and near the bottom in percentage of strikeouts Bottom is above average. Shortstop Jose Barrero regressed 986. Second baseman Jonathan India can make the regular game, but lacks range. The team is mixing and matching at first base without Joey Votto, but their best infielder may be Will Myers, who has played about half his games as an outfielder this month. Reds pitchers could use more help behind them to avoid giving opponents extra outs. — Mark Shelton
Defender: Zac Gallen might be better than he was last season
Gallen rides a 11-No points lost in the game, the distance 26 1/ He completed a 3-game winning streak last year. But linebackers manager Torey Lovullo felt Gallen was more dominant in this one. A perfectionist, Gallen is always looking to get better, and somehow after last year’s stellar season, he seems to be doing just that.
– Steve Gilbert
Dodgers: James Outman is the legitimate NL top pick of the year Best Rookie Candidate Altman is the last standing player on the roster for spring training, but 10 The year-old rookie has been in the Dodgers lineup One of the most consistent hitters. Outman will need to reduce his strikeouts to maintain this level of production, but his seven homers in March/April were the most by a Dodgers rookie season start. –JUAN TORIBIO
4657
Giants: JD Davis deserves to play every day Davis didn’t seem to have a clear path to playing regularly at the start of the season, but he has established himself Status as the Giants’ starting third baseman after batting. 204 and. 745 OPS and his first six home runs game. Perhaps even more surprising is how much his defense has improved at No. 3, and he’s tied for second in the majors this year with four above-average strikeouts.
–Maria Guardado
Soto this spring during the Cactus League game and at the World Baseball Classic. But his struggles early in the regular season have him searching for answers again as he tries to regain his ability to get the ball across the field with authority. Soto hit the ball before going 2-of-4 in isolation against the Giants on Sunday. 83/.289/.200 Since joining the Padres – not bad for anyone else, but well below his career mark. Again, this is Juan Soto. He’s still walking and reaching base. When his swing gets knocked back — opposing pitchers beware. — AJ Cassavell
National: MacKenzie Gore looks like future ace
Gore has been on the Nationals since last August The Padres in the Juan Soto trade. The southpaw didn’t make his Nats debut until this season, and 824 The third overall pick performed as advertised. He is 3-1 and 3. ERA and 14 Strikes out while holding your opponent in. 94 Batting average over the first five games. Al Gore tied his career Strikeout for the Mets.
The Brewers have a hunch their defense will improve as free agent Bryan Anderson hits third base and right field, rookie Garrett Mitchell, Bryce Turang and Joey Wimmer take advantage of their speed. But they don’t necessarily expect to be the No. 1 team in baseball in defensive runs, even after Mitchell’s season-ending season with a shoulder injury. Anderson has been terrific at both positions, and Turang’s range has had a big impact on teams no longer being able to load infielders on one side of the field. Milwaukee’s leap was also helped by a huge improvement from first-year catcher William Contreras. – Adam McAvey
Cardinals: Pitching depth is not what they hoped for For a team entering the season with World Series hopes, the first Moon is intuition. The rotation, still awaiting the return of Adam Wainwright, has been mediocre. The starter has just four quality starts overall and is one of the worst two-hitters in the league. Things didn’t work out in the bullpen either. There has been a flurry of failed saves that seem to be a byproduct of the team’s late relievers not getting a consistent job.
– John Denton
Cubs: Offense better than expected
Manager David Ross has been able to launch A consistent top four of Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki while mixing and matching the rest. Hoerner has been a tone-setter with his great contact ability while fully embracing the speed element while on base. The likes of Cody Bellinger and Patrick Wisdom provide much-needed strength to a lineup that is expected to be primarily a gap-to-gap group. All in all, the Cubs offense has 88 wRC+ as A unit that ranks first in the NL and third in the MLB behind the Rangers (66) and light (94).
–Jordan Bastian
Reds: The team’s defense is not up to par According to Statcast, the club ranks in the MLB in terms of percentage of ground balls converted to strikeouts and near the bottom in percentage of strikeouts Bottom is above average. Shortstop Jose Barrero regressed 986. Second baseman Jonathan India can make the regular game, but lacks range. The team is mixing and matching at first base without Joey Votto, but their best infielder may be Will Myers, who has played about half his games as an outfielder this month. Reds pitchers could use more help behind them to avoid giving opponents extra outs. — Mark Shelton
Defender: Zac Gallen might be better than he was last season
Gallen rides a 11-No points lost in the game, the distance 26 1/ He completed a 3-game winning streak last year. But linebackers manager Torey Lovullo felt Gallen was more dominant in this one. A perfectionist, Gallen is always looking to get better, and somehow after last year’s stellar season, he seems to be doing just that.
– Steve Gilbert
Dodgers: James Outman is the legitimate NL top pick of the year Best Rookie Candidate Altman is the last standing player on the roster for spring training, but 10 The year-old rookie has been in the Dodgers lineup One of the most consistent hitters. Outman will need to reduce his strikeouts to maintain this level of production, but his seven homers in March/April were the most by a Dodgers rookie season start. –JUAN TORIBIO
4657
Giants: JD Davis deserves to play every day Davis didn’t seem to have a clear path to playing regularly at the start of the season, but he has established himself Status as the Giants’ starting third baseman after batting. 204 and. 745 OPS and his first six home runs game. Perhaps even more surprising is how much his defense has improved at No. 3, and he’s tied for second in the majors this year with four above-average strikeouts.
–Maria Guardado
Soto this spring during the Cactus League game and at the World Baseball Classic. But his struggles early in the regular season have him searching for answers again as he tries to regain his ability to get the ball across the field with authority. Soto hit the ball before going 2-of-4 in isolation against the Giants on Sunday. 83/.289/.200 Since joining the Padres – not bad for anyone else, but well below his career mark. Again, this is Juan Soto. He’s still walking and reaching base. When his swing gets knocked back — opposing pitchers beware. — AJ Cassavell
Manager David Ross has been able to launch A consistent top four of Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki while mixing and matching the rest. Hoerner has been a tone-setter with his great contact ability while fully embracing the speed element while on base. The likes of Cody Bellinger and Patrick Wisdom provide much-needed strength to a lineup that is expected to be primarily a gap-to-gap group. All in all, the Cubs offense has 88 wRC+ as A unit that ranks first in the NL and third in the MLB behind the Rangers (66) and light (94).
Reds: The team’s defense is not up to par According to Statcast, the club ranks in the MLB in terms of percentage of ground balls converted to strikeouts and near the bottom in percentage of strikeouts Bottom is above average. Shortstop Jose Barrero regressed 986. Second baseman Jonathan India can make the regular game, but lacks range. The team is mixing and matching at first base without Joey Votto, but their best infielder may be Will Myers, who has played about half his games as an outfielder this month. Reds pitchers could use more help behind them to avoid giving opponents extra outs. — Mark Shelton
Defender: Zac Gallen might be better than he was last season
Gallen rides a 11-No points lost in the game, the distance 26 1/ He completed a 3-game winning streak last year. But linebackers manager Torey Lovullo felt Gallen was more dominant in this one. A perfectionist, Gallen is always looking to get better, and somehow after last year’s stellar season, he seems to be doing just that.
– Steve Gilbert
Dodgers: James Outman is the legitimate NL top pick of the year Best Rookie Candidate Altman is the last standing player on the roster for spring training, but 10 The year-old rookie has been in the Dodgers lineup One of the most consistent hitters. Outman will need to reduce his strikeouts to maintain this level of production, but his seven homers in March/April were the most by a Dodgers rookie season start. –JUAN TORIBIO
4657
Giants: JD Davis deserves to play every day Davis didn’t seem to have a clear path to playing regularly at the start of the season, but he has established himself Status as the Giants’ starting third baseman after batting. 204 and. 745 OPS and his first six home runs game. Perhaps even more surprising is how much his defense has improved at No. 3, and he’s tied for second in the majors this year with four above-average strikeouts.
–Maria Guardado
Soto this spring during the Cactus League game and at the World Baseball Classic. But his struggles early in the regular season have him searching for answers again as he tries to regain his ability to get the ball across the field with authority. Soto hit the ball before going 2-of-4 in isolation against the Giants on Sunday. 83/.289/.200 Since joining the Padres – not bad for anyone else, but well below his career mark. Again, this is Juan Soto. He’s still walking and reaching base. When his swing gets knocked back — opposing pitchers beware. — AJ Cassavell
Reds: The team’s defense is not up to par According to Statcast, the club ranks in the MLB in terms of percentage of ground balls converted to strikeouts and near the bottom in percentage of strikeouts Bottom is above average. Shortstop Jose Barrero regressed 986. Second baseman Jonathan India can make the regular game, but lacks range. The team is mixing and matching at first base without Joey Votto, but their best infielder may be Will Myers, who has played about half his games as an outfielder this month. Reds pitchers could use more help behind them to avoid giving opponents extra outs. — Mark Shelton
Defender: Zac Gallen might be better than he was last season
Gallen rides a 11-No points lost in the game, the distance 26 1/ He completed a 3-game winning streak last year. But linebackers manager Torey Lovullo felt Gallen was more dominant in this one. A perfectionist, Gallen is always looking to get better, and somehow after last year’s stellar season, he seems to be doing just that.
– Steve Gilbert
Dodgers: James Outman is the legitimate NL top pick of the year Best Rookie Candidate Altman is the last standing player on the roster for spring training, but 10 The year-old rookie has been in the Dodgers lineup One of the most consistent hitters. Outman will need to reduce his strikeouts to maintain this level of production, but his seven homers in March/April were the most by a Dodgers rookie season start. –JUAN TORIBIO
4657
Giants: JD Davis deserves to play every day Davis didn’t seem to have a clear path to playing regularly at the start of the season, but he has established himself Status as the Giants’ starting third baseman after batting. 204 and. 745 OPS and his first six home runs game. Perhaps even more surprising is how much his defense has improved at No. 3, and he’s tied for second in the majors this year with four above-average strikeouts.
–Maria Guardado
Soto this spring during the Cactus League game and at the World Baseball Classic. But his struggles early in the regular season have him searching for answers again as he tries to regain his ability to get the ball across the field with authority. Soto hit the ball before going 2-of-4 in isolation against the Giants on Sunday. 83/.289/.200 Since joining the Padres – not bad for anyone else, but well below his career mark. Again, this is Juan Soto. He’s still walking and reaching base. When his swing gets knocked back — opposing pitchers beware. — AJ Cassavell
Defender: Zac Gallen might be better than he was last season
Gallen rides a 11-No points lost in the game, the distance 26 1/ He completed a 3-game winning streak last year. But linebackers manager Torey Lovullo felt Gallen was more dominant in this one. A perfectionist, Gallen is always looking to get better, and somehow after last year’s stellar season, he seems to be doing just that.
– Steve Gilbert
Dodgers: James Outman is the legitimate NL top pick of the year Best Rookie Candidate Altman is the last standing player on the roster for spring training, but 10 The year-old rookie has been in the Dodgers lineup One of the most consistent hitters. Outman will need to reduce his strikeouts to maintain this level of production, but his seven homers in March/April were the most by a Dodgers rookie season start. –JUAN TORIBIO
4657
Giants: JD Davis deserves to play every day Davis didn’t seem to have a clear path to playing regularly at the start of the season, but he has established himself Status as the Giants’ starting third baseman after batting. 204 and. 745 OPS and his first six home runs game. Perhaps even more surprising is how much his defense has improved at No. 3, and he’s tied for second in the majors this year with four above-average strikeouts.
–Maria Guardado
Soto this spring during the Cactus League game and at the World Baseball Classic. But his struggles early in the regular season have him searching for answers again as he tries to regain his ability to get the ball across the field with authority. Soto hit the ball before going 2-of-4 in isolation against the Giants on Sunday. 83/.289/.200 Since joining the Padres – not bad for anyone else, but well below his career mark. Again, this is Juan Soto. He’s still walking and reaching base. When his swing gets knocked back — opposing pitchers beware. — AJ Cassavell
Dodgers: James Outman is the legitimate NL top pick of the year Best Rookie Candidate Altman is the last standing player on the roster for spring training, but 10 The year-old rookie has been in the Dodgers lineup One of the most consistent hitters. Outman will need to reduce his strikeouts to maintain this level of production, but his seven homers in March/April were the most by a Dodgers rookie season start. –JUAN TORIBIO
Giants: JD Davis deserves to play every day Davis didn’t seem to have a clear path to playing regularly at the start of the season, but he has established himself Status as the Giants’ starting third baseman after batting. 204 and. 745 OPS and his first six home runs game. Perhaps even more surprising is how much his defense has improved at No. 3, and he’s tied for second in the majors this year with four above-average strikeouts.
Soto this spring during the Cactus League game and at the World Baseball Classic. But his struggles early in the regular season have him searching for answers again as he tries to regain his ability to get the ball across the field with authority. Soto hit the ball before going 2-of-4 in isolation against the Giants on Sunday. 83/.289/.200 Since joining the Padres – not bad for anyone else, but well below his career mark. Again, this is Juan Soto. He’s still walking and reaching base. When his swing gets knocked back — opposing pitchers beware. — AJ Cassavell