Post by Philadelphia Phillies on Apr 19, 2018 16:34:34 GMT -5
I went through the matchups so far and did my half-assed best to find the players without whom their team would have lost. For example, if the Cubs won their matchup by 10 and Chris Sale scored 11, then he would be responsible for a win. I also looked at players who scored negative points to cost their team a win, which unexpectedly occurs much less often. I am sure that this isn’t completely accurate, but it was an interesting exercise nonetheless and I am going to try to keep a tally as the year goes on.
Ranking. (Previous Ranking) (W-L) (Total Points) -
Biggest Rise: Oakland Athletics (+12)
Largest Fall: Atlanta Braves (-15)
1. (1) Chicago Cubs (17-7) (708.36) - Short term injuries have hampered the Cubs a bit early on, but this is still the World Series favorite and leading the league in points. MVP - Despite a slow start to the year, Goldschmidt has been great recently and good for 3 wins. LVP - Nick Williams cost the Cubs a win, but also contributed to one, breaking even. This does highlight the Cubs one potential weakness, RF.
2. (5) Philadelphia Phillies (21-3) (703.613) - Riding the top offense and a mediocre and injury-riddled pitching staff, the Phillies have the largest division lead and have yet to lose a game within the division (11-0) MVP - Backup SS Dixon Machado (surprisingly playing decently), starting SS Brandon Crawford (playing poorly overall), and Tommy Pham (stud) create an odd trio as the only players providing 2 wins on the Phils. LVP - No one has cost the Phillies a win yet, which is a bit surprising given that their first basemen have combined for over 50 Ks already.
3. (6) Colorado Rockies (18-6) (625.36) - Luke Weaver, Velasquez, and Didi Gregorius have been great early on, playing well above expectations. The lineup, overall, has been a bit disppointing although Murphy’s imminent return will help a lot. MVP - Mike Trout is number one in the league and has amazingly been responsible for 6 wins so far this year. Luke Weaver is leading the league in wins for a Pitcher with 4 as well as the Rockies have played some tight ones. LVP - Ian Desmond has cost the Rockies and earned them a win, making him much less disappointing than McMahon who has -4.56 points through 34 at bats.
4. (3) Los Angeles Angels (13-11) (582.047) - The Angels have 2 of the top 6 performers so far in Kluber and Berrios, but dropped in my rankings a bit, probably unwisely. The addition of Kluber should have vaulted them up, but other emergences above made it hard for them to move. That, and a seriously underperforming lineup headlined by Giancarlo have resulted in a disappointing 13-11 start. MVP - Lucroy, Bregman, and Trea Turner have contributed 2 wins a piece. LVP - None, even though Stanton has tried his best with -5 and -6 point games.
5. (2) St. Louis Cardinals (15-9) (601.977) - The Cards started slow, but have come on of late, playing much better. The return of Realmuto helps as well. MVP - David Peralta has been a pleasant surprise so far. Dexter Fowler has played poorly, but both are responsible for 2 wins. LVP - The Cardinals have avoided blaming one player for a loss.
6. (10) Boston Red Sox (14-10) (624.77) - Boston has positioned themselves well to repeat atop the AL East, sitting in a three way tie with the Jays and Yankees, but scoring significantly more. The lineup is playing to expectations, and the rotation is playing a bit above. MVP - Starling Marte is showing he doesn’t need PEDs to play well, being responsible for 4 of the Red Sox wins. LVP - Kenley Jansen was not ready to start the year, costing the Red Sox a couple wins early. He made up for it a bit, getting one back, but the high-priced closer needs to play better.
7. (4) Cleveland Indians (17-7) (599.187) - Cleveland has played well to start the year and are cementing themselves as the clear favorite in the weak AL Central. A return the postseason seems inevitable as the Tribe look to repeat. MVP - No one on the team has been responsible for more than one win with Votto, Hedges, Jepsen, Happ, and Cain each providing a win, a real team effort in Cleveland. LVP - Quintana’s start is worrisome given the decrease in velocity. He and JP Crawford have cost the Indians a win and earned one. Nelson Cruz’s old ass has only cost the team a win though in limited playing time.
8. (11) Cincinnati Reds (14-10) (576.223) - The Reds have had good luck with starting pitching being spread out well throughout the year, leading the league with 16 starts. They, however, find themselves in third place in a very tough division and might fall back more if the starts begin to overlap. Still, their schedule gets easier and they should compete. MVP - Freddie Freeman is plus 2 in the win category (3 wins, 1 loss), and Manny is a cleaner 2 wins. The Reds studs are predictably leading the way. LVP - Jake Marisnick has been terrible through his first 45 at bats and has cost the Reds a win.
9. (7) San Diego Padres (16-8) (526.927) - The Pads trail the Rockies by a couple games in the division, but have only played 3 divisional games so far and can easily make it up quickly. Their offense really needs to pick up the slack, however, and the addition of Eduardo Escobar should help. MVP - I traded Bettis in the offseason to the Padres for very little and that is looking like a big mistake. He has won 3 games for them and has an ERA of 1.44 through 4 starts. LVP - No one yet.
10. (12) New York Yankees (14-10) (544.92) - The Yanks have employed a top-heavy lineup and deep rotation to perform well early on and unsurprisingly above my expectations. David Price seems like he is back and Jose Martinez might be the next Cardinals late 20s breakout star. MVP - Judge keeps surprising me and has cut down on his Ks a lot, leading to 3 wins. LVP - Pennington, Szczur, and Headley have all cost the Yankees a game without making one up. The Yankees have played a bunch of close games and have the most individual wins and losses. (25 wins, 5 losses)
11. (23) Oakland Athletics (13-11) (606.827) - The As offense has been extremely impressive and boast 3 of the top 6 overall (Harper, LeMahieu, Chapman). The pitching hasn’t been as bad as expected either. I would be surprised if this holds up and their 13-11 should be better based on performance, but they’ve earned the large leap. MVP - Harper’s brilliance actually hasn’t caused a win yet somehow. Bartolo the Rolo, LeMahieu, Estrada, and Gibson have each contributed a win. LVP - None yet.
12. (9) Houston Astros (12-12) (441.367) - The AL West has been surprisingly strong in the early going and the Astros find themselves in 4th, but also .500. The Stros need Salvador Perez to return in full force, Altuve to wake up, and their rotation to continue pitching well (ignoring Tillman). I am not as high on this team as I was in the offseason. MVP - Altuve, Seager, and Reddick, their three best offensive performers have each provided 2 wins. LVP - Nobody has hurt them yet, but DeJong probably will at some point.
13. (13) New York Mets (13-11) (485.08) - The Mets were looking good until a recent losing streak, including a sweep to the division leaders, but that was largely due to a lack of starting pitching. Greinke will pick it up and they have perhaps the best depth in the league, though, so the Mets should compete for a playoff spot. MVP - Despite a slow start, Greinke has provided 2 wins. So has Upton, who is leading an inconsistent offense. LVP - Jay Bruce has hurt the Mets in real life and in Moneyball, costing them a win in the latter.
14. (19) Texas Rangers (15-9) (454.187) - With Wheeler dealing and Robbie Ray striking out a ton, the Rangers can make up for an offense that isn’t great with Donaldson out on days that Kershaw doesn’t pitch. Kershaw is what is keeping their ranking this high, however. MVP - Kershaw has already been responsible for 3 wins. LVP - No losses caused yet.
15. (16) Tampa Bay Rays (9-15) (485.233) - The Rays have lost some tough ones and are better than their 9-15 record would indicate. With Scherzer on the mound and better performances from the trio of disappointing starters (Archer, Darvish, Stroman), this is a .500 team and rising. I wouldn’t count them out yet. MVP - Scherzer is living up to his ace label and has been responsible for 3 wins. LVP - Spangenburg and Billy Hamilton have each been negative for the season each losing the team a game overall.
16. (15) Washington Nationals (8-16) (479.693) - The Nationals have performed overall about as I expected, although their average is significantly lower than it should be. They will improve and the rotation is why. Giolito should get better and Reynaldo Lopez and Sean Newcomb are showing off young and good arms early. Injury holes to the offense and a lack of depth there will make it tough to climb back into the hunt though. MVP - Yasmani Grandal is trying to grab sole possession of the starting job in LA and is pacing the Nats with 2 wins during his very hot start. LVP - Hunter Pence and Leonys Martin are bringing down a very weak outfield and have each cost the Nats a win.
17. (20) Toronto Blue Jays (14-10) (479.297) - The Blue Jays are trotting out a really good lineup. Their top 4 each have over 55 points and have carried the Blue Jays to an impressive 14-10 record in a tough division. It is unlikely to keep up, however as the Jays are essentially down to a Homer Bailey rotation. MVP - Kris Bryant and Gregory Polanco have hit about as well as you could ask for and have provided 3 wins a piece. LVP - Russell Martin did lose a game for the Jays, and is certainly not earning his contract, but he also helped win 2 games, so not much harm has occurred.
18. (21) Chicago White Sox (11-13) (477.867) - I look at the White Sox roster and I am not sure how they have scored as much as they have. Choo and Franco have played well offensively and they have good depth, but with McCullers and Keuchel off to subpar starts (by their standards), it is surprising to see them in the middle of the pack. If the pitchers start throwing well, watch out. MVP - McCullers, Choo, Granderson, Keuchel, Reed, and Minor each have provided a win, so it has certainly been all hands on deck. LVP - Granderson and Galvis have each cost a win with poorly timed Ks despite putting up decent numbers on the season.
19. (18) Miami Marlins (9-15) (453.283) - Hanley has resurfaced and Brandon McCarthy has reemerged as a good pitcher early on, but not much else has gone right so far for the Marlins. They’ve lost 2 catchers to the DL, Sano has struck out in almost half his at bats, and no one has broken out. Wacha and King Felix have looked washed up and Kimbrel’s fastball has lost some juice. Things could change quickly, but it has not started well for the Marlins. MVP - Mancini, Piscotty, and Chris Taylor have each provided 2 wins but have not played great overall. LVP - Wilmer Difo cost the team a win and is probably still annoyed at his parents for naming him Wilmer.
20. (17) Baltimore Orioles (8-16) (447.867) - The O’s got off to a pretty awful start and have started to rebound a bit, but still have a ways to go. They will need Belt and Longoria to rise over 2 pts/game and for their starting pitchers to throw a bit better, outside of Kennedy, if they want to compete for a playoff spot. It will be tough with a lot of ground to make up in a deep AL East. MVP - Ivan Nova, despite an ERA near 5, has won 2 games for Baltimore. LVP - Vazquez, Longoria, and the recently departed Adam Jones have each provided a loss. It probably was not the exit from Baltimore that Jones was hoping for.
21. (14) San Francisco Giants (12-12) (377.52) -Injuries have killed the Giants so far this year. Turner and Myers and Hill and Pedroia and Eickhoff should come back but the empty spots on the roster have really crushed their point total early. They are very lucky to be .500 and maybe if the get healthy, they can make a run. MVP - Chad Green and Matt Joyce have each provided 2 wins. You don’t really want a RP as your MVP... LVP - Miguel Gonzalez has been about as bad as you can be and unsurprisingly cost the Giants a win. A lesson in the perils of using a guy just because he is playing.
22. (27) Minnesota Twins (13-11) (489.46) - Where the hell did Brian Anderson come from? Or Miguel Rojas? Trevor Williams? I don’t know, but the Twins are playing well and find themselves above .500 despite having Lamb on the DL most of the year. Dickerson is making the Rays look stupid and maybe the Twins will make me look stupid, but I just don’t see this continuing. MVP - Brian Anderson, 28-year old Utley, Pillar, and Stammen (30 points!) have each provided 2 wins. LVP - Miguel Rojas and Jon Jay have each cost a loss and earned a win, staying even. This team will need to continue having a lack of negative players if it wants to stay in the playoff hunt.
23. (8) Atlanta Braves (9-15) (502.907) - The Braves got off to a disappointing start as the Phillies got really lucky and decided to jump ship on the season. Kluber is gone, Bour is gone, Hamels is gone, and a skeleton crew remains for last year’s wild card team. They have accumulated to good pieces for the future, but there is not a lot to like for this year. MVP - Bour is a recent departure, but was able to provide the Braves with 3 wins before he left. LVP - Orlando Arcia did cost the Braves the win but despite only have 23 points on the season, has also provided 2 wins, so overall positive.
24. (22) Arizona Diamondbacks (7-17) (343.733) - Jason Heyward has been their top offensive weapon and Tyson Ross has been their best pitcher. Pomeranz is coming back and Kipnis should hit better once the Indians play a game above 40 degrees, but this is not a playoff team. MVP - Heyward, the one with the .682 OPS and extremely disappointing Cubs career is leading the team with 2 wins accounted for. LVP - The bright spot to getting blown out is that no one player will be blamed for a loss.
25. (24) Kansas City Royals (11-13) (326.28) - The Royals are lucky to be within 2 games of .500, even in the weak AL Central. Asdrubal, Segura, Gardner, and Victor Martinez have provided some pop, the remaining 5 spots have been outscored by 30 players on their own. They have 5 starting pitchers and none of them have an ERA under 5. This will be an ugly year for the Royals. MVP - To get 11 wins with this team, there are going to be some close wins, and Victor Martinez has been the difference in 4 of them. LVP - Treinen cost the Royals a win and he has a .87 ERA. How he cost them a win and Kendall Graveman (9.87 ERA, -4.67 points) didn’t is beyond me.
26. (25) Los Angeles Dodgers (11-13) (342.673) - Bellinger looked primed for a sophomore slump early but has put it together the last week. Kingery and Javier Baez are breaking out and the Dodgers seem to be gathering hope for the future. Still, they are a young team that needs to grow a bit more before becoming contenders and, like the Royals, are lucky to have 11 wins. MVP - Has Javier Baez figured it out? He has been spectacular so far and has provided 4 wins out of 11. LVP - Bellinger cost them a win early but has since balanced it out.
27. (30) Milwaukee Brewers (9-15) (337.123) - 9 wins is more than the Brewers deserve and a savvy signing of Preston Tucker as well as the surprisingly good play of their rotation are the cause. Tucker will likely lose his job to Acuna soon and pitchers like Cahill and Lucchesi and Fiers will come back down to earth, but the Brewers have to be happy to be out of the cellar early on, or not, considering draft picks. MVP - Preston Tucker has earned the Brewers 3 wins and has pissed me off as a Phillies phan, although not as much as Ryan Flaherty. LVP - None yet, but that rotation is due for a thumping or two as it regresses to the mean.
28. (29) Seattle Mariners (8-16) (315.09) - For having half a lineup and no real starting pitchers, the Mariners are doing pretty well. I hate that I am going to have to watch the Braves roll out Albies and Swanson for the foreseeable future and Villanueva has flashed great power, even if half came in one game. They have some solid lineup pieces to build around. MVP - Brault (RP that starts?), Albies, and Swanson have all provided wins. LVP - Villanueva also provided a win, but lost one as well.
29. (26) Pittsburgh Pirates (4-20) (274.92) - Corey Seager has rebounded from a tough start and Domingo Santana has not. James Taillon may be the Chris Sale replacement that the Pirates were looking for. Otherwise, not a lot to watch in Pittsburgh. MVP - Taillon has been great and good for 3 of their 4 wins. He may be responsible for half their wins a la Steve Carlton for the 1972 Phillies. LVP - None, but it’s hard to cause a loss when you’re getting blown out.
30. (28) Detroit Tigers (5-19) (155.867) - Ian Happ hit the first pitch of the season for a home run and has compiled 3.18 points since
Jeimer Candelario has played well and Daniel Mengden has played mediocre. That’s about as nice as I can get. MVP - Romano, Happ, Renfroe, and Mengden have provided a win each. LVP - Soria has been serviceable, but cost them a loss, badly.
Ranking. (Previous Ranking) (W-L) (Total Points) -
Biggest Rise: Oakland Athletics (+12)
Largest Fall: Atlanta Braves (-15)
1. (1) Chicago Cubs (17-7) (708.36) - Short term injuries have hampered the Cubs a bit early on, but this is still the World Series favorite and leading the league in points. MVP - Despite a slow start to the year, Goldschmidt has been great recently and good for 3 wins. LVP - Nick Williams cost the Cubs a win, but also contributed to one, breaking even. This does highlight the Cubs one potential weakness, RF.
2. (5) Philadelphia Phillies (21-3) (703.613) - Riding the top offense and a mediocre and injury-riddled pitching staff, the Phillies have the largest division lead and have yet to lose a game within the division (11-0) MVP - Backup SS Dixon Machado (surprisingly playing decently), starting SS Brandon Crawford (playing poorly overall), and Tommy Pham (stud) create an odd trio as the only players providing 2 wins on the Phils. LVP - No one has cost the Phillies a win yet, which is a bit surprising given that their first basemen have combined for over 50 Ks already.
3. (6) Colorado Rockies (18-6) (625.36) - Luke Weaver, Velasquez, and Didi Gregorius have been great early on, playing well above expectations. The lineup, overall, has been a bit disppointing although Murphy’s imminent return will help a lot. MVP - Mike Trout is number one in the league and has amazingly been responsible for 6 wins so far this year. Luke Weaver is leading the league in wins for a Pitcher with 4 as well as the Rockies have played some tight ones. LVP - Ian Desmond has cost the Rockies and earned them a win, making him much less disappointing than McMahon who has -4.56 points through 34 at bats.
4. (3) Los Angeles Angels (13-11) (582.047) - The Angels have 2 of the top 6 performers so far in Kluber and Berrios, but dropped in my rankings a bit, probably unwisely. The addition of Kluber should have vaulted them up, but other emergences above made it hard for them to move. That, and a seriously underperforming lineup headlined by Giancarlo have resulted in a disappointing 13-11 start. MVP - Lucroy, Bregman, and Trea Turner have contributed 2 wins a piece. LVP - None, even though Stanton has tried his best with -5 and -6 point games.
5. (2) St. Louis Cardinals (15-9) (601.977) - The Cards started slow, but have come on of late, playing much better. The return of Realmuto helps as well. MVP - David Peralta has been a pleasant surprise so far. Dexter Fowler has played poorly, but both are responsible for 2 wins. LVP - The Cardinals have avoided blaming one player for a loss.
6. (10) Boston Red Sox (14-10) (624.77) - Boston has positioned themselves well to repeat atop the AL East, sitting in a three way tie with the Jays and Yankees, but scoring significantly more. The lineup is playing to expectations, and the rotation is playing a bit above. MVP - Starling Marte is showing he doesn’t need PEDs to play well, being responsible for 4 of the Red Sox wins. LVP - Kenley Jansen was not ready to start the year, costing the Red Sox a couple wins early. He made up for it a bit, getting one back, but the high-priced closer needs to play better.
7. (4) Cleveland Indians (17-7) (599.187) - Cleveland has played well to start the year and are cementing themselves as the clear favorite in the weak AL Central. A return the postseason seems inevitable as the Tribe look to repeat. MVP - No one on the team has been responsible for more than one win with Votto, Hedges, Jepsen, Happ, and Cain each providing a win, a real team effort in Cleveland. LVP - Quintana’s start is worrisome given the decrease in velocity. He and JP Crawford have cost the Indians a win and earned one. Nelson Cruz’s old ass has only cost the team a win though in limited playing time.
8. (11) Cincinnati Reds (14-10) (576.223) - The Reds have had good luck with starting pitching being spread out well throughout the year, leading the league with 16 starts. They, however, find themselves in third place in a very tough division and might fall back more if the starts begin to overlap. Still, their schedule gets easier and they should compete. MVP - Freddie Freeman is plus 2 in the win category (3 wins, 1 loss), and Manny is a cleaner 2 wins. The Reds studs are predictably leading the way. LVP - Jake Marisnick has been terrible through his first 45 at bats and has cost the Reds a win.
9. (7) San Diego Padres (16-8) (526.927) - The Pads trail the Rockies by a couple games in the division, but have only played 3 divisional games so far and can easily make it up quickly. Their offense really needs to pick up the slack, however, and the addition of Eduardo Escobar should help. MVP - I traded Bettis in the offseason to the Padres for very little and that is looking like a big mistake. He has won 3 games for them and has an ERA of 1.44 through 4 starts. LVP - No one yet.
10. (12) New York Yankees (14-10) (544.92) - The Yanks have employed a top-heavy lineup and deep rotation to perform well early on and unsurprisingly above my expectations. David Price seems like he is back and Jose Martinez might be the next Cardinals late 20s breakout star. MVP - Judge keeps surprising me and has cut down on his Ks a lot, leading to 3 wins. LVP - Pennington, Szczur, and Headley have all cost the Yankees a game without making one up. The Yankees have played a bunch of close games and have the most individual wins and losses. (25 wins, 5 losses)
11. (23) Oakland Athletics (13-11) (606.827) - The As offense has been extremely impressive and boast 3 of the top 6 overall (Harper, LeMahieu, Chapman). The pitching hasn’t been as bad as expected either. I would be surprised if this holds up and their 13-11 should be better based on performance, but they’ve earned the large leap. MVP - Harper’s brilliance actually hasn’t caused a win yet somehow. Bartolo the Rolo, LeMahieu, Estrada, and Gibson have each contributed a win. LVP - None yet.
12. (9) Houston Astros (12-12) (441.367) - The AL West has been surprisingly strong in the early going and the Astros find themselves in 4th, but also .500. The Stros need Salvador Perez to return in full force, Altuve to wake up, and their rotation to continue pitching well (ignoring Tillman). I am not as high on this team as I was in the offseason. MVP - Altuve, Seager, and Reddick, their three best offensive performers have each provided 2 wins. LVP - Nobody has hurt them yet, but DeJong probably will at some point.
13. (13) New York Mets (13-11) (485.08) - The Mets were looking good until a recent losing streak, including a sweep to the division leaders, but that was largely due to a lack of starting pitching. Greinke will pick it up and they have perhaps the best depth in the league, though, so the Mets should compete for a playoff spot. MVP - Despite a slow start, Greinke has provided 2 wins. So has Upton, who is leading an inconsistent offense. LVP - Jay Bruce has hurt the Mets in real life and in Moneyball, costing them a win in the latter.
14. (19) Texas Rangers (15-9) (454.187) - With Wheeler dealing and Robbie Ray striking out a ton, the Rangers can make up for an offense that isn’t great with Donaldson out on days that Kershaw doesn’t pitch. Kershaw is what is keeping their ranking this high, however. MVP - Kershaw has already been responsible for 3 wins. LVP - No losses caused yet.
15. (16) Tampa Bay Rays (9-15) (485.233) - The Rays have lost some tough ones and are better than their 9-15 record would indicate. With Scherzer on the mound and better performances from the trio of disappointing starters (Archer, Darvish, Stroman), this is a .500 team and rising. I wouldn’t count them out yet. MVP - Scherzer is living up to his ace label and has been responsible for 3 wins. LVP - Spangenburg and Billy Hamilton have each been negative for the season each losing the team a game overall.
16. (15) Washington Nationals (8-16) (479.693) - The Nationals have performed overall about as I expected, although their average is significantly lower than it should be. They will improve and the rotation is why. Giolito should get better and Reynaldo Lopez and Sean Newcomb are showing off young and good arms early. Injury holes to the offense and a lack of depth there will make it tough to climb back into the hunt though. MVP - Yasmani Grandal is trying to grab sole possession of the starting job in LA and is pacing the Nats with 2 wins during his very hot start. LVP - Hunter Pence and Leonys Martin are bringing down a very weak outfield and have each cost the Nats a win.
17. (20) Toronto Blue Jays (14-10) (479.297) - The Blue Jays are trotting out a really good lineup. Their top 4 each have over 55 points and have carried the Blue Jays to an impressive 14-10 record in a tough division. It is unlikely to keep up, however as the Jays are essentially down to a Homer Bailey rotation. MVP - Kris Bryant and Gregory Polanco have hit about as well as you could ask for and have provided 3 wins a piece. LVP - Russell Martin did lose a game for the Jays, and is certainly not earning his contract, but he also helped win 2 games, so not much harm has occurred.
18. (21) Chicago White Sox (11-13) (477.867) - I look at the White Sox roster and I am not sure how they have scored as much as they have. Choo and Franco have played well offensively and they have good depth, but with McCullers and Keuchel off to subpar starts (by their standards), it is surprising to see them in the middle of the pack. If the pitchers start throwing well, watch out. MVP - McCullers, Choo, Granderson, Keuchel, Reed, and Minor each have provided a win, so it has certainly been all hands on deck. LVP - Granderson and Galvis have each cost a win with poorly timed Ks despite putting up decent numbers on the season.
19. (18) Miami Marlins (9-15) (453.283) - Hanley has resurfaced and Brandon McCarthy has reemerged as a good pitcher early on, but not much else has gone right so far for the Marlins. They’ve lost 2 catchers to the DL, Sano has struck out in almost half his at bats, and no one has broken out. Wacha and King Felix have looked washed up and Kimbrel’s fastball has lost some juice. Things could change quickly, but it has not started well for the Marlins. MVP - Mancini, Piscotty, and Chris Taylor have each provided 2 wins but have not played great overall. LVP - Wilmer Difo cost the team a win and is probably still annoyed at his parents for naming him Wilmer.
20. (17) Baltimore Orioles (8-16) (447.867) - The O’s got off to a pretty awful start and have started to rebound a bit, but still have a ways to go. They will need Belt and Longoria to rise over 2 pts/game and for their starting pitchers to throw a bit better, outside of Kennedy, if they want to compete for a playoff spot. It will be tough with a lot of ground to make up in a deep AL East. MVP - Ivan Nova, despite an ERA near 5, has won 2 games for Baltimore. LVP - Vazquez, Longoria, and the recently departed Adam Jones have each provided a loss. It probably was not the exit from Baltimore that Jones was hoping for.
21. (14) San Francisco Giants (12-12) (377.52) -Injuries have killed the Giants so far this year. Turner and Myers and Hill and Pedroia and Eickhoff should come back but the empty spots on the roster have really crushed their point total early. They are very lucky to be .500 and maybe if the get healthy, they can make a run. MVP - Chad Green and Matt Joyce have each provided 2 wins. You don’t really want a RP as your MVP... LVP - Miguel Gonzalez has been about as bad as you can be and unsurprisingly cost the Giants a win. A lesson in the perils of using a guy just because he is playing.
22. (27) Minnesota Twins (13-11) (489.46) - Where the hell did Brian Anderson come from? Or Miguel Rojas? Trevor Williams? I don’t know, but the Twins are playing well and find themselves above .500 despite having Lamb on the DL most of the year. Dickerson is making the Rays look stupid and maybe the Twins will make me look stupid, but I just don’t see this continuing. MVP - Brian Anderson, 28-year old Utley, Pillar, and Stammen (30 points!) have each provided 2 wins. LVP - Miguel Rojas and Jon Jay have each cost a loss and earned a win, staying even. This team will need to continue having a lack of negative players if it wants to stay in the playoff hunt.
23. (8) Atlanta Braves (9-15) (502.907) - The Braves got off to a disappointing start as the Phillies got really lucky and decided to jump ship on the season. Kluber is gone, Bour is gone, Hamels is gone, and a skeleton crew remains for last year’s wild card team. They have accumulated to good pieces for the future, but there is not a lot to like for this year. MVP - Bour is a recent departure, but was able to provide the Braves with 3 wins before he left. LVP - Orlando Arcia did cost the Braves the win but despite only have 23 points on the season, has also provided 2 wins, so overall positive.
24. (22) Arizona Diamondbacks (7-17) (343.733) - Jason Heyward has been their top offensive weapon and Tyson Ross has been their best pitcher. Pomeranz is coming back and Kipnis should hit better once the Indians play a game above 40 degrees, but this is not a playoff team. MVP - Heyward, the one with the .682 OPS and extremely disappointing Cubs career is leading the team with 2 wins accounted for. LVP - The bright spot to getting blown out is that no one player will be blamed for a loss.
25. (24) Kansas City Royals (11-13) (326.28) - The Royals are lucky to be within 2 games of .500, even in the weak AL Central. Asdrubal, Segura, Gardner, and Victor Martinez have provided some pop, the remaining 5 spots have been outscored by 30 players on their own. They have 5 starting pitchers and none of them have an ERA under 5. This will be an ugly year for the Royals. MVP - To get 11 wins with this team, there are going to be some close wins, and Victor Martinez has been the difference in 4 of them. LVP - Treinen cost the Royals a win and he has a .87 ERA. How he cost them a win and Kendall Graveman (9.87 ERA, -4.67 points) didn’t is beyond me.
26. (25) Los Angeles Dodgers (11-13) (342.673) - Bellinger looked primed for a sophomore slump early but has put it together the last week. Kingery and Javier Baez are breaking out and the Dodgers seem to be gathering hope for the future. Still, they are a young team that needs to grow a bit more before becoming contenders and, like the Royals, are lucky to have 11 wins. MVP - Has Javier Baez figured it out? He has been spectacular so far and has provided 4 wins out of 11. LVP - Bellinger cost them a win early but has since balanced it out.
27. (30) Milwaukee Brewers (9-15) (337.123) - 9 wins is more than the Brewers deserve and a savvy signing of Preston Tucker as well as the surprisingly good play of their rotation are the cause. Tucker will likely lose his job to Acuna soon and pitchers like Cahill and Lucchesi and Fiers will come back down to earth, but the Brewers have to be happy to be out of the cellar early on, or not, considering draft picks. MVP - Preston Tucker has earned the Brewers 3 wins and has pissed me off as a Phillies phan, although not as much as Ryan Flaherty. LVP - None yet, but that rotation is due for a thumping or two as it regresses to the mean.
28. (29) Seattle Mariners (8-16) (315.09) - For having half a lineup and no real starting pitchers, the Mariners are doing pretty well. I hate that I am going to have to watch the Braves roll out Albies and Swanson for the foreseeable future and Villanueva has flashed great power, even if half came in one game. They have some solid lineup pieces to build around. MVP - Brault (RP that starts?), Albies, and Swanson have all provided wins. LVP - Villanueva also provided a win, but lost one as well.
29. (26) Pittsburgh Pirates (4-20) (274.92) - Corey Seager has rebounded from a tough start and Domingo Santana has not. James Taillon may be the Chris Sale replacement that the Pirates were looking for. Otherwise, not a lot to watch in Pittsburgh. MVP - Taillon has been great and good for 3 of their 4 wins. He may be responsible for half their wins a la Steve Carlton for the 1972 Phillies. LVP - None, but it’s hard to cause a loss when you’re getting blown out.
30. (28) Detroit Tigers (5-19) (155.867) - Ian Happ hit the first pitch of the season for a home run and has compiled 3.18 points since
Jeimer Candelario has played well and Daniel Mengden has played mediocre. That’s about as nice as I can get. MVP - Romano, Happ, Renfroe, and Mengden have provided a win each. LVP - Soria has been serviceable, but cost them a loss, badly.