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There’s an old saying in baseball that “you can’t win a pennant in April, but you can lose it” — and a handful of MLB teams are putting that theory to the test this month.
D Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox And New York Mets They got a lot of headlines for their rough start after combining for a 40-56 record and a pair The manager is firedWith another captain still in the hot seat. But they’re not the only team to stumble after entering the season with high expectations.
How worried should fans be that a cold April hurt their team’s chances to play in October? We recruited a team of our MLB experts and asked them to rate the club’s hopes for the rest of the season on the Panic Meter from 1 (relax, everything will be fine) to 5 (it’s past time to hit the panic button).
Panic-Meter Score: 1.5
What went wrong: The offense struggled to start the season, hitting .184 as the Mariners started 4-9. The team’s three best hitters all struggled: Cal Rail Hit .145 with two homers in his first 18 game run, Julio Rodriguez homered once in the first 27 games, and Josh Naylor Hitting .118 through 19 games. Meanwhile, the rotation is okay, but hardly great (18th in strikeout rate and bottom 10 in home runs allowed). As a staff, the Mariners allowed the second-highest hard-hit rate in the majors.
Can they fix it? The Mariners probably got back on track with a weekend sweep in St. Louis (though Brian W allowed four home runs in one win). Raleigh hit four home runs in six games last week, and Naylor hit .480 .118 in seven games after that.
There is some fear Luis Castillo And Logan GilbertBoth of those have been hit hard early, but the Mariners’ lineup and rotation should be over 162 — and it helps that the AL West looks mediocre so far. — David Schoenfield
Panic-Meter Score: 2
What went wrong: The offense has gotten off to a slow start, but for what should be a measurable reason. The standout number is a rock-bottom performance — literally, like a 30th-ranked OPS — with runners in scoring position. The bullpen has also been subpar and the future looks a little bleaker. KC’s bullpen ERA ranks 29th and has been a major problem.
Can they fix it?: Hurtful, sure. The Royals have an average offensive projection and the team OPS is already roughly in the middle of the pack. Give it time and the RISP number should go toward the overall talent of the hitters. The bullpen is a real concern as there are no relievers who provide a high degree of certainty on any given night. Could be some outside help for the bullpen. The Royals, and all teams looking for high-spirited help, keep an eye out for the revived version. Antonio Senzatella In Colorado
Bottom line, Kansas City’s roster construction principles have been retained — starting pitching, team defense, Bobby Witt Jr. — So with regression elsewhere, the Royals can improve. And let’s not forget that the bar to enter the AL playoff race is very low. No need to panic, yet. — Bradford Doolittle
Panic-meter score: 3
What went wrong: The Blue Jays led off last postseason with a dynamic offense with a knack for both putting the ball in play and hitting hard. Earlier this year, though, it didn’t really show. The Blue Jays still avoid strikeouts with the best of them, but they aren’t drawing walks and they aren’t slugging, a terrible combination. Relatively speaking, they are very injured — in their lineup, but throughout their rotation.
Can they fix it? They can — get well. The Blue Jays welcomed back Trey Yesavage from the injured list on Tuesday, and a few more reinforcements could be on the horizon. Before the end of May, George Springer, Alejandro Kirk, Nathan Lukes And Addison Burger All should rejoin the lineup. Max Scherzer, Jose Berrios and perhaps, Shane Bieber All are expected to be back in the rotation by then. Perhaps someone can step up to the ninth inning in the meantime. –Alden Gonzalez
Philadelphia Phillies
Panic-Meter Score: 3.5
What went wrong: Their starting staff has the highest ERA in baseball. what happened Aaron Nola And Jesus Luzardo? They’re not the only criminals — just the highest paid. And it’s not like their crimes are picking up the slack. Alec Bohm Looks like a shell himself, and the Phillies aren’t getting much offensively from anyone outside of their biggest stars.
Can they fix it? They can, but it remains to be seen if they will. On Tuesday, the Phillies kicked off their slow start by firing manager Rob Thomson and replacing him with interim skipper Don Mattingly.
Way back to respectability and contention through the pitching staff. While there, Jack Wheeler’s return is off to a good start there is There must be some positive regression for others — starting with Luzardo. Also, the return of Joan Duran should stabilize the pen. Do we really think the Phillies won’t pass at least 5-6 teams ahead of them in the NL? — Jesse Rogers
Panic-meter score: 4
What went wrong: They allowed the most runs in Major League Baseball. Their defensive range is straight-up bad. When you can’t throw or catch the ball, you tend to give up more runs than you score, even in a good offense.
Can they fix it? no Although Hunter Brown, Josh Hader And Christian Javier Returning from an arm injury, it won’t be until late May, and by then the Astros will have suffered through two months of rough pitching. It’s one thing to dig a hole. Burying yourself is another. –Jeff Passan
New York Mets
Panic-meter score: 4
What went wrong: The offense is the worst in the majors. The proof is evident in old-school statistics and new-age metrics. The Mets rank 30th — that’s last — in runs scored, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. They are last in wOBA, wRC+ and ISO. Juan Sotowho missed nearly three weeks with a calf injury, and Francisco Alvarez The only healthy regular with an OPS+ above 100 – that’s average. Franciso Lindor posted a 92 OPS+ before going on the injured list. There are early rotations and close holes Devin Williams Has struggled recently, but the offense’s incompetence has fueled the disaster.
Can they fix it? sure Bo Bichette Not a .237 hitter. Carson Benz Feeling so good lately. Lewis Robert Jr. possesses every tool in the kit to succeed when healthy. But Lindor’s absence is a big blow. The lineup looks thin without him and Soto there, which has been rare this season.
Will Brett Baty and/or Mark Winds To prove themselves as true big league contributors? by doing Marcus Semien Got more in the tank? Is there enough strength in this position player group?
The Mets can’t rely solely on Soto to drive the offense. Teams have surrounded him since returning from the injured list, daring anyone else to beat them. The Mets have a much higher success rate for consecutive wins. — Jorge Castillo
Boston Red Sox
Panic-meter score: 5
What went wrong: Under normal circumstances, I would put the panic meter at 3 in the game’s small sample size. But Craig Breslow, the Red Sox head of baseball operations, must have it at 5 because he fired someone considered one of baseball’s best managers after 27 games in March and April.
The offense is weak, underpowered, with the team ranked in the bottom 10 in nearly every major offensive category.
Can they fix it? Tricky question, and the short answer is: maybe. Roman Antony would be good Caleb Durbin Compelled to produce more. But will this team produce significantly more homers? Doubtful, unless they change the composition of the roster. Breslow bets on pitching. –Buster Olney
