Eight Weeks In - MLB: Power Rankings, Matchups, Highlights and more

So the Boston Red Sox are still middling with a slight uptick of success, winning six out of their last ten and four out of their last five. They still join the New York Yankees atop all of baseball and are two of only three teams with 30+ wins (Houston Astros, 30-18). In other league news, the AL Central is a complete dumpster fire. The division leading Cleveland Indians are sub .500, meaning (obviously) that every team in the division has a losing record. If you’re not a stat junkie, allow me to break it down for you… that’s bad. Half the divisions in baseball have four teams with winning records and the AL Central doesn’t have one. Needless to say, they won’t be this week’s selection for “What To Watch”. Now let’s get to some highlights.

Top Three Plays

JV’s Having A Year

Ugh Make It Stop

And He Still Got On

What To Watch

This week, we’re focusing on two teams that may not have been on your mind at the start of the season. The Milwaukee Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks have surprised a lot of baseball fans – myself included – by their ability to rise up the ranks and impressively hold off some tough challengers. It’s only May and it’s way to early to predict the final standings, but if on opening day, you told me the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers would be looking up at the Brewers and DBacks, I’d call you crazy. And yet, here we are.

While both teams are leading their respective divisions, they are trending in very different directions. The Diamondbacks are 1-9 in their last ten games, getting swept by the Washington Nationals and New York Mets through a four-game and three-game series, respectively. Their one win came against – you guessed it – the Milwaukee Brewers back on May 15th, yet they still lost the series 1-2. Even worse, the run differential was strongly in favor of the Brewers, who outscored the DBacks 16-6, really making a statement against one of the National League’s best.

Baseball is a game of streaks and the Diamondbacks are certainly better than 1-9, so they’re likely due for a come back. Well what better team to do it against, than the NL Central leading Milwaukee Brewers who just embarrassed you at home? I smell a bounce back series for Arizona, who will almost definitely have a chip on their shoulder. Plus, they’re still somehow hanging onto a 0.5 game lead in the division, despite the recent skid, and that’s extra motivation to stop the bleeding now.

That said, the Brewers have a lot to play for, as well. The NL Central is the tightest division in baseball with four of the five ball clubs within two games of the lead. The Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburg Pirates are all within striking distance of first place, each 1.5 games back, leaving the Brewers with some hungry contenders breathing down their necks. With sub .500 opponents on the horizon for all three divisional rivals, the Brewers are going to have to play their tails off to hold onto first place. That’s an intriguing mid-May storyline, ladies and gentleman. Tune in.

Power Rankings