BUY OR SELL: The St. Louis Cardinals are the worst team in the National League
Alright, a bit of clarification. The Cardinals current record of 6-10 is technically the worst record in the National League, so by that logic the Cardinals are the worst team in the MLB. The Cards have the third least runs scored of any NL team so far (53), and their team ERA (4.37) is just as bad. However, to that point, the Cardinals have faced tough competition in the Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals, and the inexplicably good Cincinnati Reds. The Cardinals might not be the premier NL team like they’ve been used to being this decade, but they certainly aren’t the worst team in the MLB. In fact, I’d still be surprised if they missed the playoffs. VERDICT: SELL
BUY OR SELL: Eric Thames has turned into a legitimate power hitter
One of the biggest stories in baseball so far has been Eric Thames’s return to relevance. The former seventh round pick by the Toronto Blue Jays bounced around various major leagues before heading to Korea and becoming the MVP of the Korean Baseball Organization for the 2015 season. Thames came back to the MLB this offseason, signing a 3-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. Since then, Thames has lit the baseball world on fire. Thames leads all players with 8 home runs so far in just 53 at-bats. Thames is hitting an absurd .415 batting average, which will almost surely go down. The home runs, however, are here to stay. Thames turned into a home run hitting machine in his time in Korea, hitting 37+ home runs in each of his last three seasons in the KBO. Thames has found his power stroke, and the Brewers are going to be happy with it this season. VERDICT: BUY
BUY OR SELL: The American League East is the best division in baseball
So far, the AL East is on top of the world. The only division with three 10-win teams so far (Orioles, Yankees, Red Sox), the AL East is in a prime position to get both wild card spots on the Junior Circuit. In fact, the team that was projected by most to be World Series favorites, the Boston Red Sox, are the third best team in the division so far at 10-6. This division has been consistently great over the past few years, and this year is no different. The Red Sox are going to continue to dominate, the youth of the Yankees will propel them to heights they haven’t reached this decade, and the Orioles will continue to be quietly a playoff-caliber team. Count on this division to snatch both WC spots, and produce the eventual AL Pennant Winner. VERDICT: BUY