We are one month into Major League Baseball’s regular season.
Here’s a look at how our four area teams are faring one month deep into the marathon season:
BALTIMORE ORIOLES (8-20, last place in AL East)
The Orioles are the worst of our area teams, sitting in dead last in the AL East with the third-worst record in baseball.
Nothing has gone right for this team, which has been decimated by injury in the first month of the season.
Baltimore is hitting .224 as a team and the pitching staff has a collective 4.89 ERA. That’s not conducive to earning victories, especially in the stacked American League East.
Best Hitter
SS Manny Machado – Machado is hitting .361 with 9 HR’s and 22 RBI’s as one of the lone bright spots on the team. Of course, Machado is also in a contract year, and expected to garner a record-breaking deal in free agency, so he may not be in Baltimore too much longer.
Best Pitcher
SP Dylan Bundy – Bundy may finally be putting it together at the Major League level. While his record sits at 1-3, Bundy has posted four quality starts in the team’s first month, and has a 2.97 ERA over 36.1 innings. For a team that has yearned for an ace for years, Bundy is showing that he may have the capability to be the top starter.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES (17-12, 2nd place in NL Central)
The Pirates have surprised early on, jumping out to second place in the highly competitive NL Central.
After an off season that included dumping franchise icon OF Andrew McCutchen and moving ace P Gerrit Cole, the expectations were not very high for this team.
However, good pitching and timely hitting has the Pirates looking like a contender early on.
Best Hitter
OF Starling Marte – After a suspension-shortened 2017, Marte is looking to show that he’s still a quality player in 2018. Hitting at the top of the Pirates’ lineup, Marte is showing he can do it all, hitting .286 with 3 HR’s and 11 RBI’s while adding 8 stolen bases. Marte leads the team in runs scored (21), is second in walks (14) and has 3 triples & 3 doubles in the season’s first month. He looks to be embracing his role well.
Best Pitcher
SP Trevor Williams – One of the more unheralded arms on the Pirates’ staff, Williams came into 2018 looking to seize the opportunity he had in the Pirates’ rotation. He’s done just that, opening the season with a 4-1 record in 5 quality starts. Over 35.1 innings, Williams has a 2.29 ERA, best by a Pirates’ starter by over a run. Williams will look to continue his success while beginning to face the meat of the Pirates’ schedule.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (16-12, 3rd place in NL East)
Despite the Phillies recent three-game skid, the team has surprised many by contending early in the National League East. Not many knew what to expect of this team, especially after Opening Day when manager Gabe Kapler used his bullpen questionably leading to a loss. However, the team rebounded winning 13 of 18 games, including streaks of 6 and 4 in-a-row.
Now, the team’s schedule will become more difficult in the second month, and it will be interesting to see if the Phillies can maintain their pace.
Best Hitter
OF Odubel Herrera – I think many people would have bet on OF/1B Rhys Hoskins to be the Phillies’ best hitter, but so far Herrera has been on fire. Herrera leads
the National League with a .343 average and has 3 HR’s and 13 RBI’s in the season’s first month. Primarily batting third for the Phillies, Herrera should continue to see a ton of chances as the season continues.
Best Pitcher
SP Aaron Nola – Nola has grabbed the reins of the Phillies’ rotation, and has been one of the best starters in baseball so far. He is 3-1 with four quality starts in his six games. Over 38.1 innings pitched, Nola has a 2.58 ERA and 28 strikeouts. The low strikeout total is actually an area where Nola is typically better, meaning that he could get even better as the season continues.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS (13-16 4th place in NL East)
While the Orioles are far and away the worst team on our list, the Nationals are probably the biggest disappointment.
Chosen by many to be a possible World Series contender, the Nationals have stumbled coming out of the gate. The team has dealt with some injury issues, but a lack of timely hitting is the primary issue that is plaguing the Nationals.
Best Hitter
IF/OF Howie Kendrick – You were expecting OF Bryce Harper, weren’t you? He’s one of many Nationals off to a slow start. Kendrick is second on the Nationals in at-bats (101), hits (29), and home runs (4). He’s also added 11 RBI’s and 10 doubles in the season’s first month. While it’s doubtful that Kendrick maintains his current pace, he’s definitely been the most consistent player for Washington thus far.
Best Pitcher
SP Max Scherzer – It’s no surprise here, as the Nationals’ pitching staff has held up their end of the bargain. Scherzer is leading the way once again, jumping out to a 5-1 record with 5 quality starts in his 6 games. Over 39 innings, Scherzer has a 1.62 ERA and 57 strikeouts, an average of 13.15 per nine innings. He looks to be in Cy Young form early on.
You can check back next month with FOX43 Sports to see how our four area Major League teams fared over the month of May.
