With one month officially gone in the 2023 season, three teams emerge as surprises in the MLB. Here are the details.
Tampa Rays
While the Rays have been a consistently good team, no one expected them to be this good. With a 23-6 record in their first month, the Rays have opened up a significant gap in the ultra-competitive American League East division.
The Rays started the season with 13 straight wins, taking the first 14 home games. But that's not the whole story. The Rays have a 100+ run differential in their favor. So far, the Rays have not faced a heavy load of strong opponents. That will change as the season goes on.
However, Wander Franco and Josh Lowe's impressive season has provided plenty to talk about. The hitting has been strong, which makes up for the loss of their ace Tyler Glasnow, and now the loss of Jeffrey Springs, who will miss the rest of the season with Tommy John surgery.
Overall, it appears that the American League East has already been decided with only a month to play. It remains to be seen if the other teams in the division can catch Tampa.
Baltimore Orioles
Speaking of teams in the American League East, the Baltimore Orioles are in second place in the division. In the opinion of experts, the Orioles should show signs of regression after the unexpected campaign they had in 2022.
With a 19-9 record, Baltimore appears to be in contention for a postseason berth. However, there is still a lot of baseball to be played. Aside from Tampa, the Orioles must contend with Toronto, New York and Boston. Considering the Yankees are in last place with a 15-15 record, anything is possible in Major League Baseball's strongest division.
Felix Bautista was DOMINANT and named AL Reliever of the Month!#LosOrioles | @mlbdominicana pic.twitter.com/lcaawCidZ0
- Baltimore Orioles (@losorioles) May 3, 2023
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates find themselves leading the National League Central division, something that should not be happening. The surprise is even greater given that the St. Louis Cardinals are in the division's cellar. In part, this resurgent season is due to the return of Andrew McCutchen, who seems to have regained the form he had in his 2013 MVP season. Also, the signing of Carlos Santana and 43-year-old Rich Hill have balanced this team.
On the other hand, the signing of Bryan Reynolds to an eight-year contract has set the stage for a team that no one expected in the first place. The upcoming series against Toronto, Baltimore and Tampa will show what this team is made of. If it can pass this test, the Pirates will be able to earn the credibility that, up to this point, a relatively young team lacking in superstars lacks.
But if one thing is certain, it's that the 2023 season has not gone as usual. In a season where the Yankees and Dodgers are barely playing for .500, anything is possible.
