We are almost at the halfway point of the 2023 MLB season. Quite a few teams have already established themselves as legitimate contenders, while others are already counting down the days until the offseason. As is the case every season, there have been a lot of surprises already. Here are a few surprise stories of the 2023 MLB season so far.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Entering play on June 26, the Arizona Diamondbacks found themselves at the top of the NL West by 2.5 games. Just as surprisingly, the second-place team isn’t the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres, but instead the San Francisco Giants. The surprise Diamondbacks are currently 47-32. A big improvement from last year’s 74-88 record, when the team didn’t win their 47th game until game number 105 on August 5th. This year’s club is led by Rookie of the Year favorite, and MVP candidate, Corbin Carroll. Caroll sports a .290/.369/.558 slash line with 16 home runs and 23 stolen bases. That’s good for eighth in home runs and second in stolen bases in the NL. Carroll isn’t a one-man show though. The Diamondbacks have the second-best team OPS, second-most stolen bases, and second-most runs scored in the NL. Overall, the Diamondbacks have six players who have played over half the team’s games and have an OPS over .800. There is still a lot of season left, but the Diamondbacks look like the real deal.
Tampa Bay Rays
Speaking of real deals, the Tampa Bay Rays have been the best team in baseball all year. The Rays started the season on a historic 13 game win streak. Overall, the Rays sit at a league-best 54-27 record, and 4.5 games ahead of the also surprising Baltimore Orioles in the AL East. The Rays being a good team isn’t the surprise. After all, the Rays have made the playoffs each of the previous four seasons, including a World Series run in 2020. The surprise is how good the Rays have been. The Rays have the best record in baseball, and as a team, the pitching staff has the second-best ERA, fourth-best WHIP, and fifth-most strikeouts in the AL. Somehow the offense is even better. They have the second-best team OPS in the AL, the third most home runs and the most stolen bases in the MLB. The Rays reached 20 games over .500 on May 4th and have only dropped below that mark for one day since. The semi-young franchise does not have a World Series title in its brief 25-year history. This could be the year that changes.
Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images
Luis Arraez
During the offseason, the Miami Marlins sent Pablo López to the Minnesota Twins for Luis Arraez. The Marlins were deep in the starting pitching department, and desperately needed offensive help. They have gotten exactly what they hoped for and then some. Arraez leads the MLB in hits, batting average, on-base percentage, and intentional walks. He currently has a .399 batting average and has spent most of the season with an average north of .400. Arraez won the AL batting title last year, so leading the league again in that category isn’t a surprise. His quest for .400 is, however. No player has finished the season with an average of .400 or greater since Ted Williams in 1941. Arraez’s historic season isn’t going to waste. He is a major reason the Marlins could reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 season. Currently, the Marlins hold the top NL Wild Card spot and sit six games back of the NL-best Atlanta Braves in the NL East. Safe to say the Marlins are happy with the trade.
Big Spenders Failing
The New York Mets and the San Diego Padres were among the biggest spenders this offseason. The two teams rank first and third, respectively, in the MLB in total payroll for the 2023 season. However, they both find themselves below the .500 mark and out of the playoff picture. The Mets are currently 7 games under .500, sit 8 games back of the final wild-card spot, and are fourth in the NL East. The San Diego Padres aren’t much better. They are currently 4 games under .500, 6.5 games back of the final wild-card spot, and are in fourth place in the NL West. Both teams sit near the bottom of the NL in team batting average, and the Mets rank near the bottom in team ERA. It’s not too late for either club to turn their season around, but they need to start performing like their payroll would suggest while also relying on other teams to start struggling. Two preseason World Series favorites missing the playoffs altogether would be quite the surprise.
AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson
Title image by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images
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