Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Who's Hot and Who's Not May 2017

As May comes to a close, it's time for another installment of "Who's Hot and Who's Not?"  A look at trends in baseball.

                                                     AMERICAN LEAGUE
                                                     WHO'S HOT?
1.  Astros.  The Astros have been on a roll in May, especially when they came to Target Field to take on the Twins.  Their solid lineup scored 40 runs against the Twins in a three game series and now they have a seven game winning streak.  The good news is that Dallas Keuchel is back after a stint on the 10 day disabled list due to a neck injury.  Keep your eye on the Astros.  This could be the best team since they began in 1962 as the Colt .45s and have never won a pennant.

2.  Yankees.  The Baby Bombers have been playing some really good baseball in May as they have vaulted into first place in the AL East.  One of the keys to their success so far is rookie right fielder Aaron Judge.  In 47 games this season, he has hit 17 home runs.  Let's not forget the pitching staff, anchored by Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, Luis Severino and Michael Pineda.  Dylan Betances has taken over the closer role with Aroldis Chapman on the disabled list.  Could this be the start of another exciting AL East race.

3.  Indians.  After a slow start, Edwin Encarnacion has 10 home runs and has been a part of The Tribe's surge toward the top of the AL central and have pulled in within a couple of percentage points of the slumping Twins.  Trevor Bauer had a superb outing on May 30 with 14 strikeouts in seven innings against the Oakland A's.  Danny Salazar has also been solid on the mound.

                                                      WHO'S NOT?
1.  Twins.  Once upon a time, the Twins, who won a team low 59 games last season were getting solid pitching from Ervin Santana and Jose Berrios as well as outstanding hitting from Brian Dozier and spectacular defense from Byron Buxton.  But the Twins have collapsed like the roof at their former home the Metrodome and have lost four straight games and their hold on first place.  Thy lost a 15 inning heart breaker to the Rays and got swept by the Astros.  Can the Twins break their slump as they head west to Anaheim?

2.  Orioles.  It was a two team race earlier this month between the Yankees and the Orioles in the AL East until the Orioles went into a slump where they have won two of their last ten games to fall into third place.  Also, the Red Sox have been on a tear that moved them into second place.

3.  Mike Trout.  Bad news for Twins fans who hope to see the two time AL MVP in action this weekend in Anaheim,.  Trout will be out six to eight weeks due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb.  He could also miss the series over the Fourth of July week at Target Field and the All Star Game where he is among the vote leaders.

                                                  NATIONAL LEAGUE
                                                      WHO'S HOT?
1.  Nationals.  There is joy in the nation's capitol as the Nationals have dominated the NL East and have the only winning record in the division.  Their lineup has been outstanding and they have had a couple of great performances by their one-two punch on the mound of Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasberg.  Last week, Scherzer fanned 13 batters and Strasberg followed up with a 15 strikeout game.  Can they sustain their excellent when Bryce Harper has to serve a three game suspension for his role in the Memorial Day Brawl against the Giants?

2.  Brewers.  Look who's in first place in the NL Central.  The Brewers.  Though they lost their star player Ryan Braun to the disabled list, they had an outstanding series against the Diamondbacks and a great start from outfield Eric Thames, who hit 10 home runs in April.  They also have outstanding pitching from Wily Peralta and Zach Davies.  The addition of Neftali Feliz as their closer has also kept the Brewers in contention.

3. NL West.  When you look at the standings in the NL West, it has become a three team race between the Rockies, the Diamondbacks and the Dodgers.  Only a half game separates the three teams as the Dodgers have surged into the race, thanks to a couple of top notch starts from their ace Clayton Kershaw.  He's been the anchor of the Dodgers pitching staff which leads the majors with a 3.22 ERA.  This could rival last year's race in the AL East.

                                               WHO'S NOT?
1.  Cubs.  To quote the opening line from the Buffalo Springfield song "For What it's Worth", "There's something happening here."  What's exactly clear is the world champion Cubs have gone into a slump, losing six straight games and got swept by the lowly Padres.  It doesn't get easier for the Cubs since they start a weekend series with the rival Cardinals on Friday.

2.  Phillies.  Now this sounds familiar.  The Phillies are in last place in the NL East.  Since they won five straight division titles from 2007-11, the Phillies have finished last or close to the bottom five of the last six years.  They are a young team with only one starter at 30 or older, Michael Saunders.  But they do have a bright spot on the mound in former Rays pitcher Jeremy Hellickson.

3.  Giants.  Injuries have hampered the Giants early in the season.  After losing Madison Bumgarner in April due to a left shoulder strain, they have lost Hunter Pence, Conor Gillespie and Michael Morse due to injuries.  Though the Giants have had a strong pitching staff with Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija and Matt Moore, the offence hasn't been productive, ranking next to last in batting average and the least number of home runs in the majors with 42.  It could be a long year in the Bay Area with the Giants and A's occupying the basement in both league's Western Divisions.


             

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