Sports Time Radio

We’re not quite 15 games into the 2021 Major League Baseball season, but that hasn’t stopped people from overreacting. You have to remember tat this season isn’t a 60 game sprint like last season, but it’s a 162 game marathon like it always is. That means just because a team might be off to a 5-8 start like the New York Yankees are doesn’t mean they won’t end up winning the American League East like almost everyone predicted they would. It’s just way to early in the baseball season to panic.

Believe it or not I actually saw someone write that this three game weekend series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres was a battle for supremacy in the National League West. Now these teams will face each other 17 times during the regular season. Does the first three game series against each other really set the tone for the entire season? The Dodgers won game one of this series last night. What if they go on to sweep the Padres this time around; does that mean that San Diego has no chance to win the other 14 match ups?

I think everyone expects the Dodgers and the Padres to get into the playoffs this season and it would be a big surprise if one of them misses out. Let’s just say that the Dodgers do pull off the sweep this weekend and then San Diego rebounds and wins the next 14 games against them. Would that make the Padres the decided favorite if they met in the playoffs?

It very much the same situation when Aaron Rodgers told Green Bay Packers fans to “relax” when they where upset about how the team was playing very early in the season. No team has even played 15 games; so relax.

As of right now the Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets are the 1st place teams in the National League while the Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners are the 1st place teams in the American League. How many of those teams do you have not only hanging onto 1st place, but actually getting into the playoffs?

Now their is one early season debate that I think might make some sense nd I’d like to know what you think about this. Has Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves supplanted Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels as the best player in baseball?

This was the first time in quite a few years that trout wasn’t the #1 rated fantasy player coming into a draft. Believe it or not in Yahoo’s rankings Trout was ranked a #7 while Acuna Jr. was #1. In between then was Fernando Tatis Jr. at #2, Jacob deGroom at #3, Mookie Betts at #4, Juan Soto at #5 and Gerrit Cole at #6. I don’t necessarily agree with these rankings, but that’s how Yahoo had it laid out for fantasy players coming into this season.

Currently the Top 5 in Yahoo fantasy for the season so far has Acuna Jr. at #1. He ‘s followed by Jake McGee, Corbin Burnes and Joe Musgrove at 2,3 and 4 then we get another position player to round out the Top 5 as Manny Machado makes an appearance.

Now if Acuna Jr. hasn’t taken over as the best player in baseball he is currently the most exciting. Of course being off to a great start has helped Acuna Jr’s candidacy to become the best player in baseball. He’s currently the stat leader in eight offensive categories including home runs which you know the analytic experts love. Adding to Acuna Jr’s case is the fact that he’s scored from 3rd base on a pop up to the second baseman and a routine ground out.

You may not realize this, but Acuna Jr. is just 23 years old and won’t turn 24 years old until December. A lot of everyday players don’t hit their peak until after the age of 25; so it’s quite possible that Acuna Jr. may become a better player than he is right now.

Trout himself is off to a good start. He’s hitting .386 with on On Base of .526 and a Slugging Percentage of .750. Those aren’t bad numbers to start a season off with and they’re close to being in line with numbers Trout has put up for entire seasons with the exception of the batting average.

Now is Trout’s 10th full season in the majors and he’ll turn 30 years old this August; so if he does slip back to the 2nd or even 3rd best player in baseball it wouldn’t be that big of a regression and unfortunately it’s bound to happen soon or later, but I’m not sure if it’s going to be this season.

Let me know who you think the best player in baseball currently is. I’d be interested to know who you’re picking.

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