| Generally speaking, being in first place
| |
| | games thus far, but his 5.03 ERA isn't
|
| on Memorial Day is a good sign of things
| |
| | going to get it done down the stretch.
|
| to come. Memorial Day typically marks the
| |
| | At the plate, the Diamondbacks aren't
|
| one-third mark for the Major League
| |
| | going to kill you with the long ball, but
|
| Baseball season, and by this point you
| |
| | they have a solid lineup. Chad Tracy is
|
| have a pretty good idea of which teams
| |
| | building on his superb 2005 with eight
|
| are going to be in the running and which
| |
| | homers, a .292 average and a .849 OPS so
|
| teams are dead and buried.
| |
| | far. Eric Byrnes may wind up the 2006
|
| For instance, it's fairly common
| |
| | comeback player of the year and appears
|
| knowledge on May 29 that the Royals
| |
| | to have found a home in the desert.
|
| aren't going to be challenging for the AL
| |
| | Byrnes went from Oakland to Colorado to
|
| Central crown at 11-37, 22 1/2 games
| |
| | Baltimore in 2005, but in 2006 he's not
|
| behind the 35-16 Tigers. Of course, we
| |
| | going anywhere while hitting .322 with
|
| probably knew that the Royals wouldn't be
| |
| | six homers and a .938 OPS. Top prospect
|
| contenders entering the season anyway,
| |
| | Conor Jackson is proving that he can live
|
| but now we're certain of it.
| |
| | up to the expectations as he's hitting
|
| At the same time, there aren't many
| |
| | .297 with five homers and a .861 OPS.
|
| people outside of the Dallas-Fort Worth
| |
| | Shawn Green and Luis Gonzalez are having
|
| region who expected the Rangers to be in
| |
| | their usually solid seasons as well.
|
| first place come Memorial Day, and I'd be
| |
| | Arizona also plays solid defense.
|
| willing to bet that even some of the more
| |
| | However, it's not going to be easy for
|
| loyal Rangers fans would have to be
| |
| | the Snakes to hold off the Dodgers (who
|
| honest with themselves before claiming
| |
| | are outhitting and outpitching them right
|
| that they saw it coming.
| |
| | now), but Arizona has the potential to
|
| How good of an indicator of future
| |
| | get better. Keeping that in mind, as well
|
| success is being in first place on
| |
| | as the fact that Nomar Garciaparra and
|
| Memorial Day? Since 1990 (excluding the
| |
| | J.D. Drew will likely spend significant
|
| strike year of 1994), the 82 division
| |
| | time on the disabled list this season for
|
| leaders on the last Monday in May have
| |
| | L.A., and the Diamondbacks should
|
| gone on to hold their leads and win their
| |
| | continue to lead the division throughout.
|
| divisions 47 times. That's a 57% rate.
| |
| | Worst Bets
|
| In 2005, the Marlins, Cardinals, Padres,
| |
| | The Red Sox, Rangers and Mets are the
|
| Orioles, White Sox and Rangers were
| |
| | three teams poised to fall out of their
|
| leading their divisions on Memorial Day.
| |
| | present frontrunning spots.
|
| At the end of the year, the Cards, Padres
| |
| | Boston's lineup was the premier one in
|
| and White Sox held on. while the Braves,
| |
| | baseball the past two seasons. This
|
| Red Sox and Angels rallied up to win
| |
| | season, the Red Sox are seventh in
|
| theirs.
| |
| | baseball with 265 runs scored. They're
|
| Three of the six teams leading on
| |
| | trailing AL East contenders Toronto and
|
| Memorial Day in 2004 ended up carrying
| |
| | New York in that department. The Red Sox
|
| their divisions at the end of the year as
| |
| | currently are 13th in team ERA at 4.47,
|
| well. Only once since 1990 have all six
| |
| | five spots below the Yankees. Boston's
|
| teams ahead on Memorial Day won their
| |
| | rotation isn't that good (4.78 ERA), and
|
| division; that was in 1998, when the
| |
| | Jonathan Papelbon is about the only
|
| Braves, Astros, Padres, Yankees, Indians
| |
| | saving grace in the bullpen. Manny
|
| and Rangers pulled it off. The fewest
| |
| | Ramirez has finally broken out of his
|
| teams to manage the feat since
| |
| | early-season slump, but there are still
|
| realignment in 1995 was two, occurring in
| |
| | significant weak spots in the lineup.
|
| 1995 and in 2001.
| |
| | Jason Varitek is only hitting .232, and
|
| So while a Memorial Day lead is a fairly
| |
| | Alex Gonzalez is hitting .227 (with a
|
| good indicator, it's far from a
| |
| | staggering .295 OBP). David Ortiz is
|
| guarantee. Just ask the 2005 Baltimore
| |
| | hitting homers, but not for the same
|
| Orioles, the 2004 Cincinnati Reds or the
| |
| | average or OPS as he has in seasons past
|
| 2001 Philadelphia Phillies (three teams
| |
| | (he's at .270 and .915, respectively, in
|
| to suffer huge dropoffs from Memorial Day
| |
| | 2006). Coco Crisp was supposed to be the
|
| through the end of their respective
| |
| | answer in center field, but he's played
|
| seasons).
| |
| | just six games thus far. The Sox have
|
| As of May 29th this season, the Red Sox,
| |
| | been pleasantly surprised by Kevin
|
| Tigers, Rangers, Mets, Cardinals and
| |
| | Youkilis, Mike Lowell and Mark Loretta,
|
| Diamondbacks are leading the way.
| |
| | and they should wind up closer to the top
|
| According to the trends of the past 15
| |
| | of the league in runs scored before
|
| full seasons, about half of those teams
| |
| | everything's said and done.
|
| will end up holding on to win their
| |
| | However, Boston's pitching figures to
|
| divisions.
| |
| | continue to struggle. Josh Beckett and
|
| Best Bets
| |
| | Curt Schilling have been good thus far,
|
| I expect the Tigers, Cardinals and
| |
| | with Beckett putting up a 7-1 record and
|
| Diamondbacks to hold on their leads.
| |
| | a 3.80 ERA, while Schilling has managed
|
| Though the Tigers only have a two-game
| |
| | an 8-2 record and a 3.93 ERA. The rest of
|
| lead in the AL Central on the defending
| |
| | the rotation has been unstable. The Red
|
| World Series champion White Sox, their
| |
| | Sox have five guys in the bullpen that
|
| team is built to hold onto that lead.
| |
| | they have been relying on, and only two
|
| Detroit's pitching has been superlative,
| |
| | of them are sure things. The Yankees
|
| and the Tigers may have a rotation that's
| |
| | aren't much better in the pen, but they
|
| more solid up and down than the White
| |
| | are pitching and hitting better so far.
|
| Sox. The Tigers lead MLB with a 3.36 ERA,
| |
| | The Yankees will likely catch up to
|
| with the White Sox a distant sixth at
| |
| | Boston and overtake their rival.
|
| 4.13. The Detroit rotation has compiled a
| |
| | The Rangers have a surprising three-game
|
| 3.39 ERA thus far, led by Justin
| |
| | lead over the A's, but they're only
|
| Verlander's 2.55 ERA and 7-3 record. Nate
| |
| | 26-24, and the other three teams in their
|
| Robertson is enjoying a breakout year
| |
| | division should make up ground. The
|
| with a 5-2 mark and a 3.02 ERA. Former
| |
| | pitching in Texas isn't very good, as the
|
| 20-game loser Mike Maroth is faring much
| |
| | Rangers are 18th in baseball with a 4.81
|
| better in 2006 with a 5-2 record and a
| |
| | ERA. Both the Mariners and A's are
|
| 3.56 ERA. Kenny Rogers is 7-3 with a 3.76
| |
| | pitching better than Texas. The Rangers
|
| ERA. Jeremy Bonderman rounds out the
| |
| | are leading the AL West because they're
|
| young rotation (other than Rogers), going
| |
| | outhitting the A's, Mariners and Angels
|
| 5-4 thus far with a 4.61 ERA. In the
| |
| | by a significant margin.
|
| bullpen, Todd Jones has shown he remains
| |
| | Texas is 9th in the league in runs scored
|
| the solid closer he proved to be in
| |
| | with 258. On the other hand, Seattle is
|
| Florida last season, saving 16 games with
| |
| | 20th with 234 runs, Oakland is 23rd (223)
|
| a 3.12 ERA. Joel Zumaya is proving to be
| |
| | and the Angels are 25th (221). What's
|
| the closer of the future, putting up a
| |
| | surprising is that Texas isn't hitting
|
| 3.22 ERA and averaging 10.88 strikeouts
| |
| | home runs at its typical pace. Kevin
|
| per nine innings. It's safe to assume,
| |
| | Mench leads the team with 10. Mark
|
| based on track record, that the Tigers
| |
| | Teixeira only has five and is hitting
|
| may be pitching over their heads. The
| |
| | just .284. Michael Young is hitting .311,
|
| league average for team ERA is hovering
| |
| | but can improve on that. Phil Nevin has
|
| around 4.50, meaning that Detroit has
| |
| | nine homers, as does Brad Wilkerson.
|
| pitched a run better than the rest of the
| |
| | Neither of them are hitting that well
|
| league. That's a historically dominating
| |
| | (.220 and .262, respectively). The lineup
|
| team pitching performance.
| |
| | is going to be better, but it's
|
| While it's safe to assume that the
| |
| | reasonable to assume the pitching will
|
| pitching will drop off slightly, it's
| |
| | fall off.
|
| also reasonable to assume that Detroit's
| |
| | The Texas rotation is running basically
|
| hitting should pick up. The Tigers are
| |
| | four deep at this point. Kevin Millwood
|
| currently 12th in baseball in runs
| |
| | is supposed to be the ace, but he's
|
| scored, seventh in team batting average
| |
| | putting up a 4.88 ERA with a 5-3 record.
|
| and eighth in team OPS. Not shabby by any
| |
| | Vicente Padilla, Kameron Loe and John
|
| means, but the team is getting next to
| |
| | Koronka are all posting remarkably
|
| nothing out of injured Dmitri Young, a
| |
| | similar numbers. Every starter is in the
|
| .217 batting average from Brandon Inge, a
| |
| | mid 4.00 ERA range, all are in the 1.35
|
| .254 average from Craig Monroe and just
| |
| | WHIP range, and all have about 65 innings
|
| three homers from Ivan Rodriguez. Chris
| |
| | pitched under their belts. Akinori Otsuka
|
| Shelton has cooled off slightly, but that
| |
| | has taken the closer's job with his
|
| has coincided with the resurgence of
| |
| | 2.31 ERA and eight saves from Francisco
|
| Magglio Ordonez. Thus the potential is
| |
| | Cordero. The Texas pitching isn't at the
|
| there for the lineup to be even better.
| |
| | level of Oakland's or even Seattle's.
|
| In the NL Central, no team is on the
| |
| | Though the Rangers will outhit both of
|
| same level as the Cardinals (unless
| |
| | those teams and the Angels easily, the
|
| Houston gets Roger Clemens back). The
| |
| | pitching and the bullpen will come back
|
| Cards are second in baseball and tops in
| |
| | to bite them. The A's will likely turn it
|
| the NL with a 3.81 team ERA. The Reds,
| |
| | on around midseason and blow past the
|
| who trail the Cardinals by four games,
| |
| | Rangers en route to a division title.
|
| are way back in 12th in team ERA at 4.44.
| |
| | The Mets are one of the more talented
|
| St. Louis also is tops in the NL Central
| |
| | teams in baseball and have a four-game
|
| in runs scored, batting average and team
| |
| | lead over the Braves in the NL East.
|
| OPS. Oh, and some guy named Pujols is
| |
| | They're even outpitching the Braves by a
|
| destroying nearly every baseball thrown
| |
| | comfortable margin. The Mets are third in
|
| to him. The Reds are close, but they
| |
| | baseball with a 3.89 ERA, while the
|
| can't make up that gap with the pitching
| |
| | Braves are 10th with a 4.36 ERA. What's
|
| being so inferior compared to the
| |
| | surprising that the Braves are outhitting
|
| Cardinals' rotation. Chris Carpenter is
| |
| | the potent Mets, scoring 267 runs
|
| on the DL, which hurts, but the
| |
| | compared to the Mets' 246. But
|
| Cardinals' rotation is one of the deepest
| |
| | considering how much better the pitching
|
| around with Mark Mulder, Jeff Suppan,
| |
| | has been, it bodes well for the Mets. So
|
| Sidney Ponson and Jason Marquis. In the
| |
| | why are they in this category? Because
|
| bullpen, St. Louis is led by Jason
| |
| | the Braves are the Braves. They were
|
| Isringhausen and his 16 saves. Adam
| |
| | trailing the Marlins at Memorial Day in
|
| Wainwright, Josh Hancock, Brad Thompson,
| |
| | the previous two seasons and came back to
|
| Randy Flores and Braden Looper round out
| |
| | take the division. The Mets have gotten
|
| a pen that hasn't skipped a beat despite
| |
| | superb production out of the middle of
|
| returning just one pitcher from 2005
| |
| | the lineup, but the rest of the squad
|
| (Isringhausen). The Reds may wind up
| |
| | leaves something to be desired. Carlos
|
| holding on to second place in the NL
| |
| | Delgado has 15 homers and a .263 average,
|
| Central, but they're not going to unseat
| |
| | while David Wright is hitting .333 with
|
| the Cards.
| |
| | eight homers. Carlos Beltran is hitting
|
| The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, are a
| |
| | .277 but has an impressive 14 homers.
|
| better team than given credit for, and
| |
| | Even Xavier Nady has gotten into the act
|
| they have the fortune of playing in a
| |
| | with nine homers while batting .270.
|
| weak NL West. The division has played
| |
| | Cliff Floyd has been a disappointment
|
| better this season than in 2005, when the
| |
| | with his .219 average, as has Jose Reyes
|
| 82-80 Padres made the playoffs. This
| |
| | with his .322 OBP and Kazuo Matsui with
|
| season, all five teams were sporting
| |
| | his .250 OBP. The fringe guys need to
|
| records at least at .500 entering
| |
| | pick up the production for the Mets to
|
| Memorial Day. That won't last, as
| |
| | maintain first place.
|
| Colorado will surely finish below .500,
| |
| | What the Mets won't have to worry about
|
| as will either San Diego or San
| |
| | is the front of their rotation. Tom
|
| Francisco. The team best able to give
| |
| | Glavine is having a fantastic season with
|
| Arizona a run for its money is the
| |
| | his 8-2 record and his 2.59 ERA. So is
|
| Dodgers, and they're a shaky bet with the
| |
| | Pedro Martinez, 5-1 with a 2.79 ERA and
|
| injury risks that dot their lineup.
| |
| | 80 Ks. Behind Glavine and Martinez,
|
| Arizona is a surprisingly balanced team,
| |
| | things get shaky. Steve Trachsel has
|
| sitting in seventh place overall with a
| |
| | compiled his usual 4.99 ERA. Victor
|
| team ERA of 4.15 and eighth overall with
| |
| | Zambrano may never pitch again, so the
|
| 262 runs scored. The starters have posted
| |
| | Mets went out and traded for Orlando
|
| a 4.35 ERA, led by Brandon Webb and his
| |
| | Hernandez. Jose Lima and Jeremi Gonzalez
|
| 8-0 record and 2.18 ERA. Webb is one of
| |
| | shouldn't be in a big-league rotation,
|
| the better pitchers in baseball thus far,
| |
| | but both have made three disastrous
|
| and his control so far has been
| |
| | starts. Brian Bannister pitched well in
|
| remarkable (walking nine batters in 82.2
| |
| | his five starts, but he's not a guy that
|
| innings). Miguel Batista is 4-2 with a
| |
| | the Mets can depend on yet. The bullpen
|
| 4.60 ERA and has also been pitching well.
| |
| | has been solid, with Aaron Heilman and
|
| Claudio Vargas, Juan Cruz and Russ Ortiz
| |
| | Duaner Sanchez making names for
|
| round out the rotation and may be
| |
| | themselves with ERAs below 2.40. Billy
|
| question marks, but Arizona has enough
| |
| | Wagner has saved 11 games, but has been
|
| minor league depth to swing a trade for a
| |
| | shaky of late. He should settle down.
|
| Barry Zito or a Dontrelle Willis to
| |
| | Regardless, the Mets need to find
|
| augment a playoff run (unfortunately for
| |
| | starters and a quality leadoff hitter to
|
| them, the Dodgers have that ability as
| |
| | hold off the Braves. If not, it seems
|
| well). The Diamondbacks' 3.79 bullpen ERA
| |
| | like it will be another year that the
|
| has been a pleasant surprise, though they
| |
| | Braves beat a more talented team for the
|
| need more consistency from appointed
| |
| | NL East crown.
|
| closer Jose Valverde. He has saved 14
| |
| |
|
