Are These Hot MLB Starts for Real? Verdicts on Tigers, Guardians and Other Contenders

Several Major League Baseball teams have had surprising starts to the season.

ESPN’s David Schoenfield released an article explaining the hot starts for five teams and whether they are real or not.

Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers are currently 31-17 and lead the American League Central by four-and-a-half games over the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals. Schoenfield noted that his evaluation of the Tigers isn’t if they are for real, but if they can be the best team in franchise history. Through 47 games, the team is on pace for 107 wins, which would top their 1984 World Series team record of 104 wins. They have had tremendous starts from Spencer Torkelson and Casey Mize, and a career resurgence from Javier Baez.

They are real and should win the AL Central with ease.

St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals sit in second place in the National League Central by one game and have been the hottest team in baseball since the beginning of May. Brendan Donovan is slashing .330/.387/.466 and has been arguably the best hitter at second base this season. However, the Cardinals pitching staff isn’t striking batters out, despite having the league’s eighth best rotation ERA.

Sonny Gray and Matthew Liberatore have been bright spots, and the Chicago Cubs have their own issues, but St. Louis isn’t for real.

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San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants are currently 28-20 in a tough National League West. Their bullpen is one of the best, and Wilmer Flores leads all MLB hitters in total RBI. Although Logan Webb has been stingy and looks like an All-Star again, the rest of the rotation is a concern.

If Willy Adames can get going, they will be for real.

Cleveland Guardians

The Cleveland Guardians are five games out of first place in the AL Central, but they are trending in the wrong direction. The starting rotation is not good, and other than Hunter Gaddis, Emmanuel Clase and the bullpen have been shaky.

Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan won’t be enough to carry the Guardians; they are not for real.

Athletics

The Athletics had a great start to the season but have fallen to 22-26. Both pitching and hitting are concerns, but rookie Jacob Wilson is slashing .337/.369/.478 and Tyler Soderstrom has 10 home runs. The A’s have an exciting future, especially if they hold onto Mason Miller, but they still have a long way to go before they are contenders.

It is worth noting that the American League West doesn’t have a clear-cut winner, but the A’s are not for real.

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