3 MLB numbers that stood out in the month of April

The first full month of the MLB regular season has passed, and there have been several eye-opening stats and numbers in the early going that may come as a surprise to some fan bases. We are going to look at several numbers that stood out in April, focusing on three teams.

Let’s start in Pittsburgh, as the Pirates have the best record in the National League and the one stat stands out.

MLB number that matters — 3.98 FIP

The Pirates hot start in April matches the third-fastest start in team history. The last time they hit 20 wins in April was back in 1992, when they won the NL East. So what have been one of their key components that have created this early season success?

Starting Pitching: The Pirates have been getting quality starts from a rotation that features three young arms, two of which were acquired by trade. Johan Oviedo, who Pittsburgh picked up in the Jose Quintana to St. Louis deal back in August, has been a better pitcher than his ERA suggests (4.85) with a FIP of 3.85.

The key to his early-season success has been increasing the usage of his slider and curve. Those pitches have helped set up his fastball better. As a result, his slider has generated 33.1% Whiff rate and his curve a 31.3% Whiff rate and an increase in his PutAway percentage from 18.8% to 29.6%.

He also is in the 91% percentile in extension, which fits the 6-foot-5 Cuban right-hander well. The late movement on his secondary pitches is a huge plus on that ranking.

The second arm is another Cuban pitcher in Roansy Contreras. Pittsburgh picked him up in the Jameson Taillon deal to the Yankees back in 2021. He has a four-pitch mix that includes a slider that has produced a -7 run value. While he has walked 12 in 27 innings of work so far, fans can hope he can be more consistent this season.

The last pitcher, Mitch Keller, their second-round draft pick from the 2014 draft, has seen a drop early on in his hard hit% as he has it around 24%, which puts him among the league leaders. What has been key for him is throwing a new pitch to his mix, a cutter. That cutter has generated just a hard hit rate of 18% so far and gives hitters another pitch to think about to the other five he already throws, per Baseball Savant.

MLB-best 10.9 fWAR

The Tampa Bay Rays have the best record in the majors at 23-6 and boast the league’s best offense. Their 61 home runs led the league, and their wRC+ of 148, similar to their fWAR, is significant as the second-closest team is Texas at 119.

Leading the charge is Randy Arozarena, who has put up a slash line of .327/.392/.573 with seven home runs and 28 RBI. Along with Yandy Diaz, Brandon Lowe, and Luke Raley, they have combined for 21 of the 61 home runs hit so far. They led the league in batting average (.281) and have been taking advantage of a favorable schedule with series against two of the weakest teams in the AL Central in the Tigers and White Sox.

Against those two teams alone, the Rays went 9-1, scoring 75 runs while allowing just 36 runs, 33 coming courtesy of Chicago over seven games. The A’s also were victims of this juggernaut offense. They outscored Oakland 31-5 at home, with back to back 11–0 shutouts. Tampa has done this with a short-handed rotation that has seen injuries already to Zach Eflin, who they signed in the offseason, among others. Tampa is doing this without a full rotation, as Drew Rasmussen and Shane McClanahan are the only starting pitchers who have not missed time this season.

Their first three series in May will be a good test for the Rays, as they take on the Pirates and Yankees at home before traveling to Baltimore, who are chasing them in second place at 18-9.