Major League Baseball Mid-Season Review

Commissioner Bud Selig has continually preached through the years about creating competitive balance in Major League Baseball. What better time than now to put his words to the test? Has the luxury tax money trickling down to the small-and-middle market clubs helped them stay in the race? With half a season down and half to go, let’s take a look at how many teams are still competing for those precious eight playoff spots, and which ones are already DONE!

DONE!

Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals

The concept of being DONE! is quite simple: It means you’re unofficially eliminated from playoff contention. Some of the names on this list should be obvious, as Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Washington, Kansas City and Baltimore are once again having awful seasons. Every year these teams seem to master the art of being DONE! before the All-Star break. In contrast, Toronto and Seattle have at least tried to become competitive. Both have actively pursued and landed high-priced free agents over the past two off-seasons. Despite their aggressive approach, both have remained in the American League basement. The Astros are 13 games back in the NL Central – enough said. The two most surprising names on the list are Cleveland and Colorado. As we know, both played deep into October last season, with Cleveland losing in the ALCS and Colorado in the World Series, both to the eventual World Champion Boston Red Sox. All totaled, over 1/3 of Major League Baseball, 11 teams in all, are DONE! with three months of baseball still remaining. I wonder what Bud Selig would say about all 11 teams residing in small markets. With the game's economics as they are, the climb facing small-market clubs has become increasingly more difficult, as the teams with more resources continue to dominate the standings. So much for all that talk about competitive balance. Now, in no particular order, let’s see who’s for real from the rest of the larger pack.

CONTENDERS OR PRETENDERS?

Tampa Bay Rays – Look no further for the #1 surprise in all of baseball. Somehow this perennial doormat has remained among the league's elite for the entire first half. Finally, a small-market team has joined the party! The Rays recently sent a message to the Red Sox down in Tampa by sweeping a three-game set but have since lost seven straight to relinquish first place in the AL East heading into the All-Star break. Assuming Tampa returns to first-half form, they look poised to give the Red Sox, Yankees and everyone else in the American League all they can handle in the second half. Verdict: Contender

Boston Red Sox – Trust me, the Sox have taken notice of Tampa’s blistering first half. However, after all the talk about the Rays, it’s Boston in sole possession of first place at the All-Star break. The Red Sox, to a man, while cognizant of Tampa, are probably more concerned with the looming presence of the Yankees, who they lead by six games. The anticipated return of David Ortiz from a wrist injury that has sidelined him since June 3rd will provide Boston with an additional boost to begin the second half treck. Verdict: Contender

San Francisco Giants – Even though the Giants are 12.5 games off of the wild card pace, they remain only seven back in the lousy NL West. For a team 15 games under .500, the lone thing keeping them from DONE! status is their proximity to first. Verdict: Pretender

Texas Ranger – The Rangers are a classic example of a team trying to slug their way to a pennant. They lead the majors in runs scored but also in runs allowed. Currently 7.5 games off the division lead and 8.5 off of the wild card, the Rangers are bordering on irrelevancy. The one thing necessary to make a late-season charge is pitching, and that’s the one thing Texas lacks. Verdict: Pretender

Minnesota Twins – Every year the Twins seem to defy logic and compete admirably on a modest budget. This off-season the defects were worse than normal, as Johan Santana and Torii Hunter both left town for exorbitant money from larger-market teams. This caused expectations to start low, but they are suddenly rising as the Twins are only 1.5 games out of first place in the AL Central. With the White Sox just ahead of them and the Tigers beginning to heat up below them, the Twins will be in a dogfight to the finish in one of the most competitive divisions in baseball. Verdict: Contender

Milwaukee Brewers – The Brewers started the NL Central arms race by trading for ace C.C. Sabathia – a move that was immediately countered by Chicago’s acquisition of Rich Harden. Now the Brewers have paired a Sheets-Sabathia one-two punch with one of the most potent offenses in the game. The Brewers trail the wild-card-leading Cardinals by the slightest of margins and are now one of the most complete teams in the National League. Verdict: Contender

Philadelphia Phillies – The Phillies have lost 18 of 29 over the past month, allowing the Mets and Marlins to move within a hair of first place. We all know what this team can do when their bats get hot (see last September). The question for the Phils is whether they have enough pitching to maintain control of this three-team race and advance deep into October. Verdict: Contender

Los Angeles Angels – The Angels enjoy the largest division lead in the majors (6 games) going into the All-Star game. With only one player currently batting over .300, the Angels do all the little things necessary to win ball games. Expect LA to be in the mix for a bat at the trade deadline and easily cruise to the AL West crown. Verdict: Contender

Los Angeles Dodgers – The Dodgers have been an enigma all season. They came to camp with a team that, on paper, looked like the possible cream-of-the-crop in the National League. Yet things have failed to materialize in LA this season, as they limp into the break with a measly 46-49 record. The two things Dodger fans can count on is that they play in the lousy NL West and they have Joe Torre. Verdict: Contender

Detroit Tigers – If the New York Mets take the cake as the most under achieving team in the National League, then the same could be said about the Detroit Tigers in the American League. They quickly became everybody's sexy World Series pick this past off-season after trading for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis. Then, aside from a two-and-a-half week stretch where they played great, the rest of the season has been a disaster. This team remains a complete question mark, but they have shown the ability to get hot and simply have too much talent to disregard. Verdict: Contender

Florida Marlins – The Marlins have a formula for success, albeit a strange one. They like to win the World Series and then trade their entire roster for prospects. They've executed this strategy twice in recent years, winning & dumping in ’97 and ’03. The moves they made following the ’97 season led to their ’03 title, and the more you watch this young crop develop, it looks like the trades following the ’03 title could lead to another one in the near future. In the second half we’ll see if they can pull off this Houdini act ahead of schedule? Verdict: Contender

St Louis Cardinals – How are the Cardinals leading the wild card, you ask? Well…Albert Pujols is hitting .350; Rick Ankiel has 20 homeruns; Ryan Ludwick made the All-Star game; Troy Glaus is having a bounce-back year; and free-agent-acquisition Kyle Lohse is 10-2. People in St. Louis are wondering if this is an aberration or the foundation for another unexpected World Series run? Verdict: Contender

Oakland Athletics – The A’s are six games above .500 and within reach of both the division lead and the wild card. The problem: Now they need exactly what they recently traded – pitching! Cost-cutting decisions to trade Dan Haren, Rich Harden and Joe Blanton have left the cupboard bare. These move, made with the future in mind, will prove costly in the present. Verdict: Pretender.

Arizona Diamondbacks – Arizona fans should thank their lucky stars that they have Brandon Webb and Dan Haren, because with them lies hope. The pathetic thing about the NL Central is that the 47-48 Diamondbacks actually lead the division. The D-backs are offensively challenged, but the one-two punch at the top of their rotation should be enough to win this weak division. Verdict: Contender

Atlanta Braves – The big questions surrounding Atlanta these days are whether or not they should trade Mark Teixeira? And can Chipper Jones bat .400? Aside from that, it’s just a matter of time before they're officially declared DONE! Verdict: Pretender

Chicago White Sox – The White Sox compliment their sporadic hitting with some of the best pitching in baseball. So far it’s been enough. Ozzie Guillen once again has his finger on the pulse of this team, as evident by their first-place status at the turn. They might not be as good as their ’05 counterpart, but they probably have enough pitching to make the playoffs. Verdict: Contender

Chicago Cubs – The year was 1908. Theodore Roosevelt decided to pass on a third term, handing the Presidency over to William Howard Taft; and the Model T was the hottest thing on the road. It was also the last time the Cubs won the World Series. One hundred years later, they are celebrating their Centennial anniversary with the league's best record. Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden rival any one-two punch in baseball and their offense is explosive. How explosive? The Cubs are one of only two teams with over 500 runs, while leading the majors in run differential at +106. The Red Sox recently reversed the curse of the Bambino; is the curse of the Billy Goat next? Verdict: Contender

New York Yankees – The Bombers will be looking to take flight in the second half and close down Yankee Stadium with a bang. Injuries to major cogs such as Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, Chien-Ming Wang, Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, Johnny Damon, and Hideki Matsui have hurt New York. A healthy second half should be all the talent-laden Yankees need to get back to the top of the wild card. Another half like they just experienced and they’ll be on the outside of the post season looking in for the first time since 1993. Verdict: Contender

New York Mets – Saving the best for last? Well, maybe that’s a stretch, but the Mets are the hottest team in baseball. They are currently in the midst of a ten-game winning streak that has salvaged what appeared to be a lost season. Everything Jerry Manuel touches turns to gold, as the Mets are starting to look more like the World Series contenders they were projected to be, and less like the below .500 team they were two weeks ago. Verdict: Contender

Nick G Sports Banter Playoff Predictions:

American League:

AL EAST – Boston Red Sox
AL CENTRAL – Chicago White Sox
AL WEST – Los Angeles Angels
AL WILDCARD – New York Yankees

National League:

NL EAST – New York Mets
NL CENTRAL – Chicago Cubs
NL WEST – Arizona Diamondbacks
NL WILDCARD – Milwaukee Brewers

Divisional Round:

Boston Red Sox over Chicago White Sox; Los Angeles Angels over New York Yankees

Chicago Cubs over Arizona Diamondbacks; New York Mets over Milwaukee Brewers

ALCS:

Boston Red Sox over Los Angeles Angels

NLCS:

Chicago Cubs over New York Mets

WORLD SERIES: Boston Red Sox over Chicago Cubs