#29 What if May were April?

Plus: Several ways to look stupid on a baseball field

The beginning of the story sets us on a path. Inevitably, it exerts undue influence over our comprehension of the ongoing narrative, but it’s no more real than the middle. Good morning, it’s Zach. The turn of the calendar feels like a good opportunity to provide a momentary check on that impulse.

So, very simple question: What would our headline impressions of the season be if the action from May had transpired in April? In other words: if the past month was the first and thus far only month of the season.

The Cardinals are Cardinals-ing

St. Louis might have rediscovered the Devil Magic. They have the best record in baseball (19-8) despite trotting out a lineup producing a middling 102 wRC+. But they can really play defense. It’s helping them confidently rely on a starting rotation that mostly features out-of-vogue contact-heavy arms, with the exception of Sonny Gray and maybe, just maybe, a burgeoning star in Matthew Liberatore — heretofore known as the guy in the Randy Arozarena trade.

Is it guile and luck? We’ll probably find out, since the Cubs look like they are really going to hit.

Year of the Catcher?

Four catchers are in the top 15 most valuable position players of the month, by FanGraphs WAR, led by Cal Raleigh, the Mariners’ avatar who is thumping homers, reaching base and framing pitches at all-around prodigious rates. He would be tracking toward MVP territory if not for Judge, but he’s not alone in generating premium production behind the plate.

(You wouldn’t know it from the stoic description of that video, but Raleigh’s 23 home runs lead all MLB.)

The Dodgers’ Will Smith, Diamondbacks’ Gabriel Moreno and Red Sox rookie Carlos Narvaez are making the case that a new generation of star catchers has arrived.

Freddie Freeman is batting .410

His ankle still hurts, he’s 35 and the Dodgers have a lot of shiny newer toys, but Freeman is still a hit machine. His .410 batting average leads MLB as he keeps the Dodgers line moving (and dancing).

Whoa, Aaron Judge is putting up Barry Bonds numbers

Ok, ya got me, that one’s the same as it would have been in April.

Is Juan Soto suffering the affliction he once inflicted upon Bryce Harper?

As you may remember, Juan Soto essentially replaced Bryce Harper with the Washington Nationals when Harper signed with the Phillies in free agency. Soto immediately spearheaded a Nationals World Series run, Harper’s Phillies took a while to gel into championship contenders.

Well, don’t look now, but the Nationals had the same 15-12 record as the Mets as Soto — he of the new, massive free agent deal — limped to a .219 batting average. James Wood, the headline acquisition in the Nationals’ Soto trade, is a top 10 hitter in the game by FanGraphs WAR, batting .330 with seven homers and six steals. Is the new Nationals corner outfielder always going to get the better of his elders?

Twins! Tigers! An AL Central duel!

Two of the top four records of the month belong to AL Central squads — how’s that for a change? Minnesota is cranking out stellar starts up and down the rotation. Pablo Lopez had a 3.25 ERA and was clearly the fourth-best starter on the Twins. There’s also a famous name associated with pitching providing a spark on offense. Kody Clemens cracked five homers and batted .279 to lead the Minnesota offense alongside strong, and only briefly injury-interrupted, showings from Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa. It must feel like a relief for manager Rocco Baldelli and company after last season’s collapse.

Meanwhile, Detroit is firing on all cylinders behind Tarik Skubal, reigning Cy Young winner and favorite to repeat. A menagerie of position players are thriving, including pillow contract addition Gleyber Torres, who is walking at twice his career-best rate.

Along with the Cubs-Cardinals battle of opposing styles, this looks like it might be the most competent, compelling divisional race going.

Speaking of repeat Cy Young winners …