As the month of May passes, teams across baseball are shaping into who they will be for the rest of the season. We have seen World Series contenders get off to shaky starts, and underdogs emerge to the top of the standings. Now that we are officially into June, here are my Top 5 teams in the MLB.
1.Philadelphia Phillies - It only makes sense to have the team with the best record (40-18) atop the list through 60 games. The Phillies have been known to get off to mediocre starts and heat up as the summer months come, but the phills have not messed around this year. Currently #1 in runs per game (5.22) and #1 in the National League in team ERA (3.06), it is no surprise why Philly is already 6.5 ahead of any other squad in the NL East.
2. New York Yankees - The Bronx Bombers have the best team ERA in all of baseball (2.75), are #1 in ERA+ (145) and have the lowest H/9 in the MLB, this is all without their CY Young winner Gerrit Cole. To say the Yanks pitching staff has carried their weight would be a massive understatement. To go along with All-Star level pitching, Juan Soto and Aaron Judge have been two of the best players in baseball this year, and will most certainly be atop of the AL MVP ballot come November. Judge and Soto both rank in the top 4 of AL position player WAR, and have been must-see TV every time they step up to the batter's box.
3. Cleveland Guardians - The first surprise entry into the top 5, comes from a squad that is bottom 5 in team payroll. The Cleveland bullpen has arguably been the best in baseball, with their closer Emmanuel Clase putting up all-time numbers through June 1st. They currently are #1 in the AL in runs-per-game (5.14), with a bulk of their offensive production coming from a name most fans have never heard of until this season. David Fry is off to a historic start in 2024, putting up a .352 Avg, 1.114 Ops, and an insane 222 OPS+. Cleveland sits atop the surprisingly competitive AL Central, where 4 of 5 teams are .500 or better.
4. Los Angeles Dodgers - The team that spent over $1 Billion during the 2023 offseason has seen its fair share of ups and downs, but look to be a formidable force come October. Shohei Ohtani has lived up to the $700 Million price tag, but the bottom third of the lineup has been disappointing. Last week saw a 5 game-losing streak for LA, but overall, the Hollywood A-list lineup has been every bit of what was advertised.
5. Baltimore Orioles - Coming off a 101-win campaign in 2023, the Birds were seen as true World Series contenders in 24. Baltimore has had MVP-level play from 2023 ROY winner Gunner Henderson, who currently has the highest WAR in all of baseball (3.8). Currently 2nd in the AL in HR (79) and OPS+ (115), the young guns will surely be looking to win their first AL pennant since 1983. Besides the play of CF Cedric Mullins, there truly is no weak spot in this lineup, only time will tell if they can overtake the Yankees for the AL East crown.
Through 2 full months of MLB action, those are my top 5 teams in baseball. Stay tuned for next week's article where we will be taking a look at the bottom 5 teams in MLB.
Comments