Batting Around: Whose hot start is more likely to last, the Diamondbacks' or the Rangers'?

We're still in small-sample-size range, but are either early starts going to prove to be real?

Throughout the season the CBS Sports MLB experts will bring you a weekly Batting Around roundtable breaking down pretty much anything. The latest news, a historical question, thoughts about the future of baseball, all sorts of stuff. Last week we discussed the Rays' perfect start. This week we're going to tackle two other clubs off to hot starts.

Which team is more likely to keep up its hot start: Diamondbacks or Rangers?

Matt Snyder: I'll go with the Diamondbacks. The timing with the new rules and their young wave of athletic talent couldn't have been more perfect. They are one of the best base-stealing teams in baseball, sure, but they also lead the majors in percentage of extra bases taken and are in the top three in terms of getting the runner home once he reaches base. After the ace-quality Zac Gallen, the rotation has a bunch of pitch-to-contact guys and with the shift limitations, an excellent defensive shortstop like Nick Ahmed helps clean that up as good as anyone. Heading into the season in power rankings, I mentioned that the Diamondbacks weren't going to contend but would be a major pest to contenders all year. I stand by this assertion, but it's also possible they hang around in contention, especially given the relatively slow starts of the Padres and Dodgers in addition to the existence of three wild cards. 

R.J. Anderson: I would lean toward the Rangers. They've been the better team so far this season based on run differential (as I type this, they have a 32-run edge over the Diamondbacks in that respect). I think their roster looks better on paper, too, although I'll concede there's a lot of injury risk in that rotation and things could change quickly on that front. I think the Diamondbacks have a lot of intriguing young talent either reaching or nearing the majors, but my guess is they're a year off from being a legitimate contender. (That said, I hope they hang around until deep in the summer because that would be fun.)   

Mike Axisa: I lean D-Backs because I love their young talent. They remind me a bit of the 2015 Cubs and 2018 Braves (and 2012 Pirates), teams that went from 70-something wins one year to 90-plus the next because their young talent emerged all at once. The Rangers have enough injury concerns in the rotation to worry me, plus losing Corey Seager for several weeks is bad news. I'm not sure either team wins its division or even gets to the postseason, but I think Arizona has a better chance to keep up this pace because they're a deeper team and have a more dynamic, more well-rounded roster.

Dayn Perry: While I really like Arizona's long-term outlook, I'm going to narrowly lean Texas here. In part, that's a competition thing. In the NL West, I expect the Padres and Dodgers to find their level soon enough and stay there. In the AL West, however, I don't really take the Angels and Mariners all that seriously, and the Astros seem significantly diminished from last season. The way the Rangers have addressed the rotation, their biggest weakness a year ago, raises their ceiling significantly for me.