Hot start or superior team?

[El Gordo]

If at some point during the season everyone in this offense is seeing the ball well, we will have an unbelievable perfect storm of offensive production that could leave the division in the dust regardless of the SP.

[HokieOs]

I tried looking up numbers for this, in a brief search couldn't find anything. Change that number to 7-0, I would be surprised if more than 10-12 teams have 7 game winning streaks in a season. Don't think we had any last year.

Over the course of a 162 game season, it happens more than you might think. Last year alone, 15 teams had at least one winning streak of 7+. The good news statistically for us is that 13 of those 15 finished with a winning record. But several finished just over .500 as well. It's a long season though. I like what I see so far, but there are several issues too. Our patchwork rotation is not going to last another 155 games plus the playoffs. Let's also not forget that so far, we have only played three teams. The Twins don't appear to be looking very good right now (0-7). We really don't know much about the Sox or Rays either.

Here is a list of the teams that had a 7+ game winning streak last year.

1. Milwaukee Brewers (8 games in a row): Finished 68-94

2. Chicago White Sox (7 games in a row): Finished 76-86

3. Washington Nationals (8 games in a row): Finished 83-79

4. San Francisco Giants (8 games in a row): Finished 84-78

5. LA Angels (7 games in a row): Finished 85-77

6. Houston Astros (10 games in a row): Finished 86-76

7. New York Yankees (7 games in a row): Finished 87-75

8. Texas Rangers (7 games in a row) : Finished 88-74

9. New York Mets (11 games in a row): Finished 90-72

10. LA Dodgers (7 games in a row): Finished 92-70

11. Toronto Blue Jays (11 games in a row): Finished 93-69

12. Kansas City Royals (7 games in a row): Finished 95-67

13. Chicago Cubs (9 games in a row): Finished 97-65

14. Pittsburgh Pirates (8 games in a row): Finished 98-64

15. St. Louis Cardinals (8 games in a row): Finished 100-62

Don't get me wrong: 7-0 is a fantastic start. But as I mentioned in another thread, you need at least 25 games or so before you can even begin to draw conclusions on a team.

[JayThomas]

If at some point during the season everyone in this offense is seeing the ball well, we will have an unbelievable perfect storm of offensive production that could leave the division in the dust regardless of the SP.

Yes ... agreed. We could have a juggernaut on our hands. Really, this offense could build up momentum and just feed on itself.

... he can't walk me ... he has to pitch to me ... wait for the one I want ...

... generally resulting in either a walk or sooner-or-later the pitch you want ...

[HokieOs]

If at some point during the season everyone in this offense is seeing the ball well, we will have an unbelievable perfect storm of offensive production that could leave the division in the dust regardless of the SP.

That didn't exactly work out all that well for Toronto two years ago. They parlayed some excellent hitting coming together at once into a 25-7 stretch. They still only finished 83-79. Excellent hitting can hold up over 20-30 game stretches. Over the course of a 162 game season though, you have to have the pitching too. We may temporarily leave the AL East in the dust at some point if that tear comes early. We'll be right back to earth in a hurry if we don't get some consistently decent pitching.

[ChipTait]

Most of us can multi task. Worry and enjoy.

Exactly what I was doing this evening waiting for O'Day to record the 27th out!

[DJBluRay]

I think the pen is set up to really compliment the rotation. You have some real solid multi innings guys in Bundy, Wilson, and TJ with a shut down backend with Brach to spare (who could also do multiple innings if needed). Couple that with a passable rotation who can at least go five innings and not totally implode then you have a winning staff.

Obviously this is a hot start and unlikely to be a 100 win team but it's given me more confidence. Because while I liked the offense I thought the pitching would be too bad to overcome. I'm glad to see it can work with the right pieces.

^Couldn't agree more.

I vote for superior team. Obviously the rotation is the aspect of the team that is raising red flags in a lot of peoples minds, but when you factor in the quality of the bullpen and how stacked the starting lineup is: a mediocre performance from the rotation will often suffice.

[JLee2027]

Yes ... agreed. We could have a juggernaut on our hands. Really, this offense could build up momentum and just feed on itself.

... he can't walk me ... he has to pitch to me ... wait for the one I want ...

... generally resulting in either a walk or sooner-or-later the pitch you want ...

Rickard has been a major piece of this. And wait until the weather warms up and balls start flying out of Camden Yards.

[WEAVERMAN]

Bundy and Gausman will help out the rotation problem.

That's right, KG and Wilson in 2016 and maybe Bundy and someone like Garcia in 2017.

[BohKnowsBmore]

Maybe it's too early to say anything definitive, but it's encouraging! Also, I thought we had way more talent than projections gave us credit for entering the season.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[glenn__davis]

Superior offense, defense and bullpen.

Inferior starting pitching.

Will that be enough? Time will tell.

[SpinJr]

That didn't exactly work out all that well for Toronto two years ago. They parlayed some excellent hitting coming together at once into a 25-7 stretch. They still only finished 83-79. Excellent hitting can hold up over 20-30 game stretches. Over the course of a 162 game season though, you have to have the pitching too. We may temporarily leave the AL East in the dust at some point if that tear comes early. We'll be right back to earth in a hurry if we don't get some consistently decent pitching.

Their bullpen was a MESS though. We are a more complete team then that team was even with our below average starters.

[PeteU]

I'd like to think that this is like the 2012 team on ***FIGURATIVE, NOT LITERAL*** steroids.

A team that people keep dismissing and thinking will eventually come crashing back to earth, but keeps on defying the odds to the very end.

Except this team makes it all the way to the World Series.

Because, as they said in 1989, "Why not?"

[Redskins Rick]

I'd like to think that this is like the 2012 team on ***FIGURATIVE, NOT LITERAL*** steroids.

A team that people keep dismissing and thinking will eventually come crashing back to earth, but keeps on defying the odds to the very end.

Except this team makes it all the way to the World Series.

Because, as they said in 1989, "Why not?"

Nobody in ST, thought the 2014 was a 20+ game over .500 team either.

Look, I am not saying this team is that.

But, sometimes, things click on the field.

Look at the 1983 Oriole team, a great bunch of guys, but probably the weakest Oriole Team that won a WS.

[Barnfather]

So far it's just a hot start, but I think more than the 7-0 being prescriptive of the quality of the team the most important part of this good start is that it mitigates any poor run we may go on later in the season.

So building up insurance, to allow us to perform on par (or slightly below) and still have a winning season with pennant aspirations? I'll take that every day of the week.

Have to admit though, I get a real kick out of looking at the standings every day at the moment.

[Sanfran327]

Wins in a row mean nothing to me. I want to play a full month at a .700 clip, then go from there. If we're 20 games up before the All Star break, that would be awesome. This streak means little to me, other than that it gives us a little wiggle room later. We still need to avoid losing 3 or more in a row, no matter how many we win to start the season.