World Series Champion Houston Astros 3 wins and 6 losses. National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies 3-5.
The season starts of the champions of both leagues, which clashed in the World Series last season, are sluggish. Houston lost 9-6 to the Minnesota Twins on the 9th, and it has already become a losing series, including a 3-2 loss the day before. The Twins didn’t make the playoffs last year.
The Phillies are somewhat centered after their opening four straight losses. They defeated the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Central District in a row.
The strength of the current defending champions in both leagues is not the best. There is a gap in the attack. Astros second baseman Jose Altuve fractured his finger on a pitch in the WBC World Championship game against the United States, and is unavoidable for two months.
The Phillies are missing the team’s MVP right fielder and designated hitter Bryce Harper. He is recovering from left elbow ligament surgery (Tommy John surgery) in the offseason. The club is expecting a return in June, but it could be earlier.
The Astros are fourth in the American League West. The leader is the Los Angeles Angels with 5 wins and 3 losses. The goal difference is -1. The mound didn’t collapse. The attack and the mound are less warmed up. 26th in MLB with team OPS of 0.663 while playing 9 games. He is 17th with 9 homers. His ERA is 4.37, ranking 13th in the MLB.
The Phillies are third in the NL East. The power of the Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins (above 3 wins and 6 losses) has not been greatly upgraded. In the opening three games, the Texas Rangers suffered a whopping 29 runs. The goal difference is -20. 0.737 OPS (15th) and 6 home runs (26th). The average ERA is 5.64 (27th).
The Astros have the best chance of winning the AL West. It is a phenomenon that temporarily creaks due to pitching imbalance in the beginning. In the AL West, power upgrades were remarkable for each team except for the Oakland Ace. 토토사이트
The Astros and Seattle Mariners are the frontrunners, and the Texas Rangers and Angels are considered the ambush. In long-term races, the power of the mound is absolute. The reason why the Astros and Mariners are picked as the frontrunners is because their starting bullpen is the most stable. The Angels are insecure about starting. Shohei Ohtani is an ace, but it is a bit lacking to be called a stopper.
The NL East is a competition between the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies advanced to the World Series as a wild card last year. This is the result of gaining momentum as the bullpen stabilized in the second half. This year, the district championship is still ahead of the Braves. For the Mets, Justin Verlander (on the injured list) and Max Scherzer are the older ones at 40 and 38.