As the second half of the MLB season is underway, we are assessing each division and are determining who we think will be playing baseball in October. Looking at each team’s individual and team statistics, it’s fair to assume that the race for each division will become very interesting in the coming weeks. Here is the break down of each division:
American League Central Division: (Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins)
In the beginning of this season, the AL Central race seemed as if the winner was already determined, as the Minnesota Twins had a 12.5 game lead over the Cleveland Indians. Before the All-Star Break, Cleveland managed to cut Minnesota’s lead to only 5.5 games. However, to make this lead only a 3.0 game lead, in their last 12 games, the Indians have gone 9-3 while the Twins have gone 6-6, making the AL Central race very interesting. Although the rest of the division is at least 15 games behind, fans from these teams have a lot of young talent to look forward to in years coming. Young talent such as Francisco Lindor, Tim Anderson, Harold Castro, and Max Kepler will all keep the AL Central fun to watch despite records.
Current Leader: Minnesota Twins
Predicted Winner: Cleveland Indians; With plenty of baseball left in the season, we believe that the Indians will eventually catch up to the Twins, and be able to win the Central Division. With things looking up for Cleveland offensively and defensively, there is no doubt that their race with the Twins will be close and exciting to watch.
American League East Division: (Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays)
As the New York Yankees look to be one of the most dominate teams in the MLB this season with a record of 64-34, they lead the East Division by 9 games. As the second place team in the East (Tampa Bay Rays) have a 4 game losing streak, things are looking positive for the Yankees to keep dominating their division. The East Division is also home to the defending World Series Champions who are sitting at 11 games behind first place, with a 53-46 record. The Red Sox are 8 losses away from having as many losses as they did in the entire 2018 season. On the other hand, the Orioles are only 16 wins away from having the amount of total of wins as they did in the 2018 season, 47 wins. Young talent from the East Division is also something to be very excited about, especially as seen in the 2019 Home Run Derby by Blue Jays third baseman, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Current Leader: New York Yankees
Predicted Winner: New York Yankees; As the Yankees have shown clear domination in their division, it’s almost safe to say that that the Yankees domination will continue over the rest of the season. The consistency of the Yankees offense from players like Gio Urshela and DJ LeMahieu will lead the Yankees over the rest of their division.
American League West Division: (Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers)
As the Astros have a 6.5 game lead over the Wild Card contender, Oakland A’s, the Astros look to continue their domination over the West Division. As Houston has won their division two years in a row, it looks as if they will stay consistent to finish the season. However, the West Division race could get interesting as the Astros still have 11 games left against the Athletics this season. If the Athletics can continue to win, the series that they have left against Houston will be an opportunity to catch Houston, and possibly win the West Division. Key players like Alex Bregman, Matt Chapman, Jose Altuve, and Ramon Laureano will make the race for the West Division interesting to watch as the second half is underway.
Current Leader: Houston Astros
Predicted Winner: Houston Astros; As stated before, the Astros have won the West Division for the past two years, thanks to their consistency at bat and on the field. The same thing seems to be true for the 2019 Houston Astros. We believe that the division race will be close, but that the Astros will come out on top.
October Baseball
There’s no doubt that October baseball is the best and most exciting baseball that you will watch all year. Here is how we think that the road to the World Series will go this year.
Wild Card Battle:
The top two teams in the AL Wild Card race will be the Minnesota Twins and the Oakland A’s. The Twins will get the Wild Card spot to continue in the post-season.
American League Champion:
The New York Yankees will win the 2019 American League Pennant. Because of their consistency offensively and defensively, the New York Yankees will not only win the East Division, but win the American League Pennant, and play in the World Series.
KA Sports Talk 