May 8-14 Update

Another exciting week of baseball and we are really starting to see the real version of each team. Do we have any early season frauds? Are hot and cold starts really important? Are we currently watching the best division in baseball history? Let's dive into it.

We have talked about some of these teams in the early going where the records didn't match expectations. The season is far enough along to see if these teams are legit or if there is some unexpected magic happening. A Prime example are the Pirates where it comes as no surprise to see their hot start cool off dramatically. After having the second best record in baseball over the first month, the Buccos struggled to win consistelnty and are now sitting just over .500 with a 22-19 record. While that is still solid for the moment, they are 2-8 in their last 10 games and the excitment of the underdog story has worn off.

The St. Louis Cardinals are a team we have talked about quite a bit and for obviosu reasons. The Cardinals returned two of the top three MVP vote getters last year and expectations were as high as ever. While I still have faith, St. Louis isn't doing much to improve expectations as they still sit in the basement on the NL Central at 15-25. The silver lining is that they play in one of the worst divisions in baseball and don't need 100 wins to hit the playoffs. There is plenty of time to turn it around.

A couple of solid teams were giving me cause for concern. The Dodgers were floating around a .500 record through the first month but are starting to heat up with the weather going 8-2 over their last 10 games and taking over 1st place in a lackluster NL West. The Orioles are another team that are showing they are here to stay. The pitching has held their own and the offense has been as advertised. Baltimore also house a lot of depth in the minors if they happen to get bitten by the injury bug and should remain relevant in a crowded AL East.

Speaking of the AL East, every team in the division is over .500. The worst record is currently held by the Red Sox at 22-19. Yes, you read that correctly. The Sox are in last place even though they are 3 games over .500. The AL East is showing how strong they are now that the new schedule is out and every team is on everyone's calendar. Instead of the AL East beating up on each other all year, they get to beat up on everyone else. If the playoff started tomorrow, 4 of the 6 AL East teams would be in the playoffs. Really let that sink in for a minute becasue it could remain true into the playoffs with a weak AL Central. It will be an interesting race to watch throuhgout the year!

This season of baseball has continued to be one of my favorites. The rule changes have proved positive in my opinion. Nothing is perfect, but I for one, am loving the pace of play. We will see you all on Thursday!

--Cyrus Beermann