Major League Baseball has been moving along with its season, despite having some issues with positive COVID tests. They are the only major professional sports league not operating in a bubble.
The St. Louis Cardinals have had doubleheaders almost every day, trying to make up for the games missed due to the coronavirus. They had several players test positive, causing games to be canceled.
However, everything is still moving along. Some teams have played well in the circumstances, while others have under-performed.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers still sit on top of the power rankings. They have built a loaded roster in Los Angeles, having a solid team even before the offseason addition of Mookie Betts.
Now, they are ready for a championship run. It’s not exactly “win now or never,” but things can’t get much better for the Dodgers. They have had one of the top teams every year, but fail to capitalize in the playoffs.
This team leads MLB in runs per game and fewest runs allowed. But they also did that in 2019 and 2018. They are hoping for a better result this season, and they are on track to do so.
Oakland Athletics
Oakland has been one of the surprising teams of the year. They had a great team, but they have recently been hot and lead the AL West.
Matt Olsen has cranked nine home runs, and Matt Chapman leads the team in RBI with 22. They have a nice offense to go along with their amazing bullpen.
Liam Hendricks is nine for nine on saves after giving away a win on Opening Day. Their bullpen is second to the Dodgers in ERA.
Tampa Bay Rays
Some believed that the New York Yankees are the team to beat in the AL East, but the Rays have had an impressive couple of weeks. The Rays swept the Yankees in their latest series, helping to propel them into the lead of the division.
They haven’t had much success on the mound, but the bats are hot. They scored a total of 20 runs in their three-game series against the Yankees.
For them to have success in the playoffs against other top clubs, they need to find more consistency in their starters.
New York Yankees
Even though they have struggled to beat the Rays, the Yankees are still one of the top teams in baseball. Aaron Judge started the year on crazy pace and currently has 20 RBI and nine home runs.
They have also received a boost from Luke Voit, who is truly a savage in the box of late. He is hitting .311/.386/.730.
But like the Rays, the Yankees also have some issues with starting pitching. Outside of Gerrit Cole, there is no other dominant arm in the rotation.
Someone will need to step up for the postseason. They can’t consistently win by counting on Judge and Giancarlo Stanton to help score a plethora of runs per game.