Recommended for you

Start writing a post

Arts Entertainment

A Division-By-Division Review Of The MLB In May

Now that it is more than 1/3 of the way into the season, the good teams have separated themselves from the bad ones.

Nithik Balachandran

Jun 18, 2019

Alpharetta, Georgia

676

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ichiro_Suzuki_on_May_11,_2011_(orig).jpg

May was one of the most exciting months of baseball in a long time. For some insight, the MLB set the record for most home runs hit in any one month at 1,135 home runs. Austin Riley, the newest call-up for the Braves, has gone on a historic tear with nine home runs in his first 18 games, good enough for NL Rookie of the Month. Hyun-Jin Ryu, the Dodgers pitcher, is the NL Pitcher of the Month after giving up just three runs total in all of May. So let's take a look at what has happened inside each division in May.

(All statistics and standings referenced come from https://www.mlb.com/)

AL

AL East

Unsurprisingly, the Yankees have jumped out to lead the division over the Rays by 2.5 games, despite the Rays being 12 games over .500. I strongly believe the Rays will still make the playoffs, considering they are the leading AL Wild Card team by a good five games. In other news, the Red Sox are above .500 with a record of 31 wins to 29 losses, as I previously predicted. They had quite a slow start and are 7.5 games back, so they will likely have to contest for the other of the two wild card spots this year. The Blue Jays and the Orioles are just having brutally tough years.

AL Central

The Twins are literally the best team in baseball right now in my opinion, with a league-leading .678 winning percentage to back that up, and a lopsided 41 wins to 19 loss record. They are on a historic power tear, being the second team ever to hit 100 homers in their first 50 games. Everyone else in the AL Central is disappointing, with the so-called "easy" divisional champs, the Cleveland Indians, being a whopping 10.5 games back. The White Sox and Tigers are struggling to produce offense and the Royals are just all-around terrible and having a forgettable year.

AL West

The AL West has quickly changed its dynamic and moved back to its expected ways after the month of May. The Astros have surged and taken the lead by 10 games, while the Mariners had a wonderful fall from grace. I truly believed that the Mariners had figured something out and that after April, they truly were a decent team. But after starting 13-2 much to the surprise of many, they went from first to worst in the division and are now sitting at a terrible 26-40, winning just 13 games out of 51 played after their good start. The Rangers, As, and Angels are all mediocre teams, and Houston has set themselves for another division win.

NL

NL East

The NL East is shaping up to be one of the more interesting divisional races, with no clear frontrunner. The Phillies are on top right now, but the Braves are just a couple of games back. Last year, the same story was there with the Phillies leading going into the All-Star Break, but the Braves had a fantastic second half and comfortably won the title. However, each team in the NL East still has time to make a surge, with the Nationals and Mets having good starting pitching, and the Marlins starting to heat up, winning six of their last 10 games and even sweeping the Tigers. I would not put it past the NL East to become a four-team race heading into the later parts of the year. I still expect the Braves to win the division if they can find a proper number 4 and number 5 pitcher in their rotation, as the offense is there to back them up. Now that they have signed Dallas Keuchel, the Braves will likely solidify themselves as the division leaders in the next month. Regardless, a wild card spot or two will come from this division.

NL Central

The NL Central, like the NL East, is turning out to be a competitive, interesting division. After, a slow start, the Cubs have returned to lead the NL Central, but only alongside the Brewers and NL MVP candidate Christian Yelich. The Cardinals, Pirates, and Reds are only 3.5, 5.0 and 7.0 games back respectively. I really like the Reds and believe they can heat up and push up to second or third in the division, and maybe even claim a wildcard spot. The Pirates are somehow 28-31 despite a -75 run differential thanks to their abysmal pitching, so I think the Reds can easily surpass them. Also, now that the Cubs have signed elite closer Craig Kimbrel, they can finish off games and win ballgames more comfortably. If the Brewers manage to snatch the division, that wild card spot is always there for the Cubs.

NL West

The Dodgers are playing good baseball (again) and are on a similar track to their AL West counterpart, the Houston Astros, with a division lead of 9 games. Similar to the AL West, the rest of the teams are pretty mediocre with records around .500, with the Giants being the lone wolf and being 10 games under a .500 win percentage. I believe both the Rockies and the Padres have it in them to push for one of the two wild card spots, as the Rockies have been a streaky team this year and the Padres nearing the end of their rebuild. If the Padres were to make a late push, they need the young Tatis Jr., just coming off the Injured List, to stay healthy and boost their offense.

Report this Content

This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

Student Life

How To Prepare For The Library: Finals Edition

10 ways to prepare for finals week—beginning with getting to the library.

University of Dayton

365

How To Prepare For The Library: Finals Edition

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

It’s that time of year again when college students live at the library all week, cramming for tests that they should have started studying for last month. Preparing to spend all day at the library takes much consideration and planning. Use these tips to help get you through the week while spending an excessive amount of time in a building that no one wants to be in.

Keep Reading...Show less

library

Student Life

26 Things to Thank Our Roommates For

Who knows where we would be without them.

Michigan State University

258

StableDiffusion

Where do we begin when we start talking about our roommates? You practically spend every moment with them, they become your second family and they deal with you at your best and at your absolute worst. They are there to make you laugh just a little harder, cry a little less and make each day a little better. We often forget to thank them for the little things that they do to make college even a tiny bit easier and more fun. This list of 26 things are what you should thank your roommates for right this minute and every day that you live with them.

Keep Reading...Show less

roommates

Entertainment

Disney magic for New Year!

The "Happiest Place on Earth" has a lot of characters with some pretty great advice.

Butler University

6521

Disney magic kingdom castle on new years

StableDiffusion

Disney movies are well known and very popular in today's world. Although many people appreciate the plot and the storyline, not many people appreciate the wisdom these characters possess. Every Disney movie has unique advice that can be applied to everyday life. Here are 11 Disney quotes to help start your New Year off right:

Keep Reading...Show less

disney movies

Recommended for you

A Division-By-Division Review Of The MLB In May

Now that it is more than 1/3 of the way into the season, the good teams have separated themselves from the bad ones.

AL

AL East

AL Central

AL West

NL

NL East

NL Central

NL West

Subscribe to our Newsletter

10 ways to prepare for finals week—beginning with getting to the library.

Who knows where we would be without them.

1. Thank you for laughing at my jokes, even when they really aren’t funny.

2. Thank you for singing unbearably loud with me all the time.

3. Thank you for letting me vent to you for hours about anything and basically being my personal therapist.

4. Thank you for ordering pizza with me at 2 in the morning.

5. Thank you for all the movie days when we don’t feel like moving.

6. Thank you for being my workout buddy everyday.

7. Thank you for sharing your closets with me.

8. Thank you for taking naps with me at random hours during the day.

9. Thank you for cleaning our home with me when we absolutely need to.

10. Thank you for all the rides when it’s late and you don’t want me to walk home alone in the dark.

11. Thank you for studying with me in our kitchen when we didn't want to go the library.

12. Thank you for making dinner with me.

13. Thank you for helping with my hair, makeup and outfit every time we go out.

14. Thank you for taking countless ugly pictures with me.

15. Thank you for not judging me when I go too long without showering.

16. Thank you for making our apartment feel like a second home.

17. Thank you for being there through all of our boy troubles.

18. Thank you for giving me a hug when I feel homesick.

19. Thank you for getting excited with me when one of us gets a good grade on an exam.

20. Thank you for still being my friend and not judging me when I say or do dumb things.

21. Thank you for telling me what I should do when I am sick.

22. Thank you for dancing horribly with me everywhere we go.

23. Thank you for staying up super late with me when we aren’t tired or can’t sleep.

24. Thank you for being super weird with me.

25. Thank you for all the unforgettable college memories.

26. And most of all, thank you for being the best friends a girl could have.

I may or may not be stressing right now.

1. "What do I have to study for?"

2. "What class do I need to study for the most?"

3. "I’m going to ace this."

4. "Focus!"

5."I have no idea what I'm reading."

6. "I should call my smart friend about this."

7. "I’m going to fail. I’m going to fail."

8. "I’m dropping out of school."

9. "What grade do I have to get on the final to pass the class?"

10. "Oh, no, I have to do good."

11. "I shouldn’t have procrastinated all semester."

12. "I wanna go to bed."

13. "We did not learn this!"

14. "I should go get food."

15. "Why do we even have finals?"

16. "I don’t want to be at the library."

17. "Get off your phone."

18. "I can watch Netflix for like 20 minutes and then go back to studying."

19. "I shouldn’t have watched Netflix."

20. "You have to study now!"

The "Happiest Place on Earth" has a lot of characters with some pretty great advice.

Remember you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine. — Snow White

The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it. — Rafiki

You don't have time to be timid. You must be bold and daring. — Lumière

If watching is all you're gonna do, then you're gonna watch your life go by without ya. — Laverne

Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one. — Grandmother Willow

Always let your conscience be your guide. — Jiminy Cricket

To infinity and beyond. — Buzz Lightyear

Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved. — Pooh

Let it go. — Elsa

If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all. — Thumper

Today's special moments are tomorrow's memories. — Genie

It's a time of love, family, memory-making, and gift-giving. But also a time of stressing over the perfect gift.

Money

Socks

Blankets

Gift Cards

Hoodies and Sweatpants

Pajamas

Subscribe to our
Newsletter

Hairbands, Clips, and Bobby-pins