We got somewhat back to normal for this baseball season in the sense that we are back to a 162-game season and there will be fans in the stadium though not 100% (except Texas), but as soon as things started to get back, we suffered a minor setback. On opening day, we had two games postponed, Orioles-Red Sox due to weather (nothing you can do about that) and Nationals-Mets due to COVID. This immediately made us revert to the 2020 mode of thinking of how many more games are going to be cancelled due to this, but so far it has just been one series (doubleheader).
That little hiccup has not dampened our spirits though and we are getting some exciting baseball early in the season—including two no-hitters. The early part of the season is usually one of the best times of the season as well because this is when we see teams not expected to be contenders get an early lead in the division and we also see some great stories by young or even unknown players. Unlike the NFL, baseball is a prolonged season with so many games that we will see incredible highs and the lowest of lows.
Some of the highs include an unknown rookie Yermin Mercedes setting a major league record of going 8-for-8 to start the season while others include Joe Musgrove and Carlos Rodon throwing no-hitters. But once again, with highs always comes lows and we have seen plenty so far, most notably Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. starting the season with five errors and a shoulder injury that could keep him out of the lineup for some time.
With that being said, we are solely going to focus on the positives this season by looking at one player to look out for on each team after two weeks. These can range from veteran players that are household names to young up and comers or even the journeyman who have finally found their place.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers: 10-2
Previous Rank: 1 (—)
Player to watch: Max Muncy
The Dodgers have one of the most talented rosters in the entire league, so it is nice to talk about one of their lesser-known players. Muncy is hardly well known, but he is not one of the top players, right now he is though. Him and Justin Turner are near the top of nearly every offensive category, including average (.368), OPB (.520), SLG (.632), and OPS (1.152). This lineup is dangerous from top to bottom and Muncy is a prime example of that when is his in the bottom half and he is still as dangerous as the three and four hitters. Muncy may not be the top player by the end of the year but if they can get this production, they could easily be favorites for the World Series.
2. San Diego Padres: 8-5
Previous Rank: 2 (—)
Player to watch: Joe Musgrove
When you throw a no-hitter of course you are going to be on the list of players to watch and that is in large part to Musgrove being great even outside of that game. Obviously, the no-hitter, but in three starts he has thrown 19 innings for a .47 ERA with only one run allowed and a 2-1 record. The loss is tough but wins and losses are not a great metric when determining how good the pitcher is doing. Musgrove has been great this season and he only adds another dangerous piece to this deep rotation.
3. Chicago White Sox: 6-6
Previous Rank: 4 (↑ 1)
Player to watch: Yermin Mercedes
What a story has Mercedes been. A 28-year-old rookie and he made history by any big-league player, not just rookie. Mercedes went 8-8 in his first eight at-bats creating a new major league record and while he has not been able to keep up that insane pace, he is still looking great. Mercedes has almost made himself an everyday player at this point due to his .500 AVG, .548 OBP, .816 SLG, and 1.363 OPS and 10 RBI. Yes, Carlos Rodon just threw a no-hitter so of course he is a player to watch, but Mercedes has been such a good story that I have to go with him even though it is really both.
4. New York Yankees: 5-7
Previous Rank: 3 (↓ 1)
Player to watch: Gerrit Cole
Some great news for the Yankees and their fans is that both Judge and Stanton are still on the active roster, the bad news is Stanton is not doing great right now. It is a bit too early to start worrying, but one guy they don’t have to worry about is Cole. Cole was brought in last season as the big free agent addition and while he was certainly good in 2020, he is looking reminiscent of his 2019 Cy Young self. This is exactly what they thought they were going to get when they signed Cole and if this is what they continue to get then the Yankees could go far, assuming their lineup comes to play.
5. New York Mets: 5-3
Previous Rank: 8 (↑ 3)
Player to watch: Jacob deGrom
This is the easy player to watch, but who cares, what deGrom is doing right now is too good not to watch. He is the first example we will see that says wins and losses are not a definitive stat for pitchers because he is 0-1 in two starts, but in those starts he has been nothing short of incredible. In 14 innings deGrom has allowed eight hits, one run for a .64 ERA, two walks, and 21 strikeouts. This is what we expect out of him by now, what we were also expecting was that the lineup was going to give him some support, well, that has not happened yet. deGrom can only focus on himself and he can only control what he can control, but is it too early to say another Cy Young?
6. Minnesota Twins: 5-7
Previous Rank: 6 (—)
Player to watch: Byron Buxton
Buxton is looking exactly like the player he was expected to be this season and if he can continue this then my goodness, we have another great player in our midst. Buxton is doing everything right now, from hitting for an average (.469), to getting on base (.528), to hitting for power (1.094) and five home runs to driving in runs (9) to scoring runs (8). This is the type of offensive production that was hoped for when Buxton entered the league. He is great defensively and now if he keeps this level of play up, he could make his name as a top-ten player in the game.
7. Tampa Bay Rays: 5-7
Previous Rank: 7 (—)
Player to watch: Tyler Glasnow
Glasnow has the talent to be one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, the problem has been he hasn’t consistently put it together. Well, this season that is exactly what he is doing. In three starts Glasnow has 19.2 innings with seven hits allowed, one run allowed for a .46 ERA, three walks, and 29 strikeouts. Glasnow is shouldering the staff right now and he is just reinforcing the idea that pitching can take you places. The Rays will need some hitting if they want to win the division again, but the pitching, especially Glasnow could help carry them to a playoff spot.
8. Toronto Blue Jays: 6-6
Previous Rank: 9 (↑ 1)
Player to watch: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Vlad Jr. is starting to look like his pops right now and that is not a bad thing at all. He is showing great ability to get on base with a .390 AVG .519 OBP, and great ability to hit for power and move runners around with a .585 SLG, and nine RBI. This was what the Jays were expecting to see when they brought him up and though he showed flashes of that we never saw the completed package. This season with a slimmer physique it looks like it is helping bring that package that they were hoping for with Guerrero.
9. Atlanta Braves: 4-8
Previous Rank: 5 (↓ 4)
Player to watch: Ronald Acuna Jr.
Acuna Jr. is the future of the franchise and he has already shown what type of play he can bring, but he is playing like an MVP right now. In 12 games, Acuna is almost batting .450 while he has an OBP of .500, SLG of 1.000, and OPS of 1.500. To add on to that he has six home runs, 12 RBI, 15 R, and three SB. Acuna is an early candidate for NL MVP right now and out of everything he has shown it is that the future of the lineup is in good hands, now he needs some help out of the other players in the lineup.
10. Houston Astros: 6-6
Previous Rank: 12 (↑ 2)
Player to watch: Yuli Gurriel
On paper the Astros are supposed to have one of the most dangerous lineups in the entire league, and while it is not that simple, they have done pretty well this season. Gurriel so far, has been the best player in the lineup that is still available. Gurriel may only have five runs and five RBIs this season, but he is getting on base which will be even better once they get those bats of Altuve, Bregman, and Álvarez back in the lineup. The lineup has been what is saving the team so far even with all the injuries, but once they get back to full strength watch out for the Astros.
11. St. Louis Cardinals: 6-6
Previous Rank: 11 (—)
Player to watch: Yadier Molina
What more do you want out of your future hall of fame catcher Molina? Offensive production would be the answer to that and that has been exactly what he is giving you. We all know Molina is a great defensive catcher, but the offensive side has always been a weakness even though he has been getting better. This season he leads the team or nearly leads the team in many categories including AVG (.342), OBP (.395), SLG (.553), OPS (.948), HR (2), R (8) and RBI (8).The Cardinals have had their issues in the past with getting production out of their lineup, if the veteran Molina can bring some of that it will help this lineup out immensely.
12. Boston Red Sox: 9-3
Previous Rank: 21 (↑ 9)
Player to watch: J.D. Martinez
After having a lackluster 2020 campaign, Martinez is back in full force and once again looking like one of the most feared hitters in the game. Martinez is batting .378, .440 OB, .867 SLG, and 1.307 OPS to go along with five home runs, 16 RBIs, and 11 runs. This is exactly what the Sox need out of their DH and this has usually been the type of production that he has brought, now if he can keep it like this than the Sox can keep their nine-game win streak alive.
13. Oakland Athletics: 5-7
Previous Rank: 10 (↓ 3)
Player to watch: Ramon Laureano
Should we call him Laureano or should we call him Henderson 2.0? Okay, that is a joke, but Laureano has been great on the bases early in the season, leading the league with eight stolen bags. Did we mention he has only played nine games? Outside of his stolen bases he is one of their offensive leaders in AVG (.306), OBP (.375), SLG (.500), and OPS (.875) Then on the defensive end he brings a plus glove to go along with a fantastic arm, if he can keep this type of offensive production then the A’s could have found their everyday center fielder.
14. Los Angeles Angels: 7-5
Previous Rank: 14 (—)
Player to watch: Shohei Ohtani
We all know what Mike Trout can do and obviously he is the guy to watch as he goes for yet another MVP, but Ohtani is such a rare breed that watching him play just makes you watch in awe. He is showing his talent in both the lineup and in the rotation, although he has not been great as a pitcher other than showing off his devastating fastball. Ohtani at the plate has a .340 average with a .380 OBP, .745 SLG, 1.125 OPS, four home runs and 12 RBI. Watching him pitch and bat will be one of the biggest stories to watch all season long and if he can stay healthy he could be what turns the Angels into contenders.
15. Phillies: 6-6
Previous Rank: 15 (—)
Player to watch: J.T. Realmuto
Realmuto has been one of the top catchers in the league for a while now and this is just another year where he is showing he is one of the best. In 12 games, Realmuto is batting .297 with an OBP of .350, SLG of .459, and OPS of .809. Realmuto is a staple in the middle of this lineup and though the lineup as a whole could be doing better, Realmuto is always a player to watch out for not only for his offense, but his defense and speed. The lineup surrounding him now has a task, but Realmuto has been doing his thing early on.
16. Cleveland Indians: 6-5
Previous Rank: 16 (—)
Player to Watch: Shane Bieber
Bieber has shown so far that his 2020 Cy Young was not a fluke, and he is being dominant once again this season. In three starts, Bieber has 21.1 innings with five earned runs for a 2.11 ERA, eight walks, and 35 strikeouts. The pitching staff as a whole has been one of the bright spots in the Indians roster as the lineup has been terrible, but out of the rotation Bieber is definitely the guy to watch.
17. Cincinnati Reds: 7-5
Previous Rank: 22 (↑ 5)
Player to Watch: Tucker Barnhart
Nicholas Castellanos, Mike Moustakas, Jesse Winker, Jonathan India, and Tucker Barnhart are having great seasons, but we are going to go with the catcher here. Barnhart has never been a true offensive force, but this season that is exactly what he is doing. A .370 average, .414 OBP, .630 SLG, and 1.043 OPS he is right next to the lead in those categories with Winker. For Barnhart though it is impressive because he is providing this type of pop out of the catcher position, something they are looking forward to for the rest of the year.
18. Milwaukee Brewers: 7-5
Previous Rank: 17 (↓ 1)
Player to Watch: Corbin Burnes
Burnes has had three starts for the Brewers in which he has been lights out which is a very good sign for the remainder of the season. In his starts he has only given up four hits, one earned run which just so happened to be a home run which actually gave him his one loss, but he pitched fantastic. That loss was not on him because that hit was the only baserunner, he allowed to go along with 11 strikeouts. That means the lineup did not do their job, but that start was a great sign of things to come and Burnes has the stuff to look like that almost every outing. He is now 1-1 on the season with a .49 ERA and right now he is an early CY Young candidate.
19. San Francisco Giants: 8-4
Previous Rank: 20 (↑ 1)
Player to Watch: Kevin Gausman
Gausman was always supposed to be a threat on the mound and though he looked like that every now and then in Baltimore, it seems like he has figured something out in San Francisco. He had one of his best seasons last year with the Giants and so far, this year he has had two great starts and one eh, that have taken in 19.2 innings, with seven runs allowed for a 3.2 ERA, 11 hits, five walks, and 18 strikeouts. He may not have a decision yet on the mounds, but that does not discredit how good he has been, once they give him run support, he could be that threat we thought he should have been.
20. Chicago Cubs: 5-7
Previous Rank: 13 (↓ 7)
Player to Watch: Jake Arrieta
It is actually pretty impressive that the Cubs are only two games under .500 because their pitching staff has been middle of the road and their lineup has been abysmal. They are one of the worst hitting teams in the league and really the only bright spot is Arrieta. Arrieta had his best seasons with the Cubs and so far, he is looking like that again (not Cy Young form). In 17 innings he has a 3.18 ERA with a 2-1 record while being one of the most consistent pitchers out of the rotation. He might not stay like this, but it is nice to see him back to being dominant.
21. Miami Marlins: 5-6
Previous Rank: 18 (↓ 3)
Player to Watch: Sandy Alcantara
Wins and losses are not a great stat to look at when determining how good a pitcher actually has been and that is the case early on for Alcantara. In three starts Alcantara is 0-1 mostly due to the Marlins not being able to score any runs. In 18.1 innings he has only given up five earned runs (six altogether) for a 2.45 ERA with seven walks, 21 strikeouts, and 10 hits allowed. Alcantara has now looked for three years that he was going to be the ace of the Marlins roster and early this season he is proving that notion right, now the lineup needs to give him some run support.
22. Washington Nationals: 3-6
Previous Rank: 18 (↓ 4)
Player to Watch: Juan Soto
Juan Soto may be the most natural hitter that we have seen since Barry Bonds and that is above all the great hitters that are currently in the league. Saying that is giving him very high praise and so far, he has been great at the plate. Soto has 12 hits on the year for a .375 average, .474 OBP, .594 SLG, and 1.067 OPS. He also has six walks which has helped make him an on-base machine. Soto is not just a player to watch early on, he is a player to keep an eye on all season because this very well could be your NL MVP.
23. Kansas City Royals: 6-4
Previous Rank: 24 (↑ 1)
Player to Watch: Nicky Lopez
Lopez is in his third full season in the majors, and this is the year he and the Royals are hoping for a breakout. He has never been the power type of player and he has still not shown it this season, but he is one to get on base. That is exactly what you want out of a non-power hitter. Give your lineup an opportunity to drive you in by getting on base any way you can and that is what he has been doing. Lopez has a .258 average, .314 OBP, .258 SLG, and a .572 OPS. Lopez has had a rough last week, but he is the type of player to get on base and get you runs when he is on.
24. Seattle Mariners: 6-5
Previous Rank: 23 (↓ 1)
Player to Watch: Kyle Seager
You expect Seager to be the top player in the Mariners lineup and so far, he has not disappointed. Batting .317 with a .383 OBP, .537 SLG, and .920 OPS he is the statistical leader for every major offensive category. To go along with Seager they are also getting good production out of Mitch Haniger and that has helped lead them to a record over .500. Now they need production out of one of their young players, maybe Kyle Lewis when he makes his way back to the lineup.
25. Detroit Tigers: 6-6
Previous Rank: 27 (↑ 2)
Player to Watch: Akil Baddoo
Baddoo is in his first season in the major leagues, and this is the type of start you want to remain there. In nine games Baddoo is batting .370 with a .379 OBP, .963 SLG, and 1.342 OPS. He also has four home runs and 11 RBI which has helped lead the Tigers to an early .500 record. Detriot’s team is chock full of young talent both in the minors and on the major league level including Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, Matt Manning, and Daz Cameron, but the early player to watch has to be Baddoo with the power he has shown at the plate.
26. Baltimore Orioles: 5-6
Previous Rank: 28 (↑ 2)
Player to Watch: Cedric Mullins
John Means has had three very good starts and is no doubt the ace of the staff, but what Mullins is providing for the lineup is unmatched. Mullins made a change from being a switch-hitter to now being just a lefty and that change has made him one of the best lead-off batters early on. Mullins is the team leader in BA (.442), OBP (.510), SLG (.651), OPS (1.161), R (7), and 2B (6). Mullins may not have the power of other lead-off hitter, but he is bringing back the play of yesteryear and that change has made him an early star to the season.
27. Texas Rangers: 5-7
Previous Rank: 26 (↓ 1)
Player to Watch: Joey Gallo
Gallo may be the obvious pick here, but what else can we do. Everybody loves the long ball and Gallo is one of the best. The prototype for the modern power hitter—low average, high strikeout rate, high homerun rate—Gallo is starting this season not just being the home run hitter. Gallo may only have 10 hits, but surprisingly, nine of them are singles and only one is an extra base hit that went for a home run. With Gallo we know the power will come along with the strikeout, but walks will come as well. Gallo is batting .270 with a .471 OBP after 11 walks, if he can stay getting on base like this to go along with power, we could have an all-star appearance for Gallo.
28. Arizona Diamondbacks: 4-8
Previous Rank: 25 (↓3)
Player to Watch: Ketel Marte
Ketel Marte was a dark horse MVP candidate before the 2020 season began and that turned out to be a very generous prediction. After a breakout 2019 season, Marte had his worst season since joining the Diamondbacks 2017. Early on he is back on that all-star path, leading the team in BA (.462), OBP (.500), SLG (.846), OPS (1.346), HR (2), RBI (5), 2B (4), and R (5). Marte is the unquestioned leader in the lineup and with him firing on all cylinders it could help bring the best out of the other bats, including prospect Geraldo Perdomo who was an early season call-up. He might be on the IL right now, but when he comes back he will for sure be a bat they need in order to win in a crowded NL West.
29. Pittsburgh Pirates: 5-7
Previous Rank: 29 (—)
Player to Watch: Phillip Evans
Evans is in his fourth season in the majors and overall, he has still yet to even play 60 games. He was off to a great start last season until a nasty collision led to a season ending injury with a broken jaw and concussion. It was not the way anyone wanted to see his season end and the hope was that he would be back in full force this season. Evans is the team leader in many major offensive categories including BA (.342), SLG (.632), OPS (1.076), and HR (3). There may not be too much in Pittsburgh to be excited even though a 5-7 start is much better than predicted, but the corner of the infield in Evans and Colin Moran leaves a glimmer of hope.
30. Colorado Rockies: 3-9
Previous Rank: 30 (—)
Player to Watch: Ryan McMahon
Call it the Coors Effect if you want, but McMahon is having a great year at the plate so far, leading the team in HR (5), RBI (9), SLG (.689) and TB (31). On the defensive side he has always been more of the utility type, being able to play any of the four infield positions and this season he has played some second base and third base. They wanted him at second after the departure of DJ LeMahieu and now that Nolan Arenado is gone as well as long as his bat doesn’t go cold, the Rockies will have a place for McMahon in their lineup.