MLB Starting Nine (Week of May 8th)
Things are starting to take shape in MLB. The Dodgers are once again comfortably atop the NL West, the Braves and Phillies appear set to battle for the NL East Crown and the NL Central is wide open. The more things change… Here is this week’s Starting Nine:
Starting Nine (Week of May 8th)
Hope to see you back: Chicago Cubs and Seattle Mariners; Welcome Back to the Show: Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals
#9. KC Royals 21-15 (+75,000) - I gave the nod to the Royals over the Cubs this week. The Royals pitching staff is coming together, especially with the return of Lynch. If they can get continued strong work from the bullpen, this could be a playoff team. Last Week’s Rank: Unranked
#8. Milwaukee Brewers 20-14 (+4500) - The Brewers keep getting wins despite dominance in any one area. Wily Adames is having a big year thus far and Rhys Hoskins but this is a team effort all around. Last Week’s Rank: 8th
#7. Minnesota Twins 20-14 (+1900) - Go two weeks without losing and you earn a spot in the Starting Nine. The Twins’ offense has come alive and maybe they are finally getting their bang for the buck with Carlos Correa. Last Week’s Rank: Unranked
#6. Cleveland Guardians 23-12 (+2200) - Like the Brewers, the Guardians are not wowing anyone in any one area but are playing solidly all over the field, particularly up the middle on defense. Last Week’s Rank: 3rd
#5. New York Yankees 23-13 (+700) - The Bombers are finally getting production out of other parts of the order, particularly since moving Rizzo down in the batting order. If they can hold the forte until their pitching gets healthy, they will be a problem. Last Week’s Rank: 4th
#4. Atlanta Braves 20-12 (+400) - The Braves are winning but they are not dominating offensively as they did in 2023. They’ll need some more pop as the weather warms with a subpar rotation at the moment. Last Week’s Rank: 1st
#3. Baltimore Orioles 23-11 (+900) - The Orioles took care of the Yankees last weekend and look like the best team in the American League right now. Last Week’s Rank: 2nd
#2. LA Dodgers 19-12 (+310) - The Dodgers welcomed back Walker Buehler this week and Clayton Kershaw will be along shortly. Those two can give a pitching staff in need of depth a real boost. Last Week’s Rank: 5th
#1. Philadelphia Phillies 25-11 (+950) - The Phillies look like a more complete team than the Dodgers at the moment. Their top three starters are better than the Dodgers’ top three and they can hit with the Dodgers as well. Last Week’s Rank: 6th
AL/NL MVP Candidates & AL/NL Cy Young Candidates:
Next week, I will reveal the first candidates for MVP and Cy Young in both the American League and National League along with the odds for each player. Stay tuned.
*All odds courtesy of Draftkings.com
By Mark Ruelle