The smell of pine tar and freshly cut grass signals the beginning of the Major League Baseball season. Here’s what has happened around the league three weeks into the 2013 season.American LeagueThe Oakland A’s are off to a hot start. According to ESPN.com, after a nine game winning streak, the A’s lead the American league in wins (12) and the entire MLB in runs scored (100). Boston leads the East Division, with Kansas City and Minnesota battling for the number one slot in the AL Central with a 10-7 and 8-7 record respectively.The slow start of the L.A. Angels may be the biggest surprise in the American League thus far. The team boasting the 6th largest payroll in the MLB at $127 million has struggled to score with their All-Star lineup featuring Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, and rookie of the year, Mike Trout. The Angels look to battle their way back as hopeful fans like Mike Miller, a recent graduate in supply chain management from California, hopes they can recover from their 7-10 start. He said, “I am super stoked to watch the Angels win a World Series ring this year. They will win a ring. That is a fact.”National LeagueIn the National League, the Atlanta Braves and Colorado Rockies lead the way with 13 wins each. Lauren Bergaust, a senior in ICS from Georgia said, “So far this season is looking great for the Braves and I know they’re going to do really good. It’s sad to not watch Chipper Jones anymore, but with players like the Upton brothers, Chris Johnson, and my favorite player, Jason Heyward, I know this season will have a lot of great things in store for the Braves.” San Francisco looks to knock off the Rockies from the top spot in the West as they are a half a game back. Barry Zito got off to a hot start extending his scoreless inning streak to 21 dating back to last season. He is currently 3-1 with a 3.42 ERA (Earned Run Average). The team to watch for is the Washington Nationals with MVP caliber players in Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg.
Writer: Jeff McLeod ~ Copy Editor
