Top Baseball Money Teams
by Matt Fargo
The season is still very early but teams are starting to get into runs of what we might expect throughout the rest of the season. It’s never too early to see which teams are bringing home profits and the main reasons behind those. Only six teams are showing profits of more than three units on the season which is a small number showing that there has been a lot of parity thus far.
Milwaukee Brewers 16-9 +8 Units
The Brewers were picked by many to be a surprise in baseball and to contend in the weak National League Central. They have not disappointed as they lead the division by 3.5 games over the Pirates of all teams, showing just how weak that division really is. Milwaukee has been doing it both at home and on the road and for any team to become a contender, it must win away from home. Chris Capuano, Claudio Vargas and Jeff Suppan are a combined 9-2 on the season and if Ben Sheets can come around, the staff will be very dangerous from top to bottom.
Boston Red Sox 16-8 +7 Units
This isn’t really much of a surprise as Boston was expected to rebound from last season’s disappointing year. The Red Sox have benefitted from excellent pitching and timely hitting to take the early lead in the American League East. Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling lead the way with a combined 8-1 record and if Daisuke Matsuzaka can come around like he is supposed to, this will be the most dangerous staff in the league. Already with a 6.5-game lead over the Yankees, Boston cannot let off the pedal.
Cleveland Indians 14-8 +6.1 Units
The American League Central was up for grabs when the season started and likely will be a dogfight the whole year but Cleveland is showing early signs of the favorite. The Indians are 19th in baseball in ERA and 22nd in hitting so it is a surprise they are leading the division. The offense and the pitching have both been timely and have stepped up at the right times. Cleveland is 6-2 in one-run games after going 40-62 over the last two years combined. The question is can they keep it up and only time will tell on that.
Atlanta Braves 16-9 +4.8 Units
The Braves are trying to prove that last year was a fluke after not winning the division for the first time in 12 years. They are not doing anything special with their pitching with the exception of the surprising start of Tim Hudson, but the offense is getting it done. Atlanta leads the Majors on OPS at .811 and is third in runs, averaging 5.4 rpg. One thing to keep an eye on is the fact that the Braves are 10-2 against right-handed starters but just 6-7 against lefty starters so those are the spots to play on or against in the near future.
Arizona Diamondbacks 16-11 +3.8 Units
The Diamondbacks are the other early surprise in the National League as their current six-game winning streak has given them the lead in the National League West. They have been the streakiest team in baseball, going 9-4 to start the year before dropping seven of eight prior to this current run. The pitching is leading the way led by Cy Young winner Brandon Webb. It was encouraging to see Randy Johnson looking sharp in his second start back from back surgery. If he can stay healthy, Arizona will be around all season long.
San Francisco Giants 13-11 +3.4 Units
The Giants are probably the one team in this list that won’t stay here for too long. They are extremely old on offense and with the exception of Barry Bonds, no other everyday player is hitting above .300. Pitching has kept San Francisco in the mix but Matt Morris and Russ Ortiz have been the catalysts and who knows how long they can hold up. However, Barry Zito, Matt Cain and Noah Lowry are also pitching well and all three could be even better. With their next nine games at home, San Francisco could keep it going for a while.
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Bottom Baseball Money Teams
The season is still very early but teams are starting to get into runs of what we might expect throughout the rest of the season. It’s never too early to see which teams are off to disappointing starts at the ticket window and why that is the case. Five teams are in the red of over five units so far this season and here is a closer look at those clubs.
New York Yankees 12-14 -9.4 Units
While the record might be a surprise, the number of units dropped is not as the Yankees are always an overpriced team. New York has been a slow starter the last couple years, going 13-11 through May 1st last season and 10-15 through May 1st in 2005. This year, their pitching has been the root of the problems as their ERA of 4.67 is 5th to last in all of baseball. The offense has carried them but not enough to avoid a losing record and if it wasn’t for Alex Rodriguez’ red-hot April, who knows where they would be. New York did go 18-10 last May and a repeat is likely.
Texas Rangers 10-18 -8.8 Units
Texas has lost five straight and has gone just 5-13 since starting the season at 5-5. The Rangers offense has been in a slump all season, hitting just .231 after finishing 6th in the Majors in hitting last season. Even worse is the pitching, always a problem for Texas, as its ERA is at 5.38, 2nd to last in baseball. The Rangers are just 4-13 as underdogs after getting swept by the Yankees and they have lost nine games this season by more than four runs. Their next 10 games don’t bode well as they face Toronto, the Yankees again and then the Angels.
St. Louis Cardinals 10-16 -8.4 Units
St. Louis has had a very tough start in their 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 99 games combined at Busch Stadium the last two seasons. St. Louis is ahead of only Washington in slugging percentage as everyone, even Albert Pujols, is struggling. 11 of their 16 losses have been by four or more runs.
Chicago Cubs 12-14 -6.1 Units
The added payroll has not paid off thus far for the Cubs although things are looking brighter. Chicago has won five of its last six games after going through a brutal 4-11 stretch. It has played much better on the road as it is just 4-9 at Wrigley Field but the next six games are at home against Washington and Pittsburgh so things could turn around quickly, especially with the current it is on. The Cubs are 6th in the Majors in ERA and 5th in batting average so the record is even that much more surprising. The problem is they are 0-6 in one-run games.
Kansas City Royals 10-19 -5.8 Units
This is about where many expected the young Royals to be at this stage of the season. However, Kansas City is playing a lot better as it has gone 7-8 in its last 15 games after a dreadful 3-11 start. Scoring runs is the Achilles Heel as the Royals have scored four runs or less in 19 of their 29 games. They are near the middle of the league in hitting, on-base percentage and slugging but clutch hitting is a real issue. Kansas City is 4-10 on the road but the next six games are at home so continued success is a possibility.
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