Like any self-respecting baseball fan, I don’t look at the standings until at least June 1st. I’m making an exception this year because that date doesn’t jive with my regularly scheduled programming.
Decided to do something a little different this week. I recorded a live reaction video and conversation with Belly Up Sports Baseball intern Julie Mulholland. She’s a big baseball fan who has also been doing a great job with graphic design on the site.
Here are my thoughts on each division, before the standings reveal.
American League Standings
AL East
I expected the Yankees to be good, of course. Despite a somewhat turbulent offseason, my thoughts were that the Rays would remain highly competitive. What I wasn’t counting on was for the Red Sox to be as good as they have been. The Blue Jays have the distinction of being the best fourth-place team in baseball, a label they will look to quickly shed.
it is awesome that xander bogaerts exists and plays for the boston red sox pic.twitter.com/sOW0shDdTl
— Red (@SurvivingGrady) May 24, 2021
AL Central
The White Sox have been the best team in this division which is not surprising. The Twins have fallen flat on their face and will likely be sellers at the deadline. Cleveland has relied upon solid pitching to stay close while Kansas City has cooled off after a hot start.
AL West
This has already turned into a two-team race between the Athletics and Astros. The Mariners appear to be a team on the rise and the Rangers have a breakout star in Adolis García. The Angels have perhaps the most fascinating player in the sport, Shohei Ohtani. That hasn’t been enough to make them relevant.
? ROBBERY ?
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 28, 2021
ADOLIS GARCIA DOES IT ALL ?
(via @BallySportsSW)pic.twitter.com/deeSw6ybJV
National League Standings
NL East
This looks like the closest, but also the most disappointing division. Atlanta has won it three years running and was the presumptive favorite. They have gotten off to a slow start. The Mets had a great offseason and could be the best of a bad bunch, but have also underwhelmed. Really, any of these teams could win this division, just don’t expect it to be with over 90 wins.
Good morning! The Mets are 4 games over .500 and have a 2.5-game lead in the NL East despite a rash of injuries ? pic.twitter.com/2JPxzbWgrK
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 28, 2021
NL Central
This was viewed as the weakest division entering the season. The Cardinals have been the most impressive team so far. The Brewers, Cubs, and Reds have all remained in the race to slightly varying degrees of wonderment.
NL West
This is shaping up to be the most compelling race in the National League. The Dodgers and Padres, following their spectacular winter arms race, have high expectations to be the best teams. Their games against each other have been must-see TV and although the Padres have a slight edge, expect this to be close all season. The Giants have crashed this VIP party and they have contender credentials. Time will tell if they can stay with the big boys for the long haul.
I did not know any human being, let alone one who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 220 pounds like Fernando Tatis Jr., was capable of moving like this. pic.twitter.com/JOa1W6Ok1h
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 30, 2021
Which division do you think is the strongest? Who are your picks to win? I’d love to hear from you. Please let me know in the comments. Thanks again to Julie Mulholland, that was a lot of fun. I think I may look back at my predictions for the season in the fall. It feels like an act in lunacy but it’s interesting and every once in a while, I get something right.
