Major League Baseball (MLB) is back and in full swing.  On March 30th, every team in the MLB played their first game of the season and the fans were ready and loud to cheer on their team.  Now that the season is a few games in, it’s time to see which teams have got off to a great start and which teams have underperformed so far. 

Winners

Tampa Bay Rays-  In the 2022 season the Rays had a down year compared to the past couple of years, so they wanted to come back strong this year.   The Rays have done just that starting off the year winning their first 13 games, which ties the record for the most wins to start a season without receiving a loss.  After the first 13 wins they did lose three out of their last four games to the Blue Jays and Reds, but they still have the best record at 14-3.  The Rays’ hot start has contributed to the fact that almost all of their starting lineup is hitting above a .250 batting average.  In addition to this, starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs has the second-best Earned Run Average (ERA) in baseball right now at 0.56.  Also, starting pitcher Shane McClanahan is tied for the most outing wins with four this year.  Will the Rays be able to keep up this level of success going forward?

Texas Rangers-   The Texas Rangers have gone through a rough stretch the past couple of years, but this year things look to be different as they have started off 10 and 6 and lead the American League West.  Their success seems to come from Jacob Degrom, the star pitcher they signed earlier this year, who has the 2nd most strikeouts with 32.  The hitting has been exceptional as well since they have been scoring a lot of runs.  They did just take a big blow with their shortstop Corey Seager being injured while running the bases.  Will this injury end their hot streak? 

Atlanta Braves-  In the past couple of years the Braves have had amazing success winning the World Series in 2021 and having one of the best records in baseball last year.  This year they have picked up right where they left off with a record of 13 and 4 and are leading the National League (NL) East.  Matt Olsen and Ronald Acuna Jr. have really been the backbone of this team where Matt Olsen has 17 RBI and Ronald Acuna Jr. who has a .389 batting average, has the most hits in the MLB with 28 hits, and already has seven stolen bases.  In addition, the Braves starting and relief pitching has been phenomenal holding teams to very few runs a game.  Will the Braves keep up the winning and make the World Series again?

Arizona Diamondbacks-The Arizona Diamondbacks have had a ton of struggles since the start of the 2010s. This year Arizona has started off hot with a record of 10 and 7 which is winning the NL West.    This Diamondbacks team has no real “Superstar” player that is always the best on the field.  The reason why they are playing very well right now is that they are playing great fundamental baseball which is getting a bunch of hits and not making any errors.   The Diamondbacks fans are very excited to see this team progress throughout the season.  

Losers

Houston Astros- The Houston Astros have been the best team for the past while going to four out of the last six World Series including last year which they won against the Philadelphia Phillies.  Because of this, they were expected to get off to a great start.  This is not the case, the Astros are eight and nine and are 4th in their division.  Watching the Astros this year, the team does not look as comfortable and fun as they have looked in past years and the pitching is not reliable as it has been. Is this just a World Series hangover or are the Astros in real trouble?

Philadelphia Phillies-  Last year the Philadelphia Phillies made it to the World Series, which made them a team that was expected to come back this year and shine once again.  Just like the Astros, the Phillies have struggled to start the season starting with a record of 6 and 10.  With the Phillies leader Bryce Harper on the injury list, because he is recovering from Tommy John surgery, they have just looked nowhere near the level they were at last year.  Will Harper’s return help this team gets back with the leaders?  When will Harper return?

St. Louis Cardinals- The Cardinals have been a usual team to see in the playoffs the past couple of seasons.  So many fans assumed they would have one of the better records, but they are 7 and 10 and last in their division.   A big reason for the Cardinals’ early struggles has been that they have played some of the hardest teams in the MLB so far and that they have lost a bunch of close games.  If the Cardinals start winning the close games they can turn this thing around and have one of the best records.

San Diego Padres-  The Padres have some of the biggest “Superstars” in the MLB including Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Etc.  Even with all this star power, the team is struggling to meet their expectations, starting off 8 and 10.  The problem with the Padres is that their star players are struggling to play as well as they have in the past.  One thing that could help some of the players is that the spotlight might be taken off their shoulders for a little bit since Fernado Tatis Jr., who is the Padres’ key player, will make his return on April 20th after being suspended last season.  Will the Padres’ star players fix their struggles and begin to play at the level they have played at before? 

The MLB season has started off great,  hopefully, the season gets even more exciting as the year progresses.