Right as Ryan: Opening pitch of MLB stories
May 18, 2016
With the NBA in its final weeks of the postseason and the NFL draft behind us, there’s only one of the big three sports left in season play: the MLB.
Now, I’m going to be honest here, I wasn’t a follower of baseball until a year and a half ago. Since then, I’ve been as interested in the sport as I have been with basketball and football. With that said, here are some of the most intriguing stories in the MLB’s first month and a half.
What An Opening Story
If you told me that a rookie shortstop, who only won a spot on the team due to the legal issues of veteran Jose Reyes, would hit six home runs in his first four games, then you’re out of your mind. Somehow, Colorado Rockies’ shortstop Trevor Story was able to do the incredible and hit seven dingers over his first eight games, even having two multi-HR games. Now, Story is leading all shortstops in HRs and is in third place in all of baseball. Considering that he had to fill the spot of superstar shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who was traded from the team last year, Story has done a good job of switching the focus of the Rockies into the future and not on the past struggles. Story, of course, slowed down his flurry of HRs, but it’s still historical nonetheless.
Houston, we have a problem
Coming into the season with fully adjusted Carlos Gomez, rising star Jose Altuve, last season’s AL Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel, and preseason AL MVP candidate Carlos Correa, this year’s Houston Astros looked to build off of the success from last season’s short yet optimistic end.
Now, the Astros are one of the bottom five teams in baseball, fighting the LA Angels to stay in fourth place of the AL West. Keuchel is 2-5 with an earned run average that’s over five, Gomez has yet to even hit a home run, Correa’s numbers are underwhelming, and Altuve has been one of the few bright spots in the team’s dismal season. On the positive side, they have a chance at winning the number one pick next year.
Chicago
After winning 97 games last year and playing in the NL Championships, (before being swept by my Mets) the Chicago Cubs showed the world that they were back. It also helped that the Cubs signed second baseman Ben Zobrist and three-time Gold Glove winner Jason Heyward. With a stacked offense and strong defense, the Cubs were expected to be the top team of the NL, but no one expected the other team in Chicago to be the No. 1 team of the AL.
The Chicago White Sox were coming into the season after a 76-win 2015 and, following the Adam LaRoche locker room situation, rankings didn’t even have these guys in the Top 15. With the pitching trio of Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, and Mat Latos and a supporting bullpen, the Sox have been able to reach the top of the league. Third baseman Todd Frazier is having a strong season, raking in over 30 RBIs and ten HRs. However, I don’t see it continuing, so for now, let’s cherish history as it’s been almost 43 years since Chicago has had two teams leading the MLB.
Marlins: Can they do anything right?
The last time the Miami Marlins made the playoffs, they were known as the Florida Marlins and they won the World Series. The price for such success has led to over 12 years of failures and no postseason appearances. It seemed like every year, the Marlins have faced some form of pain whether it was the Tommy John injury of ace Jose Fernandez or slugger Giancarlo Stanton’s hand injury that took him out last season.
This year, bad luck rained upon the Marlins once again when it was announced that last year’s NL batting champion and leadoff hitter Dee Gordon was suspended for 80 games for taking PEDs.
Losing their most consistent hitter in the NL East, a division that has some of the best pitching staffs, could not be any more ill timed. Now, the team only has the occasional mammoth HRs of Stanton, a recovering Fernandez, and the up-and-down year of new manager Don Mattingly. Oh well, at least the team has a chance at third against the rebuilding Philadelphia Phillies.
