Each MLB season brings its personal set of surprises, some nice and others not. Two weeks after MLB opened its season in South Korea, listed below are 10 early surprises.
All data and stats are by Monday’s video games.
Pittsburgh Pirates are scorching
At 9-2, the Pirates sit atop the NL Central. Pittsburgh has not made the postseason in 9 years or received their division in 32 years. It is nonetheless tremendous early, however there are many encouraging indicators for Pirates followers.
Shortstop Oneil Cruz and third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes might be the staff’s greatest duo since Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla within the late Nineteen Eighties and early Nineteen Nineties. Plus, the staff’s younger core is among the best in the majors.
…and so are the Yankees
New York’s 9-2 begin has them tied with the Pirates for the perfect document in baseball. The Yanks went a pedestrian 82-80 and completed fourth final season within the AL East. The addition of Juan Soto was its lone large offseason transfer, however New York has shortly flipped the script on final season’s debacle.
The large query now could be: Can star slugger Aaron Choose — who said last year’s toe injury nonetheless requires “fixed upkeep” — keep within the lineup?
Anthony Volpe has discovered his bat
The 22-year-old shortstop is off to a blistering begin for the Yankees, hitting .417 — practically double his near-Mendoza line average from final season (.209). Because the youngest prospect since Derek Jeter to make final yr’s Opening Day roster, Volpe began with hope after which devolved into a protracted offensive malaise (167 strikeouts in 601 plate appearances). That makes this yr’s scorching begin all of the extra shocking.
