Major League Baseball: April 2017

With the end of April, there have been some interesting storylines for Major League Baseball. Certain teams most expect to get a postseason spot are struggling. Some divisions are shaping up to be a tough one. Let's take a look.

The American League East is one where pretty much everybody has a fair chance at the division and potentially a wildcard spot. For the Baltimore Orioles, they have put up good numbers despite pitching problems. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are getting runs while having some strong pitching, especially with good bullpens. At Tampa Bay, the Rays are okay. It's a matter of how both the batting and pitching will sustain a 162 game season. Really, the Toronto Blue Jays are a shocker for struggling so much this month. While this isn't a panic mode compared to other sports, if things don't go to a winning side in May, changes are going to happen.

In the AL Central, it's close with similar stuff like the East. The Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians have picked up with some good pitching and decent power at the plate. Starting off strong was the Minnesota Twins, but they have fallen a little flat. Age is a factor for the Detroit Tigers, and the Kansas City Royals doesn't have much going for them. The death of Yordano Ventura doesn't help. I really can't say much on the West division. They are either hot or cold. The Houston Astros are at the top with some young players on the mound and at the plate. Power is not a problem for the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels, and Seattle Mariners. Can they avoid slumps and can the pitching help carry them to a division title?

Getting into the National League, it's all a matter of what the Washington Nationals do. They look to be the East's top team and maybe of its league. They got power and great starters when healthy. The Philadelphia Phillies are a surprise, but I would wait until the end of May to see how this division looks. It is a surprise the New York Mets are in last place, but they could flick the switch to be a great team depending on the health of their pitchers. That can also be said for the Miami Marlins, but with their batting, specifically Giancarlo Stanton. Relying on a few 40 plus year old pitchers, I don't have much confidence in the Atlanta Braves.

It is tight in the NL Central with the Chicago Cubs leading the way, but barely. Can they avoid the championship hangover? Their batting and pitching is good, but it has to be better if they want to defend their title. As far as the other teams go, the Milwaukee Brewers is surprising with the run support. Like most of the AL West, can they avoid slumps? The pitching might be a problem if they can't get past other teams. Despite being in second place, pitching is also a concern if I'm the St. Louis Cardinals. If it can't carry them, it will be a long year. Not much can be said for the Cincinnati Reds. On any day, they can get the hits and runs while dominating fro the mound. Can it do that for the whole season?

San Francisco is the big storyline in the West. The Giants lost their main starter for a few months after a mediocre start to begin the season. With some good batters, someone has to step up for the starting pitching and the bullpen can't suffer another collapse. Fear is not a worry for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. Having hot bats and surprisingly exceptional pitching has propelled these two to the top of the division. The Los Angeles Dodgers are not far away with the same kind of stuff, and they could be a first place team at the end of May. Anything can happen in this division. And the San Diego Padres are the same old, same old. They got power, but can't hit for anything and their pitching is pretty mediocre. It's another year of disappointment for the city.

Keep your eyes on the AL East and NL West. The teams could flip flop in divisional races as the year goes on. I would say the NL Central and East will see certain teams improve from where they are right now. And the West could come down to two teams at the end of September. For 2017, it will pack some big surprises.

Madison Bumgarner's Date with Dirt

For the last three years, the San Francisco Giants have had success with pitcher Madison Bumgarner leading the way for them. Even though he has been there since 2009 and has three World Series championships, he was never a lights out guy. He put up respectable numbers between 2010 and 2012, but it wasn't until 2013 where he started to pick up. Since then, his strikeout numbers have have gotten higher each year. The earned run average was below three each year. And his bat has a little pop with getting home runs. It has been a tough going for San Francisco to begin 2017, and this incident could mean they could be out of playoff contention even before they are eliminated.

Bumgarner, this past Thursday, was riding a dirt bike in Colorado as the Giants had an off day before facing the Rockies. He wound up in an accident that left him with bruised ribs and a sprained left shoulder, which is his throwing arm. This has serious implications as he could potentially be out until early to mid June. It could be longer. It could be shorter That depends on how he feels with throwing the ball. You're putting a lot of strength into throwing it and sending to the catcher at 90 to 100 miles per hour. It's like golf in a way. If your body is not healthy enough to hit a golf ball, you're going to have a very tough time playing 18 holes unless you fix the problem.

Right now, San Francisco is in the midst of a mediocre start, which is still part of their hangover last year when they struggled during the second half of the 2016 season. With a loss last night to Colorado, they are now 6 and 11. Their pitching staff can be good, but some of their guys tend to be streaky. Matt Cain and Jeff Samardzija are inconsistent at times. Matt Moore hasn't done much since his 2013 campaign with the Tampa Bay Rays. Johnny Cueto can be good when he can play a full season. Their offense is far from putrid, but it could be better. Relief pitching could still be an issue.

Until there is a clear timetable of being out and coming back, Bumgarner's injury could be a reason that the Giants don't make it back into the playoffs. I know he's not the only factor, but he is a very important player that is needed at the right time. Case in point being the 2014 World Series and stopping the Royals in Game 7 as a reliever. It is early in the season and way too early to talk playoffs, but the NL West is looking different to begin this year. Colorado and the Arizona Diamondbacks are sitting at first and second in the division respectively. It will be a long road ahead to get past these guys, even if they struggle and give the Los Angeles Dodgers first place sometime this season.

Things could get better or worse. The length of time for Bumgarner's injury will make it either a very long season or one where expectations could be a bit higher unless San Francisco struggles more like they are right now.