The first four days of the 2018 MLB regular season are in the books. Only four teams remain undefeated (Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals) while four are still looking for their first win (Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres). The early batting average leader? Seattle Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger. He is 5 for 8 (.625).
April is simultaneously the best and worst time of the year for baseball analysis. It's the best because baseball is back! Spring training is fun in its own way, but there's nothing quite like meaningful baseball. It's also the worst because everything that has happened so far has happened in a small sample size. An extremely small sample size. Tough to know what is part of a trend and what is simple randomness. That's never stopped us before though, and there's no reason it should stop us now.
Here is just one our 10 early season observations.
Freddie Freeman is getting nothing to hit
Three games into the 2018 season, Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman has already walked seven times in 16 plate appearances. The Phillies refused to challenge him over the weekend. Look at where they pitched him:
Even with men on base, Freeman didn't see many pitches in the zone. Nothing he could really do damage with. I'm guessing this will be the norm, not a three-game blip, as long as Nick Markakis bats cleanup behind Freeman. Markakis, who did hit a walk-off home run on Opening Day, has slugged .380 in nearly 3,500 plate appearances over the last five years. Even with the juiced ball last season, Markakis managed eight -- eight! -- home runs.
With Tyler Flowers, who smacked 12 homers in 370 plate appearances last year, currently out injured, the Braves do not have an obvious candidate to bat behind Freeman. Countless studies have shown that lineup protect is largely a myth. In this case though, with no one dangerous batting behind Freeman, opposing teams are going to pitch around the Braves star each and every night. They'll take their chances with Markakis or whoever else.
