The MLB All-Star break is approaching quickly, and with the 2nd half of the
season coming quickly we take a look at which teams are doing well and some that are
right on the edge, and others who really need to get back on track if they want to
make the playoffs.
New York Yankees:
The Yankees are the league leaders right now, both in record and in home runs. Aaron
Judge, without a doubt is helping the Yankees to what could be one of their best
records in awhile. They are projected to finish with the best record in the league with
107 wins and 55 losses, of course that is if they can keep healthy. Everyone knows the
Yankees are notorious for getting injured after the all-star break, but with all that being
said, they are at a 97% chance to win the AL East and are 13 games ahead of their big
rival the Boston Red Sox and haven’t even lost 10 games at home yet. The Yankees
are sitting in a perfect spot to get the best record in the entire league and also the
American League itself, and after dropping 16 runs on the Pirates they now travel to Boston for four games before returning home to face the Cincinnati Reds.
Houston Astros:
The Houston Astros are another team who has things going just fine for them. After
losing Gerrit Cole in 2019, George Springer in 2020 and just before the season started losing their star shortstop Carlos Correa, the Astros seem to be having no problems
whatsoever. Having the best record in the AL West with a convincing lead over the
second spot which belongs to the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners are 13.5 games
behind the Astros and potentially will fall further behind as the Astros are projected to
finish with 103 wins, just underneath the Yankees. Yordan Alvarez is also picking up
where he left off last year continuing to be one of the dominant players in the league
leading the Astros in all main categories of Batting AVG, Home Runs, RBI’s, On Base
Percentage and Hits. The Astros are currently at home against the Kansas City Royals
who are last in the AL Central and then they take a trip out west to face the Athletics
and Angels.
Minnesota Twins:
We just mentioned Carlos Correa and speaking of him, the Minnesota Twins are sitting
in a good spot but they really need to keep winning if they want to hold the top spot in
the AL Central. The Twins have definitely made a big jump from last year as they
struggled and finished 5th in their division after finishing 1st in 2019 and 2020. Luis
Arraez has been the man on a mission for the Twins, having the best Batting AVG at
.346, and having the most hits and best OBP for the team. As I mentioned, the Twins
really have to keep up the winning streak as the Cleveland Guardians are only sitting
4.5 games behind and threatening to take the top spot away. The Twins will stay on the road and head toTexas to face the Rangers and then head back home to face the Brewers for a short 2
game series.
New York Mets:
The National League is a little bit more interesting as a lot of the division leaders are
only ahead as much as 5.5 games. Everything is going right in New York this year as
the Mets are finally on top in their division and for the first time since 2015 they could
win the NL East. Heading into the All Star break in a couple weeks the Mets are only 2.5
games above the Braves. The Braves have things going well for them as well closing in
on the Mets. Jeff McNeil, Pete Alonso, and many other players on the Mets are helping
them prevail just hitting the 50 win mark a couple days ago. After finishing up on the
road against the Reds the Mets head back home to host the Miami Marlins who are
currently struggling to stay above .500.
Milwaukee Brewers:
The Brewers have had promising seasons in the past having a 1st place finish in the
division last year. The Brewers are currently sitting only 3 games above the Cardinals
and they have been on a hot streak winning 7 of their last 10 games. Christian Yelich
and Rowdy Tellez are the leading duo for the Brewers with Yelich leading in Batting AVG
at .251 and getting on base while having 76 hits. Tellez has the categories of Home runs
and RBI’s with 17 dingers and 55 runs batted in. The Brewers will still be playing at home as the Pittsburgh Pirates visit for a 3 game series. The Brewers are sitting in a good spot heading in the All-Star break.
Los Angeles Dodgers:
This should not come as a surprise, as the Dodgers have been the dominant team in
the NL West for quite some time. Having stars like Trea Turner, Mookie Betts, Cody
Bellinger and picking up Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers are sitting in a pretty good spot
heading into the break. They are currently 5.5 games above the San Diego Padres. The
Chicago Cubs come into town and play a 4 game series. The Dodgers are
projected to finish in the top 3 in the league and 1st in the NL once again and are close
behind the Yankees in favor of winning the World Series this year.
With the break approaching quickly, all teams listed above are sitting atop their divisions
and in a good spot for the end of the regular season. But taking a look at the teams who
follow behind is a necessity. For the American League the Red Sox caught fire and
moved their way from 4th in the AL East to 2nd and are looking to bounce back from a
loss last night against the Rays, Cleveland just got swept by the Tigers this afternoon
and that was the first time they got swept by their rivals since 2015. Seattle needs to
figure something out and get back above .500 if they want a shot at competing for one
of the Wild Card spots. The Braves, Cardinals and Padres are all within striking distance
of the top spot in the division and teams like the Phillies and Giants need to get hot and
quick if they want to stand a chance at making a wild card spot.
