MLB’s Most Surprising Team and Disappointing Team At The All-Star Break

By Jordan Long

Major League Baseball’s All-Star festivities start on Monday with the Home Run Derby.  The All-Star game itself takes place on Tuesday.  All of these events will be held in Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.  With that, it’s time for my surprise and  disappointing team at the All-Star break. Both of these teams come from the American League Central Division.

                The surprise team is the Minnesota Twins.  The Twins ended last season at 74-89, last place in the American League Central Division. On paper, it didn’t seem like they were going to compete for the division title.

                Right now, the Twins stand at 49-41, first place in the American League Central Division.  The reason for their success is their offense and pitching.  All these stats are going into tonight’s game against the Chicago White Sox.  The Twins as a team are hitting .253, 6^th in all of baseball.  Hitters are doing a great job smacking the baseball for an extra base hit.  The Twins collected 157 doubles and 113 home runs.  The doubles are 7^th most in baseball while the home runs are 8^th.  Twins’ hitters are also being patient at the plate and not swinging at pitches outside the zone equaling 735 strikeouts, the 12th least in Major League Baseball.

                Their offense is keeping them in games.  A team can’t be productive without pitchers doing their job.  The Twins overall ERA is 3.76.  This is currently 9^th in baseball.  When it comes to starting pitching, their starting ERA stands at 3.81.  Manager Rocco Baldelli trusts his starters and they work deep into games.  That’s how a team can win a division.

                The bullpen though is where they struggle.  Their ERA is 3.70, 14^th in baseball which isn’t great. At least the offense and the starting pitching are doing enough where there isn’t as much pressure on the relievers to keep their team in a game or not blow a save.  Looking at all this, the Twins have the hitting and the pitching.  They deserve to be in 1^st place.  If it continues, they will win the division.

                The most disappointing team is the Chicago White Sox.  The Chicago White Sox were expected to compete and win the American League Central Division.  They won it last year with a record of 93-69.  This team was also in the conversation to win the World Series.  The offense of Yasmani Grandal, Luis Robert, Eloy Jimenez, and Jose Abreu was going to be dangerous.  Pitchers couldn’t pitch to them because they might smack home runs and extra base hits possibly elevating them to win the division.

                They had at least on paper one of the best rotations in all of baseball.  Their starters include Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, and Johnny Cueto.  All of these pitchers were going to keep the White Sox in games.

                That isn’t the case right now.  The White Sox are 43-45, 5 games behind the Minnesota Twins for 1st place.  Offensively, they are doing their job.  White Sox hitters are having timely hits, getting on base.  The team’s batting average is .253, 7^th in baseball. They are driving the ball to the gap for extra base hits with 151 doubles.

                Even though they have a potent offense, their hitters aren’t taking advantage of when the opposing pitchers make a mistake.  They have a total of 72 home runs.

                The offense isn’t doing its job putting pressure on the pitching staff.  The total team ERA is 4.04, 20^th in baseball.  When it comes to starting pitching, pitchers aren’t keeping the White Sox in games with an ERA of 4.10.  Manager Tony La Russa is forced to take his starting pitcher out sooner than he wants to.  There are times when he leaves them in to try to work out of jams.  It doesn’t work and that adds to the White Sox deficit.

                When it comes to the bullpen, La Russa can’t trust them either.  The bullpen’s ERA is 4.02, 18^th in baseball.  Pitchers can’t seem to pitch out of innings, which forces La Russa to call on another pitcher.  By that time, the White Sox are already out of the game.

                There is  time for the White Sox to turn their season around.  They  have 4 games left before the All-Star break.  The 2^nd half of the season for them begins on July 22^nd.  They must play better baseball in all areas if they want to earn a playoff spot even as a Wild Card team.  For the Twins, they don’t have to change anything.  They seem like they have a chance to win the Division if they keep playing the way they are.