MLB: First Week Update
By Jon Stauffer
Astros Ronel Blanco throws no hitter vs blue jays in 8th career start.
Ronel Blanco, a 6’ 0 180 lb 30 year old from Santiago, Dominican Republic threw a no hitter vs the Toronto Blue jays in just his 8th career start for the Houston Astros. It was the 17th no-hitter in Astros franchise history. It is arguable that Ronel would not have even made the MLB roster if future HOF RHP Justin Verlander did not start the year on the Injured List. Blanco took hold of the opportunity and dazzled in his first start of the season. This is also the first time in MLB history that a no-hitter was thrown that granted a new manager (Jose Espada) his first MLB win. Another interesting fact is that Blanco had not been a conventional starting pitcher as he had 202 appearances in the minor leagues only starting 34 of them. Truly an amazing story as the 30 year old becomes a part of Major League Baseball history.
Pirates 5–0
The Pittsburgh Pirates have started the MLB season with a record of 5–0. Manager Derek Shelton was thrilled that the ballclub is 5–0 for the first time in 41 years. The Pirates are coming of a tough season with the 2023 record of 76–86. They finished 4th place out of 5 in the NL Central Division. The team hasn’t had a winning season since 2018, and has not marked a playoff win since 2013. A lot of speculation around the league is that the Pirates seem to be having a ’lot of fun’ which is fueling their energy towards winning.
Yankees 5–0
The New York Yankees open the season with a 5–0 record. The ballclub has done this before, but its the first time in 32 years. After a huge offseason filled with trades and signings, the Yankees have a lineup filled with left handed power-bats. One of the biggest acquisitions this offseason was super star RF Juan Soto. Juan Soto has filled one of the crucial left handed bats in the lineup providing team captain, Aaron Judge, with protection in the lineup. Soto has started the season off slashing a .450 batting average while hitting 1 homerun and reaching base 56% of the time.
Another large factor in this 5–0 start comes from SS Anthony Volpe. Volpe is coming off of his rookie season in which he won the Gold Glove.
How is your favorite team performing so far this season?
