5 things that have stood out through 2 weeks of baseball: Aaron Judge, Wilyer Abreu and more
Here are five things that have caught my attention through the first two weeks of the regular season.
1. Aaron Judge might hit 60 homers again
It's no secret that Aaron Judge is on his way to being the best hitter of this generation. And in a day and age when there is no more Barry Bonds, he might be the closest thing to it. Judge has been locked in to start this season, leading MLB in OPS and tied for the lead in homers, with six.
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After Judge started 2024 slowly but still finished the season with 58 homers, a 1.158 OPS and his second AL MVP Award, you wonder just how great a season could be in store if he keeps up his current pace all season.
Judge has hit at least 52 homers in every season in which he played at least 150 games. He has proven to be an offensive juggernaut whenever he's on the field, so if he can stay healthy, we're likely to see another historic season from the Yankees captain.
2. Wilyer Abreu is the Red Sox's best player
The Red Sox finally had an offseason that their fan base could be proud of. Boston added third baseman Alex Bregman and starter Garrett Crochet to a lineup that already had All-Stars Jarren Duran and Rafael Devers. Yet the player who has come into 2025 and made the biggest impact is right fielder Wilyer Abreu.
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Abreu had a solid rookie showing in 2024, slashing .253/.322/.459 with 15 homers and finishing sixth in AL Rookie of The Year balloting. And it wasn't just his offense that stood out; it was his defense as well. The Venezuelan right fielder owns one of the best arms in baseball and won the AL Gold Glove Award for right fielders last year.
This season, Abreu has started on a heater, with an OPS over 1.200, three homers, three doubles and nine walks already this season. Not only does the Red Sox's right fielder look more comfortable at the plate, but also his bat definitely has a little more juice. With Boston having several talented prospects knocking on the door of the big leagues, Abreu isn't letting his opportunities slip away.
3. The NL West is on a heater to start the season
We expected the NL West to be good, given the juggernaut Dodgers and all the moves they made this past offseason, but the division might be the most competitive in baseball. The San Diego Padres have started out hot and went step-for-step with L.A. as they jumped to 9-0. The Padres have said they have a chip on their shoulder and something to prove after falling to the Dodgers in the postseason.
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The San Francisco Giants have also impressed so far. They've featured strong starting pitching, which was to be expected, as well as timely hitting from free-agent acquisition Willy Adames, last season's addition Jung Hoo Lee and longtime Giants veteran Mike Yastrzemski.
In fact, while it's extremely early, the Dodgers actually sit third in the division entering play Friday. After starting the season 8-0, they struggled a bit against the Phillies and Nationals, losing both series. But make no mistake, when healthy, this is still the most talented team in the sport.
After that, the Arizona Diamondbacks are no slouch, either. As the team that had the best offense in baseball last season, then added first baseman Josh Naylor to the lineup and former NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes to the rotation, the D-backs shouldn't be ignored.
The NL West remains the Dodgers' division to lose, but if the first few weeks of the season have taught us anything, it's that there won't be many easy wins in this division, and the Giants, Padres and D-backs aren't going down without a fight.
4. The Braves have been dreadful to start
It was supposed to be the Phillies, Mets and Braves competing atop the NL East in 2025, but so far, Atlanta doesn't look like the team we were expecting. Having begun the season with a 0-7 at the hands of the Padres and Dodgers, the Braves have struggled out of the gate and are currently 3-9.
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Surprisingly, it has been the offense, which is typically Atlanta's strength, that has sputtered most dramatically so far, with a collective .218 batting average that ranks 21st in the sport. Granted, they're missing former NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr., who is still a few weeks away from returning from a torn ACL, and starter Spencer Strider, who is currently on a rehab assignment. But even with both All-Stars back on the roster, it'll take much more than those two to get the Braves back on track and to where they ultimately want to go.
The good news for the Braves is that it is still very early in the season, and they have the pedigree of a team that when healthy can be one of the sport's best. But they have put themselves in a sizable hole in a division in which one bad week can make the difference between playing in the postseason and watching it from home.
5. Kyren Paris?! Yes, Kyren Paris
Arguably the biggest surprise from the first two weeks of the season is the early breakout of Angels infielder Kyren Paris. Paris, who is currently slashing .393/.485/1.000 with a team-leading five homers and MLB-leading 1.485 OPS (min. 28 at-bats), has helped lead the Angels to a 8-4 record — they've won all four series they've played — and an offense that ranks eighth in runs scored.
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Paris, 23, made his debut last season and struggled mightily in his first taste of the big leagues. He hit .118 with one homer and bounced back and forth from Triple-A as L.A. was looking for any production offensively. But considering how young Paris is, he was going to get more time to develop, and he has definitely done that since the end of last season.
Through 10 games, Paris has the second-highest OPS in MLB history, behind only Jimmie Foxx and ahead of Babe Ruth. The second-year infielder broke camp with the Angels in what was going to be a utility role, playing both infield and outfield. Now that he's looking like the team's best hitter, manager Ron Washington will have to figure out a way to keep him in the lineup every day.
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