MLB: An Overview of the Most Popular Teams – Part 4
Spearheading the pitching staff for Boston are Josh Beckett and John Lackey. Both starting pitchers have formed a formidable rotation at the mound and to the team’s fortune, both have managed to stay away from injuries and the disabled list.
Beckett has started 18 games this season and has simply been phenomenal. His strike-out tally is standing at exactly 100 in 119 innings pitched. He pitched one complete game shut-out this season and has an average of 98.2 pitches per game. With a win-loss
record of 8-3 and an ERA of 2.12, Beckett is one of the top rated pitchers in the American League as well as MLB. His charisma contributes to fans being attracted to the team and the team needs him for success, both commercially and team-wise.
John Lackey has had an outstanding career with over 1400 strike-outs to his name. He has pitched eight complete game shut-outs in his career and has a 123-90 career win-loss record. This season has been pretty ordinary but he still has a sizeable fan following
which are loyal to his name and performance, for them, holds a secondary position. His experience for the team is priceless and he can hit back on form any day soon.
If the Red Sox manage to make it through to the World Series this year and then get a grab of it, their popularity will definitely be on the rise and will pose a serious threat to the domination of Yankees at the top notch. After all, wins do matter!
The Atlanta Braves might not be a better team than the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East Division but they surely are a more popular team than the Phillies. In fact, the Braves are the third most popular team in the Majors. This means that
the Braves are among the top ten percent of teams when popularity is in question and with star players in their roster, this proposition may be a hard one to challenge.
They may be ranked second in the NL East Division but their statistics make them better than many division leaders. Atlanta currently has a win-loss record of 57-41 and are at least 16 games above the .500 winning percentage. Their winning percentage is
quickly closing in on .600 with their current percentage being .582. Their home has been their forte and they have given away just 19 out the 49 home games. With more home games in the second half, the Braves are expected to roll it at home.
The Braves are a better pitching unit in comparison to their batting line-up. This, however, does not mean that their batting strength is not sufficient. Jair Jurrjens, Craig Kimbrel and Jonny Venters combine to make one of the most forceful pitching partnerships
in the Majors.
The goateed Jurrjens has proved his mettle at the professional level in just four years where it takes others their entire career to prove their abilities. Jurrjens is economical and destructive at the same time. In his 17 starts this season, Jurrjens has
maintained an ERA of 2.26 with just 31 runs conceded in 115.2 innings. His win-loss record is among the top in the League at 12-3 and just one more win will allow Jurrjens to complete 50 career wins. This is not an ordinary achievement given the intensity
of the competition and his time in the game.
Continued in Part 5
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