Month two is in the books for Major League Baseball. The truth is beginning to emerge. Some of the early sprinters have been overtaken by the joggers. Surprises may be in store for us as we enter the summer months. Things have started off a little different when you compare 2022 to 2023.
as of May 31, 2022
as of May 31, 2023
Central Divisions in the Middle of Tight Races
The AL and NL Central are wide open which is no different than last year. In fact, it almost looks identical as the Minnesota Twins and the Milwaukee Brewers led the divisions at the end of May. That sounds good, but both teams failed to make the playoffs as the Twins were overtaken by the Cleveland Guardians and the St. Louis Cardinals knocked the Brewers out of the top spot.
Final 2022 MLB
Surprise Surprise
The Baltimore Orioles are holding up well after a great April. The up and comers finished last season strong and look as if the sub .500 seasons are gone for now. The Miami Marlins finished ’22 winning 10 out of their last 16. The NL East has a long ride ahead as the Marlins continue to take wins away from the elite of the past. The Pittsburgh Pirates have come back to earth. After finishing April at the 20 win mark, they have only racked up eight wins to finish May at 28. The loss of superstar Oneil Cruz has taken full effect as they lack depth in the back-to-back 100 loss team. Hopefully, the Pirates can find a way to stay afloat while Cruz gets back in shape.
All-Star Break
The stretch to the All-Star break on July 11 should put the season into prospective. Three, four or maybe even five out of the six playoff spots in each league usually begin to look like they are set in stone. The Philadelphia Phillies were the only team to come from out of the top 10 to make the playoff last year. However, this season looks different. Three or four games separate 12 out of the 15 AL teams from wild card contention. The whole NL is within five games from playoff possibilities. At the current rate, it looks like we will not have many 100 win teams or 100 loss teams, which is great. Let’s hope some of the new contenders can keep it interesting this summer.
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