Ben Verlander
FOX Sports activities MLB Analyst
The primary weekend of the 2024 MLB season noticed some historical past being made and dominant particular person performances.
However I am not going to overreact an excessive amount of to 1 sequence, even when a group obtained swept or did the sweeping. Listed here are my high 10 groups in baseball after Week 1.Â
1. Atlanta Braves (2-1; final week 1)
The Braves fell a success wanting sweeping the rival Phillies in their very own ballpark. Chris Sale had an encouraging first begin together with his new group nonetheless, giving up two runs on two hits, with two walks and 7 strikeouts over 5.1 innings. Atlanta’s offense appeared like its regular self, tallying 26 runs and mixing for a .339/.387/.574 slash line by three video games.Â
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (4-2, LW 2)
Shohei Ohtani had a modest first sequence at Chavez Ravine. That is OK when one in every of your different MVP teammates goes on a four-game residence run streak. Mookie Betts was baseball’s greatest star by the primary weekend of the season and has an absurd 1.757 OPS by six video games. The Dodgers have been on the verge of splitting their four-game set with the Cardinals on Sunday when Teoscar Hernández and Max Muncy homered within the eighth to finish a dramatic comeback. This lineup is unreal.
3. New York Yankees (4-0, LW 7)
What a begin to the season for the Yankees. With out Gerrit Cole at their disposal, they obtained strong beginning pitching and rallied to win every of the primary three video games earlier than extra Juan Soto heroics sealed the four-game sweep Sunday. The most recent Bronx Bomber had a scintillating opening sequence on the plate (.529/.600/.765) and likewise got here up clutch within the subject. It is one of these stuff that had me predicting he’d win AL MVP this 12 months.Â
[RELATED: Juan Soto, Astros slayer: Three takeaways from Yankees’ season-opening sweep]
4. Baltimore Orioles (2-1, LW 4)
Corbin Burnes appeared the a part of a Cy Younger favourite in his first begin with the Orioles, hanging out 11 and permitting only one hit — a solo residence run to Mike Trout — over six innings. Baltimore gained the primary two video games of its sequence versus the Angels by a mixed rating of 24-7.
5. Philadelphia Phillies (1-2, LW 3)
The Phillies narrowly prevented a sweep Sunday, with Alec Bohm capping off a robust weekend with a go-ahead two-run single within the seventh. Zack Wheeler had a superb Opening Day begin, pitching six shutout innings. However Philadelphia’s bullpen was hit exhausting Friday and Saturday, as was Aaron Nola (7 ER, 12 hits).Â
J.T. Realmuto’s solo homer trims Phillies’ deficit
6. Texas Rangers (2-1, LW 5)
The defending champs took two of three from the Chicago Cubs. Wyatt Langford appeared comfy in his first big-league sequence, hitting .333 with three RBIs, whereas Corey Seager (5-for-10) and Adolis GarcÃa (two residence runs) picked up the place they left off within the World Sequence.
7. Arizona Diamondbacks (3-1, LW 8)
No group had a greater Opening Day than the Diamondbacks. Their 14-run third inning in opposition to the Colorado Rockies was essentially the most runs scored in an inning on Opening Day since 1900. If it weren’t for Betts’ scorching begin, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. would have been the star of the week, hitting .471 with a 1.644 OPS plus three homers and 10 RBIs.
8. Seattle Mariners (2-2, LW 9)
The Mariners break up a four-game set with the Boston Purple Sox, profitable a pair of low-scoring affairs. George Kirby pitched 6.2 innings of scoreless ball on Friday whereas hanging out eight. Julio RodrÃguez did not have the very best weekend on the plate, however his game-winning single Saturday was the primary walk-off hit of his profession.Â
9. Houston Astros (0-4, LW 6)
Every part went downhill for the Astros after taking a 4-0 lead on Opening Day. They allowed 5 unanswered to the Yankees after which blew leads the subsequent two days en path to struggling a four-game sweep at residence. Cristian Javier was a brilliant spot for houston, pitching six shutout innings Friday. But it surely’s robust to win video games should you solely hit one residence run in a sequence.Â
Juan Soto crushes first HR with Yankees to go forward of Astros
10. Milwaukee Brewers (3-0; LW unranked)
Rhys Hoskins may already be a fan favourite in Milwaukee, starting his Brewers profession by getting testy with Jeff McNeil on Opening Day earlier than a four-RBI efficiency on Saturday. However the Brewers’ rotation was the strongest a part of their three-game sweep of the Mets, as New York recorded just one hit on Opening Day and scored simply 4 runs off Milwaukee starters.
Out: Cincinnati Reds (10)
Ben Verlander is an MLB Analyst for FOX Sports activities and the host of the “Flippin’ Bats” podcast. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Verlander was an All-American at Previous Dominion College earlier than he joined his brother, Justin, in Detroit as a 14th-round choose of the Tigers in 2013. He spent 5 years within the Tigers group. Comply with him at @BenVerlander.
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