1. New York Yankees (77-48): After a couple of weeks of mediocre baseball, the Yankees picked it up last week, winning five of seven from the Tigers and Mariners. The Bronx Bombers share baseball’s best record with the Tampa Bay Rays in a dead heat for the AL East title. Still, the Yanks are comfortably in the playoffs, but major concerns loom over the rest of the season. The back end of the rotation has been shaky, with A.J. Burnett and Javier Vasquez combining for a 0-5 record and an ERA of 6.85 in the month of August. With C.C. Sabathia and Phil Hughes pitching well at the top of the rotation, the Yankees could really benefit from the return of Andy Pettite to serve as the third starter in the playoffs. Pettite is recovering from a strained left groin, and is expected to return in September.
2. Tampa Bay Rays (77-48): Last week, the Rays swept the Rangers in a potential playoff match-up, then split a four-game set in Oakland. This week, the Rays continue their West Coast trip with a three-game series in Anaheim, where they took two of three from the Angels back in May. The Rays will look to improve their major league best 37-24 road record. After returning home, the Rays will host the Red Sox in a weekend series, as they try to protect their 5.5 game lead in the Wild Card over Boston.
3. San Diego Padres (74-49): The Padres return home this week after a crucial ten-game road trip, going 7-3, including a key series victory over division rival San Francisco Giants. This week, the Padres will take on the last-place Diamondbacks and then the surging and recently healthy Philadelphia Phillies. The key to the Padres’ success continues to be their pitching, led by Cy Young candidate Mat Latos (13-5, 2.33 ERA, 144Ks). The Padres lead the majors with only 423 runs allowed; meanwhile, no other team has allowed less than 460.
4. Minnesota Twins (72-53): Two weeks ago, the Minnesota Twins were .5 behind the White Sox in the AL Central. After four consecutive series victories, including two against Chicago, the Twins now lead the White Sox by 4.5 games. Now, Minnesota travels out west to face the AL West leading Texas Rangers and last-place Seattle Mariners. Against the AL West, the Twins have had success this year, compiling a combined record of 17-6, including a 3-0 record against the Rangers.
5. Atlanta Braves (73-52): The Braves have a 2.5 game lead in the NL East, thanks in large part to a fantastic August. In this month, Atlanta has won all six of their series so far, amassing a 14-7 record. The Braves will look to continue that success as they travel to Denver for a three-game set against the Rockies, then they host the Marlins in a weekend series. The Braves are poised to make the playoffs for the first time since 2005 because of their superb pitching. Atlanta is 3rd in the NL in team ERA (3.43) and 2nd in the NL in opponent’s batting average (.244).
6. Cincinnati Reds (72-52): The Reds have won eight of their last ten games to stretch their division lead to 2.5 games over the St. Louis Cardinals. Only twelve days ago, the Reds looked overmatched as the Cards swept the Reds in Cincinnati, as tempers flared and players brawled at the Great American Ballpark. Yet, the Reds bounced back to sweep the Marlins and Diamondbacks. Now, the Reds travel to San Francisco hoping to push towards a NL Central title and their first playoff appearance since 1995.
7. Texas Rangers (70-54): The Rangers continued their struggles with the AL East, going 5-7 in their last 12 games, including being swept in Tampa Bay and only splitting a four-game series with the lowly Orioles. Even with those woes, Texas enjoys the largest division lead in baseball with a comfortable 8.5 game lead over the Oakland Athletics. The AL West title seems locked up, but the Rangers will be looking for something else new: playoff success. The Texas Rangers franchise (including their years as the Washington Senators) has only reached the playoffs three times. In those previous three appearances, Texas won only one game, losing all three series to the New York Yankees. And if the season ended now, the Rangers would be matched up with…yeah, you guessed it, New York.
8. Philadelphia Phillies (70-54): The month of August has been very kind to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phils have won all six of their series and winning a total of 14 of their 20 games. Not only have the Phillies won, but they have done so without their star players. Ryan Howard just returned after missing the first 16 games of August, Shane Victorino missed the first 9 games of August, and Chase Utley played for the first time since June when he returned to the field on August 17th. Now that the Phillies are healthy, they have a real chance to challenge the Braves for the NL East title. Currently, they remain 2.5 games behind, but let’s not forget this is the two-time defending NL champs. They lost Cliff Lee, but the additions of the Roys, Halladay and Oswalt, have made Philly a force to be reckoned with, come playoff time.
9. St. Louis Cardinals (68-54): After sweeping the Reds and seemingly taking control of the NL Central, the Cardinals have given back several games to the surprise challengers and find themselves 2.5 games behind. St. Louis trails Philadelphia by only 1 game for the NL Wild Card, and a trip to a couple of last-place teams should help the Cards challenge for a playoff berth of their own. First, St. Louis makes the trip to Pittsburgh against the major-league worst Pirates, then to our nation’s capital to face the NL East’s last-place Washington Nationals. The Cardinals have a combined record of 8-1 against the Nats and Buccos.
10. Boston Red Sox (72-54): The Red Sox’s bad luck has seemingly doomed their season, yet Boston continues to win without their star players. Unlike the Phillies, the Red Sox have not gotten these players back. Dustin Pedroia, who won the 2008 AL MVP, has played only two games since June. Their captain Jason Varitek has not played since June 30th. Kevin Youkilis, perhaps Boston’s best hitter, went on the disabled list on August 3rd and plans to have season-ending surgery for a thumb injury. Young speedster Jacoby Ellsbury may miss the rest of the season with a rib injury. The Red Sox always have a chance, but a 5.5 game deficit may be too much for a depleted Boston team to overcome against formidable division rivals New York and Tampa Bay.
On deck: San Francisco Giants
In the hole: Chicago White Sox
Leave a Comment