Major League Baseball All-Star voting is officially open. Yeah, the season is flying by.
It’s June and the usual suspects are cementing their names as among pennant chasers. The Dodgers, Braves, Yankees, and Brewers are all at the top of
the league again.
There are some newbies coming into their own as well. The Pirates are competitive as of the first week of June. And the White Sox would host a playoff game if the season ended today.
The pool of teams has been fun. We’ll see what changes over the course of the season heading toward the trade deadline.
1. Dodgers
Sometimes all it takes is one run.
Friday night saw Freddie Freeman blast a solo shot in the ninth, taking down the cross-town Angels to secure a 41st win for the Dodgers.
It kept the Dodgers rolling, who I might say, are on an absolute heater right now. They’ve only lost five games dating back to May 13, and have built a 7.5 game lead over the second-place Diamondbacks. They lead the majors in run differential (+134), OPS (.783), and ERA (3.03). The juggernaut continues to decimate the league.
2. Braves
Atlanta’s been knocked to number two on this list. But that says more about the Dodgers finally playing to their potential.
The Braves have done nothing wrong. They continue to rack up wins despite injuries. The club has a major league-leading 43 wins, has only lost multiple games in a row three times this season, and is pacing its way to its fifth NL East crown this decade.
With All-Star balloting also open, it’s also likely to see a cohort of Braves on the NL roster. Matt Olson has 17 homers and an .896 OPS, Drake Baldwin has a .303/.389/.543 slashline with 13 homers despite being out for almost a month now, and even Michael Harris II has bounced back to a .853 OPS this season.
3. Yankees
The Bombers got brutal news this week.
Aaron Judge is hitting the IL for four to six weeks with a fractured right rib. The 34-year-old looked poised to win his fourth MVP, holding a .907 OPS with 17 homers.
We’ll see if the Yankees can tread water without Judge. So far they’ve lost three of their last four games, and were unable to claw back in Friday’s 5-3 loss to Boston. Luckily for the Yanks, their schedule in June is manageable for the Judge-less roster. They face off against the Red Sox, Twins, White Sox, Blue Jays, Tigers, and Nationals for the majority of the month.
4. Brewers
Despite a slew of injuries, the Brew Crew keep pulling wins out of their back pocket.
The club is 38-23, holds +91 run differential, and has the best one-two punch in the league with Jacob Misiorowski and … Kyle Harrison?
Yep, the lefty who was traded for Rafael Devers to the Red Sox was actually an ace. Just turns out it took him going to the Brewers to unlock it. He’s pitching to a 1.57 ERA, 2.47 FIP, and is striking out 11.5 batters per nine.
Yeah. He’s nasty.
The lineup is also doing what it always does. Scoring runs off contributions through small ball. It’s also getting some serious thump from Jake Bauers, who leads the team with 10 homers and is posting an .858 OPS through Saturday. Jackson Chourio is also heating up, and is slugging .808 over his last seven games.
5. Rays
The past couple weeks I’ve given the Rays the respect they deserve. But I warned caution and cited last season’s June.
Well, even my clock is right twice a day. The Rays are 3-8 in their last 11 games. Including being swept by the Orioles in Baltimore, who were struggling to string together consistency.
Still, the Rays are 37-23 and are 1.5 games up on the Yankees for first in the AL East. There’s more than enough time to plug the holes. The offense has been hoisted by Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda, and Yandy Díaz. When those three don’t hit, Tampa loses.
The Rays have an interesting decision to make come July. Do they believe in this core? Because if so, they need to seriously tape this lineup. And even get a fifth starter. Nick Martinez has been good, but he imploded and allowed six earned runs in his last start against the Tigers.
6. Mariners
Eight-game winning streaks always play. Especially when missing Cal Raleigh in the lineup.
Seattle rode the streak to first in the AL West, and is finally starting to pull away in the division. Julio Rodríguez has caught fire after his annual slow start, and has done enough to win ball games behind a supporting staff of Randy Arozarena, Luke Raley, and Dominic Canzone.
This club, like most in the league, needs to start getting their fighters back. Brendan Donovan glued immediately, but hasn’t played since May 15. The aforementioned Raleigh hit the shelf after struggling in the first couple months of the season. And J.P. Crawford just hit the shelf after taking a pitch off his right hand from Framber Valdez.
7. Pirates
I’m starting this train early. Can the Pirates trade for Aroldis Chapman? The lefty closer is essentially on a one-year deal, and is mowing down hitters on the 27-win Red Sox.
It would reunite the lefty with the city of Pittsburgh, and give the 34-30 Pirates a legitimate closer in the ‘pen. The team is finally competitive and getting consistent offense. Imagine what Chapman would do for this roster.
Gregory Soto has pitched to a 2.86 ERA. And Evan Sisk to a 1.37 ERA. But the rest of the bullpen has been a hot mess.
8. Guardians
How about the man from Down Under?
Travis Bazzana has jolted the Guardians lineup, providing the lineup with another consistent bat. He’s slashing .288/.371/.472 and has 14 extra base hits in 34 games. The Aussie has been a must in this lineup filled with the inconsistencies of Kyle Manzardo and Chase DeLauter.
The pitching also continues to shove, mostly behind Gavin Williams and Parker Messick. The bullpen has also bounced back from a slow start, and has been rejuvenated by Colin Holderman.
9. Cubs
Remember earlier in the article when I mentioned the Dodgers have only lost five games since May 15? Well, the Cubs have only won six games since May 9. Yeah.
This club looked like a favorite to win the pennant earlier in the year. They held the best offense and run differential in the league at one point. They went on two separate 10-game winning streaks. Now, they’re just 33-31.
The rotation is the culprit for this team. It was already a question mark heading into the season, and injuries to Matthew Boyd and Cade Horton didn’t help. But the entire staff holds negative bWARs. Colin Rea leads the staff with a 4.59 ERA.
Of course a lot of the losses can be attributed to injury. And they’re still in wild-card contention. But even the Titanic didn’t sink this fast.
10. Cardinals
A 6-9 record over the last 15 doesn’t excite anyone. But if the season ended today, the Cardinals would finish as the top wild card in the NL.
Does that mean they’re playoff ready? I don’t know. But like most teams in the third wild-card era, they might be forced into premature buying. The club is young, has legitimate talent with JJ Wetherholt and Jordan Walker, and one big trade could position the club for a chance at the pennant.
They could also sell. Riley O’Brien would be a coveted closer come the July deadline. Same with JoJo Romero. Chaim Bloom has decisions to make.
Rest of the Field
11. Rangers
12. Phillies
13. Diamondbacks
14. Padres
15. White Sox
16. Nationals
17. Orioles
18. Reds
19. Athletics
20. Mets
21. Blue Jays
22. Twins
23. Red Sox
24. Marlins
25. Tigers
26. Astros
27. Royals
28. Angels
29. Giants
30. Rockies
Previous Rankings: W8 | W7 | W6 | W5 | W4 | W3 | W2 | W1 | OD
