The MLB has reached mid-season and teams are starting to show how good they can be. The offseason was great for some teams, but a disaster for others. Teams like the Mets, Cubs, Red Sox, and Dodgers made big moves, while the Orioles haven’t lived up to the expectations.
The Mets signed right fielder Juan Soto to a record breaking 15 year, $765 million contract. Although he has been off to a very slow start, batting .232, the Mets are doing well, so if Soto starts to get hot, the Mets could be a big threat in the NL.
“I think Juan Soto was a bad signing for the Mets, and he has not lived up to the contract,” freshman Bennett McNulty said.
Many fans think the Cubs are a team that won free agency, as they signed left fielder Seiya Suzuki to a 5 year $85 million contract. He has also been a huge part of their offensive success, batting .265 and has 53 RBIs, which is third most in the league. The Cubs also signed right fielder Kyle Tucker to a one year, $16.5 million contract. He has led their offense to the top of the NL Central, hitting .283 with 39 RBIs.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Tucker goes to a big market team like the Dodgers, Yankees, or Mets this offseason,” freshman Michael Hemme said.
The Red Sox made some big moves in the offseason, trading for pitcher Garrett Crochet, who has a 1.98 ERA and has been a huge win for the team. They also signed third baseman Alex Bregman to a 3 year, $120 million contract. He has performed very well, batting .300 before suffering a quad injury that will keep him out for a while.
“Bregman’s injury is a huge loss for the Red Sox because their offense has taken a huge hit,” Hemme said.
The Dodgers, who won the World Series last season, also made big moves to their roster. They signed pitcher Roki Sasaki, who dominated in Japan. They also signed pitcher Blake Snell to a five year, $182 million contract. Snell only started two games before suffering a left shoulder injury that has kept him out ever since.
The Dodgers also signed reliever Tanner Scott, who has disappointed so far, with a 4.55 ERA. They also re-signed right fielder Teoscar Hernandez, who has had a great season hitting .284. Even though the Dodgers have dealt with many injuries, they still are first in the NL West.
The Orioles have been off to a very bad start with a 24-36 record despite making the playoffs last season, and a key factor to this is that they were very quiet in free agency, letting Corbin Burnes sign with the Diamondbacks and Anthony Santander to the Blue Jays. They also fired their manager and currently stand last in the AL East.
The Brewers lost Willy Adames and Devin Williams, but somehow have been able to keep up with other teams. They started the season off slow, as they struggled on the offense without Adames, but the offense has been hot recently, proving that they might not need Adames.
Christian Yelich started off slow and has been hot lately. The Brewers also signed pitcher Jose Quintana, who they needed to perform well considering their many injuries, and so far he’s been a great signing, with a 2.77 ERA.
“The Brewers have been hitting very well lately,” McNulty said. “That has been a big reason for their recent success and I hope they continue this for the rest of the season.”
There are a lot of teams that are competing in their division, and many teams still have something to prove depending on what they did in the offseason.
