The state of baseball gets better week to week and this last week was no exception. The division races are heating up and some of them are tightening up. Who?s on the climb, who?s on the skids? It seems that the season just gets better and better and if you love baseball and you are a forever fan than this has been a dream season. Forget about your favorite team, we all want our favorite teams to be there in the end but sometimes, it?s not possible for that to happen.
The Oakland A?s have moved way up the food chain in this battle, but the Astros have gained some much need space; albeit not much! The Astros have come roaring back and now set on a four-game winning streak. They have proven, or at least they are in the process of proving, their critics wrong. In baseball, this happens. Good teams lose, it?s the very nature of the game. There are too many games in a regular season and as a result, the best of the best end up losing a lot of games. There are many more attributes to this as well; fatigue! Guys get tired, they get worn down and what happens in the next 30+ games is going to make or break some baseball clubs.
What clubs have the strength to hold on and which ones don?t have the firepower to keep up the pace? This race is truly heating up and it?s going to get hotter.
Who has their division wrapped up and who is a no doubt, shoo-in?
There are only two divisions in baseball where teams can make this claim. Every other division race it that tight. It?s a fans wild guess and as the days go by, the more interesting and the more of a guessing game it becomes. The Indians and the Red Sox both fall into this category. They clearly have it wrapped up.
Check out our power rankings, tell us if you agree or disagree and why or why not:
1. Red Sox-- This team is still the number on our list, and yes, we are well aware of the standing and the fact that they have lost two in a row coming into Sunday. Still, it doesn?t matter, the Yankees have won three in a row and they are making a concerted effort to get back in the race, but the Red Sox have the pitching. Chris Sale is a slight concern as he is back on the DL, however, right now this looks like nothing. The Yankees are simply not there with their pitching. The Red Sox have outslugged, out-gunned, and basically outperformed the pinstripes in every category. We are sticking with the Red Sox as the best team in all of baseball.
2. Houston Astros-- The Astros have been struggling as of late; before this last week, should we say. They are now on a 4 game winning streak and they are looking more like the team that won the World Series last year. They have managed to put together 79 wins, despite their issues. The Astros will be fine, and they look like the number two team in all of baseball.
3. Chicago Cubs? What a difference a week makes! The Cubs were looking like a mess, again! They have had their moments this year and some of those moments have been nothing short of a disaster but much like the Houston Astros; they have found their sea legs and a winning streak. Having won four in a row and they have won seven of their last ten; once again, they move up the ladder.
4. The Indians have a twelve game lead in the American League Central and they are in the middle of having won four in a row! Not bad, not bad at all. Do they have the juice in the tank for the playoffs? This remains the burning question? They could have, but everything must be clicking for them or they are dead quickly in the first round and when we say everything, we mean- everything, especially some of their shaky pitching. Although they have a very big lead over the Minnesota Twins, any losing streak is never good and as of today, they have lost four in a raw. Pick up your game right now Indians, or the playoffs will end in a very quick exit.
5. 5/6. Braves/Diamondbacks, with the Rockies getting honorable mention. The two remaining divisions that we have not mentioned, is the NL West, along with the NL East. In the NL East, you have the Braves doing battle with the Phillies. Once again, we have a team that has taken over in their division and the Phillies had better watch out. If the Phillies want this, then their pitching must be stellar down this back stretch. The Braves have lost two in a row but remain three games ahead of the 2nd place Phillies.
In the NL West, the Diamondbacks are neck and neck in the power ranking with Atlanta with the one difference being a clear?three-game lead for the Braves. The Diamondback do not have that luxury. They must get back on the horse and find their winning ways. The current two-game losing streak must end now or the Rockies could dump in the birthday cake! Both the Rockies and the Diamondbacks are tied coming into Sunday. Every game is a must win at this point.
The race to the finish in what has been an exciting 2018 MLB season, promises to be fantastic. Although we ranked the top six teams in baseball we absolutely left a few of the very good team out of the mix. The Yankees, the Dodgers, the A?s, the Cardinals and even the Nationals and Mariners, they all still have a chance. The Dodgers and Cardinals are the most likely to make a big push, closely followed by the A?s. Stay tuned for what?s sure to be a wacky and wild finish.
