With the MLB season underway, now seems like a good time to look at some of the biggest surprises from the first week plus of the year. While usually the first set of games can be deceiving as to what something might look like, there have been some undeniable starts that need plenty of attention. A few player honorable mentions include pitchers Chris Bassit (0.71 ERA, 16 K’s) and Luke Jackson (5 Saves) as well as hitters Wilmer Flores (.250 AVG, 4 HR) and Ivan Herrera (.400 AVG, 4 HR). Along with some teams that have surprised like the San Francisco Giants (7-1) and Texas Rangers (7-2). Now onto the list.
MacKenzie Gore
While MacKenzie Gore had some strong outings in 2024, there was still plenty left to be desired from the lefty who was often compared to Clayton Kershaw coming up in the minors. With a 3.90 ERA, Gore was nowhere near disastrous but still left many wanting more from someone with so much potential. Command is where Gore really struggled, walking 65 in 166.1 innings during the 2024 campaign. 2025 has already been different, seeing Gore cut down the walks and rocket up the strikeouts. Opening day, Gore went six innings with no runs allowed, one hit, no walks, and thirteen (!!!) strikeouts. Gore was the first pitcher to do this on opening day since Bob Gibson in the 1960’s. Gore’s second outing was not as strong, allowing three runs over 5 innings of work but still struck out five and only walked two, clear improvements from last season. The Washington Nationals need Gore to keep this up if they want to keep pace in the wild National League
Miami Marlins
Going into the season, everyone expected the Miami Marlins to be one of the worst teams in the league and while that may still happen, they have been oddly alright the first bit into the season. Standing at 5-4, they have played some good games to start off their season, especially one’s where former CY Young starter Sandy Alcantara starts. In their first series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Marlins were able to walk off three of the four games, the first time that had ever happened during opening weekend. While they dropped some games over the next two series (against the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves) there was still plenty to be excited about. Second baseman Otto Lopez leads the team in average with a .270 batting average as well as two home runs. At the end of the day, 5-4 might not seem like anything to write home about but for a team that was predicted to win somewhere in the fifties, 5-4 is not anything to be mad about.
Matthew Boyd
The Chicago Cubs went into the offseason with one goal, get good enough to make the postseason. Cubs started their offseason with signing former Guardians and TIgers lefty Mathew Boyd to a 2-year 29 Million dollar contract. Many at the time thought it was going to be a bad contract, with Boyd being a very shaky pitcher over the last couple of seasons. Coming off Tommy John surgery, Boyd signed with the Cleveland Guardians where he went 2-2, unlocking something with the Guardians pitching lab. Boyd has come to Chicago and instantly showed why he might be more valuable than many first believed. In his first start of the season against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Boyd went five innings, letting up only four hits, three walks, no runs and five strikeouts. He followed up this outing with a six inning, five hits, one walk, no runs and five strikeouts game. If Boyd can keep this type of production up for the rest of the season he will be a great weapon for the Cubs as they search for their first playoff berth in years.
Wilyer Abreu
This past offseason the Boston Red Sox spent some of the most money in the Major League. Between signing Alex Bregman (40 Mil a year) and trading for White Sox Ace Garrett Crochet, they had their hands full. Neither of these players make the list for biggest surprise but instead someone who has already been on the roster. Wilyer Abreu, outfielder, has started off the season red hot at the plate, leading the league in batting average at .500 as well as ranking 14th in the league with three home runs. Many wondered what Abreu’s role would look like with such a deep roster both at the major league and minor league level. Wilyer has proved everyone wrong and showed how prolific he can be in the right situations, helping the Red Sox to early victories including a walk off hit against the St. Louis Cardinals to win the first game of a doubleheader. You can only assume the .500 average will go down but still, batting that high over the first week is surprising as is.
The National League West
This might be cheating a little bit but the whole division of the NL west has been beyond surprising (beyond the Colorado, sorry Rockies fans). The division has a combined 29-14 record. While no one is surprised by the LA Dodgers being so good and having a large amount of wins already, it’s the three teams in the middle that have surprised. The aforementioned Giants have been outstanding, as well as the San Diego Padres who started the season 7-0 before losing 2 to the Chicago Cubs. Even the Arizona Diamondbacks have been pretty good, albeit tailing off as of lately. Nonetheless, seeing a division this competitive is surprising from the top to pretty much the bottom (again, sorry Rockies fans). The problem will lie when they have to start to play one another, as many can assume the middle pack teams will cannibalize upon themselves while the Dodgers continue domination. Not only is the NL west the best division in baseball, in many ways it’s also the most fascinating, making for a season that can only be described as cinematic.
