Major League Baseball was supposed to launch the 2020 regular season over 12 weeks ago, on March 26. The spread of the novel coronavirus, however, forced MLB to delay Opening Day to some unknowable future date that is dependent on the effectiveness of the containment strategies (spring facilities are temporarily closed) imposed across the country in recent months and how negotiations go between the players union and the league.
Because we could all use a distraction these days, we've decided to pass time by simulating the season on "Out of the Park Baseball 21." Along the way, we'll be providing updates on what's happening in our fictional league, similar to what we did on Opening Day.
With that in mind, here are the would-be standings and five developments to be mindful of from the week that was (and wasn't).
1. AL Central race tightens
The most exciting division race in the game belongs to the American League Central. Cleveland and the Twins are now tied for first, and both the White Sox and Royals have closed in behind winning streaks. The White Sox are just a half-game back, while the Royals are five behind. Odds are, this ends up being a three-team race all year; no other division can claim that at this point.
2. Paddack done for year
The Padres have had a miserable, disappointing season. That continued this week, as right-hander Chris Paddack was shut down for the season. Paddack tore his UCL in his most recent start, and will miss the next year. He had a 3.47 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 90 innings across 16 starts prior to the injury. The Padres will turn to top prospect MacKenzie Gore to fill the void in their starting five.
3. Mariners add Kintzler
The Mariners and Marlins made a small deal this week, with Seattle picking up reliever Brandon Kintzler in exchange for two prospects: lefty Lucas Gordon and infielder Osiris Castillo. Kintzler should beef up the M's bullpen: in 27 appearances he's posted a 2.57 ERA and accumulated 14 saves. The Mariners are 8 1/2 games back in the wild card race.
4. Norris' poor luck continues
It's been a few weeks since we checked in on Tigers lefty Daniel Norris. Turns out that he's still mired in a brutal season. He's now 0-11 on the year, with a 5.73 ERA and 1 Win Above Replacement. Norris has lost three of his last five appearances, that despite recording two quality starts, that despite allowing four earned runs or fewer and throwing six innings or more in four of them. He leads the majors in losses.
5. Heaney's great run continues
On the flip side of Norris is Angels left-hander Andrew Heaney. He now has a share of the lead in ERA (2.00), wins (10), and innings pitched (112). Heaney has recorded a quality start in four of his last five, including consecutive starts where he pitched into the ninth against the Twins and Yankees. The Angels have a 9 1/2-game lead in the AL West for a few reasons, but Heaney is one of the biggest.
Hitting performance of the week
This week's top hitting performance saw Brewers second baseman Keston Hiura deliver four hits against the Reds, including three home runs. Hiura drove in four runs as well. It didn't matter in the end, as the Reds escaped with a 10-7 victory. Hiura is now hitting .232/.297/.417 with 10 home runs on the season.
Pitching performance of the week
You don't expect to see Kevin Gausman's name pop up in this subhead too often, but he earned this week's top pitching performance honor by shutting down the Marlins: nine innings, three hits, no runs, a walk, and 10 strikeouts. Notably, that's the fourth, of the top 12 pitching performances this season, to come against the Marlins. Gausman now has a 3.56 ERA on the year.