MLB Twitter reacts to teams with the smallest payrolls having among the best records to start season: "Objectively terrible for the sport!"

The 2023 MLB season is still in its infancy, but the early results have been surprising for a variety of reasons. The biggest one is the success of teams that have some of the smallest payrolls in baseball. Conventional thinking has been that the highest-paid rosters will earn the most victories, but that has not been the case so far.The three teams that exemplify doing more with less right now are the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, and Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates and Rays hold the two best records in the National and American Leagues, respectively. Very few fans, let alone experts and analysts, could have predicted a start like this for the MLB season.Jeff Passan of ESPN shared a breakdown of the league's top teams to start the 2023 season and how much they are spending to win.Jeff Passan@JeffPassanThe three best teams in baseball as we approach the four-week mark of the season, with payroll rank:Tampa Bay: 28thPittsburgh: 27thBaltimore: 29thThe first-place teams right now:Tampa BayMinnesotaTexasAtlantaPittsburghArizonaStory at ESPN+: es.pn/3HbIi801148126The three best teams in baseball as we approach the four-week mark of the season, with payroll rank:Tampa Bay: 28thPittsburgh: 27thBaltimore: 29thThe first-place teams right now:Tampa BayMinnesotaTexasAtlantaPittsburghArizonaStory at ESPN+: es.pn/3HbIi80Many fans view this development as a negative for the league, not a positive. Yes, it is exciting that these teams that have been struggling for years are finally seeing some success. However, if other organizations start believing that this is a viable method to win, spending across the league could drop. This would be a blow to the players and fans who are hoping for a better overall product.Ross Bentley@ImRossBentley@JeffPassan Objectively terrible for the sport!@JeffPassan Objectively terrible for the sport!BHSails@BhSails@JeffPassan This is proof we are living in the Twilight Zone.@JeffPassan This is proof we are living in the Twilight Zone.Toronto sports depression@SadLeafFan17@JeffPassan This isn’t something to celebrate38@JeffPassan This isn’t something to celebrateThe recent MLB offseason was defined by high spending, particularly by teams like the San Diego Padres and New York Mets. So seeing them behind teams like the Pirates and Rays, who are spending significantly less, is a shock.Razzball@Razzball@JeffPassan 23 games in and we're carrying water for billionaires44@JeffPassan 23 games in and we're carrying water for billionairesLeClout James@MrBigShot01@JeffPassan This isn't good for baseball if we're being honest... Gonna encourage more owners to be cheap which is terrible for the league@JeffPassan This isn't good for baseball if we're being honest... Gonna encourage more owners to be cheap which is terrible for the leagueMany fans were quick to point out that the sample size is still very small, and the stat may not be worth reading into. But 24 games are 24 games, regardless of where in the season they take place. Even if the wins and losses do eventually level out to the mean, nobody can take their success away.Mitch Cumstein@cheifshockey7@JeffPassan It’s a marathon not a sprint1@JeffPassan It’s a marathon not a sprintRavai ツ🥷🏽🖤@xRavai@JeffPassan they will all be at or below .500 in July except Atlanta and tampa@JeffPassan they will all be at or below .500 in July except Atlanta and tampaCW@716CW@JeffPassan Only about 85% of the season left to play!!@JeffPassan Only about 85% of the season left to play!!MLB has been a cash-driven league for decades, but small-market teams are finding ways to make some noise.Can small-market teams build championship teams in modern MLB?World Series - Washington Nationals v Houston Astros - Game SevenPlucky underdog stories in baseball are rarer than they used to be, but they are not impossible. Most recently it was the Washington Nationals, who won the World Series in 2019. They had an immense group of young, talented players, including Juan Soto, Trea Turner, and Stephen Strasburg.While winning with a tiny payroll is not impossible, maintaining it over the course of the season and into the playoffs remains a massive challenge.

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