MLB August 1st Check In

Quick MLB look, only 2 months to go!

AL

EAST
NYY and TB - looks like a fight to the finish we these 2. Both are playing extremely well, and will both be in the playoffs. BOS needs to stop pretending they have a chance...trending the wrong way and they might as well focus on the soon to be AFC Champion Patriots.

CENTRAL
Looks like this is becoming a true 2 horse race with all of DET's issues right now. MIN and CWS are virtually identical right now, but the Twins have actually hit much better than CWS and pitching has been about even. One other note, KC was a -78 run differential for the month...tough to do when you only play about 25 games.

WEST
I still really like TEXAS, but I'm just trying to decide whether or not they can be dangerous in OCT. I'm leaning no right now, but they've got 2 months to prove me wrong. LAA is trying to stay in it, but they need to make up some ground fast to make this a race for SEPT. I think they need to gain at least 4-5 games in the standings during AUG...which is unlikely.

NL

East

ATL-PHILLY are battling for the top spot. Most think Oswalt will tilt to scales to PHI, but I'm sticking with Hotlanta. Nobody in the East plays well on the road, and PHI has more road games left. ATL's pitching is just too good for me to go against them. FLA and NYM are trying to hold on, but neither is a serious threat so I won't even consider it at this point.

Central

Cards vs. Reds...give me the experience and pitching of STL in this battle. I've been on the "Reds are getting close" bandwagon for about 3 years, but STL is the pick here. Pencil them into the playoffs.

West

All of these top teams are playing pretty well right now. COL and LAD dropped a few games this month, but SF really picked it up. SF and SD are the clear leaders right now, and I love what both did around the deadline. I'm holding on to my COL pick and expecting an AUG/SEPT surge...but they don't play the same kind of game as the top 2, by that I mean they can't pitch nearly as well. But if they can turn some of these late series into slugfests, then they have a chance.

NL Wildcard
The losers of all of the above races have a shot at the WC, it's wide open. I tend to think pitching rules all, especially in September, so I'm leaning SF/PHI on this one.