It’s been a month since the first pitch was thrown in Houston to begin the 2013 Major League baseball season. Everyone including us had our predictions of how this year’s season would unfold. Which teams would take the divisional crowns and compete for this season’s World Series title. There are already many deviations to what the experts said so far with the season. Injuries have started to take its toll on teams and taking away premier players from lineups. The most obscure and devastating was to Dodgers starting pitcher Zach Grienke who was injured on April 11 when Carlos Quinten charged the mound and broke his collarbone. Slugger Giancarlo Stanton is now missing from the struggling Marlins lineup and not due back until late in May. All three of the National League divisions have leaders at the one month mark that most would not expect.
Atlanta Braves: The Braves have been red hot to start the 2013 season. This is the least surprising leader of the divisions, but most expected the Nationals to dominate and they now sit with a mediocre 13-13 record. Atlanta has been clicking on all cylinders with the bat and on the mound. Justin Upton has had an incredible April leading the league in homeruns with 12 and batting a stellar .304 so far. After Chipper Jones retired everyone wondered who would step in to fill the large shoes he left at third base and newcomer Chris Johnson has done well so far. He was acquired from Arizona in the Martin Prado trade and has earned his keep in Atlanta this month. He is leading the NL in average at .367 with 2 HRs and 8 RBIs. His fielding has also been good making only 1 error in 21 total touches of the ball. Overall pitching has been good for the Braves with the second best pitching staff in the NL barely behind the Cardinals. The starters have mostly pitched well but the bullpen has been there to pick up any slack that is needed. On top of all that I have to mention Evan Gattis who has been an unexpected burst at a catcher position we all thought would be weak with Brain McCann out on the DL. Evan has played in 20 games mostly at catcher and contributed 6 HRs and 14 RBIs in his first season above AA.
Pittsburgh Pirates: No this is not a typo. The Pirates are leading the NL Central. While it is a slim lead over the rest of the division…it is a lead none the less. This is certainly not what was expected out Pittsburgh this season. We all thought they would be an improving team and while it is still very early, Pirates fans should enjoy the run and hope to achieve the season goal of finishing above .500 since 1992. This is not a team of all-stars as you would probably expect. Andrew McCutchen is the best known Pirate and he hasn’t been exactly leading the charge batting .217 with 2 HRs and 14 RBIs. It has been more of a team effort with the bat. Catcher Russell Martin is off to a good start leading the team in HRs with 5. First baseman Garrett Jones leads the team in average at .319 and RBIs with 15. Pitching has overall been keeping them in games with a 3.57 ERA anchored by A.J. Burnett. Burnett leads the NL in strikeouts with 48 and a 2.83 ERA. I can’t say for sure if the Pirates will stay hot and hold onto the division title come September…I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you but Bucs fans should enjoy the moment and hang on for the ride.
Colorado Rockies: Again, this is not a typo. I would surely have thought the Dodgers or Giants would hold this spot even a month into the season but the Rockies have been playing great baseball. There have been a lot of hot bats in Coors Field. Catcher Wilin Rosario and center fielder Dexter Fowler are leading the barrage in Denver but a lot of the others are pulling their weight as well. Rosario is hitting a stellar .350 with 19 RBIs while Fowler has 8 HRs and 15 RBIs. As a team the Rockies are leading the NL in most of the hitting categories to include average, hits, RBIs, OBP just to name a few. It is no doubt that Coors Field is a hitter friendly park and they are taking advantage with a 9-3 record in Denver. Pitching has been nothing to sneeze at either with a team ERA of 3.65 that puts them 12th in MLB which is impressive in its own right. Much like the Pirates, it is early in the season and time will tell if the Rockies will be a true contender in the West. I do know they are a fun team to watch right now and I suggest you check them out while the getting is good.
Prospect Spotlight.
I am a big fan of minor league baseball so I will always have a player that I will spotlight picking from all levels of Minor League Baseball. I have been a longtime season ticket holder of a AA club and really think it is good baseball and the players do not get enough recognition for their work. This week I want to spotlight starting pitcher John Gast of the AAA Memphis Redbirds. John was drafted by the Cardinals out of Florida State and has made pretty quick work of the minor leagues. He made it to AAA Memphis last season in only his second full season. He has a history of shoulder issues starting back in high school where he had Tommy John surgery before going to play for the Seminoles. He has pitched nearly 30 innings so far for Memphis and holds an ERA of 0.00. He has not allowed a run and holds a 3-0 record in 5 starts. He has 29 strikeouts giving him a strikeout per inning he has pitched. He has been the anchor of what is one of the best pitching staffs in the Pacific Coast League.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
