Darkhorses pitcher Matt Moore
Surprised by the Darkhorses quick start? Don’t think it can possibly last? Well, if history tells us anything about the Darkhorses, it’s that they bounce back rather quickly from rock bottom. 2012 was the third time in franchise history that the Darkhorses finished in last place. After finishing at the bottom in 2003, the Darkhorses jumped up to a third place finish in 2004, which at the time was their highest finish by a wide margin. Three years later, they made the ultimate jump in winning their first DTBL title (by 12 points) a year after finishing dead last. That kick-started four straight championship seasons. If the first three weeks of this season are any indication, the Darkhorses appear to be in the process of another remarkable turnaround.
Nobody wins a championship in April, but getting off to a good start is very important, and is especially rewarding for a team coming out of the abyss. Pretty much anything that could have gone wrong for the Darkhorses the last two years did. They have been decimated by injuries and have seen some of their star players fade into mediocre contributors at best. But this is a new year with new opportunities.
What makes the Darkhorses quick start especially impressive is that they haven’t exactly been a model of perfect health this year either. Chris Carpenter may never pitch again, which forced the Darkhorses to waive him before the season started. Draft pick Jonny Venters was also released early because of arm trouble. Ryan Madson, Hanley Ramirez and Brian McCann are yet to make their 2013 debuts. Aramis Ramirez and Aaron Hill hit the DL shortly after the season began. So from a health standpoint, it appears to be more of the same for the Darkhorses. But fortunately for them, the guys who are in uniform are putting up some impressive numbers.
The Darkhorses roster doesn’t exactly blow you away with players off to white hot starts. But their two most recent first round picks have been the biggest reason for the team’s quick start. Matt Moore is starting to show why the Darkhorses spent their first pick of 2011 on him. He has already won four games with a miniscule 1.04 ERA and a sub 1.00 WHIP. Meanwhile, this year’s first overall pick, Bryce Harper, continues to live up to lofty expectations. He is hitting a smooth .366 with seven home runs.
Some other key contributors include newcomers Todd Frazier, Coco Crisp, Jed Lowrie, Lance Lynn, Mike Minor, Ernesto Frieri and Tom Wilhelmsen. Basically their entire 2013 draft class. Some regression is likely, but so far, they have been getting great performances out of just about all of their picks.
Three hold-over players deserve mentioning: Adrian Gonzalez, Tim Lincecum and Jacoby Ellsbury. Gonzalez and Lincecum may not be quite the same caliber players they were a few years back, but at least they are helping the team again. Ellsbury appears to be healthy this year and is leading the league in stolen bases.
The Darkhorses currently lead the league by ten points. The Kings are the only team within 23 points of them. So yes, it is very early. But the Darkhorses are setting a strong pace. They have 41 1/2 batting points and 41 pitching points, so it has been a full team effort thus far. Usually, a bunch of teams exchange first place through the first month of the season. But the Darkhorses have held that top spot virtually the whole time. I believe the Kings are the only other team that has been in first place since the first week of the season, and that was a brief stay.
The Darkkhorses fast start has been impressive, but not terribly surprising given the franchise’s history. Let’s see if they can keep it up.