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Pirates, Padres and Mets: Buy or sell their start to the 2023 season?

By Scott Roche |
Oct 2, 2022; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) reacts after hitting a pop fly against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Larry Robinson-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 2, 2022; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) reacts after hitting a pop fly against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Larry Robinson-USA TODAY Sports
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As the 2023 season hits the quarter mark, there have certainly been some surprises and disappointments across both the American and National League.

One look at the standings sees some of the teams that typically are at the top sitting in the bottom half of their division, while there are some teams that generally sit near the bottom of the standings seated in the top half.

Just over a quarter into the season, here are three National League teams that we can either buy or sell their start to 2023.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Buy or sell?

The Pirates began the season by sweeping the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in the second series of the season. For a good chunk of the first quarter, Pittsburgh sat in first place in the NL Central, but has hit the skids recently falling behind the Milwaukee Brewers.

They avoided a sweep at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday when Mitch Keller improved to 5-1 after seven shutout innings, allowing just four hits and striking out 13, lowering his ERA to 2.38. One reason for the Pirates’ start to the season is their pitching has the ninth-best ERA in the majors after Keller’s gem in Baltimore. Offensively, they are in the bottom half of the league, and that played a part in their skid where they recently lost 11 of 13 games. Eight of these losses were to the Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, and Orioles from the loaded American League East.

Oneil Cruz’s injury is a big blow to the Pirates. However, the schedule does scale back a bit with a series coming up against the Detroit Tigers and then the Arizona Diamondbacks after a brutal stretch against the top three teams in the AL East. They can produce runs in different ways, their pitching is up and coming as well and that’s a recipe for success.

Buy: They have been a fun group to watch and are winning games they would not have won last season. Looking at the rest of the division, there is no reason to think they can’t hang around the Brewers all summer and push them. Their bullpen is good, something you need nowadays and they certainly are a team on the way up for the future with Bryan Reynolds locked up. It’s time to pay attention to them.

May 14, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Diego Padres second baseman Ha-Seong Kim (7) reacts after being called out on strikes against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
May 14, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Diego Padres second baseman Ha-Seong Kim (7) reacts after being called out on strikes against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

San Diego Padres

On paper, the Padres are one of the best teams in the majors, but as they have proved through the first quarter of the season, games are won on the field, not on paper.

They have a loaded lineup with Fernando Tatis, Jr. back, followed by Manny Machado, Juan Soto, and the biggest offseason free agent signing in Xander Bogaerts. Their numbers are not going to jump off the page early in the season, but the potential is there to be a World Series contender.

Out of all the starts to the season, San Diego’s is one of the most head-scratching ones. Offensively, they are 29th with a team batting average of .225, tied with the Seattle Mariners of all teams. Their pitching is in the middle of the pack with a 4.03 ERA, something that won’t get it done in the NL West. They were just swept over the weekend by the Los Angeles Dodgers, being outscored 12-4. Not what you want to see against your biggest competition in the division.

Sell: There is just way too much talent on the roster for them not to figure it out this season. They are seven games back in the division already behind the Dodgers. You can’t win a division in the first quarter of the season, but you can lose one and bury yourself in the standings. I think this is a team that will figure it out before long and finds themselves in the hunt in October baseball, whether it’s by catching Los Angeles or getting a Wild Card spot. There’s just way too much of an upside with this team to play like they have to start the season.

Apr 19, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets manager Buck Showalter (11) and starting pitcher Max Scherzer (21) react in the fourth inning after Scherzer was ejected in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 19, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets manager Buck Showalter (11) and starting pitcher Max Scherzer (21) react in the fourth inning after Scherzer was ejected in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

New York Mets

There was a lot of hype surrounding the Mets entering the season, but things went off the rails starting in March. Closer Edwin Diaz suffered a torn patellar tendon celebrating Puerto Rico’s win over the Dominican Republic at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. A big blow after Diaz recorded 32 saves in 2022 with a 1.31 ERA.

Then in April, Max Scherzer received a 10-game suspension after being ejected in Los Angeles for having several interactions with umpires during in-between inning substance checks and having sticky hands. In six starts this season, he’s 3-2 with a 4.88 ERA, not something the Mets can afford to have continued.

Offensively, New York has struggled. Pete Alonso is hitting just .232, Jeff McNeil .264, Francisco Lindor .223, and Sterling Marte .235. Brandon Nimmo is the only one over .300 at .320. Alonso has been boom or bust, with 13 home runs and 41 strikeouts. Lindor has whiffed 43 times. Yikes.

Sell: Like the Padres, there’s too much talent to continue this slide all season. Obviously, they need a spark, but looking at some of the teams ahead of them in the standings, there is no way that they finish the season ahead of the Mets. Once this team figures it out, they will be a factor as the season goes along.

Next. 3 reasons to be concerned about the Braves after early start. dark

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