The first month of Major League Baseball is always interesting. With new faces in new places, fans always wonder how a new player will perform on the team. This season, there are many new players that are making an impact on their team. Most importantly, however, the first month of baseball does not predict the outcome of the end of the season. Some teams may start off hot, but in baseball, that can quickly change with 182 games yet to be played. So, how has the 2016 season of baseball started?
The American League East, like always, is a very competitive division. Teams are constantly swapping places as Baltimore, Boston, Toronto, Tampa, and the Yankees are playing at the same intensity. In the first ten games of the season, the Orioles are at the top of the East in first place. Strangely, as they hold the best record in the East, the Orioles’ four starting pitchers hold high ERA’s. Three of the four pitchers hold an ERA above five, as Ubaldo Jimenez has an ERA of 3.75. Jimenez is off to a solid start as he is 1-1 in two games. Jimenez used to be a star pitcher for the Colorado Rockies, but he slowed down as players began adjusting to his pitches. I can see Jimenez performing like he did in 2010, when he went 19-8. With him staying healthy, the Orioles might have a chance to stay in first place. Yet, I do not see them staying in first for long. The Toronto Blue Jays will come out on top of the east. In their first ten games, the Jays went 5-5. The team is full of hitters, who always manage to put the ball in play, and when they are hot they do not miss. The only thing holding the Jays back this season is there pitching rotation. No familiar names are on the five-man rotation, except for R.A. Dickey. Marcus Stroman is the number one pitcher on the rotation with an ERA of a little above four and his first two starts at 2-0. Look for the young stud to be the front-runner for the Jays rotation.
The Kansas City Royals are still doing what they always do, and that is winning. The Royals are 8-2 in their first ten games. The reigning champions do not look to be holding back this season. It seems to be that they are picking up from where they left off . Looking at their pitching rotation, they have the best starting rotation in baseball. Edison Volquez, Chris Young, Kris Medlen, Yordano Ventura, and Ian Kennedy are high caliber pitchers with talent. The team is the same from last year and looks to be in the World Series a third time. The Tigers seem to be the only team in the Central that can compete with the Royals. The team is stacked with veterans that know how to win. Miguel Cabrera, the Tigers first baseman, will lead the team and put up great numbers.
The American League West is a tricky division to predict. Currently, Texas is the only team with a record over .500, while the rest of the league has a losing record. Texas is not holding first place for much longer, and the Seattle Mariners will power through the division this season. The key player that needs to get hot is Robison Cano. Cano used to be known as the best hitter in baseball; however, he has been struggling with his bat. His batting average is currently floating in the mid .200, and he needs to find his stroke. The team certainly relies on him in order to move into first place. Most importantly, Felix Hernandez needs to stay healthy. The only problem Hernandez has every season is run support.
The National League is always fun to watch. The NL East is not similar to the AL East, but they both certainly play hard. Usually one team comes out on top of the division with out any competition. This year I believe it will be the Washington Nationals. Currently, in their first ten games, the Nationals are 9-1. Bryce Harper is off to a hot start as he is already hitting monster homeruns. In the first ten games he has hit five homeruns, with a .343 batting average. Complementing the offense, the pitching rotation has been shutting down the opposition. Stephen Strasburg is one of five stellar pitchers. Strasburg is 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA. He has shown that his command and velocity is back this season. The rest of the division shows a lot of potential; however, the Nationals have players that are playing at a higher intensity. Hopefully the Mets get back into World Series form, as they might end up in the standings soon.
In the NL Central the Chicago Cubs look to be the fan favorite. Everyone is waiting for the curse to end, but that is not happening anytime soon. Sorry, Cubs fans. Although they started off 8-2 in their first 10 games, I do not see them staying in first. I see the Pittsburgh Pirates coming away with the first place spot. They do not have a fancy pitching rotation, but the addition of Francisco Liriano benefits the Pirates. Also, Gerrit Cole looks to put up another fantastic season. Last season he was 19-8; hopefully he can duplicate that this season. The Pirates are going to need him to be at the top of his game, if they hope to be in first. Lastly I would like to leave you baseball fanatics on this note of the NL Central: the St. Louis Cardinals know how to win.
The last division I would like to discuss is the NL West. This is a division that is usually dominated by the Dodgers, but this season I can see another team at the top. The Colorado Rockies are looking great so far this season. The Rockies’ shortstop, Trevor Story, is making headlines, as the rookie has a knack for hitting homeruns. Story hit a homerun in the first seven games of the season. The stud is attracting attention from the entire league. Now the question is, will he continue to play at that level? If he does, Nolan Arenado looks to have a pal that may put up 40 homeruns, like he did last season. The duo can potentially be a deadly duo in baseball that pitchers will hate to face. The only area of concern for the Rockies is the pitching rotation. The Rockies can only gamble as they have the potential to be phenomenal or to struggle, as all five starting pitchers are known to struggle.
The 2016 season looks to be full of talent from new faces. It is great to see young talent play at high levels with the veterans. The rest of the season looks to be interesting, as baseball is unpredictable. I would like to make an early prediction; I can see the Washington Nationals winning the World Series. They have the talent and chemistry to win the World Series. The team is hot right now and cannot see the fire burning out this season. On the other hand, they might have their fire put out and fall to the bottom of the National League.