Top ten +1
1-Dodgers ever just have a literal majority of your rotation make the all-star team? Anyway, this was a more experimental week for the Dodgers. With a good number of people on the IL, and a lot of young kids up, the Dodgers spent a big chunk of this week with wacky lineups and weird positioning. As a result, the record this week took a dip. Still, after one of their worst weeks in a while, they still hold a 12 game lead on the division. 57-29
2-Yankees What's better than winning the last 13 of 14? Sweeping the Red Sox in London. The Yanks will round off their road trip with a 2 game Subway Series and a 4 game series against the Rays to bookend the All-Star Break. Stanton is down again and Encarnacion hasn't hit yet, but Judge is slashing .333/.467/.583 since he's gotten back and the team feels unstoppable right now. 54-28
3-Twins Starting to get some injured guys back off the IL, which helps a lot. Also only sending 2 guys to the All-Star game, which is not awesome. 53-30
4-Astros Zzzzz... 53-32
5-Rays Brendan McKay's debut. The lefty two-way prospect pitched 5 1/3 innings of perfect ball to start his career and got a much needed fat W. Then Snellzilla came out the next day and threw 12 K's in 6, looking dominant the whole time to seal TB first series win in what seemed like forever. This team will go as far as the bats take it and will look to carry the momentum against the O's. The Trop is lowkey lit. 49-36
6-Braves Congrats to first-time All-Stars Mike Soroka and Ronald Acuña Jr., as well as Ronald's entry into the Home Run Derby! The last week largely showed us things we already knew. The rotation likely needs a shot in the arm, and the bullpen could really use another shutdown option, despite the incredible numbers from the past month — particularly with surprise setup ace Anthony Swarzak hitting the IL. The Bumgarner/Will Smith fit feels more likely by the day. 50-35
7-Cubs The Cubs took a slight dip this week, and the entire NL Central seems to be converging to .500. The Cubs and Brewers are currently tied for the division, though the Cubs have a +64 run differential compared to the Brewers' -4. The division continues to be a grind, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the division winner finish with around 88 or 89 wins this season. 45-39
8-Red Sox Bogaerts, Devers, and Vazquez are all having strong years. David Price is looking like the pitcher they paid for. This team is far too inconsistent and mediocre. I've seen this team suck, and I have seen this team choke, and I have seen this team win, and to watch this team amble through a season listlessly takes the cake as the most frustrating. 44-40
9-Atléticos Had a great 5-1 record this week, as Mengden/Anderson turned in great outings and Chapman was the first to hit 20 HR's. Maybe we get hot after the all star break (as A's teams in the past do), but that would mean Barreto and Mateo boosting the up-and-down outfielders already on the team as the infield is 3/4 solid. I do not think it is a hot take to claim, as M. Lockart tweeted the other day, if Olson wasn't injured in Japan he'd be leading the league in HR's 46-39
10-Brewers Hopefully the call up of Keston Hiura and Tyler Saladino will spark the team, because they cannot be worse than Travis Shaw and Hernan Perez were. I do not recall feeling less confident about a team with 4 all stars and a 10 win pitcher at the halfway point. 45-39
11-Rangers 8 games over .500 to end the first half of the season is not where I thought the Rangers would be but it's been a fun ride. Hunter Freaking Pence is an All Star starteR and Joey Gallo and Mike Minor will be joining him in Cleveland! Hopefully the good mometum started in the first half can push the team into a solid start of the second half because they are going to need it. 5 of the next 7 series for the Rangers are against teams that are at or above .500. 46-38
