Ben Verlander

FOX Sports activities MLB Analyst

The primary weekend of the 2024 MLB season noticed some historical past being made and dominant particular person performances.

However I am not going to overreact an excessive amount of to 1 sequence, even when a workforce bought swept or did the sweeping. Listed here are my high 10 groups in baseball after Week 1. 

1. Atlanta Braves (2-1; final week 1)
The Braves fell a success in need of sweeping the rival Phillies in their very own ballpark. Chris Sale had an encouraging first begin together with his new workforce nonetheless, giving up two runs on two hits, with two walks and 7 strikeouts over 5.1 innings. Atlanta’s offense regarded like its normal self, tallying 26 runs and mixing for a .339/.387/.574 slash line by means of three video games. 

2. Los Angeles Dodgers (4-2, LW 2)
Shohei Ohtani had a modest first sequence at Chavez Ravine. That is OK when one in every of your different MVP teammates goes on a four-game residence run streak. Mookie Betts was baseball’s largest star by means of the primary weekend of the season and has an absurd 1.757 OPS by means of six video games. The Dodgers had been on the verge of splitting their four-game set with the Cardinals on Sunday when Teoscar Hernández and Max Muncy homered within the eighth to finish a dramatic comeback. This lineup is unreal.

3. New York Yankees (4-0, LW 7)
What a begin to the season for the Yankees. With out Gerrit Cole at their disposal, they bought strong beginning pitching and rallied to win every of the primary three video games earlier than extra Juan Soto heroics sealed the four-game sweep Sunday. The latest Bronx Bomber had a scintillating opening sequence on the plate (.529/.600/.765) and likewise got here up clutch within the discipline. It is one of these stuff that had me predicting he’d win AL MVP this yr. 

[RELATED: Juan Soto, Astros slayer: Three takeaways from Yankees’ season-opening sweep]

4. Baltimore Orioles (2-1, LW 4)
Corbin Burnes regarded the a part of a Cy Younger favourite in his first begin with the Orioles, putting out 11 and permitting only one hit — a solo residence run to Mike Trout — over six innings. Baltimore received the primary two video games of its sequence versus the Angels by a mixed rating of 24-7.

5. Philadelphia Phillies (1-2, LW 3)
The Phillies narrowly prevented a sweep Sunday, with Alec Bohm capping off a powerful weekend with a go-ahead two-run single within the seventh. Zack Wheeler had an excellent Opening Day begin, pitching six shutout innings. However Philadelphia’s bullpen was hit laborious Friday and Saturday, as was Aaron Nola (7 ER, 12 hits). 

J.T. Realmuto’s solo homer trims Phillies’ deficit

6. Texas Rangers (2-1, LW 5)
The defending champs took two of three from the Chicago Cubs. Wyatt Langford regarded comfy in his first big-league sequence, hitting .333 with three RBIs, whereas Corey Seager (5-for-10) and Adolis García (two residence runs) picked up the place they left off within the World Collection.

7. Arizona Diamondbacks (3-1, LW 8)
No workforce had a greater Opening Day than the Diamondbacks. Their 14-run third inning in opposition to the Colorado Rockies was probably the most runs scored in an inning on Opening Day since 1900. If it weren’t for Betts’ scorching begin, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. would have been the star of the week, hitting .471 with a 1.644 OPS plus three homers and 10 RBIs.

8. Seattle Mariners (2-2, LW 9)
The Mariners break up a four-game set with the Boston Purple Sox, successful a pair of low-scoring affairs. George Kirby pitched 6.2 innings of scoreless ball on Friday whereas putting out eight. Julio Rodríguez did not have one of the best weekend on the plate, however his game-winning single Saturday was the primary walk-off hit of his profession. 

9. Houston Astros (0-4, LW 6)
Every little thing went downhill for the Astros after taking a 4-0 lead on Opening Day. They allowed 5 unanswered to the Yankees after which blew leads the following two days en path to struggling a four-game sweep at residence. Cristian Javier was a vivid spot for houston, pitching six shutout innings Friday. But it surely’s powerful to win video games for those who solely hit one residence run in a sequence. 

Juan Soto crushes first HR with Yankees to go forward of Astros

10. Milwaukee Brewers (3-0; LW unranked)
Rhys Hoskins would possibly already be a fan favourite in Milwaukee, starting his Brewers profession by getting testy with Jeff McNeil on Opening Day earlier than a four-RBI efficiency on Saturday. However the Brewers’ rotation was the strongest a part of their three-game sweep of the Mets, as New York recorded just one hit on Opening Day and scored simply 4 runs off Milwaukee starters.

Out: Cincinnati Reds (10)

Ben Verlander is an MLB Analyst for FOX Sports activities and the host of the “Flippin’ Bats” podcast. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Verlander was an All-American at Previous Dominion College earlier than he joined his brother, Justin, in Detroit as a 14th-round decide of the Tigers in 2013. He spent 5 years within the Tigers group. Comply with him at @BenVerlander.

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