The MLB season is through its first month of games. Which five teams stand out at this point in the season?
With the conclusion of the first month, it is time to score the top performers of the very early 2023 MLB season. This season has already given MLB fans so much to enjoy. There has been a historic winning streak and some surprise teams breaking out this year. The Tampa Bay Rays, the Pittsburg Pirates, and the Atlanta Braves are among the teams out to hot starts. These are the rankings of the top five MLB teams as I see them thus far.
The Rays have gotten off to a hot start, boasting an amazing 28-7 record. Tampa is playing their very best, sitting atop MLB. Tampa leads MLB in Runs (225), batting average (.276), on-base percentage (.348), and slugging (.521). These Rays are knocking the cover off the ball and have the pitching to back up their explosive offense. With the hot start, the Rays currently have an astounding +115 run differential. The Rays are looking to show the world that they are back and better than ever, and it is hard to imagine that they could improve. Still, with SP Tyler Glasnow starting his rehab assignment in Triple-A, it is more than likely that the Rays will be even more dominant with their big righty back on the mound.
The Braves have been impressive this season. We see that battling through injuries takes so many teams out of contention. Not this Braves team, though. They have had a next-man-up mindset the entire month. When OF Michael Harris II went out with a back injury, OF Sam Hilliard came in and was smoking balls all over the field. With the help of having reasonable reserves and the bats in the lineup blazing, Atlanta is already cruising in the NL East. SP Kyle Wright returned to the IL after an odd start against the Marlins, but the Braves called SP Dylan Dodd, and much like the other players who got the call, Dodd pitched a gem. The rookie allowed three runs on eight hits, striking out one over six innings to earn the win against the pesky Miami Marlins.
The Pittsburg Pirates came into the season hoping that rising star SS Oneil Cruz would push them to the next level. Sadly, in the first series of the season, Cruz went down with an ankle injury that will take him away from the team indefinitely. Most fans thought this would be a big blow to the team, but it seems the men in gold have weathered the storm. The Pirates have jumped off to a 20-15 record, and with a demanding schedule coming up, it will be an excellent test to see if this team is real. Although the Pirates have hit a tough skid, it is not yet time to start giving up on the Pirates. They have exhibited true grit and determination through this first month.
The Orioles have been having a huge year. The O’s have shown the upside to weathering consecutive tough seasons. They have banked up a lot of prospects through high draft picks in recent years. The young core is coming up and is hitting the cover off of balls. This weekend the O’s went into Truist Park and took one out of three competitive games against the team with the best record in the NL. The bullpen for this team is dangerous and one of the best in the league. With RP Yennier Cano and CP Felix Bautista closing things out, there are not many teams that look forward to seeing this corps in late innings. The boys from Baltimore showed the world that they are the real deal, and if their starting pitchers get their act together, they have a chance to make a real run.
The Dodgers are a team whose fans are used to seeing their team on lists like this. They are constantly dominant in the NL West, and even with the growing skill in the division, in a lot of ways, LA is worlds above their competitors. The Dodgers have a tasteful mix of free agent signings and homegrown prospects that would be stars on other teams. LA benefits from getting SP Dustin May back this year, as well as the addition of veteran righty SP Noah Syndergaard. They have made necessary adjustments to their starting rotation that make them even more dangerous than before. Syndergaard has gotten off to a slow start posting a 6.32 ERA, but if history stays true, he will be just alright and come back stronger in the summer.
MLB Honorable Mention
The season has been a gift from above so far. The game times are down, and viewership is up. Baseball is fun again. The games are lively not just for savants, but for average joes that want to watch some ball. Teams all over are having breakout years, and it would be a disservice not to mention the player that, as of now, is giving his team the most significant push, in my opinion. 3B Josh Jung has been downright lethal this season. He is hitting the ball hard, and he is getting on base. With an .808 OPS and 24 RBIs, the rookie out of Texas Tech has been pushing the Texas Rangers to accomplish have been talking about the past three offseasons.
