The 2020 Major League baseball season has been a weird one thus far, to say the least. The whole concept of the cardboard cutout fans undoubtedly made the atmosphere a little bit different at the ballparks this year. The idea of a 60 game season made every game that much more important to a team’s playoff chances and overall morale. In an ordinary 162 game season, a winning/losing streak may not make much of a difference, but you cannot say the same this year. Many fans have already seen their team crumble in a short stretch of time or exceed expectations. Like any other season, there have been teams who have proven worthy of a playoff spot thus far while others have put themselves in a very tough position the rest of the way. So with that being said, which teams have been the most surprising and the most disappointing so far in the season? Let’s take a look:
Surprise: Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles came into 2020 as one of the worst teams in baseball. In 2019 the Orioles had the second-worst record in all of MLB, and there were no signs of a different outcome this year. The Orioles have come out the gates this season and completely shocked the rest of the league as they are currently sitting in 3rd place in the AL East division, at an even .500 winning percentage (12-12). Now, although the Orioles aren’t quite setting any records, they have still been able to maintain a solid record part-way into the season and are not, as many people most likely predicted, in last place in their division. Additionally, if the season were to end today the Orioles would secure a spot in the playoffs. Even with the expanded playoff rule that allows now eight teams per league into the playoff picture, no one ever could have predicted such a start from the Orioles. The Oriole offense has been powered by hot starts from the likes of Hanser Alberto, Jose Iglesias, Renato Nunez, and Pedro Severino. Young outfielder Anthony Santander, who is also off to a hot start, is among the league leaders in both home runs and RBIs. While the pitching rotation has not been all that great, the O’s have gotten solid performances from some of their bullpen arms such as Shawn Armstrong, who has posted a sub 2 ERA and Mychal Givens, who has yet to allow an earned run in 9 appearances. It will be intriguing to see how the Orioles finish this year and if they are truly able to secure a postseason spot down the road, because it could surely give them a new outlook and confidence for future seasons.
Disappointment: Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels were probably one of the most excited teams to hear about a playoff expansion that would allow three additional teams to get a chance in October. They finished 2019 with a 72-90 record, which was good enough for 4th place in the AL West division. The addition of all-star third baseman Anthony Rendon was thought to bring the Angels closer to a potential playoff run and to give some insurance behind arguably the best player in the game, Mike Trout. Thus far however, the Angels do not seem like a team who is hungry for a playoff spot, as they sit in 4th place with an 8-16 record. There are only two teams who have a worse record than the Angels (Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners) so if the season were to end right now, Angels fans would be disappointed. The main problem in 2019 with the Angels was their pitching staff, which was something GM Billy Eppler tried to improve upon in the offseason by adding both Dylan Bundy and Julio Teheran. Bundy is off to a solid start this season with a sub-3 ERA and a WHIP below 1.00, but for Julio Teheran, you cannot say the same. Through 3 games, Teheran is off to an abysmal start with a WHIP above 2.00 and an ERA over 10. In fact, a majority of the pitching staff is performing below expectation, disregarding a few bullpen arms. Offensively the Angels have shown a little bit more life, with good starts from Anthony Rendon, David Fletcher, Tommy La Stella, Brian Goodwin, and of course, Mike Trout. The Angels are really going to need to turn it around this season if they want any chance of making the playoffs because right now it is not looking too good.
Surprise: Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics came into the 2020 MLB season with a sour taste in their mouth after losing the wildcard game last year at home. After their much success last year, the A’s front office decided not to make any big moves in the offseason and kept their team pretty similar in 2020. The Athletics are currently sitting with one of the best records in all of baseball, as they are fresh off a 9-game winning streak that was snapped a little over a week ago. The A’s have shown thus far in 2020 that they could produce as a team, as there are no offensive players truly outshining the rest. The rotation has been led by 31-year-old right hander Chris Bassitt, who is currently maintaining an ERA below 3 with a WHIP barely over 1.00, through 5 games started. The A’s bullpen has been very impressive so far in the season with Liam Hendriks, Joakim Soria, J.B. Wendelken, and T.J. McFarland all off to promising starts. The 2020 Oakland Athletics seem to be destined for greatness this year, and only time will tell if they truly are the team to beat this season.
Disappointment: Boston Red Sox
Coming into the season, there were not a ton of expectations for the 2020 Boston Red Sox, who missed the playoffs in 2019 following a championship title in 2018. After trading away star outfielder Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers in February of this year, many believed the Red Sox were going to be less of a contender this year compared to past seasons, but nobody could have predicted this kind of start. The Red Sox currently sit in last place in the AL East, multiple games behind the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles, and almost out of the picture of the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees. Granted, nobody assumed the Red Sox would be atop the AL East or even merely close to it, but their disappointing start surely came as a shock to many. Boston has been negatively impacted by a variety of injuries to their pitching staff with both Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez out for the season.
Additionally outfielder Andrew Benintendi and second baseman Dustin Pedroia are expected to miss a chunk of the season with their own injuries. In terms of the guys who are able to get on the field, there has not been many solid performances out of the Red Sox pitching staff. Mitch Moreland has led a semi-quiet Boston offense with an average well above .300, while smacking 6 home runs and driving in 14. Moreland is accompanied by solid performances from Kevin Pillar and Alex Verdugo in the outfield, along with star SS Xander Bogearts. Overall the Red Sox have just not been giving themselves a good chance to win ball games, and this could encourage the Boston front office to make changes and fast.
Honorable Mentions
Surprises: Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies
Disappointments: Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh Pirates
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