Javier Baez celebrating successful for his Detroit Tigers, CCed by Liscense 2.0
Yearly, the media portrays the best way they anticipate the season to go, and yearly, sure gamers and sure groups blow up everybody’s expectations. Final season, groups just like the Astros began out quite a bit slower than normal and gamers like Tyler O’Neill resurrected themselves into utterly totally different hitters. This 12 months, it has been about gamers and groups outplaying expectations simply as a lot because it has been about gamers underperforming them. This leads me into what has been stunning about this season. If somebody would have walked as much as me and stated that is how the season would begin, I might have been baffled. And but, right here I’m writing this text; baffled.
Javier Baez trying turning again the clock
Baez signed a 6 12 months, $140M absolutely assured deal getting into the 2022 season. In his first three seasons with the Detroit Tigers, he has been one of many worst hitters in all of baseball.
In his first three years with the Tigers, he had extra strikeouts than he did hits. He was a whole legal responsibility of their lineup. Coming into this 12 months, it was anticipated to be extra of the identical from Baez with something on the surface a part of the plate being an excessive concern for him. Nevertheless, to start out the season, he has been nothing lower than distinctive.
By 41 video games performed, Baez has nearly matched his hit whole from a 12 months in the past and matched his dwelling run whole. He has made himself much less of a legal responsibility and extra of a menace inside a lineup that already comprises Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, and different younger gamers with a ton of potential. Baez is even getting reps in heart area and has truly been doing pretty effectively. If Baez retains this up, it’s doable he turns into a 3 time all-star this 12 months. Consistency has plagued him ever since he placed on that Tigers uniform, so that’s one thing to observe because the season continues.
The NL Rookie of the 12 months Pool
Earlier than the beginning of the 2025 MLB season, the NL Rookie of the 12 months favorites had been Dylan Crews and Roki Sasaki. Each have been very underwhelming to start out the season. Dylan Crews was known as up late final 12 months and burst onto the scene and confirmed indicators of being a future star. Roki Sasaki had no prior MLB expertise, however has performed professionally in Japan earlier than coming to the MLB. You could possibly say he’s going via a studying curve because of the transition into the MLB. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Sasaki’s teammate, had the identical points, however they’ve since been resolved.
Crews’ batting common could be very regarding contemplating within the minors he didn’t battle with getting on base via hits. His strikeout price can be very regarding. Some individuals consider the Nationals will ship him down and get him extra reps, however I personally suppose he ought to keep within the majors till his defensive manufacturing not outweighs his offensive inefficiency anymore. As soon as that occurs, ship him right down to Triple-A. MLB groups have movie and stats on Crews and have found his weaknesses this season as a result of his late call-up final season. The movie and stats that groups had on him coming into this season have confirmed useful to Crews’ opponents. I anticipate him to determine it out and present everybody why he was a extremely touted prospect within the second half of the season. Though I believe he’ll determine it out, I nonetheless consider another person will win the NL Rookie of the 12 months.
In 8 begins, Sasaki has struggled to strike hitters out. His predominant concern is his command which ends up in giving hitters free passes to first too many occasions. It’s also why he’s struggling to get previous 5 innings in his begins and has solely managed to do it twice in his first 8 makes an attempt. He’s at present on the 15 day IL with a proper shoulder impingement. I might anticipate him to get at the least one or two rehab begins when he will get able to return to the Dodgers. Hopefully he can determine some issues out throughout his rehab begins that he can carry with him into the majors. I believe he’s going to proceed to battle this 12 months, however will present flashes of greatness. He ought to do sufficient to stay round, however don’t be stunned if he’s despatched down or moved to the bullpen when different beginning pitchers re-join the Dodgers from the injured listing.
These are my two greatest surprises to date. One other one that’s price mentioning is the quantity of competitors within the NL Rookie of the 12 months Race. AJ Smith-Shawver, Drake Baldwin, Matt Shaw, Jordan Lawlar, and even names who haven’t been known as up but like Bubba Chandler and Andrew Painter.. No one has pulled away sufficient to be a transparent favourite to win the award, though we’re nonetheless early within the season. I’m absolutely anticipating that there will probably be many extra surprises this season, however these for my part are two of the largest so far.
