Entering play Friday, Colorado Rockies rookie shortstop Trevor Story is on pace to hit more than 200 home runs. The same goes for veteran Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano.
Yet neither player cracked the starting 10 for 2016’s inaugural Bleacher Report Team of the Week.
That should tell you a few things. First, it’s way early, and we’re residing squarely in small-sample land. Second, this is a pretty stacked Team of the Week.
For those new to the party, let’s review the ground rules.
These are the players (one per position plus a designated hitter) who have busted box scores during the first five days of the MLB season.
To qualify, a player needs at least two starts at the position in question or at least one start in the case of pitchers. Speaking of which, we’re only considering starting hurlers—sorry, relievers.
And while this is mostly about individual output, bonus points are awarded if a strong performance led to ticks in the win column.
Ready? Let’s do it.