Overview
-A great week in baseball that saw the No.1 and No.2 Prospects (Bryce Harper and Mike Trout) get the Big Call to the Majors. Both players made their 2012 Debut Saturday, with Bryce Harper collecting his 1st hit on a double to CF, and later collecting his first RBI on a Sac Fly in the 9th. The bigger story though, is Dodgers CF Matt Kemp who hit a walk off HR in the 10th Saturday to give him 11 HR's on the year. Kemp is the Triple Crown leader with a .425 BA, 24 RBI's , and 11 HR's. In the American League the Rays had a great week winning 6 of their last 7 and taking the 3 game series in Arlington. A great week of baseball that showed us a glimpse of what the future of baseball holds.
By the Numbers:
20: Game Hitting streak by Giants 3B Pablo Sandoval to start the season. The streak set the franchise record, but was snapped Saturday against the Padres.
14: Strikeouts Saturday by Marlins SP Anibal Sanchez. Although Sanchez walked away with a ND
.90: Earned Run Average this season by Diamondbacks SP Joe Saunders.
9: Earned Runs by White Sox SP Phillip Humber Thursday against the Red Sox. Humber threw a perfect game last Saturday against the Mariners.
Power Rankings:
1.) Tampa Bay Rays (14-8)
-The Rays have been scorching hot this week winning 9 of their last 11 games, including taking the 3 game series against the Rangers this weekend. David Price has been stellar in his last 2 starts (2-0 17 1/3 IP 2 ER). Thanks to the hot streak the Rays have risen to the top of the AL East, and only 2 games back of the Rangers in the American League. The Rays may be one of the most underrated teams in baseball and if rookie SP Matt Moore can get it going, they could emerge as the best team in the American League.
2.) Texas Rangers (16-6)
-It may come to a surprise to some people that I have the Rangers in the No.2 spot behind the Rays. I give the Rays the slight edge just based on them taking the 3 game series in Arlington. The Rangers are still an Elite team and are getting even scarier with Yu Darvish finally settling into the majors and using his pitches. The biggest concern for the Rangers is Josh Hamilton leaving Sundays game with back stiffness, he is listed as Day to Day, but it is just proof of his inability to stay healthy. If Hamilton and the rest of the Rangers are healthy, they are still the No.1 or No.2 team in the American League.
3.) Los Angeles Dodgers (16-6):
-This may be the biggest surprise early on in the season, as the Dodgers hit 16-6 this type of success is simply insane. The man who should have been the MVP in 2011 Matt Kemp simply punished the ball in April smashing 11 Bombs to go along with 24 RBI's and a 4.25 BA. Fellow slugger Andre Ethier has found his own power stroke connecting with 5 HR's and 24 RBI's of his own. Ethier and Kemp have been the Dodgers offense, and as long as they keep raking, they will stay atop the National League.
4.) St. Louis Cardinals (14-8):
-The Defending World Series Champions have carried over their playoff success into the regular season. Even with Albert Pujols (now in LA) long gone and Chris Carpenter (shoulder) on the DL, the team has continued to play well. World Series MVP David Freese looks like a star with a .333 BA, 5 HR's and 20 RBI's. Adam Wainwright who missed all of 2011 still is trying to regain the magic. The real Ace of April for the Cardinals is Kyle Lohse who breezed through batters in route to a 4-0 record to go along with a 1.62 ERA and an even more impressive .84 WHIP. The Cardinals were the best team in baseball last year, and they are playing like it again in 2012.
5.) Atlanta Braves (14-8):
-After an 0-4 to start the season, the Braves have been scorching hot ever since. The offense has been solid with CF Michael Bourn hitting .344, RF Jason Heyward proving 2011 was just a sophomore slump, and 1B Freddie Freeman proving that the sophomore slump can't stop him. The rotation has also been excellent as Tommy Hanson has a 3.00 ERA, Brandon Beachy with a 1.05 ERA, and flame throwing Closer Craig Kimbrel leading the Majors in Saves (8). Things will only get better for the Braves as Tim Hudson came back on Sunday, and young guys like Julio Teheran ready at any moment for the call. There is no question the Braves are the best team in the NL East at this point.
6.) Washington Nationals (14-8):
-Another breakout team in 2012, and while many predicted the Nationals would be successful I'm not sure many had them doing it this quickly. Their rotation has been phenomenal with Stephen Strasburg (1.13 ERA 34 K's), Gio Gonzalez (1.82 ERA 34 K's), and Jordan Zimmerman (1.33 ERA) simply blowing through every batter they have faced. What makes it even crazier is the fact that the offense is struggling to provide run support for the trio. The solution, the Nationals hope it is super prospect Bryce Harper who not only will put fans in the seats but should give them a spark in the lineup.
7.) Baltimore Orioles (14-8):
-Raise your hand if you guessed the Orioles would be 14-8 to start the season, OK, keep your hand up if you thought they would be tied for 1st in their division. Nobody. The Orioles have been the biggest surprise so far in 2012 as they continue to find ways to win. C Matt Weiters and CF Adam Jones have been catalysts on offense, with little regarded Jason Hammel leading the team in ERA (1.73), Wins (3-0), and K's (25). I don' think the Orioles can keep the hot streak alive, but this will just build momentum for this young team.
8.) New York Yankees (12-9):
-The Bronx Bombers have been just that so far this year. Derek Jeter discovered the Fountain of Youth, hitting .396 on the year, to go along with a .440 OBP. Meanwhile Curtis Granderson is proving 2011 was not a fluke, as he has already blasted 8 HR's on the season, proving his new swing is where the power surge came from. What continues to hold the Yankees back is their rotation, C.C Sabathia has a 4.58 ERA, Hiroki Kuroda leads the team with a 4.38 ERA and that represents the better half of the Yankees rotation. The Yankees hoped Michael Pineda could come in and give them a boost, but he is still fighting to come back from shoulder discomfort.
9.) San Francisco Giants (12-10):
-After starting the season out being swept by the D-Backs and losing "The Beard' Brian Wilson only a week later the Giants have done a fine job bouncing back. 22 year old LHP Madison Bumgarner is 4-1 with a 2.53 ERA, Matt Cain has also been stellar with a 2.37 ERA, but the real story has been Barry Zito. After nearly losing his job in Spring Training Zito has found the Fountain of Youth with a 1.67 ERA through 4 starts.. The Giants offense isn't good but it is better then last year and if the team can continue to battle, they should be a playoff team.
10.) Detroit Tigers (11-11):
-After signing Prince Fielder few people didn't have the Tigers at the top of the American League, but 5 Weeks in the Tigers have been nothing short of a disappointment. Fielder and Miguel Cabrera have combined for 10 HR's and 31 RBI's (7 HR's and 20 RBI's from Miggy), while the rest of the Tigers offense has struggled to get anything going. Justin Verlander has been an Ace as always and rookie Drew Smyly leads the team with a 1.23 ERA. The duo of Miggy and Prince is the best in the NL, but if the Tigers want to be at the top they are going to need more of a team effort consistently.
