Welcome back to Who's Hot and Who's Not. We've reached the All-Star Break, so it's a time for teams that aren't so hot, to regroup and hope to turn things around. Enjoy the Rankings!
Who's Hot:
Atlanta Braves:
The Braves remain the hottest team in baseball. They surpassed the Rays, becoming the MLB's best team. The Braves have won 8 of their last ten games and won over two-thirds of their games. They continue to be one of the best statistical teams and have the best roster, as 8 are All-Stars. Ronald Acuna Jr, Sean Murphy, Ozzie Albies, Orlando Arcia, Bryce Elder, Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Spencer Strider. The Braves have made it on the rankings for the third time, so there isn't much to say that has not already been said about this team. It would be an insane feat if the Braves could remain on this list through the rest of the season.
Boston Red Sox:
The Red Sox pulled off a quick turnaround from being not too hot. The Sox have won 8 of their last ten games and 5 in a row, and transitioning from dancing around the .500 mark to staying above it and contesting their division opponents has made a monumental difference. The Red Sox have continued to hit an elite level, but their pitching has vastly improved as of late, as their earned run average is now 4.33, ranking 17th. Brayan Bello and James Paxton can commend the most for the increased quality of the team's pitching. Presuming that the Red Sox remain hot, they'll certainly add more competition to the already competitive American League wild-card race.
Cincinnati Reds:
The Reds have seemingly come out of nowhere and are now in contention. They have quickly climbed atop the NL Central, capitalizing on a rather uncompetitive division, and have won 7 of their last nine games. Led by speedster Elly De La Cruz, the offense is of high caliber, ranking 9th. The pitching staff has been a different story, ranking 27th. But the Reds are still able to win games despite their lousy pitching. They also have a point differential of -9, a strange stat for a 50-41 team. Perhaps the Reds have been overperforming, or they're great at pulling out close wins. Either way, the Reds are hot.
Who's Not:
Tampa Bay Rays:
After the Rays began the season 13-0, and when they held the status of the MLB's best team, few could have predicted their decline. The Rays still have exceptional statistics and remain in first place in the AL East, but been seemingly ice-cold as of late. They have lost 7 of their last ten games, and the series loss to the Braves was a massive blow to the team. They've lost their last three series, including a sweep from the Phillies. The Rays are still in contention, and this all-star break will be a prime time to regroup to get hot again. Although if they continue to slide, the Orioles will happily take first place and are only two games behind. So the pressure is on for the Rays to defend the AL East crown and maybe even surpass the mighty Braves. But currently, the Rays are not hot.
Pittsburg Pirates:
Remember when the Pirates exceeded their expectations, sitting atop the NL Central? A great deal has changed in two months. The Pirates were once 20-13 and in first place, defying all odds. However, that did not last. They are now 41-49, have lost 7 of their last ten games, and are 8.5 games removed from first place. Their mediocre pitching and lackluster offense have only gotten them so far. There is not much hope for the Pirates' resurgence because they were already supposed to be one of the league's worst teams.
Los Angeles Angels:
Every team on this list has been hot at some point. That includes the Angels, who went from competing in the wild-card race to dropping out. They have lost 9 of their last ten games and failed to win their last five games. The Angels have also slid to 4th and a record below .500. They are unquestionably the coldest team in baseball. Perhaps the most concerning aspect of the team's performance is that if they continue to slide through the next two weeks, the Angels will likely have to trade away Shohei Ohtani. Such a trade would be of the most tremendous short-term blows to a team in the history of the MLB. It would also be the most tremendous bidding war in MLB history, as every team has expressed interest in trading for Ohtani.
Commentaires