Cooling Down Philadelphia Phillies Offense

The Philadelphia Phillies have come out of the gate smoking baseballs all over the yard. And into the neighbor’s yard too.  It’s getting to the point that their start is drawing historic comparisons.  

They’ve played seven games and scored 50 runs, an average of over seven runs a game.  Extrapolated out over the course of the season it puts these Phillies at 1,157 runs, far and away a Major League record.

But let’s not get too far indulged in this team and start predicting they’ll score 1000 runs this year.  Remember, the season is young and the only teams they’ve played are two perennial cellar-dwellers, Houston and Washington.

Houston was 13th in team ERA in 2009, Washington dead last.  They’ve faced pitchers like John Lannan, Jason Marquis, Craig Stammen, and Felipe Paulino.  Hardly the type of pitchers that hitters wake up and dread having to face.

Philadelphia’s lineup is intimidating all the way through and they’re clearly the class of the National League.  But let’s remember that eventually the schedule will turn and they’ll face pitching staffs of a much higher caliber.  

Both Atlanta and Florida feature impressive starting rotations.  St. Louis and San Francisco will stop in and say hello with Cy Young caliber starters along the lines of Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Tim Lincecum, and Matt Cain.

Players like Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Jayson Werth are among the league’s elite, and elite hitters destroy sub-par pitching.  And right now, that’s what Philadelphia is doing.

But the 2010 Philadelphia offense is not historic.  They have just had quite a first week.

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Philadelphia Phillies News And Notes

Update

The Phillies have placed shortstop Jimmy Rollins on the 15-day DL because of that calf strain he suffered warming up in the outfield. Look for Juan Castro to get first crack as Rollins’ replacement at short.

Shane Victorino will move into the leadoff spot. As a matter of fact, Victorino hit leadoff last night delivered a four-for-five night with a home run and five Rib Eye Steaks. The Phillies also scored 14 runs last night, so I think they will get by just fine without Rollins.

That offense is so good right now it’s scary.

 

Original Post: April 13th, 2010

The two-time defending National League Champions have gotten off to another fast start going 6-1 in their first seven games. Of course, it helps that they have started their season off against the Washington Nationals twice and the Houston Astros.

They could be the two worst teams in the National League. Regardless, the Phillies don’t make the schedule and the way they are hitting, they probably would have beaten anyone.

Let’s see what else is going on with the team from the city of brotherly love.

 

Jimmy Rollins to have MRI.

Rollins was working out in the outfield prior to the Phillies’ home opener against the Nationals and suffered a calf injury.

How on do you suffer a calf strain just doing some pregame workouts in the outfield? Seems very odd to me. Nevertheless, apparently this injury is more serious than originally thought because Rollins will be going for an MRI on Tuesday.

Rollins has gotten off to a pretty hot start on the season. He is hitting .391 with a .516 OBP in 23 AB’s.

It not yet known how long Rollins will be out.

 

Jayson Werth leaves game in fifth.

There was clearly something in the Philadelphia air on Monday. First Rollins went down and then Werth. Perhaps Donovan McNabb has put a curse on the city of Philadelphia.

Werth left Monday’s game in the fifth inning because of a left hip soreness. However, Werth’s injury is not as serious as Rollins as Werth left the game merely for precautionary reasons.

Werth is day-to-day.

 

Phillies’ bullpen getting it done.

Last year, the Phillies’ bullpen was a sore spot for the team. This year, the Phillies’ bullpen is off to a really good start.

Through seven games, Ryan Madson, Danys Baez, and Co. have a 1.33 ERA. It seems like everyone has settled in nicely into their roles. It will be interesting to see how the dynamic of the bullpen changes when Brad Lidge returns.

And just in case anyone is interested to know how Lidge is doing (Like me who has him on my fantasy team), he got shellacked in his rehab start on Saturday.

In one inning at Double-A Clearwater, Lidge gave up four runs, three hits, and a walk. I am guessing that is not what the Phillies were hoping for.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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A Philadelphia Phillies Fan Bucket List, Complete With Jayson Werth

As I sit here gazing at my complimentary Phillie of the Month calendar, a problem occurs to me: they’re all fully dressed.

What happened to equal opportunity, women’s liberation, and all the hints I sent last year? My husband buys a subscription to a crappy car magazine and gets a calendar with Marisa Miller scantily clad in a dozen seasonal plunge bras. I spend hundreds on a season ticket package and get a calendar with pictures I can find in my kid’s baseball card collection.

Is there no such thing as equal perversion?

Anyway, that brings me to the part of this blog where I have no segue whatsoever. Actually I could say that brings me to the topic of my article: what I want to see before I die, but that would be faking it—and that’s something my husband says I do well.

Unlike most bucket lists, mine isn’t composed of death-defying acts of irrationality like skydiving. I don’t need to do something daring—I gave birth naturally. I don’t need another adventure to end with, “What the hell was I thinking?”

I need a list of things that when I’m at the pearly gates, St. Peter will recognize me and say, “Oh, God, you’re that woman who…,” and I’ll proudly nod my head as he blushes and discovers that I’m still clutching the piece of Jayson Werth private attire I snatched in my last great act of defiance. But, he’ll have to roll the dice to try to pry them from my rigor mortised hands.

Then I’m gonna find Harry Kalas and we’re gonna watch the Phils from the best seats in the house without ever having to miss a pitch because we had to pee.

Now, when I thought about the organization of my list, I considered bullets or numbers or possibly an alphabetical arrangement. I even tried little Shane Victorino silhouettes, but I couldn’t get them to stand still. So I settled for the rant. Not only is the rant my favorite form of communication, it’s possibly the least effective one.

In this case, it’ll work quite well. I’ve been accused of many things, but no one’s ever suggested I make any sense at all.

Without further ado, here’s my list:

First, I want a nickname like one of the baseball greats. Wait a second…my husband says I have one. It’s a five-letter word that describes who I am when I whine and rhymes with the thing a player does when he takes the mound.

That’s touching, honey.

But I want a name like, Babe, Shoeless, Lefty, Whitey, or Beauty. Hold on…my husband has a suggestion. He says try Wrinkly, Saggy, or Whacky. Thanks. I’ll not only look like one of the dwarfs, I’ll be named after one.

Where were we?

Oh yeah…I want a private autographed session with the Phillies roster and I want each of them to sign a part of my body with a tattoo pen. Then I want a mural of the stadium after the Phil’s clinched their 2008 World Series win painted around my middle so at my viewing everyone can turn my naked body on a rotisserie to find where they were sitting.

I want to catch a Carlos Ruiz walk-off home run.

I want to see Mary Poppins jam Metallica at Karaoke. I’d also like to know why the hell we call it karaoke. And just once, I’d like to be able to spell it without looking it up.

I want to find a Jayson Werth thong in a box of Cracker Jacks.

I want to use a bidet.

If there are Seven Wonders of the World, I want the Philadelphia Phillies to be the eighth and I want sex so good it’s the ninth.

I want my dog to learn to poop in the cat box and I want my cat to puke in that box too.

I want Cliff Lee back. He compLEEtes me.

I want my husband to accept that “shit happens” is a viable excuse for everything.

I want someone to use Born to Run as their at-bat song.

I want Davey Lopes to pat me on the ass on first base. Wait, I think that qualifies as third base.

I want to make so much cash I can sing a song about kicking the snot outta my ex while I’m named after a harmless pastel.

I want to write a blog so controversial I get chastised publicly on ESPN.

I want to understand why people put “Travel the world over” on their bucket list when actually they should write, “Ask poor unsuspecting locals to take a picture of me in front of everything.” 

I want Herbie the Dentist to extract all of Glenn Beck’s teeth to make him stop spreading malice so peace can become America’s second favorite pastime.

I want Kevin Costner to give me a long, slow, deep, soft, wet kiss that lasts three days.

I want a bench player to have another unassisted triple play, Jayson Werth to steal his way around the bases, and Joe Blanton to hit a closed-eye home run—all in the same game.

I want Tom Verducci to write my eulogy and I want Charlie Manuel to cater my wake.

Most of all, I simply want Mitch Williams.

And expect to get it all because I have, as someone once sang, high hopes.

That brings me to the most important item on my list. I want to die like Harry Kalas. I want to be doing what I love to do when I have the big one. Wait. My husband says he has my big one right here. Well, if it’s like any other day, it’ll be just a few minutes before I can pass away.

Just kidding.

When I die, I may not go to heaven, but Citizens Bank Park is as close as I’ve been.

In the meantime, see you at the ballpark.

 

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Shane Victorino Making Best Leadoff Impression for Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies players make manager Charlie Manuel look like a genius time after time.

The latest blow to the defending National League champions was leadoff man Jimmy Rollins landing on the 15-day disabled list due to a strained calf muscle.

No problem.

Juan Castro filled in nicely at leadoff in the first game without Rollins. In a 7-4 win on Monday against Washington, he hit an RBI double.

Castro had to lead off because Rollins’ name was already on the lineup card. Rollins was pulled shortly before the start of the game.

With a day off Tuesday, Manuel inserted Shane Victorino from his seventh spot in the order to bat leadoff.

Victorino responded with a 4-for-5 night at the plate with a home run, triple, three runs scored, and five RBI. His .161 average jumped to .250 after Victorino’s career night in a 14-7 win over Washington.

The win pushed the Phillies to a National League-best record of 7-1.

Before I get too excited, however, this is the Nationals, last year’s bottom-dweller in the National League East. The Nats are 3-5 so far.

In the Phillies’ four games against the Nationals, they have scored 40 runs.

I don’t care what team the Phillies are playing—if you throw slop up against them, they will score runs. Or if the opposing pitcher walks men on base, watch out. The Phils will capitalize.

Get the starting pitcher out of the game and let’s see how good your bullpen is.

One such opportunistic player is Victorino.

The bigger the stage, the better he performs.

Remember his grand slam against CC Sabathia in the 2008 NLDS? Or the day the Dodgers’ Hiroki Kuroda buzzed Victorino near his head in the 2008 NLCS? The next day, he hit a game-tying home run in the Phillies’ 7-5 victory over the Dodgers in the key Game Four of the series.

“I told (Rollins) before the game, I’m going to take that job from you,'” Victorino said in a Philadelphia Daily News story. “I was joking, of course. He helped me a lot during the game.”

All Victorino has to do, from here in, is get on base and steal some bases.

Victorino stole 25 bases in 2009 and 36 in 2008.

This Phillies team is talented.

They will play better teams than the Nationals after today’s getaway game.

The Florida Nationals will be coming into town over the weekend.

Roy Halladay (2-0, 0.56 ERA) pitches Friday in the opening game against the Marlins.

Boo-ya!

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Philadelphia Phillies Already Bitten By Injury Bug

Seven games into the 2010 MLB season, we already know a few things about the Philadelphia Phillies.

Roy Halladay is good.

Chase Utley is the man (as Harry Kalas so eloquently and correctly stated, may he rest in peace).

Cole Hamels is…well scratch that, I don’t think even Cole himself could tell you what is up with him at this point.

And we also know that no season ever goes on without a hitch.

Only seven games into the 2010 MLB season and the Phillies have already been bitten by the dreaded injury bug.

They began the season with Joe Blanton, J.C. Romero, and Brad Lidge already on the disabled list. For those of you keeping track at home, that would be their third starter, late-inning lefty specialist reliever, and closer (can we even still call him that?).

And although it has not been confirmed yet, it is looking increasingly likely that you can now add a shortstop, leadoff hitter, and sparkplug, Jimmy Rollins, to that list.

Only seven games in and that list of walking wounded is already adding up pretty fast.

If Jimmy Rollins is the latest casualty, this will be a particularly harsh blow for the Phillies.

Jimmy Rollins is the leadoff hitter and the engine of the Phillies high-priced muscle car of an offense.

When Rollins is slapping triples, getting on base, and stealing bases, it adds an entire new dimension to the lineup filled with sluggers such as Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth.

What is worse is that Rollins had been doing these things particularly well so far this season. He has even been taking walks, which to anyone who has watched him throughout his career, is particularly surprising (in a good way).

To add insult to injury, Rollins has been diagnosed with a calf injury. For those that are unfamiliar with calf injuries, they share a certain quality with that weird in-law that your family always seems to invite over.

They linger.

Although the Phillies offense has been dominating the opposition so far (albeit the very, very weak opposition of the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals) a lingering calf injury to Rollins could be just the screw that could derail this train.

If Rollins is out for an extended period of time, its looks like the task of replacing him will fall to Juan Castro. Castro is not the equal of Jimmy, either with the glove or the bat, but the Phillies could certainly do a lot worse. But losing Rollins not only makes the top of the lineup weaker, it also makes the bottom of the lineup weaker, by having to move Shane Victorino up, and slotting in Castro.

This makeshift lineup could certainly hold up for a time without completely handicapping the Phillies but I think all Phils Phans are in agreement in hoping that Rollins can come back quickly and healthy, and return to his dynamic self.

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Dominic Brown: The Philadelphia Phillies’ Next Superstar?

Anyone who’s followed baseball this spring knows the national sports media has been abuzz with talk about a “once in a lifetime” talent…

Who is he? Well, he’s a lefty-hitting, potential five-tool right fielder who happens to play for a club in the National League East.

Give up?

OK, of course we’re talking about the Atlanta Braves’ Jason Heyward. He’s a phenomenal talent, and at age 20, appears to truly be in a class all by himself. But largely unreported outside the Delaware Valley is the fact that the Phillies have a promising 22-year-old Double-A prospect who doesn’t seem too far behind.

His name? Dominic Brown. He hasn’t been given an oh so clever nickname yet, like, “The J Hey Kid.” But he gives Phillie fans a reason to check out the Reading Phils online box score each morning.

Brown is a lanky 6’5’’, 200-pound kid from Georgia, who the Phillies expect to be roaming right field at Citizens Bank Park in the years to come.

The Phillies selected Brown in the 20th round of the 2006 MLB Draft. Ironically, pitcher Kyle Drabek was selected 18th overall by the Phils that same year. In 2009, Brown and Drabek were undisputedly considered the Phillies top-two minor-league prospects. But in the end, the Phillies chose to keep Brown, while shipping Drabek to Toronto in the Roy Halladay deal this past December.

Brown had an extremely impressive 2010 Spring Training with the big club before being sent down. He was 10-for-24 (.417 AVG), with 2 homers and 8 RBI, while recording three outfield assists.

Both Brown’s dingers came the day before his demotion on March 17. His first crank came against Detroit Tigers’ ace Justin Verlander, while his second came versus major-league lefty reliever Phil Coke.

This spring, Baseball America reported that Brown had “shown good speed for a big man and demonstrated a work-ethic that has impressed his veteran teammates.”

The Philadelphia media also seemed to make note of his poise, so it sounds like Brown already has more maturity than Jose Reyes can hope to have at age 75.

“All these guys brought me under their wing,” Brown told Philly.com last month, when asked about his communication with some of the Phillies’ veterans and coaching staff. “It’s a major confidence booster for myself and is really teaching me the hard-work part of it also.”

Ryan Howard was one Phillie who felt Brown was making the most of his opportunity in his very first big-league Grapefruit League camp.

“He’s gone about it the right way,” first baseman Ryan Howard said. “He’s come up and he’s learning, and that’s the biggest thing.”

In 2009, Brown hit .303 in 66 games with Single-A Clearwater before being promoted to Double-A Reading, where he batted .279 in 37 contests. He totaled 7 triples, 14 homers, and 23 steals between the two leagues.

Brown has begun 2010 at Double-A Reading. Batting in the No. 3 spot in the order,  Brown is 5-for-19 with 3 RBI and 6 strikeouts since the season began last Thursday.  

Dominic Brown isn’t ready for the big leagues yet, but his time is coming. And soon.

The Phillies personnel knows that, and is optimistic that Brown can slide into the Phillies’ big-league starting outfield when a vacancy arises…whether that’s at the start of 2011 should Jayson Werth search for work elsewhere, or after 2012 when Raul Ibanez’s contract expires.

He’s two years older than the Braves Jason Heyward. But Brown’s certainly not at the Heyward’s level…yet.

The national media’s prospect promotional machine certainly knows Heyward is a special talent. As you know, the Braves’ 20-year-old star is drawing daily comparisons to a fistful of the greatest players in the history of baseball.

Griffey Jr.…Aaron…Mays…you know the drill.

Actually, based on his physique, Heyward looks more like Dallas Cowboys star linebacker Demarcus Ware than any of those all-time greats.

Heyward might hit a couple of home runs onto I-76 when Atlanta visits Citizens Bank Park next month. And he’ll probably club a few more to the top of the Comcast Center when the Braves return to Philly in July.  

But the Phillies know their own lefty-hitting potential five-tool right fielder has a chance to be a pretty damn good major leaguer as well.

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Jimmy Rollins’ Injury Has Philadelphia Phillies Awaiting Their Fate

Anticipation grew as the players exited the tunnel Monday to enter Citizens Bank Park to mark the 2010 Philadelphia Phillies’ home opener against the Washington Nationals.

Above, Jimmy Rollins, the longest-tenured player among the Phillies, enters among adoring fans.

Moments later, however, a hush grew among the gathered fans.

Juan Castro, not Jimmy Rollins, took the field at shortstop.

Not since Lenny Dysktra broke his wrist on Opening Day many years ago did such a key member of the team go down on Opening Day.

Later in the game, outfielder Jayson Werth left with a sore hip. Werth is considered day to day.

The Phillies are awaiting the results of Rollins’ MRI, but according to interviews with players following the game yesterday, a calf injury such as Rollins’ would likely land him on the disabled list.

Lets hope it is 15 days, not 30 or 60.

Rolllins indicated he injured the calf in a pre-game warmup.

Rollins was off to such an unbelievable start, hitting .391 with three doubles, one home run, eight runs scored, three RBI, and an incredible .516 on-base percentage.

Rollins’ leadoff home run in Houston on Sunday helped to propel Roy Halladay’s complete-game 2-1 victory.

For one day, however, the backup plan worked.

Castro had an RBI double in the Phillies’ five-run fifth inning, highlighted by Chase Utley’s two-run bomb.

A short-term loss of Rollins will not be a big loss. However, more long-term injuries to someone like Rollins and a delay of Joe Blanton’s return could affect one or more games.

Our baseball friends up north, the Mets, sure know a thing or two about losing key players to injury, as they did last season.

However, last year I explained in a BR slideshow that the Mets’ woes were caused by having an older core of players.

Will we start to see the National League championship veneer tarnish along the core?

Dare I say it amidst a 6-1 start? Poppycock.

One thing I know: Jayson Werth, in a contract year, will get back on the field soon if he can at all help it.

He may have already written his ticket out of town.

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A Painful Anniversary: One Year Since the Death of Harry Kalas

There have been a whole lot of positives so far in this young 2010 season for the Phillies, but today is not one of them.  Today the Delaware Valley is reminded of the untimely and tragic death of its adopted son-turned-surrogate-grandfather Harry Kalas.

The voice of Philadelphia if ever there was one, Harry brought together fans across generations and classes, across eras of Phillies baseball, and years of NFL season recaps.  His voice presided over the summer and boomed on Chunky Soup commercials, and the Phillies had a 3011-3145 record over the course of his 38 years with the team from 1971 through April 13, 2009.

His career included 10 playoff berths for the Phils, saw two new stadiums open, and witnessed 12 different managers pass through on a permanent basis.  By the time he won the Ford C. Frick Award and got himself a spot in the baseball Hall of Fame, Harry had become a spectacle bigger than the game and an old dependable friend with which we shared all of the Phillies’ successes and (mostly) failures.

Everyone heard the news that day within a few hours that Harry was gone.  That baseball would never again sound the way it always had and that which we all feared when we heard about his offseason sickness had come true.

I remember being in my room at school and checking out this crazy new thing called Twitter.  The Phils had a game coming up that day against the Nationals, and I thought it would be interesting to see what Todd Zolecki had to say about the game so I clicked over to his account.  (Note: at the time I was still resisting the idea that Twitter would ever catch on, so I just clicked on the Twitter feeds of people I knew were good instead of “following” them.)  Anyway, when I clicked over the first time, Zolecki had tweeted something about Harry’s collapse and that he was on the way to the emergency room.  Next, probably less than an hour later, I saw the message that said he had died and I had no idea what to do or say.

I called my dad and broke the news to him a few minutes later and it was a strange conversation.  I grew up doing Harry Kalas (and Merrill Reese) impressions with my dad and constantly goofing on broadcasters.  I can honestly say that I haven’t heard a Harry impersonation from him since that day.  It wouldn’t feel right to do one.

What did feel right all season long was the way the Phillies paid tribute to their fallen hero.  Between the HK patches, the banner in left field, the retired “number,” the Phillies players chain-smoking a cigarette during pregame introductions the next day, and the blazer and shoes perched constantly in the dugout along with the team, the Phillies did a whole lot to honor his memory.  I think my favorite one is the playing of Harry’s rendition of “High Hopes” after every home win.  I mean seriously, who had ever even heard that song before Harry started singing after big wins?  And now, it’s like the Phillies version of a fight song, with drunken fans slurring their way through it every time the Phillies treat them to a win, a division title, a playoff series win, a National League Championship, or a World F—ing Championship.

And that’s all Harry would have wanted, it would seem.  He loved and understood the fans in Philadelphia more than anyone else in recent memory, and would defend us against any criticism.  And not in that combative “shut up you just don’t get it” Mike Missanelli kind of way.  He just genuinely enjoyed what he did and the people who made it possible.  Namely, the fans.

The team immortalized their voice through the new postgame tradition.  If only they could have immortalized the man himself.  We’re all rooting for the Phillies this year, and getting used to T-Mac I suppose (though our boy Franske’s gotta be due for a call-up of some kind soon), but that doesn’t make it any less weird when there’s a home run hit and we don’t here the classic “Outta here” home run call, or my dad’s favorite “Swing and a miss ‘ee struck ‘eem ouuutt.”

Rest in peace, Harry.  We’ll see you after the next Phils win.

Dave Mulhern writes for “The View from Broad Street,” a Philadelphia sports blog that has slightly extended versions of his articles, along with all kinds of other goodies.

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Philadelphia Phillies News and Notes: Jimmy Rollins, Jayson Werth Injured

The two-time defending National League champions have gotten off to another fast start, going 6-1 in their first seven games.

Of course, it helps that they have started their season off against the Washington Nationals twice and the Houston Astros. They could be the two worst teams in the National League.

Regardless, the Phillies don’t make the schedule, and the way they are hitting, they probably would have beaten anyone.

Let’s see what else is going on with the team from the City of Brotherly Love.

 

Jimmy Rollins to have MRI

Rollins was working out in the outfield prior to the Phillies’ home opener against the Nationals and suffered a calf injury.

How on do you suffer a calf strain just doing some pregame workouts in the outfield? Seems very odd to me.

Nevertheless, apparently this injury is more serious than originally thought because Rollins will be going for an MRI on Tuesday.

Rollins has gotten off to a pretty hot start on the season. He is hitting .391 with a .516 OBP in 23 ABs.

It is not yet known how long Rollins will be out.

 

Jayson Werth leaves game in fifth

There was clearly something in the Philadelphia air on Monday. First Rollins went down, and then Werth. Perhaps Donovan McNabb has put a curse on the city of Philadelphia.

Werth left Monday’s game in the fifth inning because of left hip soreness. However, Werth’s injury is not as serious as Rollins’, as Werth left the game merely for precautionary reasons.

Werth is day to day.

 

Phillies’ bullpen getting it done

Last year, the Phillies’ bullpen was a sore spot for the team. This year, the Phillies’ bullpen is off to a really good start.

Through seven games, Ryan Madson, Danys Baez, and Co. have a 1.33 ERA. It seems like everyone has settled in nicely into their roles. It will be interesting to see how the dynamic of the bullpen changes when Brad Lidge returns.

Just in case anyone is interested to know how Lidge is doing (like me, who has him on my fantasy team), he got shellacked in his rehab start on Saturday. In one inning at Double-A Clearwater, Lidge gave up four runs, three hits, and a walk.

I am guessing that is not what the Phillies were hoping for.

 

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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Carter’s MLB Power Rankings: April 12

1. Philadelphia Phillies (5-1)

Great offensive team + Roy Halladay success = success for whole team.

The Phillies have scored a league-best 43 runs so far this season. And that’s just offense. They’ve also given up an NL-low 18 runs so far. 

Roy Halladay is currently my leader in my NL Cy Young award race (posted at bottom of article). A 2-0 start with a 0.56 ERA and 17 strikeouts is not very surprising for Halladay in his first two starts.

 

2. Arizona Diamondbacks (4-2)

Like the Phillies, the key to the Diamondbacks so far has been their offense. They have scored 41 runs so far only six games into the season. Blame most of that on guys like newcomer Kelly Johnson, Chris Young, Justin Upton, and Miguel Montero (all who have at least six hits this season).

 

3. Oakland Athletics (5-2)

Sure they are the best offensive team in the American League right now, but enjoy that while you can, A’s fans. Not very many people are expecting the A’s to have much success this year. Can they prove the haters wrong?

 

4. Detroit Tigers (5-1)

The Tigers already have four players with at least 10 hits this year (Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez, Austin Jackson, Brandon Inge).

 

5. St. Louis Cardinals (4-2)

The Cardinals are having success offensively. They have scored 37 runs during their first six games, and Albert Pujols is still playing like Albert Pujols (nine hits, four HRs, 10 RBIs through first six games).

 

6. Toronto Blue Jays (5-1)

Great start for the Blue Jays’ pitchers. They’ve only given up 18 total runs so far.

 

7. San Francisco Giants (5-1)

I’m not surprised that the Giants have only given up 20 runs so far. If you have pitchers like Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain as your top two pitchers, you can expect the “runs against” number to be pretty low all year long.

 

8. Minnesota Twins (5-2)

Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer, and Joe Mauer are (not surprisingly) leading the way for the very nice Twins offense.

 

9. Atlanta Braves (3-3)

I’m not even going to lie…this Jason Heyward kid is starting to grow on me. He’s going to be pretty good!

 

10. New York Yankees (4-2)

No surprise that the defending champions are ranked in the top five in the majors in scoring. Great offensive starts by Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, and Derek Jeter so far.

 

11. Colorado Rockies (3-3)

They might not look like a top-10 team in my eyes just yet, but they are getting there. Carlos Gonzalez is playing his part very well (.393 average, 11 hits through six games).

 

12. Texas Rangers (3-3)

If it weren’t for Frank Francisco, the Rangers could be 5-1 by now.

 

13. New York Mets (2-4)

This team looks a little better than 2-4 right now. Jeff Francoeur looks to be the MVP of the team for the first week of the season. He’s batting .476 with 10 hits, two HR, and six RBI.

 

14. Boston Red Sox (3-3)

Former MVP Dustin Pedroia is playing like the team’s MVP through the first week (.370 average, 10 hits, 3 HR, 7 RBI).

 

15. Los Angeles Dodgers (2-4)

One guy to pay attention to: Charlie Haeger. He pitched well against the Marlins recording 12 strikeouts while giving up four runs on three hits.

 

16. Chicago White Sox (2-4)

John Danks, Gavin Floyd, and Matt Thornton all recording at least six strikeouts so far this season as the White Sox pitching staff as a whole is playing pretty well. They’ve only given up 20 total runs this year.

 

17. Florida Marlins (4-2)

I know the Marlins are over .500, but opponents have scored five more runs than them through the first six games.

 

18. Milwaukee Brewers (3-3)

Now if only their pitching starts showing up, they could be a few games over .500. Only Pittsburgh and Washington are the only other NL teams that have given up more runs than the Brew Crew.

 

19. Cincinnati Reds (3-3)

The Reds need to start hitting more. Their leading hitter (Joey Votto) only has six hits.

 

20. Tampa Bay Rays (3-3)

I know it’s only the first week of the season, but the Blue Jays are looking to take the “third best team in the AL East” title away from the Rays.

 

21. Cleveland Indians (2-4)

How ’bout that Chris Perez, huh?

 

22. Baltimore Orioles (1-5)

Arguably the worst offensive team in the AL so far. The O’s have only scored 19 runs so far this year.

 

23. San Diego Padres (2-4)

Not a very good offensive team. Can’t blame it on Chase Headley (11 hits) or Adrian Gonzalez (8 hits) though. My fifth place NL West preseason ranking for the Padres is looking pretty good so far.

 

24. Chicago Cubs (2-4)

Lack of offense. The Cubbies have only scored 18 runs in their first six games. That’s the second-lowest total in the majors entering Monday.

 

25. Kansas City Royals (2-4)

The Angels are the only AL team to give up more runs (44) than the Royals (41).

 

26. Seattle Mariners (2-5)

Not sure if the return of Cliff Lee will make that much of a difference for the Mariners’ pitching woes. Other than Felix Hernandez, who do they really have in the rotation?

 

27. Pittsburgh Pirates (3-3)

The Bucs lost their pitching staff!! Somebody go find them!

 

28. Washington Nationals (3-3)

Only the Pirates have given up more runs than the Nationals.

 

29. Los Angeles Angels (2-5)

I wonder if the Angels are missing John Lackey yet? I bet they are. The Angels have given up an AL-worst 44 runs so far this year.

 

30. Houston Astros (0-6)

The Astros are not playing well offensively. Pretty much the only reason why they’re still winless. Their pitching staff isn’t too hot either. The Pirates are the only NL team to give up more runs than the Astros so far this year.

 

 

Carter’s 2010 MLB Award Races:

 

AL Most Valuable Player

1. Magglio Ordonez (DET): .462 avg., 12 hits, 2 HR, 6 RBIS

2. Miguel Cabrera (DET): .522 avg., 12 hits, 2 HR, 8 RBIS

3. Hideki Matsui (LAA): .370 avg., 10 hits, 2 HR, 5 RBIS

4. Nelson Cruz (TEX): .450 avg., 9 hits, 4 HR, 9 RBIS

5. Alex Gonzalez (TOR): .346 avg., 9 hits, 4 HR, 4 RBIS

 

NL Most Valuable Player

1. Matt Holliday (STL): .423 avg., 11 hits, 3 HR, 6 RBIS

2. Ryan Howard (PHI): .357 avg., 10 hits, 3 HR, 10 RBIS

3. Jeff Francoeur (NYM): .476 avg., 10 hits, 2 HR, 6 RBIS

4. Albert Pujols (STL): .375 avg., 9 hits, 4 HR, 10 RBIS

5. Ian Stewart (COL): .391 avg., 9 hits, 2 HR, 5 RBIS

 

AL Cy Young Award

1. Jered Weaver (LAA): 1-0, 3.00 ERA, 13 strikeouts

2. Dallas Braden (OAK): 1-0, 2.77 ERA, 12 strikeouts

3. Kevin Millwood (BAL): 0-1, 2.13 ERA, 11 strikeouts

4. Shaun Marcum (TOR): 0-0, 3.46 ERA, 11 strikeouts

5. James Shields (TB): 0-0, 3.97 ERA, 11 strikeouts

 

NL Cy Young Award

1. Roy Halladay (PHI): 2-0, 0.56 ERA, 17 strikeouts

2. Tim Lincecum (SF): 2-0, 1.29 ERA, 17 strikeouts

3. Ubaldo Jimenez (COL): 2-0, 1.50 ERA, 13 strikeouts

4. Dan Haren (ARZ): 1-1, 3.95 ERA, 13 strikeouts

5. Charlie Haeger (LAD): 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 12 strikeouts

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