The month of May is reaching its final acts. We have seen some squads turn things around after slow starts. But we have also seen teams still struggling to catch fire. In this monthly progress report, we will take a look at some of the teams on hot streaks, cold streaks and those heating up after adjustments made from April.
Yes, there is plenty of baseball to go and anything can happen in a full season. But these past few weeks will be instrumental in what to do for over 100 games yet to come. While some teams look to take over their divisions, others are finding ways to stay in the race. Of course, some teams have steeper mountains to climb than others.
The race for the AL West has become a tight one, with the Houston Astros winning eight of their last 10 outings and the Seattle Mariners winning seven of their last 10. The Astros hold the lead in the division by only 2.5 games. The standout component to Houston’s success is their starting rotation. The Astros boast the only pitching staff in the big leagues to yield a team ERA less than 3.00.
Gerrit Cole of the Houston Astros. (Photo from foxsports.com)
The Mariners, however, are not making it easy for Houston to just run away with the West. Seattle has made its strides primarily through the batter’s box. Though their numbers do not scream, “best in the AL,” the Mariners have found a high note, along with new ways to keep hitting it.
In the AL Central, the Kansas City Royals have won just three of their last 10 games. KC’s pitching staff holds the highest ERA in all of baseball. Not to mention the Royals’ bats have hit only 42 home runs so far this year, the fewest by any AL squad.
The Chicago White Sox are not fairing well either. They are right behind Kansas City with the second worst ERA. On top of that, Chicago’s batting order has driven in the fewest RBIs in the AL. The White Sox and Royals have two of the three worst regular season records in the AL.
The Red Sox and Yankees are currently neck-and-neck for the AL East, but the Tampa Bay Rays are starting to turn it up. Only three games below .500, Tampa Bay has won six of its last 10 games. Currently, the Rays boast the second highest team batting average in the AL, along with a rapidly improving defense. But improvements in pitching will be needed if the Rays want to continue catching fire.
In the next part of this monthly progress report, the Atlanta Braves are making their presence felt around the league. Along with leading the NL East, Atlanta leads the NL in batting average and RBIs this season. Though the pitching rotation stands strong, a few adjustments could help the young Braves squad pull away from the pack.
Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves. (Photo by John Bazemore/Associated Press)
In the NL Central, the Milwaukee Brewers remain scorching in recent weeks. Leading the NL Central somewhat comfortably, The Brewers have made their way to the top with their pitching. Milwaukee’s pitching staff boasts the lowest ERA in the NL.
The Miami Marlins have not found many high notes this season. Offensive production has proved scarce for the Fish. The Marlins rank last in the NL in home runs and RBIs. Their pitching staff is not any brighter, yielding the worst ERA in the NL. On top of that, the attendance at Marlins Park is just as dismal, barely breaking 10,000 attendants per game on average.
To be fair, the Marlins are bulling through a massive rebuilding process, along with new ownership. Things cannot get better before it gets worse first. But some are questioning if there is a method to the rebuilding madness, or if it is just madness like the Jeffrey Loria days.
The Washington Nationals are looking to take back the NL East. Though they still have a way to go, they have help. Washington’s pitching staff holds a 3.42 ERA as a unit, among the best in the NL. Plus, its batting lineup has tallied over 60 home runs this season. But with division rivals as imposing as Atlanta and Philadelphia have been, the Nationals will need to pick up the pace.
The Colorado Rockies have taken the lead in the NL West, with the Arizona Diamondbacks hitting a slump. The Rockies’ defense has become one of the best units in baseball this season. But if they are to remain at the top, Colorado needs to improve in both batting average and pitching. If they can do that, the Rockies can increase the gap between themselves and the rest of the division.
At the end of the day, everyone will have their ups and downs. Hopefully in the next monthly progress report, we can showcase new teams turning things around. The lessons each team learns from May can spell out solutions to pending problems. With June around the corner, the race for the playoffs continues.
Featured image from wikipedia.org
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