Welcome back to another edition of Who'sHotand Who's Not. A great deal has changed since the previous edition, so here we are again. Enjoy the rankings!
Who's Hot:
Atlanta Braves:
The Braves are the only team that has stayed in the rankings since the previous edition. The Braves continue to be as dominant as ever, winning nine of their last ten games and 5 in a row. Sounds hot to me. They are also tied with the Rays, giving the best team in baseball a run for their money. The Braves rank in the top five in nearly every major team statistic, along with the Rays and Rangers. There is not much that has not already been said in the previous edition about the Braves' incredible roster. The Rays better watch out because the Atlanta Braves are the hottest team in baseball.
Miami Marlins:
The Braves are no longer dominating the NL East. The Marlins are getting hot at the right time. The Marlins have won 7 of the last ten and 5 in a row, blistering through the middle of the season. They went from struggling to stay in the wild-card race to commanding it. The Marlins are not a top-five team statistically, but leading the offense is Luiz Arraez, who is on a legendary chase for one of baseball's most divine accolades: batting .400. He currently bats .388. The Marlins pitching staff is also of high quality. While the Braves are giving the Rays a run for their money, the Marlins are giving the Braves a run for their money.
Los Angeles Dodgers:
The Dodgers have been trailing the first-place Diamondbacks throughout most of the season, but it now feels like they have a shot at taking back the division crown. Following winning 7 of their last ten games, the Dodgers are just three games behind the D-Backs, as hot as ever. The Dodgers are one of the few expensive teams this season to get their money's worth. While their starting rotation is no longer one of the league's finest, the offense remains one of the most powerful. The Dodgers are hot, so the Diamondbacks better keep an eye on them.
Who's Not:
Los Angeles Angels:
The Angels were hot, and now they're not. Just two weeks ago, the Angels were 2nd in the wild-card race and now are completely out. Following losing four games in a row, they dropped to third in the AL West and have won 3 of their last 10. Despite Shohei Ohtani playing as elite as ever, the rest of the offense and pitching staff have gone ice-cold. The Angels still have plenty of time to get back into the playoff race, but they'll need to get hot again.
Boston Red Sox:
The event of every team in the AL East ending the season above .500 will depend on the Red Sox, who have been dancing around the .500 mark all season. But the Sox have only won 3 of their last 10 games and are now 42-42, darkening the outlook of a >.500 finish for every AL East team. They are also one of the most imbalanced teams in the MLB. A top-ten offense led by Rookie of the Year frontrunner Yutaka Yoshida. But their bottom-ten pitching staff isn't led by any pitcher of note. Similarly to the Angels, the Red Sox have time to get back their rhythm and maybe even in the wild-card race. For now, they are not hot.
San Diego Padres:
Over the last three years, the Padres have built the reputation of having a roster of elite caliber but continuously underperforming. This season has been no different. They spent boatloads of money on Fernando Tatis Jr, Juan Soto, Xander Bogarts, Michael Wacha, Yu Darvish, and Blake Snell to be 38-45 heading into July. They've also lost seven of their last ten games and have the second-highest payroll yet no winning to show for it. The Padres continue to slide down in the standings, with not much time to turn matters around. The only bright spot about an otherwise forgettable season is that at least the Padres are not the only expensive embarrassment.
That's all for MLB Teams: Who's Hot and Who's Not.
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