With a month of the 2013 season wrapping up, there are quite a few teams that have been off to a hot start. Some of which will continue to contend, while others won’t. Here’s a look at ten of the top teams in baseball and whether they will continue to contend this season.
1. Boston Red Sox
The Sox went out, got some key players and it’s paid off. They’re the best team in baseball and have a three game lead over the New York Yankees. Their 18-8 record may come as a surprise to some due to their poor 2012 season, but with new manager, John Farrell, and the addition of some big name free agents, they’ve been impressive thus far. David Ortiz has had a great return as he is batting .500 with two homeruns. Ortiz, as always, is an important part to the Red Sox success. Boston will continue to be a contender this season. While there has only been one month of play, they’ve consistently been a hot team in a difficult division. The Blue Jays have been a disappointment, the Rays are struggling, the Orioles are in contention as well as the Yankees, but as of now that’s it for the division. Will they win the division? Maybe not, but they’ll be in contention for it as the season progresses.
2. Atlanta Braves
The Braves are 17-9 and have had a great start to the season thanks to their offseason acquisition, Justin Upton. Upton has been destroying the ball with his .298 batting average and 12 homeruns. Before the season started, the Washington Nationals were the favorite to win the NL East. The Nationals will be in contention with the Braves this year, but the Braves have an early lead as they stand four and a half games above them. The Braves are a good team and were expected to have success this season. They will contend this year and continue to give Washington a run for their money.
3. Texas Rangers
After losing guys like Josh Hamilton, Mike Napoli, and most importantly, Michael Young the Rangers status was somewhat unknown; especially with the A’s making some moves to improve their team as well as the Angels. Despite the loss of some key players, the Rangers lead the West, yet again, to begin the season with their 17-9 record. The Rangers will continue to contend this year and will have an impact in the AL West at season’s end.
4. Colorado Rockies
The Rockies are one of the surprises of the young 2013 season. They have a 16-11 record and are in first place in the NL West. Guys like Michael Cuddyer, Dexter Fowler, and of course, Carlos Gonzalez have been key to the Rockies success, but can it last? Their pitching is decent, but not overpowering. The Rockies, while they have a good record and win percentage right now, won’t continue to contend. They are within the NL West and have to compete with teams such as the Dodgers, Giants, and Diamondbacks (who are also off to a nice start). The standings are tight as it is, as the season goes on the competition will heat up and the Rockies are doubtful to keep up.
5. New York Yankees
Despite so many injuries, the Yankees are one of the top teams in baseball with their 16-10 record and their second place spot in the AL East. With a month of the season now completed, the Yankees have managed to win without Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Alex Rodriguez, and now Kevin Youkilis is on the 15-day DL. Their pitching has been effective and they have been able to find a way to win in the tough division that is the AL East. While some players, like Jeter, aren’t expected to be back until after the All-Star Break, some are expected to be back soon such as Teixeira and Granderson which will help improve the Yankees team. They will contend this year, but it will be difficult for them to win the division, especially with the uncertainty of the teams health.
6. Oakland A’s
The defending AL West champs have had an interesting start to this 2013 season. They’ve had a few hot and cold streaks already and they revolve around Yoenis Cespedes. When Cespedes is in the lineup the A’s play like a completely different team and they struggle when he is injured and on the DL. Their pitching has been an area of concern as well, especially Jarrod Parker and Brett Anderson. Parker has simply struggled, while Anderson has battled some ankle issues. However, as of late, both have shown improvement that for the A’s sake, will hopefully continue. As the season goes on the A’s will continue to contend. They are in second place in the West with their 16-12 record. They have played extremely well against their division rivals as they are 13-2 against teams in the AL West. This division will have a lot of competition as the season winds down, and the A’s will be right in the middle of it.
7. St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals currently have a record of 15-11 and are in first place in the NL Central. Carlos Beltran and Yadier Molina have been great thus far for the Cards as they are batting .307 and .313. Their pitching has also been good so far this season. The NL Central isn’t considered to be one of the best in baseball, nor one with a lot of competition, but the Cardinals will continue to contend this year.
8. Detroit Tigers
The Tigers are the favorites to win the AL Central and they’re playing like they will. They have a 15-10 record and are led by Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, and Prince Fielder who have all been impressive, as usual, for the Tigers. Detroit will continue to be contenders this year and make a serious push for the division title, which they are expected to win.
9. Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles are 15-11 sitting in third place in the AL East. A lot of guys have gotten off to a hot start such as Chris Davis with his .348 batting average and nine homeruns. Adam Jones, Nate McLouth, and Manny Machado have also had impressive starts this year as they are all batting over .300. Last season the Orioles won a wild card spot, and they look to repeat last season's success to prove it wasn't just a fluke. Baltimore will continue to contend this season, but again, it’ll be a difficult task in the AL East.
10. Arizona Diamondbacks
The DBacks have been off to a somewhat surprising start this season as they are 15-12 and sit in second place in the NL West. Paul Goldschmidt has been a hot hitter for Arizona with his .287 average and five homeruns, but one guy isn’t enough for a team to contend. Their pitching hasn’t been good enough to continue to content later on in the season. They will have to go up against the defending World Series Champion San Francisco Giants as well as the LA Dodgers, both of which will improve as the season progresses. The DBacks will not be in contention in the NL West this year.