The first week of the Major League Baseball season has brought a combination of solid performances, unexpected difficulties, and thrilling debuts of new players in their first year. Though it’s still extremely early in the season, the early matches have revealed some quite interesting patterns regarding teams and players. Some of the teams look very strong, several ones are playing badly, and many of the new faces have attracted attention already.
The Highs: Teams and Players Off to Hot Starts
Some squads began the campaign with excellent form. New York Yankees specifically have been amazing, especially the pitching staff. In six games, they recorded a massive 1.01 team ERA, the highest among all the teams in baseball. They pitched a total of six innings in the game, managed to only keep the opponent scoreless in three games, and had an extremely low batting average against the wearer of the other team.
If any kind of pitching dominance existed, it was with the Yankees giving them a major early advantage. On the offensive front, Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers have been very efficient run producers. Both teams have scored 45 runs already, being the most run-scoring teams. Besides that, the Astros have also been doing well emotionally as their players have remained calm and focused over the course of the game, especially the hitters with runners in scoring position and two outs.
Leading MLB in fWAR, Joey Wiemer is the biggest name among top perform ers according to advanced metrics. Not only this, but he has been demonstrating an outstanding performance with a 1.741 OPS and a 367 wRC+ that represent the level of his batting. Very few people expected him to perform at that level. He has been doing so well that it wouldn’t be a stretch to call him a professional hitter all season. The numbers don’t lie, after all. His numbers speak for themselves. He spreads out all his hits. Besides hitting for power, he gets on base and bases his team up for victory.
Yordan Alvarez has been another giant for the Astros in the beginning of the season. He has an amazingly high on-base percentage of .563 and is hitting well not only in terms of power but also by being consistent. These kind of talented athletes are helping to define this season very early on.
Cam Schlittler is a young baseball pitcher who plays for the New York Yankees. He has been performing really well in his first few games, that it almost seems like he is perfecting his skill. Up to this point, he has kept his opponents from scoring (0.00 ERA), has allowed very few batters to reach base (very low WHIP), and has not given any free passes (walks). Moreover, his fastball velocity is among the highest in the MLB, and this is one of the reasons why he is a pretty tough pitcher to get the better of.
The Lows: Early Struggles and Concerns
Not every team has had a great start. The Chicago White Sox have been among the worst starters in the league, in fact.Their pitching staff, in particular, has been very poor as they have allowed 52 runs in only 49 innings. Their team ERA is a very high 8.63 and opponents are batting over .300 against them. Too many walks and lack of control have further compounded their problems.
Some top players have been off the pace too. Bo Bichette, now with the new York Mets, is struggling. Three hits in 27 at-bats. Batting average and OPS are low. Fans are mad. Thing is, it’s early in the season. His performance hasn’t inspired much confidence yet. The numbers don’t reflect the potential he showed last year. Plus, it is hard to predict how things will unfold, Mainly with so much pressure on him right now.
Extensively strong players like Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh have not been able to show their skills well just yet. Together, they have a low OPS and a reasonably high number of strikeouts. While it could be premature causing alarm, these slow starts cannot be ignored.
Another player in a slump is Cedric Mullins, who has managed only one hit in his 21 official times at bat. His extremely low on-base percentage is an indication of just how difficult it has been for him to get a hit.
Pitching problems are likely part of the teams’ worries. Paul Skenes, who was one of the best pitchers last season, had a very bad start. He allowed many runs in the first inning and couldn’t even complete that inning on Opening Day. After witnessing his amazing form in the late part of the last season, this release was honestly very unexpected.
Rookie Highlights: The New Generation Arrives
Rookies have been one of the most thrilling highlights of Week 1. Numerous fresh faces have risen up and shown a remarkable side of them in a flash.
Sal Stewart is currently the best rookie hitter for the Cincinnati Reds. He has a batting average of nearly 0.5 and also exhibits power and patience at the plate. The very high 1.562 OPS of Stewart shows that he has been extremely destructive in only a few games.
On the other hand, a remarkable rookie player is Chase DeLauter from the Cleveland Guardians. The youngster has already slammed four homers and is displaying a high slugging percentage. His effectiveness to score runs early time is the reason he is highly watched.
Detroit Tigers rookie Kevin McGonigle, alongside the others, is performing really well. He is hitting regularly, reaching base, and demonstrating a level of maturity for someone as young as 21.
Speaking about pitching, Andrew Painter of the Philadelphia Phillies really left a mark in his debut game. He allowed only one run and was able to strike out eight batters, showing great control and confidence.
Yet another thrilling sophomore pitcher is Bubba Chandler of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He tossed very quick pitches and kept his opponents hitless in his initial appearance however he was off balance control wise and ended up walking quite a few batters.
These fresh faces are infusing the league with their energy and level of excitement and they have the potential to become major contributors as the season unfolds.
The Balance: What Week 1 Really Means
Major League Baseball is a marathon of 162 games, and one exceptional or awful week cannot possibly characterize a team or player. Good beginnings may indeed be building blocks of confidence; however eventually teams have to be able to maintain their level of performance steadily.
Despite their first few hiccups, there is still a long way ahead for teams to work on themselves if throwing errors or having weak offensive sides are the only problems at the moment. Making changes and turning in better performances will be the ways in which such issues can be overcome.
What will be most difficult for many first year players is holding on to their good form. Other teams will watch them, try to figure out the best ways to go against them which means that being able to perform well consistently is what is going to give the players the edge.
Key Takeaways from Week 1
- In the league, the Yankees have the best pitching start.
- The White Sox’s pitching is really bad right now.
- Right now, Joey Wiemer is the best player in baseball.
- Some of the best players, like Judge and Bichette, are off to slow starts. Rookies like Sal Stewart and Chase DeLauter are doing well early on.
- The Astros and Brewers are scoring the most runs.
- Some teams are having trouble scoring consistently.
Conclusion
The first week of the MLB season is already filled with action and some unexpected twists. There are teams that have come out firing and showing they can be contenders however there are also teams that have to address their shortcomings sooner than later. Besides that, young players have brought in some vitality and have given fans new guys to track.
Though, it is still very early, those initial matches have paved the way for some compelling plotlines. Throughout the rest of the season, there will be teams making changes, players developing their skills and most importantly, new stars being born.
At the moment, MLB supporters have the pleasure of watching the spectacular plays, unexpected results and the thrill that only baseball can provide.
