# MLB: March/April 2025 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** baseball-mlb\ **Created:** [March 27, 2025, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195 "2025-03-27T15:01:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2025, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195/41 "2025-04-01T11:55:13Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > That bit of a season-opening slump that Rafael Devers is in continues. > > 19 at-bats, 0 hits, 15 strikeouts. It’s a small data sample but this honestly is weird and alarming. 0 for 19 sucks but it does happen, even to good players. The 15 Ks are worrying. You mentioned Francisco Lindor… actually THIS year he’s off to a bad start, he’s 0 for 11. But he’s only struck out three times. Last year he started 1 for 31, which is horrible, but that only included six strikeouts, and he walked four times. He was seeing the ball and hitting the ball, he just kept hitting it right at fielders. Bad luck. It’s frustrating but if you’re hitting the baseball, you’ll get out of it. Devers is… not hitting the baseball. ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2025, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195/42 "2025-04-01T12:35:53Z")
Yeah, one should look at the [xBA](https://www.mlb.com/glossary/statcast/expected-batting-average) in addition to just BA or OPS. Last year Lindor’s xBA indicated that it was reasonable to expect his real numbers to increase back to high production. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2025, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195/43 "2025-04-01T15:00:25Z")
Disappointing to see the Tigers, who played amazingly at the end of last season, start with 0-3. Come on, have a good season! The Lions disappointed us and now it looks like the Red Wings aren’t making the playoffs. Pistons will probably be in the playoffs, though. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2025, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195/44 "2025-04-01T15:43:33Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Disappointing to see the Tigers, who played amazingly at the end of last season, start with 0-3. Don’t worry. They’re playing three against the Mariners, and already won the first one decisvely. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2025, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195/45 "2025-04-01T15:51:16Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Don’t worry. They’re playing three against the Mariners, and already won the first one decisvely Yeah, I guess the Dodgers were really tough, but I wish we had risen to the occasion. Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2025, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195/46 "2025-04-01T16:06:54Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > The D Backs used to also have the dirt strip That tweet is 6 years old. ---
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2025, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195/47 "2025-04-01T20:59:45Z")
Braves fan, here. Please pray for us. Actually, I’m not all doom and gloom… yet. There’s still A LOT of baseball to play. That being said, right now, the Braves can’t hit a baseball if it was the size of a Buick. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2025, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195/48 "2025-04-02T00:00:36Z")
as a dodger fan the braves can burn worse than malibu in octobar > [@Yodalicious](#): > > That being said, right now, the Braves can’t hit a baseball if it was the size of a Buick. as last night proved …well there was one run scored so you might have a sliver of hope But one thing that pleases me is the art of stealing bases has made a comeback othani stole second so fast that even the camera guys almost missed it also the divisions are looking a bit more competitive now couple of days ago it looked like all Cleveland and st louis had to do was be.500 and they’d be div champs ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2025, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195/49 "2025-04-02T01:44:02Z")
for the funny side of baseball : [https://athlonsports.com/mlb/savannah-bananas-catching-attention-response-mlb-torpedo-bats](https://athlonsports.com/mlb/savannah-bananas-catching-attention-response-mlb-torpedo-bats) and for @Yodalicious : [https://athlonsports.com/mlb/fans-trash-braves-savannah-bananas-game-truist-park](https://athlonsports.com/mlb/fans-trash-braves-savannah-bananas-game-truist-park) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2025, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195/50 "2025-04-02T03:00:55Z")
After selling out opening day only hours before game time, the Cardinals set a record for the lowest paid attendance since the current stadium opened in 2006. Photo taken 10 minutes before the first pitch. Yeah, it was a Monday evening, and it was against the Twins, and the weather was iffy, but. . . [https://i.ibb.co/fdJc5zwH/4-1-25-busch.jpg](https://i.ibb.co/fdJc5zwH/4-1-25-busch.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2025, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195/51 "2025-04-02T20:32:43Z")
Today’s starter for the Blue Jays, Easton Lucas, has pitched five shutout innings so far. I honestly did not know he was on the team. In fact, I did not know he existed. I don’t recognize the name at all. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2025, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195/52 "2025-04-02T21:39:12Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Today’s starter for the Blue Jays, Easton Lucas, has pitched five shutout innings so far. If it’s shutout innings you want, play the Nats every day. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2025, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195/53 "2025-04-02T21:50:04Z")
Yeah, from what I saw this week, the Nats don’t so much need torpedo bats as they need major league hitters. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2025, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195/54 "2025-04-03T06:35:10Z")
Dodgers now 8-0 after an Ohtani walkoff home run. Would LAD have to go 14-0 to break the record for best-ever start to a regular season? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2025, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195/55 "2025-04-03T06:41:03Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Would LAD have to go 14-0 to break the record for best-ever start to a regular season? Looks that way. This article on [MLB.com](http://MLB.com) says that the record is 13 straight ('82 Braves, '87 Brewers, '23 Rays). > **[The hottest starts in MLB history](https://www.mlb.com/news/hottest-team-starts-in-baseball-history-c269855358)** > > Opening Day is magical not just because it's the beginning of the baseball season, but because of the endless possibilities it brings. > Every team starts the year with World Series dreams, and many of those title runs have their origins in the... ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2025, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195/56 "2025-04-03T12:54:22Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Dodgers now 8-0 after an Ohtani walkoff home run. Ohtani has scored 11 runs in 8 games. He hasn’t slowed down at all. There is no firm word as to when he’ll pitch again; they first said opening day, and then May, and now I don’t think they are saying, though they continue to rehab his arm. I honestly not pitching that makes him a better hitter, but paradoxically, it makes him a _less_ valuable baseball player than he used to be. ---
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2025, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195/57 "2025-04-03T16:58:41Z")
And the Braves snatch defeat from the hands of victory. ☹ Hopefully, they can start to turn things around at home. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2025, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195/58 "2025-04-03T19:07:50Z")
It is however the best start for a defending champ, beating the 1933 Yankees’ 7-0. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2025, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195/59 "2025-04-03T21:21:54Z")
> [@Yodalicious](#): > > And the Braves snatch defeat from the hands of victory. ☹ Hopefully, they can start to turn things around at home. Playing Miami can be restorative. 0-7 starts don’t seem to have been compatible with making the playoffs in the past, but other teams that got off to such a bad start weren’t regarded as good to begin with. The Braves have a team batting average of .151. The White Sox meanwhile, who lead the Central Division\*, are hitting a combined .214. \*Everyone in the division including Chicago has a 2-4 record. So what? The White Sox are leading the division. 🙃 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2025, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195/60 "2025-04-03T23:08:17Z")
The Twins have taken sole possession of last in the AL Central, dropping to 2-5. I am relieved to note none of the other four Central teams will lose today, because they all have the day off. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2025/1016195.md?page=4)