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It is just two weeks away from Independence Day. The MLB trade deadline is at the end of July and it will be here before we know it. Playoff contending teams will look to upgrade the roster before then. Who are the top 10 teams in the MLB?
10. Washington Nationals: The Nationals are starting to hit some lows. They haven't been exactly hot every since Daniel Murphy returned. Washington is just 3-7 in their last 10 games and have a 39-32 record.
The Nationals only hold a one-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies for the second wild spot in the National League. Juan Soto continues to rake for the Washington Nationals. He hit the game-winning two-run homer in a 5-3 win against the New York Yankees.
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That game was continued from May 15 because it was suspended after the top of the sixth inning and the game was tied at three. Soto wasn't even in the majors yet. He has a .326 batting average with six home runs and 14 RBI's, along with one stolen base. Last week's ranking: 8.
9. Arizona Diamondbacks: The Diamondbacks bullpen blew a 3-1 lead to the New York Mets in the ninth inning on Sunday Afternoon at home. It would have been a series win for the Diamondbacks, instead, it was a split.
Arizona is 6-4 in their last 10 and they currently lead the NL West with a 40-33 record. The Diamondbacks are playing better without A.J. Pollock and they have adjusted nicely. Last week's ranking: 10.
8. Cleveland Indians: The Indians are riding a three-game winning streak and they look to sweep the Chicago White Sox at home on Wednesday Afternoon. Cleveland is very good at home this season with a 23-13 record, but they struggle on the road with a 16-20 record.
The Indians lead the AL Central with a 39-33 record. After this weekend, the Indians will hit the road for nine games. Edwin Encarnacion is helping out the cause in the power department for the Cleveland Indians.
His batting average is .226 with 16 home runs and 42 RBI's. His on-base percentage is .304. Last week's ranking: 9.
7. Chicago Cubs: Javier Baez got drilled with a pitch in the elbow in the third inning on Sunday Night on the road against the St. Louis Cardinals. He did not return to the game. The injury looked serious, but it wasn't thankfully.
Baez played in the second game of the doubleheader against the Los Angeles Dodgers at home on Tuesday. He went 1-for-4 in that game with an RBI. The Cubs split the doubleheader with the Dodgers. Chicago lost game 1, 4-3 and they won game 2, 3-2. Their record so far this season is 41-29.
They have the first wild-card spot in the NL and they are just 0.5 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers for first in the division. The Cubs will look to take the series against the Dodgers on Wednesday Afternoon at home.
Chicago will hit the road for two consecutive four-game sets against the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Last week's ranking: 6.
6. Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers have been inconsistent with the bats and pitching. Milwaukee lost two-out-of-three over the weekend at home to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Brewers got shut out on the road to the Pittsburgh Pirates 1-0 on Monday Night and then they won 3-2 on Tuesday Night.
Milwaukee's record is 43-30 and they lead the NL Central by 0.5 games over the Chicago Cubs. Jesus Aguilar and Travis Shaw each have 14 home runs and 45 RBI's. Aguilar's batting average is .298 and Shaw's batting average is .246. Last week's ranking: 7.
5. Atlanta Braves: The Braves continue to work hard and produce wins on the baseball field. They are 7-3 in their last 10 games.
They have a need major need for a third baseman. Atlanta could look to trade for Manny Machado from the Baltimore Orioles or Mike Moustakas from the Kansas City Royals. The Atlanta Braves have the best record in the National League at 43-29. Last week's ranking: 5.
4. Seattle Mariners: The Mariners continue to surprise people in the MLB and they are also one of the best teams in baseball. Manager Scott Servais has done a very good job getting his team ready to play every night.
The Mariners are currently on a 10-game road trip. They dropped the first one 7-2 on Tuesday Night against the New York Yankees on the road. After the Yankees, Seattle plays Boston for three games and Baltimore for four games. The Mariners split the series over the weekend against the Red Sox. Felix Hernandez (6-6, 5.44 ERA) will look to find his groove against the New York Yankees on the road on Wednesday Night.
Jean Segura continues to be the heart and soul of the Seattle Mariners. He has a .344 batting average with six home runs and 44 RBI's, along with 14 stolen bases. Mitch Haniger continues to have a breakout season with a .265 batting average with 16 home runs and 54 RBI's, along with two stolen bases.
The Mariners record is 46-27. They currently hold the first wild-card spot in the American League and are two games back of the Houston Astros for first in the AL West. Last week's ranking: 3.
3. Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox have played four more games than the New York Yankees have and Boston is one game back of the Yankees in the AL East Standings. That's not a good thing. Even though baseball is a long season, it may not look good in the long run especially if Boston wants to avoid the wild-card game.
The Red Sox record so far this season is 49-25. After Boston concludes their 10-game road trip, they will be home for six games. Three against the Seattle Mariners and three against the Los Angeles Angels.
Boston split the series on the road against Seattle over the weekend. Chris Sale was ejected in the seventh inning in last Wednesday's 5-0 win on the road against the Baltimore Orioles. Last week's ranking: 1.
2. New York Yankees: The Yankees lead the AL East by one game over the Boston Red Sox. New York has played four fewer games than Boston has right now and that's a good thing for the Yankees. I am sure the Yankees want to avoid the wild-card game at all costs. They currently have the best win-percentage in baseball at .686.
The Yankees continue to have one of the best, fun, and entertaining offenses in all of baseball. Last week's ranking: 2.
1.Houston Astros: The Astros' 12-game winning streak was snapped on Tuesday Night by the Tampa Bay Rays in a 2-1 game. Houston leads the AL West with a 49-26 record and they are two games up on the Seattle Mariners.
The Astros are one of the most talented teams in baseball. Houston has both solid starting pitching and offense. Manager A.J. Hinch continues to do a good job leading the charge for the Astros in the dugout. Houston continues their nine-game homestand against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday Night.
They will then play three games against the Kansas City Royals and the Toronto Blue Jays. Jose Altuve leads baseball in all-star voting. His batting average is .341 with five home runs and 37 RBI's, along with 11 stolen bases. His on-base percentage is .396. George Springer has a .278 batting average with 14 homeruns and 41 RBI's, along with five stolen bases. He has a .354 on-base percentage.
Justin Verlander has a 9-2 record with a 1.60 ERA. In 107 innings pitched, he has given up 62 hits and 21 runs. Verlander has only walked 21 batters and has struck out 130. Gerrit Cole has an 8-1 record with a 2.59 ERA. In 100.2 innings pitched, he has given up 60 hits and 30 runs. Cole has walked 30 batters and struck out 108. Last week's ranking: 4.
Do you agree with the rankings for this week? Sound off in the comments section below!
