![]() He rakes, plays for the league's best team, and has made two of the most eye-catching defensive plays this season. Wander Franco: We're talking about a five-tool superstar who's doing things at 22 years old that most players can only dream about. But on a per-start basis, no one's better or more captivating than Strider. Can he maintain this for a full season? Who knows. He has more strikeouts than Alek Manoah and Corbin Burnes combined. Of every pitcher with at least 10 innings of work, Strider (ranked sixth) is one of three starters in the top 13 in strikeout rate, joined only by the injured Jacob deGrom and Jeffrey Springs. In fact, the sophomore is the only qualified starter with a strikeout rate higher than 40%. Marlins manager Skip Schumaker perhaps articulated it best: "It felt like you were facing the closer there for eight innings." That really is the best way to think of Strider: he's an elite reliever who happens to be able to go three times through the order. Spencer Strider: There's perhaps nothing more watchable in baseball than a pitcher at the top of his craft, and Strider has been that ever since he officially joined the Braves' rotation last year. Sharkey-Gotlieb Who's one player not named Ohtani that's must-watch right now? Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty It's wonderful to see many people become reawakened to just how great the steal is. Esteury Ruiz and Ronald Acuna Jr., the current league leaders, are reminding us that the stolen base is not just a weapon - it's fun. This year, that's jumped to 1,013 attempts and 789 successful steals. Consider that on May 9 of last season, there were a combined 565 stolen-base attempts, with 409 successful. After years of rapid decline, stolen bases have returned with a vengeance. Stolen bases are back: The new rules have been incredibly successful - there are so many things to love about the product baseball's putting on the field in 2023. Meanwhile, Baltimore's bullpen has been exceptional once again, amassing the third-best fWAR thanks to Felix Bautista and Yennier Cano. Tampa Bay has been by far the best team in the majors thanks to an explosive offense that's produced an MLB-leading 141 wRC+. However, the Rays and Orioles look like legit playoff contenders in the ultra-competitive AL East. The jury is still out on if Pittsburgh can sustain its winning ways, as the team has lost nine of 10 after a blistering 20-8 start. The three clubs have a combined 74-39 record this season despite boasting three out of the four lowest payrolls in baseball coming into the season. Smaller-market teams finding success: The Rays, Orioles, and Pirates are proving that money doesn't buy wins. Taking away shifts and clamping down on sticky stuff is partly responsible for the increase in offense, so kudos to the league for imposing these changes. Add in shortened games due to the pitch clock, and fans spend less time waiting around for someone to strike out or hit a homer while being provided a more action-packed pace. Homers have made up about 13% of the season's hits, singles have increased by more than 260, and extra-base hits are on the rise. But it hasn't been all about the long ball. Through 38 games for most teams, clubs have scored 440 more times and hit 184 more home runs than last season. WileĪll of the offense: Pitching duels can be fun, but baseball is more entertaining when there's constant action on the field. Watching his teammates react on the top step of the dugout when he collected his first hit will be one of the best moments of the season. Maggi's story should be an inspiration to never give up on your dream, and the Pirates deserve major credit for providing him with the opportunity. The utility infielder was selected in the 15th round in 2010, well behind Bryce Harper, Chris Sale, and Manny Machado, as well as Matt Harvey, who retired last week. ![]() To really paint the picture of how long it took Maggi to reach the majors, you need to look at his draft year. ![]() ![]() What has been your favorite early-season storyline? Jess Rapfogel / Getty Images Sport / Gettyĭrew Maggi makes MLB debut: After grinding through more than 1,100 minor-league games, Maggi made his MLB debut for the Pirates last month at 33 years old and even collected his first hit. TheScore's MLB editors Michael Bradburn, Josh Goldberg, Bryan Mcwilliam, Tom Ruminski, Simon Sharkey-Gotlieb, and Brandon Wile answer some of the biggest questions throughout the 2023 season. ![]()
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