MLB Weekly Wrap-up (Week of 4/13/15)
Week two of the 2015 MLB season is in the books, and with that, Kris Bryant is now in the big leagues. The Chicago Cubs phenom 3rd baseman was finally called up to the majors last Friday after toiling away in the minors for the first week and a half of the season. He was the minor league player of the year in 2014, putting up an impressive stat line of a .325 batting average, 43 home runs, and 110 runs batted in. Bryant was the talk of spring training, leading the Cactus League with 9 home runs. He should have played his way onto the opening day Cubs roster, but the team elected to keep him in the minors for a little while longer, giving them an extra year of control over Bryant before he is eligible for free agency. It appears that Bryant is now in the big leagues for good. He joins a young and exciting Cubs nucleus that is looking to reverse the curse and finally win.
The other big story line that emerged last week was the hiring of the all-time hit king, Pete Rose, as a FOX Sports baseball analyst. This hire comes at an interesting time, as Rose is currently seeking reinstatement to Major League Baseball from new commissioner Rob Manfred. Rose was permanently banned from the sport over 25 years ago as a result of betting on games during his time with the Cincinnati Reds. He is hoping that Manfred will overturn that ruling, clearing the way for Rose to return to baseball in some capacity. Perhaps this new role with FOX is a small step in the right direction for the lifting of the lifetime ban. The debate on whether or not Rose belongs back in baseball is a heated one. However, many believe the time is right to at least partially reinstate him, allow him to play a role with the Reds and the 2015 all-star game, and put him in the Hall of Fame.
Hottest Team: New York Mets (7-0 last week)
Image courtesy of sportslogos.net
The Mets are hotter than any team in baseball right now. Largely an afterthought in the National League East, they have started the season 10-3 and are currently on an eight-game winning streak. They put together an impressive 7-0 performance last week, completing sweeps of the rival Phillies and Marlins. The ace of the pitching staff, Matt Harvey, is back from Tommy John surgery, and the emergence of Jacob deGrom gives the Mets a strong duo at the front of the rotation. It will be interesting to see if the Mets can hang around and continue to play winning baseball for the duration of the season. The offense is nothing more than average, but if their starting pitchers can continue to deliver solid performances, then the Mets could perhaps be a dark horse wildcard contender.
Coldest Team: Milwaukee Brewers (1-5 last week)
Image courtesy of sportslogos.net
The Brewers are digging themselves a big hole early on this season. 22 of their first 25 games are against NL Central division rivals, which are important games if the team has any aspirations of winning the division. However, the Brewers are just 2-7 in those games so far. Last week, they dropped two of three in St. Louis against the Cardinals, then got swept by the Pirates. The Brewers’ 2-10 record is the worst in all of baseball, and they are already six games out of the division lead. They have the fewest runs in the league (30) and have given up the second most runs (65). In other words, this team is a mess. With a lot more division games coming up, the Brewers need to right the ship in a hurry, or else it will be a long summer in Milwaukee.
Best Hitter: Nelson Cruz – Mariners (.500 AVG, 6 HR, 10 RBI last week)
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports
Nelson Cruz has been on an incredible tear. In six games last week, he hammered 6 home runs for the Seattle Mariners, bringing him to a league-leading total of 8 on the season. He has also raised his batting average from .250 to .354 in those past seven days. Cruz capped off a wild 11-10 Mariners win over the Rangers on Sunday with a walk-off RBI single, bringing his team’s record to 5-7 on the season. The lack of a power-hitting, right-handed bat in the lineup behind star 2nd baseman Robinson Cano was a major reason the Mariners failed to make the playoffs last year. It seems that hole has been filled by Cruz, who led all of baseball with 40 HR a year ago. It remains to be seen if he can provide that kind of consistent power at Safeco Field throughout the season, but his presence in the lineup is a huge addition for the Mariners.
Best Pitcher: Shane Greene – Tigers (2-0, 0.60 ERA, 6 SO last week)
Image courtesy of Associated Press
Out of all of the pitchers in the Detroit Tigers starting rotation, Shane Greene would probably be the last one that comes to mind. However, through the first two weeks of the season, he has arguably been the best pitcher in baseball. He won both of his starts last week for the 10-2 Tigers, and the run he allowed on Sunday was actually the first he has given up all season. Greene isn’t a high strikeout pitcher, but that hasn’t stopped him from shutting down opposing offenses. He currently leads the AL in wins (3) and innings pitched (23). The Tigers know what they are going to get out of aces David Price and Justin Verlander, as well as all-star Alfredo Simon. If Greene can provide another reliable arm in the starting rotation, then this pitching staff combined with this vaunted offense will make the Tigers a very tough team to beat all season long.
