As of right now, the Atlanta Braves are leading the season. Meanwhile, Los Angeles is behind them, looking to replace favorites. On the other hand, the Tampa Bay Rays are lagging a bit as the World Series is ongoing. With the All-Star Game behind us, the MLB season is starting to go into the trading season. The deadline is a few weeks ahead of us and will make some waves. But as of now, the same names on the top of the World Series are still the same.
The Atlanta Braves are still on top of the charts, and it seems no one will be there to stop them in the NL West. However, on the other side of the league, the Los Angeles Dodgers want to beat the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL. Things are starting to heat, but let’s look at the favorites to win the World Series.
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves were in the rough spot right outside the gates of the All-Star game. They lost two of the three games against the disappointing Chicago White Sox, who are soon-to-be selling. They might have opened the second half of the festivities with a 9-0 with the Pale Horse but with two losses afterward. That doesn’t look too good.
However, with their six games with playoff contenders soon, they might regain their fans’ trust quickly. Not only that, but they have Ronald Acuna Jr. on their team. He’s the likeliest contender for this season’s MVP. It seems they will have a smooth ride shortly to the finals. Or at least, that’s what their fans hope.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers won against the Mets with a 6-0 and ultimately allowed three runs over the weekend. However, they lost on Sunday, so who knows what will happen next. Thankfully, the Dodgers want another run in October against the Arizona Diamondbacks, who lost all three games in Toronto.
Thankfully, their offense is still in good shape. Max Muncy lost a few weeks early, and Gavin Lux suffered a season-ending incident during spring training. Luckily, the Dodger bats remain intact. But on the other hand, it seems like they have been suffering from many injuries, especially with Clayton Kershaw, who is still recuperating from another season-ending injury but hopes to return early in August.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays are in trouble, and that’s putting it mildly. They might have won all three over the weekend, but that’s against the Kansas City Royals. What’s worse is that Zach Eflin, who is normally a steady right-hander, got lit up with seven hits in three innings without a single strikeout.
But sure, one bad start can’t define a whole season or indicate the fading away of a pitcher, but still, injuries have been plaguing the team all season long. But with the Toronto Blue Jays only six games back, and the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees sharing the same thing, the Tampa Bay Rays might have to thread a very thin needle to stay healthy during the season. Better said than done, though.
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are going steady right now regarding MLB odds, but that might be because of their past success and the fans believing they could weather out the storm they’re in. Jose Urquidy, who is already in rehab, will join the rotation soon, but on Saturday, Framber Valdez was forced to leave against the Angels with a calf cramp.
But despite being on the road this week, the Astros have a few cushy matchups with the Rockies and the A’s. If they are willing to be busy in the trade season like they have in the past, the fans’ concerns might be gone in just a month. Sometimes, all it takes is a trade and a team can drastically improve their odds of winning the season with that trade.
Texas Rangers
There have been many doubts with the Texas Rangers this season, but most of them vanished as they beat the Cleveland Guardians and will now be hosting the Rays and the Dodgers. These games will be a test of their legitimacy as a playoff contender.
Corey Seager is still a legitimate MVP contender but is still categorized as a very unlikely shot with Shohei Ohtani and ahead of him. Not only that, but the rest of the team’s offense boasts a few great bats like Marcus Semien and Adolis Garcia.
Final Words
The World Series is starting to heat up as we enter the trading season. This period is usually where things get interesting, as the teams will prove their legitimacy of being playoff contenders. Now that the playoffs are just around the corner, it will be far more exciting. Not only that, but fans are now starting to pile up their bets as to which team will win the World Series this year.