With only two months left in the Major League Baseball season, the playoff races are starting to heat up as the season hits the homestretch with teams fighting for their chance to play in October. This National and American Leagues have provided us with many surprises so far, both good and bad, and they are sure to keep happening into the playoffs. For some, the 2015 season cannot end soon enough, but several others are looking to continue their season into the playoffs and through the World Series.
Surprises
So far, the 2015 season has been the year of the young star. Young players from all over the league including the Angels' Mike Trout, the Cubs' Chris Bryant and the Nationals' Bryce Harper, just to name a few, have all been playing out of their minds this year and are the young stars in the league for years to come. Besides these young stars, the league has been filled with many surprise teams this year, including the Kansas City Royals. While the Royals did make it to the World Series last fall, many people believed that they just had gotten hot, and there was no way that they would be able to do it again. However, with just under two months to go in the season, the Royals hold a nine and a half game lead in their division and are the best team in the American League. While this team was young and a nice story last year, they have turned into a rough team of youngsters who do not mess around, which has led to several bench clearing altercations between teams this season.
Other surprises this year include the Yankees who look like the Bronx Bombers of old now that Alex Rodriguez has been able to play. Shortly following the Yankees, though, in the American League East, is the Toronto Blue Jays who have made trades all over the place including long time Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki as well as former Detroit Tigers pitcher David Price to make the Blue Jays a talked-about team this late in the year for the first time in a long time.
Other surprises include the New York Mets and the Houston Astros whose success has made their stadiums feel like its the mid-2000s once again. Finally though, the biggest surprise of the year has been the Chicago Cubs. While I still have my doubts that this team will make the playoffs this year even though they are currently fighting for a Wild Card spot, they have been fun to watch, led by their third baseman Chris Bryant. It has been a long time since Wrigley Field has been this fired up, and this is the perfect team for Cubs fans to get behind.
Disappointments
While there have been many good stories this year, 2015 has not been good to everyone. As it is now August some teams just need to flip the calendar already to next year including the Cincinnati Reds who look as if the window at a World Series title has been shut due to their lack of intensity while playing the game. Even with the All-Star Game in their own backyard, the Reds have struggled this season to do anything and are sitting second to last in the NL Central with the best thing coming from their organization being Todd Frazier winning the Home Run Derby. Another team that has been noticeably bad is the Boston Red Sox. It is weird to think that this team won the World Series two years ago, and as Big Papi's (David Ortiz) career begins to fade out, it looks like their organization is as well unless they can acquire newer players. Other notable disappointments this year are the Seattle Mariners, who I felt were about to turn the corner because of their pitching but instead are sitting stagnant second to last in the tough AL West, as well as the Philadelphia Phillies, who once were a powerhouse team a few years ago led by Ryan Howard and instead have the worst record in baseball right now.
As the season winds down, all heads are turning to October to see who will be playing for the World Series. As of now, I predict to see the Royals and the Cardinals play their instate World Series, which would draw attention from viewers everywhere. However, that is just a prediction. Anything can happen once October rolls around.
