NFL
With the passing of the trade deadline at the start of the month, MLB is entering the home stretch and there are some familiar names at the top of the rankings.
According to the betting companies, the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers are leading the way, but the New York Mets are entering the conversation, along with a handful of other teams who could still make a late run to the playoffs. Making MLB predictions can often be a risky business, even at this relatively late stage of the season, but right now, the following are the five teams who are looking most likely to gain a place in the World Series and have a shot at the big prize.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Boasting one of the best offenses in the game⎯led by Freddie Freeman, who is batting an impressive .324 and leading MLB in hits⎯the Dodgers also have a top starting rotation that keeps winning games, with Tyler Anderson and Tony Gonsolin having a combined 23−2 record. The Dodgers have a 16-game cushion over San Diego for the division lead, after a tremendous midseason run, and they appear to be close to unstoppable. If Joey Gallo recovers form, they could be even stronger, and right now, they look like strong favorites to reach their fourth World Series in six years.
New York Yankees
Swept by the Cardinals at the start of the month, the Yankees are experiencing a dip in form at the moment. However, they remain in a strong position in the AL East, leading by 10 games and boasting the second-best run differential in MLB at +201 and the second highest runs per game figure. Aaron Judge tops the home run list in the AL, with an impressive 46, with the next highest hitter, Yordan Alvarez, 15 homers behind. And although their high-profile signing Frankie Montas had a tough introduction to the Yankees, if he can rediscover his earlier summer form, he will have a big role to play in October too.
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros have occasionally lacked consistency but overall, they remain one of the strongest teams in MLB, leading the AL West by 13 games from the Seattle Mariners. The loss of Carlos Correa has been compensated by Yordan Alvarez’s emergence, who has added even more firepower to an already strong line-up, hitting 30 home runs so far. The Astros have also benefitted from high-quality pitching right the way through their rotation, led by Justin Verlander, the AL Cy Young frontrunner. A team with few flaws, the Astros are going to be hard to stop in the postseason.
New York Mets
The Mets have won eight of their last ten, and are holding a strong position at the top of the NL East, although the gap has been shrinking. Key to that performance is the return of Max Scherzer, who has been phenomenal and has a hugely impressive 8−2 season record and a 1.98 ERA.
An additional major factor in the Mets’ momentum is the return of Jacob deGrom. He’s still at the stage of working his way into regular action, but his record of 28 strike-outs in 16.2 innings pitched suggests that he is getting back to his best. With deGrom and Scherzer teaming up in the playoffs, the Mets could be very hard to beat, no matter who they meet in the postseason.
Atlanta Braves
The defending champions had a slow start to the season, but they have been consolidating through the summer and are now only 5.5 games behind the Mets in the NL East, although their recent 1−4 loss to their New York rivals indicated that there is still work for them to do. There is still plenty of time for them to catch up and win the Division, but in any case, they look sure to claim a Wild Card spot.
Atlanta’s starting rotation is extremely impressive and poses a big problem for opposing sides. Spencer Strider is a serious contender for the league’s top rookie award, while Kyle Wright is starting to deliver on his potential. Veteran Charlie Morton is also making a valuable contribution, while Max Fried is likely to pick up more than a few Cy Young votes. Throw in the acquisitions of Raisel Iglesias, Jake Odorizzi, and Robbie Grossman at the deadline, and Atlanta look well prepared to handle the challenges of playoff baseball and have a good shot at retaining their World Series title.
