MLB Panic Meter: Weighing In on the Slowest 2017 Starts
With all of April and a large chunk of May in the rearview, we're officially out of the "it's too early to worry" phase of the MLB season.
Oh, sure, there are more than 100 games left on the schedule, ample time for teams to reverse their fortunes.
Still, with summer on the horizon, let's dust off the ol' panic meter and consider seven of the game's slowest starts to see where they rate.
One important note: We're weighing slow starts relative to expectations and focusing on clubs that were tapped to succeed. Meaning, for example, the last-place San Diego Padres didn't make the cut.
Chicago Cubs
1 of 7
The Chicago Cubs sat above .500 entering play Wednesday at 23-21. For most teams, that wouldn't even move the panic needle.
The Cubs, however, aren't most teams.
They're the defending champions, fresh off a curse-busting 103-win season. They were a consensus pick to win another National League Central crown with their young, impossibly deep roster. Instead, they're looking up at the Milwaukee Brewers.
The offense has been hobbled by slow starts from key contributors such as first baseman Anthony Rizzo (.224 average), shortstop Addison Russell (.212) and outfielder Kyle Schwarber (.186).
The starting rotation, meanwhile, sports an unsightly 4.32 ERA. Jake Arrieta (4.80), in particular, has struggled.
Even the team's formerly impeccable defense has taken a step backward.
All that said, the Cubs are only 1.5 games out of first place. They've got a respectable plus-17 run differential. They should probably look to add an arm or two at the trade deadline, but there's simply too much talent for them to remain mediocre.
As ESPN.com's David Schoenfield put it: "They're not going to win 103 games again, but remember, they went 12-14 in July last year. Even good teams can have long stretches of .500 ball."
This isn't how things were supposed to go after the champagne and confetti, but Cubbies fans can stow their well-worn pessimism for now.
Panic Meter: A light forehead sweat
Boston Red Sox
2 of 7
Like Chicago, the Boston Red Sox came into the season with big expectations. Also like the Cubs, they've mostly failed to meet them.
Entering Wednesday, the Sox sit at 23-21, 3.5 games behind the rival New York Yankees. They've won two straight but are a perfectly unimpressive 5-5 in their last 10.
Ace Chris Sale, acquired over the winter, has been a strikeout-slinging revelation. But reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello sports a 4.35 ERA, and left-hander David Price hasn't pitched an inning because of an elbow injury.
The offense, which was supposed to rake, ranks almost exactly in the middle of the pack in runs scored.
As with Chicago, there's ample talent, headlined by the young core of right fielder Mookie Betts, left fielder Andrew Benintendi and shortstop Xander Bogaerts. Price is rehabbing in the minors and could be back soon.
Boston isn't going to run away with the AL East, not with the burgeoning Yankees around, but they're certainly in a position to contend.
Panic Meter: Moderate heavy breathing
Toronto Blue Jays
3 of 7
After making the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, the Toronto Blue Jays have plummeted to the bottom of the AL East.
The starting rotation has been beset by injuries and inconsistency, and the once-vaunted offense has suffered from the losses of designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion (signed this winter by the Cleveland Indians) and third baseman Josh Donaldson (sidelined by a calf injury).
All things considered, the Jays' 20-26 record isn't as bad as it could be.
Still, they're staring up at four teams in the crowded East and are the only team in the division with a negative run differential (minus-15).
Donaldson's impending return could provide a spark, but if things don't turn around soon, look for Toronto to be a seller at the trade deadline.
Panic Meter: Rapid heart rate
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Seattle Mariners
4 of 7
The Seattle Mariners have suffered a M.A.S.H. unit's worth of injuries in the early going.
In the rotation, Drew Smyly (elbow injury), James Paxton (forearm strain), Hisashi Iwakuma (shoulder inflammation) and Felix Hernandez (shoulder inflammation) are all on the disabled list.
Outfielder Mitch Haniger is out with a strained oblique, and second baseman Robinson Cano just came off the DL with a quadriceps injury.
In light of all that, Seattle is lucky to be 20-26.
The bad news is that the M's are already 11 games out in the AL West, where the 31-15 Houston Astros are setting the pace with the best record in baseball.
If Paxton, Hernandez and Iwakuma all return healthy and effective, they could join a solid offense and vault the Mariners into the wild-card race.
At this point, though, that's a massive, murky "if."
Panic Meter: Cold sweat
San Francisco Giants
5 of 7
Forget the even-year/odd-year nonsense. The San Francisco Giants, who typically excel in even-numbered years recently, have been simply dreadful in 2017.
They're tied with the lowly Padres for the fewest runs scored in the NL (161). Their pitching staff sports a 4.37 ERA. Ace Madison Bumgarner is out with a dirt bike-induced left shoulder injury.
With the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks rising and the big-spending Los Angeles Dodgers lurking, the Giants are already buried 10 games out at 20-27 in the NL West.
All-Star catcher Buster Posey is having an excellent season (.361 average, 1.01 OPS), but so far his supporting cast simply hasn't done enough.
The Giants have played better recently and won seven of their last 10. Their minus-64 run differential and lack of bankable prospects to swing a blockbuster deal, however, should toss a soggy blanket over any hopes of a summer surge.
Panic Meter: Exhaling into a paper bag
New York Mets
6 of 7
Call the 2017 New York Mets the not-so-Amazins.
They're tied for 21st in the game with a .240 team average and have been without slugger Yoenis Cespedes, who is battling a hamstring injury.
The biggest issue, however, has been the starting rotation.
Budding ace Noah Syndergaard is gone indefinitely with a partially torn lat muscle. Lefty Steven Matz has been out all season with a balky flexor tendon. Matt Harvey has struggled on and off the field and owns a 5.36 ERA.
Add trouble in the bullpen, where closer Jeurys Familia could be lost for the year after undergoing surgery to remove a blood clot from his throwing arm, and the 19-24 Mets are teetering on the brink.
Forget the Washington Nationals (27-17), who appear intent on running away with the NL East. Right now, New York is chasing the partially rebuilding Atlanta Braves (20-23).
Ouch.
Panic Meter: Blankets pulled over head
Kansas City Royals
7 of 7
The Kansas City Royals are at a crossroads.
After winning the pennant in 2014 and the World Series in 2015, they stayed home last October.
Now, at 19-26, they have the worst record in the American League and need to decide soon if it's time to blow the roster up.
Key pieces of the club's championship core—including outfielder Lorenzo Cain, first baseman Eric Hosmer and third baseman Mike Moustakas—are set to hit the market after this season.
It's unlikely the budget-conscious Royals can retain them all, so it makes sense to dangle them come July and try to stock the farm.
General manager Dayton Moore isn't ready to concede just yet, but he's talking like a man who might soon be selling.
"It doesn’t take long to put together deals, if you have two willing partners," he said recently, per Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. "So it's not something that I think much about."
If the Royals and their minus-43 run differential sink much deeper, it's something he'll have to think about soon.
Panic Meter: Curled up on the floor
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