While there's still a long way to go before we can accurately conclude who the real contenders are going to be in the chase for a World Series trophy in 2017, it's certainly not too early to notice some signals and red flags.
This week, let's deal with those red flags. Last year's champion Chicago Cubs and the team they barely beat in the World Series, the Cleveland Indians, are both good teams. However, while it might have been folly to believe both would run away and hide from their division adversaries, it's fair to say both have gotten off to sluggish starts.
The Cubs are sitting at 16-15 after five weeks and have been swept twice at Wrigley Field in weekend series. The Pittsburgh Pirates pulled off the trick to end the season's' first week, and this past weekend the upstart New York Yankees had an amazing comeback May 5 to win, 3-2, on outfielder Brett Gardner's three-run homer with two outs in the ninth. Then on National TV May 7, the Cubs made a spirited comeback in their half of the ninth to tie the game versus their World Series closer, Aroldis Chapman, only to lose in 18 innings.
