10 things we’ve learned so far this MLB season

What have we learned a month into the 2017 MLB regular season?

Definitively speaking, April is a weird month for Major League Baseball. You have teams playing in frigid temperatures. Hitting in 35-degree weather with a wooden bat is a pleasant experience for no one. Commanding a curveball in similar weather with cold fingers is just as unpleasant. The teams that play in Texas and California or in domes do not have to face similar adversity, so the numbers across the league can be all over the board.

Still, there are some very clear things we have learned about how the rest of the 2017 MLB season will play out. Here are the top-ten nuggets that stand out after a month of play around the league.

10. Colorado and Arizona are no longer sleepers

The National League was on high alert entering the regular season watching the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks, and they have not disappointed, battling for first place in the NL West. The Diamondbacks and Rockies have shed their ‘sleeper’ labels and are now bona fide contenders in the National League.

The knock on both teams entering the year was their pitching — bullpen for the Rockies, starting for the Diamondbacks. Both have loaded offenses, but have struggled to get outs when it matters most. Arizona is enjoying a bounceback season from their high-priced ace, Zack Greinke, while Colorado is humming along thanks to new closer Greg Holland continuing to slam the door in the ninth inning.

Arizona and Colorado should scare the rest of the league, especially their division rivals. With their powerful offenses, it does not take much more than MLB-average pitching to win. They are both getting much more than that, and the wins are following.