MLB Contender or Pretender: Taking a Look at 10 Teams Off to Hot Starts in 2011
While baseball is a long, 162-game journey, it is never too early to take a look at teams that have gotten out of the gates quickly.
Whether they are teams that were expected to lead their divisions or teams expected to dwell in the basement for the length of the season, certain teams will either remain contenders or look like expected pretenders.
Let's take a look at 10 teams that are either at the top or near the top of their respective divisions very early in the 2011 season.
Baltimore Orioles
1 of 10
The Baltimore Orioles are off to a 6-3 start and sit atop the always formidable AL East.
While the Orioles sit toward the bottom in many offensive categories, the young pitching staff has the Orioles in the top 10 in four major pitching categories: ERA, WHIP, quality starts, and opponents' batting average.
Pitching usually wins championships, and while this young and unproven staff may not be ready for a pennant race, they have the look of a staff that think they have a shot.
Buck Showalter, along with the additions of veterans Derrek Lee and Vlad Guerrero, has given this team a shot in the arm and has brought a winning attitude to Baltimore.
If the pitching can hold up in a division where pitching has been hard to come by from the usual contenders in Boston and New York, look for Baltimore to hang around. But a long and rigorous season in baseball's toughest division will take its toll on the Orioles' young arms.
Verdict: Pretenders
New York Yankees
2 of 10
The way the Yankees have gotten off to a 5-4 start has been with the formula everyone expected.
The Yankees rank ninth in the majors in runs scored and third in the majors in slugging percentage. The Yankees also rank toward the bottom in ERA, WHIP, quality starts and BAA.
This should come as a surprise to no one. If the Yankees are to stick around this season, it will be through the power of the lineup.
CC Sabathia will need some help in the pitching rotation, possibly from A.J. Burnett. Burnett had a down year last season, but with two early wins this year and a WHIP of 1.18, Burnett looks to have regained some of his form from 2009.
If the Yankees want to be what people expect the Yankees to be, they will need to and most likely will add a pitcher, possibly a veteran such as Chris Carpenter, through trade during the season. Expect the lineup to allow this team to stay afloat until the acquisition arrives.
Verdict: Contenders
Cleveland Indians
3 of 10
The equation for the Indians thus far is simple: The hitters are hitting, and the pitchers are pitching.
The Indians rank sixth in runs scored and 10th in both on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The Indians pitchers rank first in quality starts and third in both batting average against and WHIP.
While the Indians were expected to be in a total rebuilding phase this season, they have gotten off to a red-hot 8-3 start, including a streak of seven consecutive wins, and lead the always competitive AL Central.
For Cleveland fans, optimism is a welcome feeling but one that should be welcomed with caution. The Indians have some young pieces in place with Asdrubal Cabrera, Chris Perez, Carlos Santana and the highly touted Lonnie Chisenhall on the way at some point.
The hot start is great for the expected bottom-dwellers of the AL Central, but this team is still a few years away from making serious noise in the division and the American League.
Verdict: Pretenders
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Chicago White Sox
4 of 10
With the addition of Adam Dunn, most people expected the White Sox offense to get better. The White Sox have answered the bell early, ranking in the top five in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and runs scored.
While the pitching is mostly middle of the pack, it has been good enough to carry this red-hot offense early on in 2011.
Riding a 7-4 record thus far, Ozzie Guillen is off to a good start in his very important contract year in Chicago.
With Paul Konerko showing everyone that last year was not a fluke and he can still stroke the ball, look for this offense to continue to pace this team.
The only real question mark comes in the bullpen. The White Sox do not have a true closer with Matt Thornton being more of a setup man, but look for rookie Chris Sale to fill that void sooner rather than later.
If the pitching rotation can hold up and get a possible boost from the oft-injured Jake Peavy, look for the White Sox to be there until the end.
Verdict: Contenders
Kansas City Royals
5 of 10
The Royals are off to a 6-4 start in the AL Central and are doing so in large part because of their bats.
Led by Billy Butler, the Royals are sixth in batting average and eighth in on-base percentage.
While the pitching has struggled, as expected, the offense has managed to keep them afloat early on this season.
With players like Alex Gordon and Melky Cabrera seemingly finding their stride in the Kansas City lineup, days are looking much brighter for the Royals fanbase.
Couple players like Butler and Gordon with minor-league studs Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer, and the Royals may be on to something. However, they likely won't reach those days for another year or two.
Yes, the Royals have a potent farm system, littered with high-ceiling prospects. But those players are not ready to help this team today outside of Hosmer and Moustakas, and by the time they get a call-up to the big leagues, it could be too late.
Verdict: Pretenders
Texas Rangers
6 of 10
Perhaps off to MLB's most dominant start, the Rangers are 9-2 to start the season with a run differential of plus-33.
With few early flaws, the Rangers pitching ranks first in the league in ERA, quality starts, WHIP and opponents' batting average. That is flat-out tough to beat.
The Rangers lineup has been almost as potent. The Rangers are third in the league in runs scored, first in slugging percentage and seventh in both on-base percentage and team batting average.
Led by the powerful Nelson Cruz, off to a hot five-home-run start, the Rangers will look to continue knocking in runs without their MVP candidate Josh Hamilton, who was lost to a right forearm fracture for up to eight weeks on Tuesday.
The loss of Cliff Lee has not affected C.J. Wilson and the pitching staff so far, with young guns Alexi Ogando, Derek Holland and Matt Harrison being nearly untouchable thus far.
With the experience of last year's World Series run, look for Texas to maintain its outstanding play for the 2011 season.
Verdict: Contenders
Philadelphia Phillies
7 of 10
Coming into 2011, the majority of people viewed the Phillies pitching staff as the best since the great Greg Maddux-led Atlanta Braves pitching staffs.
The pitching has been good, ranking top 10 in both quality starts and WHIP, but the lineup has been even better.
The Phillies hitters are first in the league with a .328 team batting average and also rank first in on-base percentage. All without Chase Utley, their leader and perhaps their best overall hitter.
With the plethora of pitching options the Phillies have in their starting rotation comes the opposite situation in the bullpen and this team's largest weakness.
Brad Lidge is out with a shoulder injury until probably sometime in July, and that leaves veteran right-hander Jose Contreras to close out ball games in Philadelphia. Ryan Madson is a formidable setup man, but with a career ERA over four in the ninth inning he is not a likely candidate to close games. Phillippe Aumont, the highly regarded prospect brought over from Seattle in the Cliff Lee trade of 2009, is a potential candidate in the minors but is not quite ready yet.
Starting pitching wins ball games, and with a lineup like this to go with it, look for the Phillies to win their fair share.
Verdict: Contenders
Cincinnati Reds
8 of 10
The Reds surprised everyone in 2010 with a great season and have picked up right where they left off in 2011 with an 8-3 start.
Paced by Joey Votto's .415 batting average, the Reds are third in the league in batting average and have scored more runs than anyone with 72.
While the pitching was a question mark coming into the season, the Reds are in the top 10 in quality starts, WHIP and opponents' batting average.
If the lineup can continue its hot start, I look for the Reds to maintain control in a weak NL Central. However, with Milwaukee's additions of Shaun Marcum and Zach Greinke, despite Greinke's injury, I look for Milwaukee to rise to the top eventually.
Verdict: Pretenders
Colorado Rockies
9 of 10
The Rockies lead the NL West with a 7-2 record early in the season.
Led by a pitching staff that is third in ERA, second in WHIP and fifth in batting average against, the Rockies seem to have things heading in the right direction early in 2011.
The Rockies' offense has been mostly middle of the pack, with the exception of ranking sixth in the league in on-base percentage.
Considering the pitching numbers may be inflated after a series against the much-maligned Pittsburgh Pirates, you could argue the Rockies are overachieving so far. However, also to be considered is the fact that Ubaldo Jimenez has been riding the disabled list, which leaves the Rockies without their ace.
Troy Tulowitzki and company should keep this Rockies team going until the electric Jimenez can find his way back to the bump in Colorado. In a relatively weak division, look for it to be enough to carry them for a while, but when it comes to a pennant race, the Rockies may disappear.
Verdict: Pretenders
Los Angeles Dodgers
10 of 10
The Dodgers sit in second place in the NL West with a 6-5 record so far this season.
Coming into 2011, the Dodgers were viewed as having a lineup that lacked a big bat to anchor the middle of the order. But with Matt Kemp seemingly finding his stride again, batting .472 so far, this lineup has done just enough to keep themselves going through 11 games.
The pitching is a strong point for this Dodgers team, ranking eighth in team ERA.
Clayton Kershaw seems to have taken that next step as a pitcher and has been lights out to start the season for the Dodgers, and he seems to be quickly on his way to becoming the ace the Dodgers expect him to be.
With steady contributions from players like Andre Ethier on offense and Chad Billingsley and Hiroki Kuroda on the mound, look for the Dodgers to hang around. Jonathan Broxton so far has five saves and seems to have regained his old form, but if he should falter, look for either lefty Hong-Chih Kuo to close games or minor-league closer Kenley Jansen to get a shot to nail games down in the ninth.
If Kershaw continues to progress, I look for the Dodgers to have a good year in a shaky NL West and possibly into the playoffs as well.
Verdict: Contenders
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