Leaders of the Pack MLB 2023

Leaders of the Pack MLB 2023

By David A. Avila

Immediately following the All Star break it was back to first place for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Back to familiar settings.

Despite lacking top tier pitching the Dodgers behind rookie hurlers have managed to return to the top of the competitive NL West Division behind a hitting attack that ranks second in the National League.

Normally, pitching leads you to the Promised Land, but this year the team from Chavez Ravine is among the top teams that conjure a slew of walks and homers in the National League. That has led to having a run differential of 91 runs.

That means Dodger pitching had allowed less runs than they manufacture by almost 100 runs.

Ironically, the San Diego Padres pitching staff leads all NL teams, but their run differential is a meager 434 scored and 392 allowed. Their vaunted offensive attack just has not produced to the level of the Dodgers. They are 10 games behind despite featuring an offense with Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis, Juan Soto and Xander Bogaerts.

But it’s still early. They got hot late last year and made it to the NLCS.

One reason the Dodgers have packed an offensive punch has been the maneuvering by Dodger manager Dave Roberts. His bringing Mookie Betts into the infield to insert key left-handed hitters like Jason Heyward, David Peralta and James Outman in the outfield has boosted their offensive attack.

It was genius.

Betts continues to blaze at the plate and on the infield as a shortstop and second baseman. He’s at a pace to win another Most Valuable Player Award with his 27 homers, 75 runs scored and 65 runs batted in. His defensive work has been sparkling.

“This is just normal,” said Betts when asked if playing infield instead of outfield helps his offensive performance.

Betts won MVP with the Boston Red Sox in 2018.

The Dodgers expect to get even better if Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler return to the team. Those are two aces and they don’t grow on trees. They also recently got Julio Urias back though he did get roughed up against Baltimore this week. Previously he had two solid performances after being away more than a month due to a hamstring injury.

So far, the Dodgers offensively are second in OPS with the addition of JD Martinez, Peralta, Outman and Hayward. Though any team would miss Trea Turner, Justin Turner and Gavin Lux, the Dodgers have been able to survive with their new mix of hitters.

The Rest of the MLB Race

AL West

The Texas Rangers lead the AL in hitting and rank eighth in pitching. Their run differential of 564 runs scored and only 398 allowed is a whopping 166 run differential and the reason they lead the AL West Division.

Now the Rangers collide with the Dodgers for a three-game series in a battle between the two first place leaders in the AL and NL West. Look out.

The Dodgers are no slouch with their run differential department at 91 runs. It should be an exciting series. It’s the LA team’s first visit to the Arlington Stadium since winning the 2020 World Series when they defeated Tampa Bay.

AL East

In the AL East, the Baltimore Orioles took over first from the Tampa Bay Rays who have slumped badly the past month. The two teams are battling it out this weekend.

Despite beginning the season red hot the Rays have returned to the pack.

Every team hits slumps. Last year it was the New York Yankees who scorched the rest of the AL East before slumping badly and barely winning the division. Now it’s the Rays turn. The Tampa pitching staff leads the American League with a 3.71 ERA. That has kept them in the hunt.

AL Central

Minnesota Twins lead the AL Central with sterling pitching, third in the AL with a 3.76 ERA. Their offense has scored 422 runs and their pitching allowed 386 runs. They lead Cleveland Guardians by two games and the surprising Detroit Tigers by five.

You never know about the Twins. For the past seven years the team from Minnesota has been one of the strangest teams to analyze. On paper they always look good, but somehow they fool everyone with their inconsistency.

Here we go again.

NL West

Though the Dodgers are back in first the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks are right behind them. And don’t count out the San Diego Padres with their solid pitching their offense could heat up quickly like a microwave.

Injuries are the major factors for all the teams and the Dodgers are deep with reserves. What the Giants and D-Backs have is youth. That helps cut down the injury factor. The Dodgers are deep but a more mature team and susceptible to injury.

NL East

Atlanta Braves are dominating the division and all of the NL with the top hitting team and one of the top pitching staffs. They are just a fraction behind first with a team 3.79 ERA. San Diego has a 3.78 ERA. The Braves have allowed 392 runs scored while tabulating 537 of their own runs. That’s a 145-run differential. They lead the NL East by 10 games.

In second place the surprising Miami Marlins are tied with Philadelphia Phillies. Both teams are in the Wild Card race with 52 and 53 wins each. Mere percentage points separate them.

NL Central

Milwaukee Brewers lead the Central division with a not so surprising pitching staff that ranks fourth in the NL. The Brewers have allowed 407 runs while scoring 404 runs. Timely hitting and a weak division have allowed the team to lead the young Cincinnati Reds by two and a half games.

It is still anybody’s race except maybe the St. Louis Cardinals who lost their MoJo this year without the now-retired Yadier Molina. It’s no coincidence. Catchers are very important. Remember when the San Francisco Giants lost Buster Posey. They sank like a rusty anchor.