MLB Memorial Day Checkpoint By Hank Indictor
A late happy Memorial Day to all and I hope you all are enjoying this with all your loved ones. However please don’t forget to think about the troops as they are the reason we have this extra day off. Having said that this is also one of the first checkpoints in the Major League Baseball season!
The fact that the league isn’t promoting their games for this special day is a crying shame and a disgrace but that’s a “Good Old Rob Manfred” rant for a later day. That said, let's go over each division and where the teams stand!
(Editor’s Note: All records listed are as of Memorial Day [May 29])
AL East
Tampa Bay Rays: 39-16
Baltimore Orioles: 34-19
New York Yankees: 32-23
Boston Red Sox: 28-25
Toronto Blue Jays: 28-26
This division is by far the best in baseball. The fact that the Sox and Jays would be in first in the AL Central speaks volumes and without a doubt I see it producing three playoff teams.
There’s no question in my mind that the Tampa Bay Rays are the best in the division so far on the season. And I’m not just saying it because of their record but the statistics speak for themselves. This is a team that’s getting contributions from nearly everybody in the lineup both offensively and defensively. Some particular stars include Wander Franco, Randy Arozarena, Brandon Lowe, Josh Lowe and Yandy Diaz to name a few.
But to me what separates them from the Orioles (and possibly the Rangers and Astros if we’re talking about the entire league) is their pitching as it ranks in the top five for ERA! Despite the losses of Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen to injuries, Shane McClanahan makes an early case for the Cy Young argument with an 8-0 record and 1.97 ERA and remember they just got back Tyler Glasnow!
Having said that the Orioles lineup is nothing to sneeze at as Adley Rutschman has started to blossom as an All-Star with key contributions also coming from Cedric Mullins, Ryan Mountcastle, Austin Hays and Anthony Santander. Not to mention Gunnar Henderson is making an early case for Rookie of the Year! Where they have an advantage over the Rays however is in the bullpen with Felix Bautista emerging as an elite closer along with Yennier Cano proving to be a solid setup man.
As for the rest of the division, the Yankees aren’t too far behind but as usual, this is a lineup that frustrates the hell out of me with their all-or-nothing home run approach and with Aaron Judge continuing his home run pace (15 as of this writing and remember he missed 10 games). You could probably make the case that he is underpaid by the Yankees, although Anthony Rizzo has given them some solid production, too. Hopefully, the return of Giancarlo Stanton can give this lineup a shot in the arm (provided he’s still not made of glass bones and paper skin) and although he’s had his ups and downs Anthony Volpe has the potential to be their starting SS for years to come. Still, despite a solid bullpen, Gerrit Cole has had to anchor an injury-riddled pitching staff and he’s also in the discussion for Cy Young.
And then we round it out with the Blue Jays and Red Sox who despite being at the bottom are still within striking distance of a playoff spot yet the Blue Jays are considered to be a disappointment given the big names in their lineup and what the pitching rotation looks like on paper while the Red Sox are the surprise all things considered. While both teams have had pitching issues at least the Red Sox have generally gotten better production from their lineup. However, despite their proximity to the Wild Card, I don’t think either will end up finding their way into the playoffs.
AL Central
Minnesota Twins: 27-26
Detroit Tigers: 25-26
Cleveland Guardians: 23-29
Chicago White Sox: 22-33
Kansas City Royals: 16-38
This division is an absolute joke! The Minnesota Twins may be in first place but it just feels like they are there by default. That’s not to say that they don’t have potential, the pitching rotation is solid led by Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober and Sonny Gray and if Pablo Lopez can lower his ERA then we’re talking! But then we get to the lineup and it’s been boom or bust, reminding me of a certain team from the Bronx but with a lower payroll. If Buxton and Correa can start to hit in the second half then they’ll be in better shape but even so, this team is not only practically Schrödingers Cat but they could even be a Mystery Box!
The Tigers have had their ups and downs but they’ve had a fun team with Akil Badoo and Zack McKinstry tearing the cover off the ball, while Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson have shown signs of potential down the road. Eduardo Rodriguez is finally healthy and has become an anchor to the rotation. I don’t know that they’ll be able to hang around but they’re making some progress under the new Scott Harris regime.
As for the White Sox and the Guardians, they should consider themselves lucky that the division is the way it is because while they still have a chance you can make a case for either of these teams to be the biggest disappointment. Ultimately I like Cleveland’s chances to rally as they could get reinforcements with pitchers like Triston McKenzie and Aaron Civale coming back from injury and while their starting lineup has been a disappointment I think they have the capability of fighting the ship provided Terry Francona finds a way to push the right buttons.
And the only positive for Chicago is Liam Hendricks’ courageous return from cancer. Here’s hoping he gets traded to a team like the Rays, Braves or Rangers who could use some ‘pen depth.
And as for the Royals, the only good news is that the A’s exist otherwise we’d be calling them the biggest laughingstock right about now!
AL West
Texas Rangers: 33-19
Houston Astros: 31-21
Seattle Mariners: 28-25
Los Angeles Angels: 28-26
Oakland A’s: 10-45
I think a lot of people figured the Rangers would improve with the hiring of Bruce Bochy and an improved pitching staff. But I don’t think anybody anticipated them to be making a serious challenge against the Astros at this point in the season. And if you’d have told me that their rotation was one of the best I’d have assumed that it was because of the acquisition of deGrom. But then you see his injuries and are reminded that there’s a reason the Mets were probably better off not extending him. Having said that a healthy deGrom could help to push Texas over the edge especially if everyone else keeps up their pace.
No, the acquisition that’s been the biggest impact for the rotation has been Nathan Eovaldi who is 6-2 and is the only starter with a lower ERA than deGrom. And other pitchers such as Martin Perez and Jon Gray (both of whom were acquired last season) have also picked up the slack for this surprising Rangers squad that’s not only tops in nearly every single offensive category but leads the league with an insane +122 run differential. Adolis Garcia has become a big star in this lineup where he’s joined by the likes of Marcus Semien, Nathaniel Lowe, Corey Seager and Jonah Heim to name a few.
However, let’s not dismiss the Houston Astros. After all, trash cans or not, this is a team that still has strong pitching depth even with the loss of Justin Verlander. And how can you dismiss a lineup that features the core of Bergman, Alvarez, and of course Altuve (who just returned from injury)?
The Mariners after a slow start have turned things around and are looking to build off their turnaround from a year prior, while the Angels have treaded water. But with the impending free agency of Shohei Ohtani, it feels like now or never for them, especially as the Trout contract will eventually handcuff them. Honestly, Arte Moreno should go to jail for letting his star talents go to waste but that’s a rant for another day.
And lastly, I’ve probably beaten this to a dead horse but the A’s need to be sold. Like immediately! John Fisher is a disgrace! Just over ten wins (and we’re almost in June), an 11-game losing streak before Memorial Day, swept eight times and a -199 run differential! Seriously, this team is making the ‘62 Mets, ‘03 Tigers and possibly even the 1899 Cleveland Spiders look like the ‘98 Yankees!
Vegas, do you seriously want to welcome this shitshow with open arms? Because I sure as hell wouldn’t. But again we know Rob Manfred probably has an even bigger Hard On for his wallet than Fischer so he’s somehow allowing it. CONGRATULATIONS DICKWEEDS!!!!!!
NL East
Atlanta Braves: 32-21
Miami Marlins: 28-26
New York Mets: 27-27
Philadelphia Phillies: 25-28
Washington Nationals: 23-30
One of the teams that I feel is a legitimate contender is the Atlanta Braves. Ronald Acuña is having himself an MVP-like season and if they win a ring this year, they partially have John Fisher to thank because Sean Murphy and Matt Olson have helped to make their lineup lethal. However, despite the pitching rotation having reliable arms such as Charlie Morton, Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder, the injuries to Max Fried and Kyle Wright raise some question marks with regards to the durability of the rotation. But if one or both of them are healthy they have the potential to make some noise in October. And if they can help with the bullpen too then they’ll be in even better shape!
Between the Marlins and the Mets, I think the Mets have more potential out of the two, but for them to have a chance a lot has to go right. Particularly with their two aging future HOFers in Scherzer and Verlander. The lineup has been up and down but there’s no doubt Pete Alonso has been their MVP, he already has 20 homers! And if they make a playoff push don’t be surprised if the trio of kids (Brett Baty, Francisco Alvarez and Mark Vientos) have something to do with it.
The Marlins have also been up and down and just as Pete Alonso has been big for the Mets the same could be said for Jorge Soler who is inching closer to the former in the leaderboard with 17 homers (including a recent stretch of 5 in 6 games) but unfortunately reigning Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantra has regressed. So like the Mets, you could also make the case that Miami is a mystery box.
Then again it could be worse. You could be the Phillies who are coming off a National League Pennant with a ton of money invested into the lineup only to be in fourth place and a few games under .500 come Memorial Day. The fact that they’re only two games over the Nationals says a lot more about them than Washington who's done slightly better than expected but still doesn’t have nearly enough talent to compete with the big boys.
NL Central
Milwaukee Brewers: 28-25
Pittsburgh Pirates: 26-26
Cincinnati Reds: 24-29
Chicago Cubs: 23-30
St. Louis Cardinals: 24-32
What is it with the Central being the inferior division in each league? Like the Twins, the Brewers are currently in first place but it feels like they’re there by default. But they’re another team that’s been hot and cold this season.
The Pirates have shown signs of a turnaround and even though they’ve kind of fallen back a little bit there’s still hope for many of those in Pittsburgh who aren’t old enough to have experienced success. The extension of Bryan Reynolds signifies an attempt to change the culture and the same could be said for KeBryan Hayes, both of whom look to be cornerstones for future success.
Though the Cardinals are in a cluster at the bottom, history has shown that they are always capable of making a run. But the Cubs and the Reds despite not being too far behind are still a ways away from being legitimate championship contenders.
NL West
Los Angeles Dodgers: 32-22
Arizona Diamondbacks: 31-23
San Francisco Giants: 27-26
San Diego Padres: 24-29
Colorado Rockies: 24-31
One thing that is not a surprise is that the Los Angeles Dodgers are in first place. If anything this was to be expected and has been getting strong contributions from guys like Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy. Pitching wise it’s not as strong but Clayton Kershaw has still been effective even if he’s no longer in his prime while Evan Phillips has been an excellent stopper out of the pen.
Now we get to the surprise: the Arizona Diamondbacks are within striking distance of first place. Corbin Carroll is making an early case for Rookie of the Year hitting .277 with 8 homers, 19 RBIs and a slash line of .367/.503/.870. Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly have been anchors in their rotation.
The San Francisco Giants after a rough start have climbed above .500. But a Padres team that went all in and has heavily invested in Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Xander Bogaerts (with Juan Soto set to be a FA) is by far the biggest disappointment. And if Hyun Soo Kim is one of their better players in the lineup that’s an indictment on the stars more so than anything else. Not to mention they’re barely ahead of Colorado in the loss column. Plenty of time but it gets late early out there.
And there ya have it! This is how the standings look at the earliest checkpoint. And we’ll be back again at the ASB to see how much things have changed.