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Week Two of the 2010 MLB Season is over and done with.

What are the biggest surprises thus far? Here’s my list:

1. The haplessness of the Boston Red Sox. Admittedly, they have faced three quality teams to open the season (New York, Minnesota, and Tampa Bay), but a combined 2-7 against those teams suggests that the Red Sox restructuring may not pay off any time soom. Run prevention is supposed to mean preventing the other team from producing runs, not your own team.

2. The Baltimore Orioles are off to a horrible start. This team is not good – we know that. And they had to play the red hot Rays 6 times. But they are simply not as bad as 2-11. Losing Brian Roberts at the top of the order has been killer (in 13 games the O’s have scored a league low of 42 runs – 8 of which were yesterday). The starters have been okay (Guthrie, Millwood, and Matusz have a combine 3.77 ERA), but the bullpen has lost 4 or 5 games in the late innings. Now with Gonzalez on the DL too, the prospects are bleak.

3. But they are not as bleak as the Houston Astros, who have managed to score on 28 runs in 12 games.

4. The St. Louis Cardinals on the other hand are off to a great start. Their pitching has been outstanding (a league low 38 runs allowed in 12 games). The offense is relatively weak, but this team should run away with the NL Central.

5. As are the Tampa Bay Rays, who may have had the luck of the schedule, playing the Orioles and Red Sox 10 times when both of those teams are really struggling. Still, this is a good team.

6. The Florida Marlins. How do they do it? Oh right. Good young talent (even if Cameron Maybin continues to underachieve).

7. The Oakland A’s. How do THEY do it? Oh right. Pitching!

8. And of course the New York Mets, who despite some decent pitching, continue to stink up their beautiful new ball park with atrocious hitting.

9. Speaking of new ball parks, the Minnesota Twins are doing very well in theirs, thank you very large.

10. You tell me….

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