The MLB has officially started, and it is looking like it is going to be an exciting season. The favorites coming into the season are, unsurprisingly, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees who competed in last year’s World Series with the Dodgers ultimately securing the win.
As a fan of the Angels who haven’t made the playoffs since 2014, it is hard to see another L.A team like the Dodgers have so much success. They have had so much talent over the years with Home Run Derby champions like Albert Pujols, the widely revered Mike Trout and young talent Shohei Ohtani who, despite his move to play for the Dodgers, is currently the best player in baseball. It has been a difficult last decade for Angels fans, but this year things are looking up. Although it is still early in the season, the Angels have started the year 9-6 which puts them in first place in the American League West, one game ahead of the Texas Rangers. So what has led to their success early on? One of the main things that can be attributed to the team’s success is the emergence of young players like Kyren Paris. Paris was considered a longshot to even make the roster before this season started, but the second baseman has played extremely well. On the season he boasts a .368 batting average, five home runs, eight runs batted in (RBI) and 14 hits. These stats are extremely impressive and if he can keep them up, the Angels will have no problem making the playoffs. Switching Mike Trout from centerfield to right field has also been a switch that has helped the Angel’s fielding. Because of Trout’s injury problems, placing him in a position where he doesn’t have to run as much has really helped the Angel’s defense.
Another team I would really like to see do well this year are the New York Mets. Similarly to the Angels, the Mets have had a blistering start to the season with an impressive 10-5 record. This record has earned them first place in the National League East, ahead of teams like the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves. To improve this season the Mets knew they needed to add a superstar and they did just that when they signed Yankees left fielder Juan Soto. Soto has been one of the best batters in the league for the last few years and was not thought to be on the market. So how did the Mets steal him away from a Yankees team who almost won the World Series last year? They offered Soto the biggest contract in MLB history, a 15 year, 765 million dollar contract. With Soto on their team, the Mets have hit the ground running and with his hitting along with Pete Alonso’s and Francisco Lindor’s, the Mets are in shape to have a successful season.
The last team who has been extremely successful are the San Diego Padres. The Padres have the best record in the league at 13-3 and have yet to lose a home game this season. After a winning season making the playoffs in 2024, the Padres are back and looking to win the whole thing this year. The area that separates the Padres from the rest of their competition is their pitching bullpen. The team has a strong four-man rotation which includes Adrian Morejon, Jeremiah Estrada, Jason Adam and Robert Suarez, all of whom have been absolutely dominant on the mound. Combined, the four have only allowed two runs and nine hits in 28 innings. That is an insane stat and is a great indicator for why the Padres are winning so many games. They are a defense-oriented team and are going to mentally defeat other teams by not allowing runs and staying disciplined on defense.
This MLB season is shaping up to be very entertaining. There are teams like the Angels who haven’t been at the top in years, and there are teams like the Mets and Padres who have had recent success, but are still trying to put it together to go all the way. This will be a great season for Major League Baseball and should be very fun to watch.
