Entering the month of August, the momentum of different MLB teams has changed quite a bit in the last few weeks. The trade deadline has come upon us, making this week the most crucial time to be hot. Welcome back to another edition of MLB Teams: Who's Hot and Who's Not.
Who's Hot:
Los Angeles Angels:
The Angels went from being competitive in the wild-card race to being out of it to then being competitive in the wild-card race again. But the Angels have gotten hot at the right time, as the trade deadline approaches and Shohei Ohtani's future gaining uncertain. But after winning 8 of their last ten games and four wins in a row, Ohtani stays in Anaheim, so the Angels are in contention. Thanks to this late July surge, the Angels are 6th in the American League wild-card race. The Angels are only three games out of the wild card, making it less challenging to surpass the Red Sox, Yankees, and Blue Jays. They need to remain hot, in which time shall be the ultimate judge.
Chicago Cubs:
Winning 9 of the last ten games and winning 7 in a row is a pretty strong case for being hot. The Cubs are the team making that case. The Cubs have been an afterthought throughout the season but are now on a hot streak and maybe even a run for the playoffs. The Cubs are only 3.5 games out of the Wild Card. This recent surge has brought them to a win-loss record above .500 for the first time this season. The Cubs are a balanced team with a solid offense and solid pitching. What could give the Cubs an advantage against their NL Central competitors is they are the only team in the division with a positive point differential. Or their success could have been inevitable due to their high point differential. Either way, the Cubs are hot.
Boston Red Sox:
The Red Sox went from dancing around the .500 mark to adding even more competition to an already competitive wild card race. Winning 7 of their last ten and 5 in a row has allowed the Sox to blow past their rival Yankees and threaten the Blue Jays for a wild card spot. The pitching was the main problem that was holding the team back earlier in the season, but significant improvements from Brayan Bello and James Paxton have made the team win in spite of their pitching rather than despite their pitching. And the offense is elite, as usual. The Sox have gotten hot at the right time, allowing them to buy at the deadline and become a vaunted threat in the wild-card race.
Who's Not:
Arizona DiomondBacks:
The Diamondbacks have been struggling ever since the all-star break. Their 3-month Cinderella run has seemingly come to an end. They have now lost seven of their last ten, are sitting in third in the NL West, and looking from the outside in on the wild-card race. It's hard to tell if this downward spiral is a slump or collapse. The D-Backs have a solid roster, and no dysfunction, giving them some hope of regaining a wild-card spot. But they will still have to consistently win through the remaining 58 games. For now, the D-Backs are not.
Miami Marlins:
The Marlins are in the midst of a cut-throat battle for the wild card, making this an inconvenient time to start slumping. But losing 7 of their last ten games has gotten them on a cold streak. The Marlins have now dropped to third place in the NL East, but it, fortunately, won't be easy to sink lower than the fourth-place Mets. This decline in play might not have happened if Sandy Alcantra and Jazz Chisolm weren't enduring the most significant slumps of their careers, and Alcantra even went from a Cy Young winner to being booed by his fans. But when you look at it that way, it seems pretty impressive that the Marlins have done this well in the first place.
Atlanta Braves:
Well, the hot streak was not going to last forever. After being the hottest team in baseball for nearly two months, they eventually started slumping as late. The Braves have lost 6 of their last ten. Despite the Braves' cold streak, they are still in a great position in terms of playoff contention, sitting in first place in the NL East and having the most wins in baseball. But if this cold streak continues, their position as the best team in baseball could be jeopardized. The team also remains to have some of the best statistics, ranking first in OPS and 7th in ERA. The roster is loaded, making a collapse unlikely, so fans don't need to panic.
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