I decided to spend some time on the ongoing Major League Baseball season knowing that future columns will be spent on the NBA Finals and World Cup Soccer
The Atlanta Braves currently hold the best record in the majors at 45-22, followed closely by the Los Angeles Dodgers (43-24) and the Milwaukee Brewers (41-24).
As of mid-June, the divisional races feature some surprising powerhouses alongside tight battles.
In the AL East the Tampa Bay Rays (39-25) and NY Yankees (40-26) are locked in a virtual tie for first place. Noteworthy tidbits in this division is that the Toronto Blue Jays have fallen after making a World Series appearance last year. Aaron Judge of the Yankees will be out until mid-August with an injury.
The AL Central has the Cleveland Guardians (37-32) hold a half-game lead over the surging Chicago White Sox. The Detroit Tigers have disappointed thus far in the Central, due in some part to Tarik Skubal’s elbow injury. Word has it that Skubal could be back next week so the Tigers still could make some noise.
The AL West is not much better than the Central as the Seattle Mariners lead the division at 36-32. Bottom line is that the American League is not very strong this season.
The NL East has the Atlanta Braves at 45-22. They are comfortably ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies. The New York Mets have one of the largest payrolls in baseball but rest at the bottom of the NL East standings.
The NL Central belongs to the Milwaukee Brewers thus far with a 41-24 record. The Chicago Cubs have disappointed thus far. The Cubbies have had a 10 game winning streak followed by a 10 game losing streak. Surprise teams in this division are the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds who are both hovering around the .500 mark.
As expected, the Los Angeles Dodgers pace the NL West. As usual, the San Diego Padres are chasing their rivals. Arizona is also hanging around in the West.
Some storylines include Freddie Freeman of the Dodgers recording his 2,500th career hit, making him the only active player to reach this milestone. If the Tigers continue to struggle, Skubal may be traded before he is due to get big money. Skubal is the two-time AL Cy Young award winner.
Also noteworthy is the fact that several big-name stars, including Mookie Betts, Manny Machado, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Fernando Tatis Jr., are experiencing uncharacteristic slumps at the plate.
