Our Panel:
Steve (Tigers)
Sy (Marlins)
James (Blue Jays)
Note: Some info may be outdated as these were written 1-4 days ago.
1. Many unexpected teams have got off to a hot start this season. Which club surprises you the most? At the same time, lots of teams are at the other end of the spectrum, expected to win but failing to deliver. Who has been the biggest disappointment so far?
Sy: The Angels were always going to be a contender in AL west, but they weren’t expected to be running away with it like this. Their 19-6 home record is easily the best in the majors. But for me the big surprise has been Philadelphia. Nobody saw Zack Cox coming. In a team of overpaid veterans the rookie has been a force to be reckoned with, hitting .307 with 27 RBIs. As for disappointments, tough not to look Cardinals’ way. Hard to tell what their season would’ve looked like without all these injuries. And also, something tells me Atlanta won’t win the pennant this time.
Steve: Surprise: Toronto Blue Jays
Fact: Winning percentage from 2013 to 2014: 46% vs 63%
Virtually the entire line up, except Bautista, has upped their offensive output way beyond the previous year. Reyes, Lawrie, Rasmus, Cabrera, Gose Encarnicion all look like different players at the plate. This is the team that leads the league in runs scored and home runs.
On the mound after Dickey and Burnett it is shaky as the Jays SP’s are ranked 12th in the league. The bull pen has been good enough to pick up the some of the slack from the starters but can they do it for an entire year?
Disappointing Teams: Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves
Both these teams were viable champions last year having both made the post-season. The Rays had a +10 in wins (86) last year and the Braves +24 with 93 wins. Both teams are 4 games under .500 at the time of this post.
James: Can I say my own team, the Blue Jays? Considering the sub .500 record last year, and the fact that when I took over the reigns of the club, the only moves I could make were to grab Edwin Jackson and A.J. Burnett for the starting staff; with that said, this team sits 4 games in 1st place in the volatile AL East, in spite of the makeshift pitching staff and bullpen. Pleasantly surprised with this team’s performance so far this season. For disappointment I guess i’d have to say the defending champion Atlanta Braves, who have been walloped with the injury bug and are 3 games under .500 this season. With that said, they are only 5 games out from 1st, so it could be worst, but a little bit of a World Series hangover from the Tomahawks.
2. The NL West has a jumble of four teams who all are competing. Which of them do see reaching October?
Sy: Don’t write Colorado off just yet, Any team with that kind of offensive prowess can turn its season around in a heartbeat and make it a five team jumble . But If the Giants can crawl out of their recent slump soon, they’ll be in the driver’s seat.
Steve: San Diego Padres. It’s hard to argue with the staff with the arguably the best pitching results. Throw in a decent offense and fielders who can get to balls to make plays and this team gets the slight edge over the Giants.
James:
Well, i’m a fan of Mark Buerhle, especially since I was the one to release him to start the year, and currently he is the anchor for the San Francisco Giants pitching staff, with a 5-1 record and a 2.19 (!) ERA. Way to stick it to me, big guy! Regardless, I love the Dodgers roster makeup and think that they have too much firepower to really not factor them out of the division hunt. Eventually they should find some spacing in the standings and take control of the NL West.
3. Finally, which club who is not considered a contender right now do you think has the best chance of shocking us being a playoff team come October?
Sy: Cardinals. Although even with their far from ideal start a playoff appearance would hardly be a shocker. Their Rotation is so good that its 3rd place ranking of Earned run average in the National League is a disappointment. And don’t let the fourth place in NL Central fool you, they’re just one and a half game behind first place Cubs. I would imagine once their luck with injuries turns, they will be atop their division.
Steve: Toronto Blue Jays. When you finish 75-87 like the Toronto Blue Jays did in 2013 it’s hard to be favored to make the post-season the final year. But, the 2014 Blue Jay team has won the second most games (behind the Angels) in the American League to date and lead the division by 5 games.
James: As a Red Sox fan, I know how bothersome the Cardinals can be, so I’ve learned to never count them out. I’m in love with Oscar Tavares and he has had a big year already with 14 HR, 34 RBI and batting .344. His team has not matched his performance, but this team always seems to pull it together late in the season, and though under .500, only 3 games out of the NL Central. If people are overlooking them, I wouldn’t!
Thanks to Sy, Steve, and James for making this happen. Special thanks to rowen3 and the other league members in the CFA PFS League for giving me the idea behind this.
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