Divisional races don’t get hectic until we head down the stretch, but let’s take a quick look at the current division leaders across Major League Baseball and the MLBbros that play key roles in how successful these teams will ultimately be.
NL West – Los Angeles Dodgers
Nothing to see here, just the Dodgers doing what the Dodgers do (at least in the regular season). Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani have been the best duo in baseball since opening day, and the two have shown no signs of slowing down.
Betts is slashing .339/.441/.980 with six home runs, 27 RBI and 56 hits in 165 at-bats while continuing to settle in at shortstop. With division rivals San Diego, Arizona and San Fran battling to stay around .500, we could look up at the All-Star break and the LA Dodgers have yet again run away with the division.
NL Central – Milwaukee Brewers
After losing manager Craig Counsel to division rival Chicago and trading ace Corbin Burns to Baltimore, most of the baseball world expected the Milwaukee Brewers to take a step back this season. The loss of our MLBbro Devin ‘Airbender’ Williams only made calls for a full rebuild louder. The Brewers front office had other plans.
Led by catcher William Contreras, Milwaukee has begun to heat up while young teams like Cincinnati and Pittsburgh have yet to find their footing. The Brewers Top 10 bullpen will get a boost with the return of Williams, but patience will be key as the original diagnosis in March had him sidelined for at least three months. Centerfielder Blake Perkins has also made some significant contributions.
NL East – Philadelphia Phillies
Fresh off of a disappointing NLCS loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Phillies came into 2024 looking to build upon their recent success by preventing the Atlanta Braves from winning their seventh consecutive NL East Pennant. As we prepare for the summer to officially begin, the Phillies offense has already begun to heat things up en route to an early division lead.
Philly has the second-best run differential in the National League and recently got a boost from MLBbro Taijuan Walker’s return from the IL. Walker is 3-0 with a 4.82 ERA and gives the Phillies another innings eater to strengthen their rotation.
AL West – Seattle Mariners
Over the past two or three seasons, the Seattle Mariners are a team that has teased us with their potential. Notoriously slow starts, the Mariners have set a different tone this season and currently lead the top-heavy AL West. J.P Crawford is still searching for his rhythm at the plate, but the pitching staff has been the driving force behind their early success.
AL Central – Cleveland Guardians
The Cleveland Guardians have been one of the best teams in baseball despite the loss of ace Shane Bieber. It’s been a blessing for them to have young gun Triston “Dr. Sticks” McKenzie back from injury.
The team that is traditionally known for great pitching and defense has begun to see sparks fly in the batter’s box as well.
Josh Naylor has cemented himself in the Guardians four spot and finally looks ready to live up the hype surrounding the 12th overall pick of the 2015 MLB draft. With Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis injured for Minnesota, the battle of bros at the top of this division may be over before it had a chance to truly begin.
AL East – Baltimore Orioles
After bursting onto the scene last season, Cedric Mullins and the Baltimore Orioles have let it be known that last season was no fluke. MLB’s number one prospect Jackson Holliday struggled before being sent back to Triple-A but that has not stopped the O’s from continuing to be a thorn in the Yankees side.
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