The season is still very early, but teams are starting to get on streaks of what we might expect for the rest of the season. It’s never too early to see which teams have gotten off to a disappointing start at the box office and why that’s the case. Five teams are in the red with more than five units so far this season and here’s a closer look at those clubs.
New York Yankees 12-14 -9.4 Units
While the record may come as a surprise, the number of units discarded is not, as the Yankees are always an expensive team. New York has gotten off to a slow start the past two years, going 13-11 through May 1 last season and 10-15 through May 1, 2005. This year, their pitching has been the root of of the problems, as his 4.67 ERA is fifth. to last throughout baseball. The offense has carried them, but not enough to avoid a losing record and if it wasn’t for Alex Rodriguez’s red-hot April, who knows where they would be. New York went 18-10 last May and a repeat is likely.
Texas Rangers 10-18 -8.8 Units
Texas has lost five straight and is 5-13 since starting the season at 5-5. The Rangers’ offense has been on a slump all season, hitting just .231 after finishing sixth in the majors in hitting last season. Worse still is the pitching, always a problem for Texas, since his ERA is 5.38, penultimate in baseball. The Rangers are 4-13 as underdogs after being swept by the Yankees and have lost nine games this season by more than four runs. Their next 10 games do not bode well as they face Toronto, the Yankees again and then the Angels.
St. Louis Cardinals 10-16 -8.4 Units
St. Louis is off to a rocky start in its World Series defense. The Cardinals lost ace Chris Carpenter after one game and then the death of relief pitcher Josh Hancock devastated the team as they were swept in Milwaukee by a combined score of 23-3. St. Louis is a disappointing 3-9 at home after winning a combined 99 games at Busch Stadium the past two seasons. St. Louis is only ahead of Washington in slugging percentage as everyone, including Albert Pujols, is struggling. 11 of his 16 losses have been by four or more runs.
Chicago Cubs 12-14 -6.1 Units
The additional payroll hasn’t paid off so far for the Cubs, though things are looking brighter. Chicago has won five of its last six games after going through a brutal 4-11 run. He’s played much better on the road, going 4-9 at Wrigley Field, but the next six games are at home against Washington and Pittsburgh, so things could change quickly, especially with the current situation. The Cubs rank sixth in the majors in ERA and fifth in batting average, making the record all the more amazing. The problem is that they are 0-6 in one-run games.
Kansas City Royals 10-19 -5.8 Units
This is where many expected the young Royals to be at this stage of the season. However, Kansas City is playing much better, having gone 7-8 in its last 15 games after a dismal 3-11 start. Scoring runs is the Achilles’ heel as the Royals have scored four runs or fewer in 19 of their 29 games. They’re near the middle of the league in hitting, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, but critical hitting is a real problem. Kansas City is 4-10 on the road, but the next six games are at home, so continued success is a possibility.