![]() The pitching staff might get in-season jolts from injury returnee hurlers such as Dillon Tate, Mychal Givens and, later on, John Means. It's the opposite, really, as the O's can hope for better production from key players such as Gunnar Henderson, Grayson Rodriguez and Ryan Mountcastle. Why it could continue: Other than the stunning performance of rookie reliever Yennier Cano, there aren't a lot of players who are putting up what look like unsustainable numbers. And that unsustainable bullpen performance? The Orioles relievers have been even better in 2023. Their players just keep getting better and not just the emergent prospects, but young second-chance veterans such as Jorge Mateo. Then over the winter, the Orioles weren't aggressive when it came to landing veteran foundational types.Īnd yet, they have once again sprinted past expectations and now have to be looked at as a legitimate postseason contender. The overall trend line pointed up, but Baltimore outperformed its run differential by several games in 2022 and leaned heavily on the kind of bullpen performance that isn't easy to replicate. How they've surprised us: The Orioles were last season's big surprise, of course, but it seemed likely that they would take at least a mild step back. Gonzalez We knew they had breakout potential, but they've exceeded expectations And there's little reason for it to stop. The Rays are clearly in the conversation for the best team in the sport - offensively, defensively, on the bases, on the mound. Predicted date of their last meaningful game: Sometime in November, assuming the World Series spills into the second-to-last month of the year again. Several Rays hitters are probably overperforming at the moment, but Franco has the talent to sustain this. That man, of course, is Wander Franco, the incredibly talented shortstop who, after an injury-riddled 2022, is living up to his promise in his age-22 season. MVP of their surprising start: What might separate this Rays team from past versions is the presence of a young, budding superstar with the ability to be the best player in the game. And though Tyler Glasnow is on his way back - and the Rays are as good as anyone at developing dominant arms - that's difficult to overcome. That's two legitimate top-of-the-rotation starters. Why they could fade: The Rays already lost Jeffrey Springs for the year to Tommy John surgery, and now Drew Rasmussen will be out until August with a flexor strain. ![]() And this might be the most talented team they've ever fielded. They consistently possess some of the lowest payrolls in the industry and still have won more games than all but two franchises (the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros) since the start of 2019. ![]() Why it could continue: The Rays play in the sport's toughest division - the American League East. The Rays have finished no better than 10th in the majors in OPS since 2014. But this year's version also leads MLB in several major offensive categories, including home runs. The Rays have built a reputation as a plucky franchise that, typically, is sound fundamentally and adept at maximizing matchups and overwhelming opponents with a carousel of dominant pitchers. How they've surprised us: By bludgeoning teams offensively. We knew they'd be good, but not this good ![]() Are their starts real or not? What's powering them? And who are the unexpected stars leading their teams to victory?ĮSPN MLB experts Alden Gonzalez, Bradford Doolittle and David Schoenfield break down the unexpected contenders, how they've surprised us and their ability to ride this momentum into October. Six teams - the Rays, Rangers, Diamondbacks, Orioles, Red Sox and Pirates - are way better than we expected. Well, we're at that mark - and there are some surprising squads contending with typical MLB powers. But the expectation is that once you're about a month and a half into the season, there will be enough of a sample size to gauge a club's true potential. A bad team or two will go on a hot run, and good teams may face some early hurdles. In the first few weeks of the season, there's bound to be some chaos. The six teams that are unexpected MLB contenders in 2023 You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |