A Photo to Sum Up Each MLB Team's Season Thus Far
Sure, much can be written about the young 2012 season thus far, but perhaps there is another way to look at the season. A picture is worth a thousand words, so rather than analyzing the season, let's just take a look at one picture for each team that can sum up 2012 thus far for that team. Enjoy!
Baltimore Orioles
1 of 30The Baltimore Orioles and their fans have been waiting on Matt Wieters to come around and finally live up to his potential, and it looks like 2012 is going to be Wieters' year. With his offensive prowess and his ability to call excellent games behind the plate, Wieters has the Orioles above .500 and competing in the AL East.
Boston Red Sox
2 of 30Boston catchers have had a lot of strain but on their necks as they watch opposing teams destroy the Red Sox pitchers. At the time of this article, the Red Sox have the worst team ERA in baseball.
Chicago White sox
3 of 30Philip Humber and the rest of the Chicago White Sox have come out strong in 2012, much to the surprise of baseball analysts and the White Sox fans themselves. Just recently, Humber, who has bounced around in the last few years, threw a perfect game, the 21st in baseball history.
Cleveland Indians
4 of 30The Cleveland Indians were another team everyone expected to be in the cellar, but thus far, they've been playing good baseball and have a winning record.
The picture above is representative of their team play and their passion for the game; playing all nine innings and never giving up. They may not have the high payroll or household names, but their hard, unselfish play has them in the thick of the AL Central.
Detroit Tigers
5 of 30There's lots of love in Detroit, especially between 3-4 hitters Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder. The two All-Stars have the Tigers in first in the AL Central, right where almost everyone predicted they would be.
Kansas City Royals
6 of 30Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals, might as well be the center of the plague, as the Royals have gone winless thus far at their home park.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
7 of 30Albert Pujols is homer-less, and the Angels are in last place in their division.
Minnesota Twins
8 of 30Francisco Liriano and the Minnesota Twins have struggled in 2012. Liriano, supposedly the staple of the Twins rotation, is win-less in April and hosts an ERA above 11.
New York Yankees
9 of 30Derek Jeter has found the Fountain of Youth, and the New York Yankees offense is one of the best in baseball.
Oakland Athletics
10 of 30Bartolo Colon has turned back the clock, and the Oakland Athletics pitching staff has helped the team to an almost .500 record, good enough for second in the division.
Seattle Mariners
11 of 30Jason Vargas and Felix Hernandez are pitching like some of the best 1-2 combos in the baseball and have helped the Mariners stay above the Angels in the AL West.
Tampa Bay Rays
12 of 30Carlos Pena and the Tampa Bay Rays have been playing solid baseball and, because of this, are in the hunt of the AL East. It wasn't long ago that Pena was posting sub -200 batting averages, but now, the slugger is above the .300 mark.
Texas Rangers
13 of 30There has been a lot of lining up and high-fiving after games for the Rangers, as the team has the best record in baseball thanks to their superb pitching and their MLB-best offense.
Toronto Blue Jays
14 of 30The two young sensations for the Blue Jays, Kyle Drabek and Brett Lawrie, have kept this team competitive and tough; they're currently tied for the AL East lead with the New York Yankees.
Arizona Diamondbacks
15 of 30The Arizona Diamondbacks have been hit by the injury bug; and hard. The team is losing players at an alarming rate and, unfortunately for them, it seems to be their most important and skilled players. Chris Young, Justin Upton, and Daniel Hudson have all been bit by the injury bug. Thus, it's been hard for the team to win games and their .500 record shows it.
Atlanta Braves
16 of 30I couldn't find a picture of both Mike Minor (seen above) and Brandon Beachy, but frankly, that would have been the most appropriate picture. As I had predicted on my personal website, the two young pitchers are a force to be reckoned with this year, and as predicted, they are helping the Braves run the NL East. After a poor start to the season, the Braves, behind their two young players, are making a push and are right on the Nationals' tail for the leader in the division.
Chicago Cubs
17 of 30At 4-12 the Cubs are one of the worst teams in baseball. It looks like a very tough season ahead for Cubs fans.
Cincinnati Reds
18 of 30The Cincinnati Reds haven't totally fallen apart, but Mat Latos hasn't performed as the Reds have hoped, and the same could be said for the entire organization. Just a few games out, the Reds will have to turn their season around if they hope to not disappoint fans this season.
Colorado Rockies
19 of 30Michael Cuddyer is the new guy in town, but his hot bat has got the Rockies in second in the NL West.
Houston Astros
20 of 30Seems like another year in Houston that we've come to expect: Wandy Rodriguez is pitching well, and the rest of the team is floundering, having the team in the bottom of the NL Central.
Los Angeles Dodgers
21 of 30Matt Kemp just missed out on the NL MVP trophy last year (he should have gotten it), but he seems like he's out to make it no contest this year. He's dominating at the plate, and the Dodgers are following suit with a fantastic record to lead the NL West.
Miami Marlins
22 of 30It hasn't been the smoothest of starts for Ozzie Guillen and the rest of the Miami Marlins, but they're still in the NL East race, so there is no need to panic yet. Furthermore, the oddness that seems to follow Ozzie has come with him to Miami, as the Marlins pitching staff is upside down (with Josh Johnson being the worst and Mark Buehrle being the best).
Milwaukee Brewers
23 of 30Ryan Braun is off to a (very) slow start, and so are the Milwaukee Brewers.
New York Mets
24 of 30David Wright and the Mets have had a lot to smile about with their unexpected surge in the early parts of the 2012 season, but more and more, it looks like the team's magic is running out and they're heading for the bottom of the NL East.
Philadelphia Phillies
25 of 30Much like the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Phillies, too, have been suffering from the injury bug, and their record shows it. Without Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, the Phillies seem to lack leadership and offensive support. Again, like I predicted on my website, the Phillies seem to be on the downturn, and it doesn't look like 2012 will be kind to them.
Pittsburgh Pirates
26 of 30Andrew McCutchen is one of the hottest hitters in baseball, and although he hasn't been able to give the Pirates a winning record, he does have them in the middle of the road of the NL Central.
San Diego Padres
27 of 30Yonder Alonso is struggling, and so too are the San Diego Padres. Consider it growing pains, as the Padres are young and need time to develop before they can compete.
San Francisco Giants
28 of 30The Giants are .500, and that is perfectly reflective of their two aces: Cain is pitching very, very well, and Lincecum is pitching just the opposite of that.
St. Louis Cardinals
29 of 30The Cardinals don't have Albert Pujols, but who needs him when Beltran is hitting the way he is? The Cards continue to surprise, as does Beltran, and are atop the NL Central.
Washington Nationals
30 of 30Jayson Werth had a terrible 2011, but his 2012 is looking very good so far, and the Nationals have one of the best records in baseball and are atop the NL East.

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