Early in a Major League Baseball season, the headlines are constantly dominated by the big names, both in terms of players and teams. Shohei Ohtani breaking records in Los Angeles. The New York Yankees returning to prominence. And while we all look the other way, there are some very good baseball teams quietly proving they're for real. Some will look at this piece and say, “Wait, isn't talking about World Series contenders on April 21 a little premature?”
And the answer is that it unequivocally is not.
The beauty of baseball is that we get 179 days during the regular season to hash out our opinions and each day feels a little bit different from the last. Here, on April 21, it feels like there's a group of teams flying just a little bit under the radar. Let's talk about them and why they're each proving they have World Series-type mettle.
Milwaukee Brewers
It seems like we do the same dance with the Milwaukee Brewers every year now. They win the NL Central without the sexiest roster. They trade away one of their biggest stars and everyone bemoans their front office for refusing to spend like a contender. Then they keep winning in spite of all who doubt them. And this year, they look better than ever before.
At any given time, there's a Brewers player half of baseball fans have never heard of that's going on an absolute heater. Blake Perkins was that Brewer this week, driving in game-winning runs, robbing a three-run home run, and raising his season OPS to .968. Next week, that could just as easily be Brice Turang, Oliver Dunn, or Owen Miller, who gave the Brew Crew the win with his first hit of the season on Sunday.
But don't discount the star power, either. William Contreras is firmly inserting himself in the best catcher in baseball discussion with a monster start to the season, with a .987 OPS and 20 RBI in 20 games. Willy Adames is hitting like his 2021 self once again and once Christian Yelich returns to the lineup, the Brewers will have a fearsome middle of the order that can give any pitching staff fits. Then there's Freddy Peralta, who might just be the 2024 NL Cy Young winner if he stays healthy.
Even though they haven't made it past the NLDS since 2018, something feels different about these Milwaukee Brewers. They have gritty veterans, they have a lights-out bullpen and they have a rookie sensation in Jackson Chourio who could turn into the best player on the team at a moment's notice. They won't be anyone's World Series pick once the brackets roll out, but this might be the year the Brewers rain on everyone's parade.
Toronto Blue Jays
For the past two seasons, the Toronto Blue Jays have been consistently mocked for talking the talk and not walking the walk when it comes to postseason baseball. Well, it seems like they've been conspicuously out of the public eye for much of 2024 and perhaps we'll soon see if they can get their act together in October this time around.
Coming into the season, much of the concern centered around the lineup. Beyond the top three of George Springer, Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., where was the offense going to come from? As it turns out, from everywhere else.
Justin Turner has been the team's most consistent hitter, the only regular batting over .300 and with an OPS over .900. Meanwhile, Cavan Biggio, Ernie Clement, and Davis Schneider have chipped in with huge knocks to seal a bunch of wins despite playing all over the diamond. With contributions up and down the lineup, this team will be terrifying to face if the top three ever find their footing.
The pitching, meanwhile, has gotten off to a much rockier start than expected, but a lot of that centers around the struggles of Kevin Gausman, who missed much of Spring Training with a shoulder problem. If it was indeed just a slow start and Gausman can build on his last outing, five innings of one-run ball against the New York Yankees, we'll start seeing the Blue Jays as bona fide contenders once more.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Wait, the Arizona Diamondbacks? A sleeper, after they just made a World Series run? Absolutely, because this D-Backs team has a record below .500, which obscures the fact that they're actually significantly better than the plucky six-seed that shocked the world to win an NL pennant in 2023.
The 2023 Diamondbacks barely snuck into the postseason, with an 84-78 record and -15 run differential. To begin 2024, they're just 11-12, but have outscored their opponents thus far by 28. Granted, more than half of that is still just the 16-1 win on Opening Day over the Rockies, but it's good to see Arizona scoring a lot this early on.
There's a different energy about this year's D-Backs. They're no longer the lovable underdogs; they expect to go deep into October. They're not a bunch of unproven young talents; they've added a large contingent of battle-tested veterans. Health is still a question mark, but if they get to October with a rotation of Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Jordan Montgomery, Eduardo Rodríguez and Brandon Pfaadt, no one will want to see them in a series of any length.
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