Nope, this will not be the Rockies or the Pirates. But this list is compiled of things we expected to be good and have just soured out on us. Here’s the five biggest disappointments during this MLB season now that we are into June.

The Boston Red Sox

You knew things could fall off the rails with the fact that all the experts and fans bought into the hype from the offseason they had. You had to think, there’s no way this can be true. In what’s been a wide open AL, the Red Sox have fallen back from the pack after a disastrous May and have been flirting with .500 more often than not.

The fact of the matter is, despite the additions of Garrett Crochet, who has pitched like an ace and very well could take home the AL CY Young and Alex Bregman was one of the top hitters in the AL before his injury, this team has the same issues as last season.

You can see how young of a team that they are and you can see they are trying to figure out how to play winning baseball. But when you have the worst fielding percentage in baseball, the third most strikeouts, and the most with runners in scoring position, it’s a recipe that’s not meant for success.

Oh, and the rest of the rotation is in shambles. For a team pegged to take the next step is in the basement.

Atlanta Braves Inconsistent Offense

This Braves team has some of the best pitching in the sport. From a rotation standpoint, they have three qualified starters (Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Grant Holmes) with an ERA under 4.00 and the first two have one under 3.50. The injury to AJ Smith-Shawver stings, as he had potential, but overall this staff gives this Braves team every chance to win games.

Yes, they had that historically bad start that no team erases and makes the playoffs. But the Braves have managed to claw back and have seen themselves not super far out of the wild card slot.

But reality is this offense is super disappointing, despite the talent on the roster. Ronald Acuna Jr has been solid since his return and Drake Baldwin is a stellar rookie. But the biggest disappointment is Michael Harris II. Yeah his defense is great, but he’s hitting .231 and with an OPS below .600. Oof.

You need to see more from not just him, but Ozzie Albies, as well. The talent is there, but the consistency is not and they lost nine one run games in the month of May. Not great and a team many thought would win the division entirely.

Christian Walker as an Astro

Where have we seen this before where a first baseman for the Astros has been playing poor baseball and plaguing the lineup? Oh yes, Abreu. Ever since that dismissal, the Astros have desperately needed some pop over at first base. When they signed Christian Walker, that was a match made in heaven. Walker is perfect and for this Astros baseball team. He has a good reliable bat and can give you good defense and was coming off a fantastic season in his final year with the Diamondbacks.

Fast forward to this season and it has not been the best results thus far. Overall, Walker is hitting .212 and with a .645 OPS. His 83 wRC+ is awfully low and is certainly a step back from last season. He did have a rough April, hitting .209 and had a better May hitting .223, but it’s still far and away the player we saw last season.

Luckily the Astros have gotten great production from your usual suspects, but getting more from Walker goes a long ways.

The Orioles Being Basement Dwellers

I think all of us who picked the Orioles to make a push and make a run for pennant are kicking ourselves right now. And I feel for Orioles fans, because they deserve better, especially with the front office telling them it would be different. But it’s not different.

This is a team that saw their best starter walk out the door to Arizona and they replaced him with an aging Charlie Morton and added an unproven commodity on Tomoyuki Sugano. Fact of the matter is, the Orioles rotation constructed as it is, isn’t going to win you meaningful baseball games and together they have the second worst pitching staff in the sport. But the disappointment lies with their young core.

Take the Cubs for instance. Their rotation is decimated by injuries, but instead the offense outweighs those problems. Not the Orioles. The time is now for the younger guys, but those young guys aren’t on the scene.

Adley Rutschman. Where’s that guy? He’s hitting just .214 with a .646 OPS. Gunnar Henderson has been better since the injury and turned a strong May into what’s been a better year. Jackson Holliday made the necessary adjustments to his swing and he has overall been one of the best overall bats in this lineup.

But they need more. And they aren’t getting more and they’ve already fired the manager. It’s been a disappointing season and for a team that really has the young caliber talent to win it all.

The Diamondbacks Pitching Staff

If you’ve been on this newsletter long enough, you know that the Diamondbacks are my team in the NL. And given the moves made, they really were a threat to potentially dethrone the Dodgers. They have the offense, but it was the depth in their rotation that could make a push. Oh, how that’s changed and changed dramatically.

This was a rotation that when it was put together with the addition of Corbin Burnes, they legitimately could’ve been a top five rotation in the sport. Well, Burnes is on the IL with elbow inflammation and getting a second opinion. He’s been steady and stable and has an ERA under 3.00. But Zac Gallen is struggling mightily, and aside from his starts against New York teams, it’s been pretty bad.

Merrill Kelly has been fine. Brandon Pfaadt has his moments, and Eduardo Rodriguez looks like Jordan Montgomery. This pitching rotation is just as poor as last season and the worst part is they fired the pitching coaches and overhauled that staff.

The bullpen is in shambles, but the rotation is disappointing and had so much potential and promise.