SB Nation Reacts: Rockies overperforming, Tony underperforming

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Each week, we send out questions to the most plugged in Diamondbacks fans, and fans across the country. Sign up here to join Reacts.

Definitely not solid as a rock

There is some kind of a law you cannot argue with: you overperform until you stop overperforming. Not sure who wrote that one down, maybe it was me right now, but it sure seems to apply to the Rockies.

True, the Rockies probably still have a better team than the Diamondbacks, but was anybody really believing that this team, that did not even bother to hand out qualifying offers to Trevor Story or Jon Gray, would be competitive, even after signing Kris Bryant?

Through 12 games, the Rockies are 8-4. Heck, they are even 2-0 on the road. [...] Starting today, the first real road test of 2022 begins. The Rockies got to ease into action against a 2-9 Texas team and with only a two-game series. [...] It’s reasonable to think they will take a hit, but hopefully not a depressing drop. - Purple Row article on 04/22/2022.

Purple Row had its doubt, but they were still able to beat the Tigers in a weekend series, but then this survey came out and ... boom! The Rockies got swept in Philadelphia with some big and sloppy losses. Now the Rockies are back on (elevated) earth with a 10-9 record and not overperforming that much no more. Just like the majority of fans was expecting.

By the way, with 7 straight losses I guess we can take the Guardians out of this list as well now.

White Sox will perform again

For every overperforming team there is always an underperforming team. With a 3-16 and a 6-15 record for the Reds and Nationals an argument can be made that they are underperforming...I mean, how bad can a team be?

With some big signings it makes sense people expected a bit more from the Texas Rangers, and I guess that it looks weird that the Astros are not running away with the AL East. The Phillies always underperform because their FO makes everyone believe that they should be a competitive team, but real underperformers are the incumbent World Series champions although no team disappoints as much as the Chicago White Sox and Tony LaRussa who are currently at .389.

The Diamondbacks don’t play the White Sox and AJ Pollock (if he is healthy) until end August in a 3-game series in Chicago and it could be that by then they are leading the AL Central. The White Sox have been hit hard with injuries for starting pitchers Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn, while relievers Joe Kelly and Garrett Crochet have joined them, with the latter out with TJ surgery. While the pitching might be underperforming, they are not that far from being league average if they limit the walks, but the batting lineup is a bit more of a problem. Not having AJ Pollock, Yoan Moncada and now Eloy Jimenez will have (had) an impact as well. They aren’t that much better than the Diamondbacks at the moment, their BB/9 is league’s lowest, but unlike the Diamondbacks the White Sox have guys whose bats should be better than the batting averages of .206 for Abreu, .114 for Leury García, .205 for Robert, .222 for Eloy Jimenez and the .182 for Pollock.

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