Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles and L.A. Angels: Buy or sell 2023 start?

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There have been just as many surprises as disappointments in the American League through the first quarter of the 2023 season. Recently, we took a look at some surprises in the National League that have teams at different places in the standings than what some preseason projections had them.

This time, let’s take a look at three AL teams and buy or sell their start to the season.

Minnesota Twins: Buy or sell?

It was a whirlwind offseason for Carlos Correa and the Twins. It appeared that the shortstop was heading to the New York Mets or San Francisco Giants, but neither worked out after both teams did not want to commit long-term to him because of concerns surrounding surgery on his right leg nearly 10 years ago. He ended up finding his way back to Minnesota on a six-year, $200 million contract.

One of the game’s best shortstops, he’s just barely hitting over .200 with six home runs and 23 RBI. Byron Buxton and Joey Gallo have struggled for manager Rocco Baldelli, but somehow, they are sitting in first place in the AL Central. Their pitching is fourth in the majors in ERA at 3.38, which right now is a big reason for them sitting on top in the AL’s worst division.

The Cleveland Guardians are three games back in the standings and the Detroit Tigers are right on their heels. The Chicago White Sox have not been good to start the season hitting or pitching and the Kansas City Royals have just 12 wins. Minnesota is being saved by a bad division.

Buy: There is only one reason to buy the Twins start, the rest of the division is not good. This division will only get one postseason team and there is still plenty of time for someone to catch them, but right now, Minnesota is the best and should separate themselves as the season goes along.

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – SEPTEMBER 05: Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles bats against the Toronto Blue Jays during game two of a doubleheader at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 05, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /

Baltimore Orioles: Buy or sell?

The best division in the majors resides hands down in the AL East. All five teams are over .500 and with seven fewer division games against each other, it’s not out of the possibility that they could snag the three Wild Card spots. Yes, there’s a long way to go, but records don’t lie.

The Tampa Bay Rays have distanced themselves from the rest of the division with their torrid start and they are without a doubt, a fun team to watch. They can pitch, they can manufacture runs and they have a good defense. Behind them is the Baltimore Orioles and after breaking out last season, they have picked up in 2023 where they left off in 2022.

They have the second most wins in the AL with 26, and Adley Rutschman is breaking out in his first full season in the majors with six home runs and hitting just under .300. Cedric Mullins and Ryan Mountcastle, and Anthony Santander have been producing offensively, backing a pitching staff that has been fairly good.

Buy: Before the season began, the Orioles were a team to watch to see if they could carry over their momentum from last season and they have. The Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox are all good teams, but right now, Baltimore is looking like a team that will be around all season long, and don’t be surprised to see them playing October baseball.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JUNE 19: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels gestures after hitting a two-run home run in the fourth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on June 19, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /

Los Angeles Angels: Buy or sell?

Every single season, the Angels spend the first two months playing good baseball, then Memorial Day hits, and that changes. It is just always a right of the season in Southern California.

This season, they are just over .500 with Shohei Ohtani hitting over .300 with nine home runs and 29 RBI. He had a home run in a 4-for-5 performance Monday night in a 9-5 win in Baltimore with three RBI. He also was the winning pitcher, giving up five earned runs in seven innings on four hits and five strikeouts. He did offer up three home runs to the Orioles. He is the early-season favorite to win AL MVP.

"you think about Shohei Ohtani..."
𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴#GoHalos pic.twitter.com/mSsewHWJPR
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) May 15, 2023

Mike Trout is having a good season as usual and Hunter Renfroe and Gio Urshela have played well. As usual with Los Angeles, it comes down to the pitching after Ohtani. The starting rotation has questions as Patrick Sandoval has three wins and nobody else has more than two. Their bullpen had a meltdown Saturday in an 8-6 loss to the Guardians when they allowed six runs in the eight innings after a good start from Reid Detmers.

In a division with the Texas Rangers leading the way early on and the Houston Astros waiting to get Jose Altuve back, the Angles playing just over .500 baseball is not going to be a good recipe for them later in the season if history tells us anything.

Sell: Even though they’re two games over .500 with two of the better players in the league in Trout and Ohtani, the Angles are going to do what the Angels do every season, fade after Memorial Day. Their pitching has questions in the bottom half of it, the Astros are going to turn it around you have to think when Altuve comes back and the Rangers are a team that has been impressive so far this season. In the end, the Seattle Mariners will get things together and Los Angeles will more than likely find themselves finishing ahead of the Oakland A’s at the end of the season.

Next. Orioles chasing down Rays in AL East. dark

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