1 Reason for Every MLB Fanbase to Be Nervous Already in 2023
The Major League Baseball regular season is incredibly (and joyously) long, but it's never too early to start finding reasons to worry about your favorite team.
As the axiom goes: You can't win a pennant in April, but you sure can lose one.
Every team has some early cause for nervousness, though.
You might need to squint a little to see it for the 18-3 Tampa Bay Rays, and it might be hard to single out just one main problem with the 4-17 Oakland Athletics. However, we've highlighted one cause for concern with every team after 20-ish games.
Teams are broken up by division and presented in alphabetical order within the division. Statistics and records are current through the start of play Sunday unless otherwise noted.
American League East
1 of 6
Baltimore Orioles: The RF/DH situation is a bit of a mess
The hope is that Anthony Santander—after hitting 33 home runs last season—is just in a bit of an early funk and will eventually rally from a slow start. But between Santander and the substantially less established Terrin Vavra and Ryan McKenna, the O's have gotten next to nothing out of their RF and DH spots on a daily basis. (Except for the games when Adley Rutschman is at DH with James McCann catching. However, then they've got a .167 hitter at catcher, so that's no better.) But help could be on the way if 2021 first-round pick Colton Cowser is ready for his MLB debut in the near future.
Boston Red Sox: Starting rotation ranks among the worst in the majors
Seven different pitchers have made at least one start for Boston, and not one of them has done so with either an ERA or a FIP better than 4.25. Chris Sale's ERA is sitting at 8.00. Corey Kluber is at 8.50. And it wasn't until the 16th game of the season that the Red Sox finally tallied their first quality start. The "glass half full" perspective is that they've been able to piece together an 11-11 record despite the near-constant poor pitching, and they might go on a tear once balls start finding gloves with more regularity. But it's also possible/likely that poor pitching will keep the Red Sox in the AL East basement.
New York Yankees: Poor hitting remains a problem
In going 38-40 over the final 78 games of last season, the Yankees hit .239 as a team—.227 if you remove Aaron Judge doing everything in his power to carry the rest of the squad. And save for Anthony Rizzo looking like he might be an All-Star for the first time since 2016, it has been more of the same in the Bronx, with just about everyone batting .250 or worse. At least both Gleyber Torres and Anthony Volpe are reaching base via walks with regularity, but New York is hitting .229 overall, struggling to support a starting rotation that is still waiting on Carlos Rodón and Luis Severino to get healthy enough to take the mound.
Tampa Bay Rays: Pitching health
A dozen different Rays have already hit multiple home runs, as Tampa Bay is slugging its way through a historically dominant month of April. But they lost Jeffrey Springs for the year to Tommy John surgery, were already down Shane Baz for the year as he recovers from a TJ of his own, won't be getting Tyler Glasnow (oblique) back until at least mid-May and have already had Zach Eflin make one trip to the IL. It has been a fun start to the year, but do/will they have the pitching needed to make a run in October?
Toronto Blue Jays: Second base is a black hole
Whit Merrifield makes occasional starts at second base and has been hitting the ball quite well. However, for the most part, it has been Santiago Espinal against left-handed starters and Cavan Biggio against right-handed starters. And with the former batting .114 and the latter batting .111 for the season, it might already be time to explore other options.
American League Central
2 of 6
Chicago White Sox: Tim Anderson is injured yet again
When healthy, Anderson has been one of the best hitters in baseball, boasting a .318 batting average from 2019-22. But he played in just 68.6 percent of White Sox games during those four seasons, missed more than half of the 2022 campaign and lasted all of 11 games into the current season before landing on the IL with a knee sprain—with no word yet on when he might be able to return to action. Not only is his absence a problem for the current sub-.500 campaign, but his long history of absences might make the White Sox think twice about exercising his $14 million club option for 2024.
Cleveland Guardians: The expensive designated hitter can't hit
The Guardians gave Josh Bell a two-year, $33 million contract, making him the highest-paid player on this year's roster. But some lot of good he has done for his new club, batting .200 with one home run. Those numbers aren't much different from what he gave the Padres after the trade deadline last season, hitting .192 with just three home runs and 14 RBI in 53 games played. Cleveland hoped it was getting the version of Bell who triple-slashed .278/.363/.483 during his two seasons with Washington, but that has not been the case for an offense that has struggled as a whole.
Detroit Tigers: The looming player options
During the 2020-21 offseason, Detroit signed Javier Báez to a six-year, $140 million deal and Eduardo Rodriguez to a five-year, $77 million deal. In both contracts, there's a player option after the current season, meaning they could lose both players or be stuck with both players for several more expensive years. Through four starts, Rodriguez has a 3.00 ERA, putting him on track to probably skedaddle for a long-term deal elsewhere. Conversely, Báez is hitting .203 with no home runs, so he's not going anywhere.
Kansas City Royals: Brady Singer's breakout season was a red herring
From July 8 through September 23 of the 2022 season, Singer made 14 starts with a 2.12 ERA, averaging just under one strikeout per inning. He wasn't an All-Star, but only because he waited until too late into the season to start dominating. And that two-and-a-half month run was cause for optimism and excitement in Kansas City. Maybe Singer could be the ace of the staff for the next four years before hitting free agency? Alas, he has been roughed up to the tune of an 8.14 ERA through four starts, allowing at least five earned runs in each of his last three outings.
Minnesota Twins: Can't manufacture runs
The Twins rank among the worst in the majors at getting on base, entering play Sunday with a team-wide OBP of .298. They strike out a ton and rarely draw walks. And even when they do get on base, they apparently missed the memo about stolen bases being back in style in 2023, going 1-for-3 in that department through 21 games. They do have a decent amount of power on the roster with 23 home runs thus far, but they simply aren't creating many opportunities with runners in scoring position.
American League West
3 of 6
Houston Astros: José Abreu looks washed up
Abreu gave us all a similar scare last year and for longer than this. Through his first 32 games, he was hitting .197 with a .584 OPS before snapping out of it in mid-May to put up marks of .332 and .885, respectively, the rest of the way. But what if the 36-year-old who has yet to homer in 93 trips to the plate doesn't snap out of it this time? Hard to argue it would be the end of the world for the Astros, who got along just fine last year with Yuli Gurriel giving them below-replacement-level production at first base. Still, they were expected much more than this when they gave Abreu that three-year, $58.5 million contract.
Los Angeles Angels: Squandering yet another phenomenal season from Ohtani
The two-way superstar finished second in the AL MVP vote and fourth in the AL Cy Young vote last season, and he might improve in both departments this year. Ohtani has been an above-average hitter (batting .250 with four home runs) and an absolute wizard on the mound (28.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 15 BB, 38 K). And what does Los Angeles have to show for it? A 10-11 record with a budding star (Logan O'Hoppe) who just landed on the IL with a shoulder injury. Per New York Post's Jon Heyman, sources around the Angels have been adamant that they won't be trading Ohtani. But we shall see.
Oakland A's: Just one reason, you say?
To put it lightly, things have not been going well in Oakland, nor did anyone reasonably expect things to go well for the A's in 2023. But the biggest cause for concern these days is that there might not even be a team in Oakland a few years from now, on the verge of possibly permanently relocating to Las Vegas. Fans have been organizing a "reverse boycott" for mid-June, hoping to back the stadium for one random night to prove that there are still loyal fans in Oakland—they're just sick of the franchise pinching pennies and refusing to put a competent product on the field.
Seattle Mariners: Kolten Wong's nonexistent bat
In each of the previous nine seasons, Wong batted at least .240 and had a cumulative OPS of .738. Seattle traded away Jesse Winker and Abraham Toro to get one season of that two-time Gold Glove recipient at second base for what it hoped would be a World Series run. But what it got is an .094 hitter, forcing the Mariners to turn to 26-year-old rookie José Caballero in recent games, almost as a Hail Mary in hopes of shaking things up. At the start of play on Saturday, Wong was dead last in bWAR among hitters with a rating of negative-1.0.
Texas Rangers: Corey Seager is out indefinitely
Seager was on fire to start the season, but he suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain on April 11 and will be on the IL for at least another couple of weeks. Thus far, Texas has been able to get by without him, even taking two out of three in Houston, where they had gone 5-29 over the past four seasons. But how long can the Rangers tread water atop the AL West without him? And how long will he actually be sidelined, keeping in mind we're talking about a guy who missed more than 43 percent of his team's games from 2018-21?
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National League East
4 of 6
Atlanta Braves: The ghost of Dansby Swanson
Atlanta said it wanted Swanson to come back, but it never offered him anywhere near enough money to outbid others in free agency, content to enter 2023 with Vaughn Grissom and Orlando Arcia as the options at shortstop. But after an unusually hot start, Arcia suffered a fractured wrist. And after tearing the cover off the ball for 10 games at Triple-A Gwinnett, Grissom has managed just one extra-base hit through his first eight games back in Atlanta. Is shortstop going to be a season-long issue? Can they survive that while getting next to nothing from Eddie Rosario and Marcell Ozuna, too?
Miami Marlins: Offense still needs a lot of work
The good news is the Pablo López for Luis Arraez trade has worked out wonderfully (for both clubs), as Arraez is leading the majors with a .444 batting average. The bad news is Miami's offense—which ranked dead last in the NL in runs scored last season—has inexplicably gotten worse, averaging 3.2 runs per game. Before Saturday's double-header against Cleveland, Marlins not named Arraez had a combined on-base percentage of just .286. They have a winning record, but the minus-20 run differential suggests it won't last.
New York Mets: The pitching staff is a walking hospital bed
The Mets are paying just under $100 million to players currently on the IL, and it's almost entirely pitchers. Edwin Díaz is likely out for the year. José Quintana is expected to be out until at least July. Justin Verlander has yet to pitch this season. Carlos Carrasco recently went on the IL with bone spurs in his elbow. And now Max Scherzer is suspended for 10 days after a controversial ejection. Tylor Megill wasn't even expected to be in the rotation when spring training began, but he and Kodai Senga have become the co-aces holding this staff together. They're still winning with regularity, though, and better to be banged up now than in October, right?
Philadelphia Phillies: So many no-shows on offense
Even with Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins not currently part of the equation, of the 11 team leaders in plate appearances, seven Phillies are batting at least .295. You'd think this would be one of the most consistent offenses in the big leagues, but they were recently shut out three times in the span of six games and have been laying eggs on a far too regular basis. Baseball is inherently random in small sample sizes, but there's something weird about how sporadic this offense has been.
Washington Nationals: Patrick Corbin still can't get anyone out
Corbin had a negative-1.2 bWAR in 2021 and a negative-2.4 bWAR last year, and he might be worse than ever this year. And it's so painfully deflating when a player making $24.4 million this season and $35.4 million next season is pretty much just going out there and getting shelled every fifth day. The young arms of MacKenzie Gore and Josiah Gray have been impressive, but it's hard to get excited about anything when so much of the payroll for this season and next is tied up in Corbin and permanently-injured Stephen Strasburg.
National League Central
5 of 6
Chicago Cubs: Jameson Taillon to the IL with a fluky injury
After missing half of last season and the start of this one with a shoulder injury, it sounds like Kyle Hendricks is almost ready to begin a rehab assignment and rejoin the starting rotation soon. But Hendricks' return can't come soon enough, as Taillon recently hit the IL with a groin injury suffered while playing catch on flat ground. Only the Cubs, am I right? Taillon had been pretty healthy over the past two seasons, making 61 starts with the Yankees. However, this is a rough start to that four-year, $68 million contract he signed in the offseason.
Cincinnati Reds: Potential trade chips are struggling
Cincinnati is amid a multi-year rebuild, hoping to see some promise from young guys and also hoping to flip impending free agents for more prospects at the trade deadline. But Wil Myers is batting .203, Luis Cessa has a 10.80 ERA, Joey Votto has yet to play this season while recovering from last year's biceps/shoulder injury, and that's pretty much the full list of guys who reasonably could have blossomed into intriguing trade targets this season. As a result, the Reds are going nowhere fast and might not even have anything to sell at the deadline.
Milwaukee Brewers: Health in center
Tyrone Taylor made more starts in center field than any other Brewer in 2022, but he has yet to play in 2023 because of an elbow injury. But it's possible Garrett Mitchell won't play again this season after hitting the IL with a left shoulder subluxation, leaving Milwaukee in a pickle in the outfield. Rookie Joey Wiemer has been getting the starts in center as of late, but he's batting .197 for the year. Plus, shifting the primary right fielder to center still leaves a hole to be filled. Trading away Hunter Renfroe for three young pitchers in the offseason was a financially-driven move, but they sure are regretting it right about now.
Pittsburgh Pirates: How long will the arms last?
At 15-7, the Pirates are in unfamiliar territory, looking like a real contender almost a month into the regular season. But aside from Mitch Keller in the starting rotation, they've got Roansy Contreras, who has never logged more than 132.1 IP in a season, Johan Oviedo and Vince Velasquez, who haven't topped 130 innings in a season since 2019 and 2018, respectively, and Rich Hill, who is 43 years young. Might not be a bad idea to call up Luis Ortiz from Indianapolis and roll with a six-man rotation to try to preserve those arms.
St. Louis Cardinals: How soon will the arms work?
Opening Day starter Miles Mikolas has a 7.46 ERA through five starts. Steven Matz and Jake Woodford haven't been much better. Jack Flaherty is walking guys at an astronomical rate. Adam Wainwright is getting close to making his 2023 debut, but he has been out with a groin injury. All the while, Matthew Liberatore is making solid start after solid start down in Triple-A Memphis instead of helping the big league club through its tough April. Will the pitching staff eventually rally and get the Cardinals back within striking distance of the Brewers?
National League West
6 of 6
Arizona Diamondbacks: The bullpen is still a mess
Arizona's bullpen situation was all sorts of bad in 2022. It brought in Andrew Chafin, Miguel Castro and Scott McGough in hopes of resolving the problem, but more work needs to be done. The Diamondbacks recently got Joe Mantiply back from the IL, which could be a huge boost. However, if this team is still in a position to be buyers at the trade deadline, it's pretty clear what they'll be buying. If they're not already calling Kansas City every single day to ask about acquiring Aroldis Chapman, they should start immediately.
Colorado Rockies: Kris Bryant is hurt again
Despite a payroll north of $176 million, Colorado has lost 10 of 11 games and presently has the worst record in the National League. Adding injury to insult, Bryant left Saturday's loss to the Phillies with a pain in his side/back. We'll have to wait to hear how serious it is, but he wasn't in the starting lineup Sunday. This comes almost one year to the day after he suffered his first injury in a debut season with the Rockies in which he missed 120 games.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Mookie Betts can't play every position
A right fielder for the vast majority of his career, Betts has made starts at second base and appearances at shortstop this season, as the Dodgers' middle-infield situation has been a complete disaster since losing Gavin Lux to a torn ACL in spring training. Between Miguel Vargas, Miguel Rojas, Chris Taylor and Luke Williams, the Dodgers have gotten a whole lot of nothing on offense from second and short. Throw in David Peralta giving them next to nothing in left field, and Los Angeles' slow start to the year is starting to actually become something of a concern. At least Max Muncy and James Outman are mashing balls often.
San Diego Padres: Juan Soto still isn't hitting
Per usual, Soto is drawing walks at one of the highest rates in the majors. However, after hitting .236 in his initial two-month stint in San Diego last season, his batting average has dropped to .192 in the current campaign. Between 2020 and 2021, Soto hit .322 with a 1.042 OPS, but he simply has not been able to find that mojo with the Padres. Maybe that'll change now that he's finally getting to play alongside Fernando Tatis Jr., though. Soto did go 2-for-4 with a pair of runs in Saturday's win over Arizona.
San Francisco Giants: Brandon Crawford is just about unplayable
Credit where it's due: Crawford did club a three-run home run in Saturday's win over the Mets. But that was the first sign of life in a while. He turned 36 in January and had already started to slip last year. His .652 OPS in 2022 was the lowest since his rookie season in 2011, and he's sitting at .583 even after that recent blast. Perhaps he'll bounce back in May, which historically has been his most productive month. But between Crawford's poor hitting, the litany of key guys on the IL and the slow starts by rookies Heliot Ramos, Blake Sabol and Brett Wisely, the Giants have not looked anything like a contender thus far.
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