MLB: June 1st Update

Posted on | June 1, 2009 | No Comments

Now things start to get interesting. The unofficial beginning of summer is Memorial Day. But the month of June feels more like summer. And that’s when the baseball games seem to begin to have real meaning.

So, as we sit here on June 1st, the only clear cut front runner to win their division is the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. Not only are they 8.5 games up, they also don’t have any other teams in their division who is good enough to challenge them. Barely being over .500 would probably win this division. And the Dodgers are on pace to possibly finish with the best record in baseball.

The other division winners in the National League are Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central and the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. But those divisions are far from over. The Mets and the Braves have a shot to win the NL East. And the Cubs, the Cardinals, and the Reds all have a shot in the NL Central.

In the American League, the New York Yankees, the Detroit Tigers, and the Texas Rangers all lead their divisions. But none of the divisions even have clear-cut favorites. I think the Yankees will be able to run away with the East, but certainly the Red Sox and the Rays have the talent to stick with the Yanks.

The Tigers look to be the class of the AL Central but the Twins, the White Sox, or the Royals could just as easily rise up and take over the division.

And in the West, it seems like the Angels should be the favorite but they continue to play mediocre baseball. Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers are playing great ball and they just might have what it takes to win the division.

On July 1st, it will be very interesting to see if there are any different teams at the top of any of the divisions.

Related posts:

1. MLB: Looking at the NL at the End of June
2. MLB: AL Standings as of the End of June
3. MLB: Great Races in the NL
4. MLB: Surprise Teams at the Top
5. MLB: Looking at the National League Leaders

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