With the All-Star break behind us, we are past the halfway point of the MLB season.
It’s been a wild year, with many teams exceeding expectations and others disappointing.
The Charlatan offered up previews for these teams earlier in the year, but now with 100 games behind us, let’s see where they all stack up.
1. Detroit Tigers
Yeah, this is getting ridiculous. The Tigers keep winning, so while a few of the teams below them may be flashier, you can’t argue with the results. Tarik Skubal is one of the best pitchers we’ve ever seen, and Riley Greene does not get the love he deserves.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
This team is ridiculously unfair, and we probably shouldn’t even be judging them in the regular season. This is the baseball version of the Kevin Durant Golden State Warriors.
3. Chicago Cubs
The Kyle Tucker trade was amazing, yes, but how about the trade from four years ago that sent Javier Baez to the Mets for Pete Crow-Armstrong? P.C.A. has looked like a strong MVP candidate this year with his outstanding defense, aggressive baserunning and clutch hitting. If they add a top-tier starting pitcher, this team could be even scarier.
4. Houston Astros
How do they keep doing it? This was going to be the year they fell off. Instead, they have the second-best record in the American League, and that’s with superstar hitter Yordan Alvarez still injured. This is a hot team that is probably overperforming, but no matter what, we’ve learned never to doubt the Astros.
5. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies are the Phillies — what’s new? They have a stacked pitching rotation led by Cy Young award favourite Zack Wheeler and an offence that puts up runs like crazy. They are one of the top contenders again this year.
6. Toronto Blue Jays
Well this is surprising! The Jays have been on a non-stop heater for weeks now, with clutch hitting leading them to an impressive 10-game win streak right before the break. Players like Alejandro Kirk and George Springer are in the midst of potential career years, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is mashing as always. Just don’t ask about the starting pitching.
7. New York Yankees
They may have lost Juan Soto, but the Yankees are still a force to be reckoned with. Aaron Judge remains the best player in baseball, and Max Fried is proving to be a generationally underrated pitcher. Their division is a bit more competitive this year, but there’s a good chance they can win it again.
8. Milwaukee Brewers
Death, taxes and the “Brew Crew” exceeding expectations in a season where many thought they’d take a few steps back. Jacob Misiorowski is the real deal, folks. Despite having some control issues on the mound, his fastball could be the best heater ever thrown.
9. Boston Red Sox
This team is winning a ton of games, yet the story around them has been the Rafael Devers trade. There was tons of drama around this, but to summarize, the team didn’t want Devers playing third base anymore because he was statistically one of the worst in the game at the hot corner. He trained as a designated hitter in the offseason and was then told to play first base instead. He refused, and the team shipped him off. They gave up their long-time face of the franchise, and fans are mad. If you can get past that, though, Garrett Crochet has been everything advertised and more, and the team has been hot in the second half.
10. New York Mets
The Mets were dynamite to start the season, even with super free agent Juan Soto not performing at the highest level. Now, Soto has gotten hot, but everyone else has cooled down, and the team suffered ugly losses in the process. It’s a shame how injured their pitching staff is.
11. Tampa Bay Rays
The season at Steinbrenner Field began as a tragedy, with the team struggling to make the most out of their temporary home. Since the bats began to heat up in late May, this team has been incredible. Breakout star Jonathan Aranda, young sensation Junior Caminero and veteran slugger Brandon Lowe have all been fantastic. The pitching has been solid as well, with Ryan Pepiot and Shane Baz inching closer and closer to being among the best righty pitchers in the game.
12. San Diego Padres
This team has been hot and cold. They had a really strong start at home before their offence dried up, and they got swept. It’s honestly tough to predict what we will get out of this team on a year-to-year basis, as they frequently oscillate between overperforming and underperforming. Maybe they’re just a good team, not a great one, which is what this season is showing.
13. San Francisco Giants
Their unexpected hot start is starting to unravel. Could it be because they acquired Rafael Devers in a trade? Obviously not, but the narratives will begin if they don’t figure this out. This is a pitching-first team that plays in a pitcher-friendly ballpark, though it’s surprising how much some of their new acquisitions have underperformed at home.
14. Seattle Mariners
The Mariners have seemingly shed their “all pitching, no offense” label this season, with better hitting and worse pitching than in years prior. The story here, though, is Cal Raleigh, who is on pace to shatter the home run record for a catcher. We all know Aaron Judge is great, but Raleigh should be the AL MVP. He’s doing all this at the plate while also being one of the best in the game behind it.
15. St Louis Cardinals
The team known for “Devil Magic” is currently pulling it off again, as they have a seriously impressive record for a team many wrote off. This is a true team effort, as no players on either side of the ball have consistently stood out. They just keep on trucking along, grabbing wins in the process.
16. Arizona Diamondbacks
It’s a standard Diamondbacks year. They’re third in all of baseball in runs scored, yet they’ve allowed almost as many runs against them. They lost new ace Corbin Burnes early to an elbow injury, and old ace Zac Gallen, known for being reliable, has been anything but. It feels like this team is going to make a second-half push with hitters like Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo playing out of their minds.
17. Cincinnati Reds
There would be more hype for this team if the rest of their division weren’t also exceeding expectations. The Reds, now under legendary manager Terry Francona, have been exciting with Elly De La Cruz continuing to do the impossible night after night, and many of their pitchers having career years. Let’s see if they can keep it going.
18. Minnesota Twins
Something needs to be shaken up with this core, stat. It’s just not working, despite the talent levels on display here. It might also be time to admit Carlos Correa is over the hill, and Royce Lewis won’t become that superstar — or even just the great player we want him to be. At least Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan are holding up their ends of the bargain.
19. Kansas City Royals
Last year, the Royals had insane numbers at their home field of Kaufmann Stadium. This year, it’s the opposite. They are struggling to hit in Kansas City, with franchise face Bobby Witt Jr. regressing and potential superstar Jac Caglianone looking lost at the plate. On the pitching side, the Kris Bubic breakout is fun, as he has taken the helm as ace of the staff with Cole Ragans sidelined.
20. Texas Rangers
Was their 2023 World Series win a fluke? Probably not, but they haven’t been able to regain the magic. Their run differential shows they should have a better record and their veterans still could turn it around but overall it’s been pretty rough. Great pitching though. Jacob deGrom is always a treat to watch.
21. Los Angeles Angels
This team should not be hovering around .500 this year. Their hitting is solid, but their pitching is shockingly bad. This is just a franchise that seems to really like the first half of the season. It’s nice to see Mike Trout playing every day, even if he doesn’t look like his old self.
22. Atlanta Braves
Atlanta is the most disappointing team in the National League this year, as they’ve failed to look like the high-powered contender they’ve been every year of the decade so far. At least Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuna Jr. are back?
23. Miami Marlins
This team had some really fun moments this year, including piecing together an 11-game road win streak. They also got swept by the Rockies and their typical saving grace — starting pitching — has been pretty abysmal.
24. Baltimore Orioles
This team was expected to be a juggernaut this year, similarly to the last couple of seasons. Instead, they’ve sat in dead last in their division for months now, and it certainly doesn’t look like this will change. They can have all the talent on offense they want, but if you don’t have any talented pitchers, you’re not going to win.
25. Cleveland Guardians
This is just not the year. They had an incredible run last season, going head-to-head with the Yankees in the ALCS, but the magic has run out. This team is really lacking in the starting pitcher department, as they lost Matthew Boyd in free agency and Luis L. Ortiz is currently undergoing a gambling-related investigation. Things are looking bleak in Cleveland.
26. Pittsburgh Pirates
It’s all about Paul Skenes. He’s the most marketed pitcher in the game and he’s proving he deserves the love with his combination of high-velocity pitches and crafty command. Too bad his record is terrible in the games he starts because… well, the Pirates.
27. Washington Nationals
Some thought they’d make the leap this year, but they thought wrong, unfortunately. Ever since their 2019 World Series, the Nationals have been in a state of purgatory. But hey, teams are fearing 22-year-old James Wood like he’s Barry Bonds. That has to count for something, right?
28. Athletics
After a hot start, the Athletics have been awful. Their home ballpark in Sacramento has been a nightmare for pitchers, especially Luis Severino. It’s made even worse by the fact that we don’t have a clue what the future of this team looks like. They could be stuck here for a while.
29. Chicago White Sox
At least it’s not last year’s White Sox, right? We probably won’t be seeing good baseball on the South Side of Chicago anytime soon, but at least they aren’t breaking the all-time loss record.
30. Colorado Rockies
Ouch.
Featured image from Lesly Juarez/Unsplash
