Posted by The 2023 season is rolling now, and as we are getting close to moving to May, there has been a lot of change and surprises from what we may have thought the beginning of the season would look like on Opening Day.
It is important we look at teams’ performances on a month-to-month basis when we look at the end of the season.
Let’s dive into our April top 10 teams in the Leauge.
10. Pittsburg Pirates
There’s no argument that the Pirates are the most surprising team so far this season. You could say how hot the Rays have been, but it’s not much of a surprise for me when you look at the Rays. Pittsburg is 16-7, 8-2 in their last 10, and on top of the NL Central today. This is impressive for a team like the Pirates who usually fight with the Reds for the bottom of the division. Ke’Bryan Hayes has shown off the glove early, he’s been good in his career so far, but maybe this is the year we see him break out and have a monster season. This team actually looks competitive and athletic compared to what they have been the last few seasons. Whether this is just early luck or an actual competitive team only time will tell.
9. Baltimore Orioles
This is the most fun, young, and just exciting team in baseball. They have won 6 in a row and are now tied for the second-best record in the AL at 14-7 and are 2nd in the division behind the Rays. Ryan Mountcastle has been hitting great so far this year and he looks like he is trying to bounce back from the step-back season he had last year. Kyle Gibson has been impressive on the mound so far, he had 11 K’s through 6 1/3 innings on Saturday night’s win against Detroit. The team is just fun, they are so young and they have a lot to look forward to in the future if this core could stay together.
8. San Diego Padres
The Friars finally got Fernando Tatis Jr back and it seems like the vibes of this team have had a 360-degree turn quickly. As of today, they are right at .500 with a 12-12 record. This team is gonna win a lot of games this year, and they should only go up from here.
7. Houston Astros
The Astros have had a pretty slow start to the season, well for them at least. They swept the Braves over the weekend in Atlanta and have won 4 in a row. Anytime you sweet a team like the Braves, you gain all the confidence in the world. They are now going to Tampa where the Rays have been scorching hot so far, it will be interesting to see how they play against them. But for the last few years, the Astros have owned the AL, and they are gonna be a tough team to beat all season long.
6. New York Mets
The Mets are playing some good baseball as they just finished their long road trip out west. They swept the A’s, took 2 out of three from the Dodgers, and then split the series with the Giants, which could be disappointing, but with a long road trip out west like that, you have to be happy with those results. They’re saying now that Verlander could make a return in early May, which would only benefit the Mets right now. Now they get to take on the Nationals before a 4 game series with their divisional foe Atlanta Braves over the weekend. I think if you’re the Mets and you split that series with the Braves, you gotta just be happy with it. This is a team that’s kinda going one game at a time right now, and for the most part, it seems to be working.
5. New York Yankees
Before this last series against Toronto, the Yankees were playing really well. They couldn’t get it done against Vladdy Jr and the Blue Jays over the weekend and they lost their first series of the young season. Gerrit Cole has been absolutely shoving so far this year. Through 34 innings, he’s punched out 36 batters and has a WAR of 1.9 and an ERA of 0.79. He looks like he is making a statement early to remind us that he’s one of the best pitchers in baseball, and he’s showcasing Cy Young stuff early this season. They have scored less than 4 runs in 8 of their last 10, which seems concerning looking at some of the power in this lineup. But it is still early, and theres a lot for them to improve on and chemistry with some of the new guys. Once this team heats up, they are going to punish the league.
4. Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers have been hot this season, they went to Seattle and swept the Mariners and have won 7 out of the last 10 games. The team looks good. Rowdy Tellez has been hitting the ball hard, pitching has been fun to watch. Seems like the chemistry is good. They are a good team and they will give a lot of the NL trouble this season.
3. Atlanta Braves
Besides getting swept by the Astros in Atlanta, the Braves have been awesome this season. Max Fried has been lights out early and looks like he wants the NL Cy Young. They have a solid, solid rotation and one of the best bullpens in all of baseball. I think they are the best team in the NL and will be all year long.
2. Toronto Blue Jays
The Jays have been good this season so far. I’m not sure what it is for me with the Blue Jays and why I’m putting them at the #2 spot, but they have this spot in my heart. They seem to be the unluckiest team in the league and always choke when it matters though. They have been good early but let’s see how long they can hold onto this, as they are in what is probably the most competitive division so far this year. (That was so negative for me putting them at #2).
- Tampa Bay Rays
I really don’t have much to say or that I need to elaborate on because everyone sees it. They started 13-0 which is one of the best starts ever, they hit a ton of home runs, and they can beat anyone right now. Wherever we are early, they are the no-doubter best team in baseball.