2019 MLB Season: The Best Surprises of the First Month
By Ben Fadden
The 2019 MLB season has seen some surprising starts. Let’s break down the biggest surprises of the first month, including all records and stats through April 29.
The Boston Red Sox are coming off of a World Series ring, leading to discussions of a “World Series Hangover” to start the 2019 MLB season.
There are multiple reasons why people may predict it to happen like the shortened off-season because of parades, but no one thought the Red Sox’s hangover would be for this long or this bad.
The Red Sox are 12-17 and are currently sitting 7.5 games back of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Mookie Betts isn’t actually struggling as some people may think. He is hitting .287 with five homers and 14 RBI’s.
The real problem is their pitching staff. Eduardo Rodriguez, Chris Sale, and Rick Porcello have ERA’s over 6 (all have at least five starts). David Price, Chris Sale, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Rick Porcello have a combined 3 wins in 22 starts.
Those numbers are not a recipe for success for any time, and especially for the defending champions.
Chris Sale is the biggest problem in my mind. He is 0-5 with 21 earned runs and 9.6 hits per nine.
“I’m sitting here like a broken record: what am I, six starts in? I’ve sucked every bit of every last one of them,” a disappointed Sale said after his latest start. “I don’t want to sit here and say the same things over and over, but hopefully sooner rather than later. That’s for damn sure. This is a result-oriented game. No one cares about hard work. No one cares about the effort.”
I don’t think it is time to panic yet, especially with a team like the Red Sox that has so much talent that is sure to come around sooner rather than later. 7 games back at the end of April won’t be the easiest hill to climb, but if there is a team to do it it’s them.