SPRING SWING
Bryce Harper’s Nationals closed out April with a 23-5 (!) win over the Mets — his blazing start is among the top-10 storylines of the season to date.
A former MVP is off to the best start of his career. An ex-Jay castoff has 11 homers. And a starting pitcher the Jays pursued is 4-0 with an 0.77 ERA. Baseball’s first month is once again full of lofty numbers and promise. Here’s a look at 10 intriguing storylines that have emerged:
á Washington Nationals slugger Bryce Harper is hitting .391, adding fuel to the annual discussion about whether anyone will ever hit .400 again in a full season — 75 years and counting since Ted Williams was the last. One thing is certain: Harper is on pace for his most productive season at age 24, with nine homers and 26 RBIs to go with that lofty average. When he was National League MVP in 2015, he didn’t hit his eighth homer until May 6. The Nationals (who capped the month by crushing the Mets 23-5 on Sunday, with teammate Anthony Rendon knocking in 10 runs) are the top team in baseball in most power rankings, have also been bolstered by Daniel Murphy’s .343 average and 26 RBIs. Washington fans could be in for quite a ride.
á Former Blue Jay and current Brewers first baseman Eric Thames is everyone’s feel-good story. Not only is he one of the nicer people in baseball, he didn’t even expect to have a major-league contract this year. Thames was coming off three incredible years in the Korean league — 124 home runs, 382 RBIs and a .349 average — but wasn’t banking on more than a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training. In the end, Milwaukee came through with a three-year, $16-million deal. Now, he’s the everyday No. 2 hitter and among MLB’s home run leaders with 11 to go with a .345 average.
á One rule change in particular has led to record numbers that you might not expect. With the move to a 10day disabled list from 15, part of the new collective agreement last winter, there has been a 12 per cent increase in the number of players on the DL compared to the average of the past four seasons. Teams are using it more often for short-term injuries, with an eye to keeping players fresher for the long run.
á Boston Red Sox pitcher Matt Barnes was suspended four games for a pitch that sailed near the head of Baltimore Orioles star Manny Machado, seen as retaliation for Machado’s controversial slide that injured Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia. Some players felt the slide was not as bad as it was portrayed, and Pedroia later apologized to the Orioles and Machado for the bean-ball incident, but it could lead to a more heated rivalry as the season progresses. The AL East rivals start a four-game series at Fenway Park on Monday.
á Are the Blue Jays really this bad? They’re sporting the worst record in the AL East, by far, at 8-17 and lost Josh Donaldson, Troy Tulowitzki, J.A. Happ and Aaron Sanchez to the disabled list in April, though Sanchez returned for an inning on Sunday. The Colorado Rockies have also suffered numerous injuries to key players, including Ian Desmond (who made his season debut Sunday), but have still managed to lead the National League West. Maybe back-to-back wins to end April are a sign of better days ahead for the Jays.
á Minnesota Twins starter Ervin Santana, pursued by the Blue Jays early in 2016, leads the majors with an 0.77 ERA. It won’t last, of course, but Santana could be becoming an elite-level pitcher. He owns baseball’s best batting average on balls in play at .129, which is an indication of good command of his pitches and, as a result, weak contact by hitters.
á The Orioles continue to defy the odds and share top spot in the AL East while living by the long ball with aging sluggers such as Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo. Baltimore’s 15-8 start comes despite injuries to projected opening day starter Chris Tillman (shoulder) and, more recently, all-star closer Zach Britton (strained forearm). They’re both close to returning. At full strength, the Orioles figure to be a force to the end once again in the AL East.
á Edwin Encarnacion is not off to a blistering start with Cleveland, hitting .200 with nine RBIs. As Jays fans know, however, the former Toronto first baseman/DH usually heats up in May and winds up with 30-plus homers and 100-plus RBIs. His Indians are 14-10 on the strength of hot starts by Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez. Encarnacion should join them shortly.
á The Seattle Mariners have fallen short of high expectations on the field so far — last in the AL West at 11-15 — but their stadium grub game has been strong. Poquitos, one of the food outlets at Safeco Field, recently went viral for selling toasted grasshoppers, also known as Chapulines. A Mariners spokesperson said 30 pounds of the crispy treats — thought to be enough to last into the summer — were sold in three days. Now the restaurant limits orders to around 300 per game to conserve supply.
á The Yankees’ pitching staff entered the weekend leading the AL in ERA (2.90), wins (13), earned runs (56) and WHIP (1.08). Starters CC Sabathia, Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino, Michael Pineda and rookie Jordan Montgomery have turned heads with strong performances. But the unsung hero has been Adam Warren, perhaps the most dominant middle reliever in the AL at the moment. Warren, a candidate for the rotation in spring training, was sent to the bullpen in late March has allowed just one earned run on four hits with 13 strikeouts over 131⁄ innings. 3