Happy September baseball fans! It’s been a while since I can really remember some meaningful September baseball games. The A’s have been stuck in “rebuilding” mode for chunk of my life, so I’m more than excited to be scoreboard watching daily. Whether it’s sitting through nail biters, blowouts, pitching duels, or coming for the baseball & staying for the pie, I know this September will be a memorable one. Though I’m crossing my fingers for something exciting and unexpected, you never know how everything will turn out. Either way, I’m absolutely stoked to watch this team take the field every day.
Sorry I’ve been MIA this week, I’ve had some school stuff to deal with, but that doesn’t mean I was missing out on any baseball action. Today’s post is ‘Hot & Cold’ where I give you my take on which teams are … hot and cold. I’ll also give you my take on a few teams that don’t really make my list, but are either headed for troubled water, or I just want to talk about.
HotHotHot (In No Particular Order):
- Oakland Athletics
- Los Angeles Angels
- Texas Rangers
- Baltimore Orioles
- Philadelphia Phillies
- Milwaukee Brewers
- San Francisco Giants
- San Diego Padres
Is it weird that this hot list spotlights ¾ of the AL West? The AL west is hot right now, and no one can deny it. The Rangers obviously have their powerhouse offense, and jet stream that shoots ball to the moon. The Angels have their money, pitching, and ROY front runner Mike Trout. In all seriousness, who would have thought the A’s would be in the position they are now? They’re hotter than ever right now, smashing on the Bosox, and I mean smashing. They knocked in 20 last night. The AL West is tightening up; making September a big month for all three teams involved who mostly play each other.
Speaking of tight, have you guys seen this Wild Card race? Starting this month, there are truly five teams in it for the long run. Three of which made my list above. Though the A’s hold one spot (+1.5, +2 if they can wrap up the win tonight), the O’s aren’t going anywhere, as they start the month hot. Their loss tonight against a limping NY club, shouldn’t worry anyone. I feel like they’re ready to fight until the end.
On to the National League. Milwaukee has been on fire lately. They’re 8-2 in their last ten, and in my opinion should have been playing this well since day one. They’re one of those teams that I feel should be in the running for a playoff position, but aren’t. Let’s see if they can make it to .500. The Phillies have finally woken up! Too bad they’re 16.5 GB …. I really don’t like talking about the San Francisco Giants, but you can’t knock ‘em if they’re playing well. Maybe loosing Cabrera was the best thing that ever happened to them? Not to mention Posey has been dynamite since the ASB. The San Diego Padres are taking on the role of a hot spoiler. Like the Brew Crew, they’re 8-2 in their last ten, and looking to break some hearts.
ColdColdCold (In No Particular Order):
- Houston Astros
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- Pittsburg Pirates
- Cleveland Indians
- Boston Red Sox
Poor, poor Astros. I’m thinking about moving to Houston and trying out. Anyone know what my chances would be? The Dodgers were looking for a nice pick-me-up when they took on their new Yankee status payroll, but poor guys have been slipping in the standings. They can’t seem to put away the sub-.500 teams like their Nor-Cal rivals can. They need to pick it up, or they’re going to be grilling some burgers in October. Everyone see the sad paper bags in Cleveland the other night? Hilarious. They did however beat Texas tonight. The Pirates aren’t playing like they were playing pre- ASB. Which is bad for them, but good for the Reds & Cards.
The Red Sox deserve their own paragraph. The poor guys are falling apart. There was even some friction in the dugout tonight. There doesn’t seem to be much chemistry over there. All bad.
Mayra’s Hot Corner Spotlight:
- New York Yankees
- Tampa Bay Rays
- Kansas City Royals
- Washington Nationals
Though I don’t like to see teams fall apart, I feel like the Yankees are going to be the team this year that does. Every one’s hurt, and they’re losing their Yankee-swag. (I can’t believe I just said swag.) Both Tampa and the Nationals aren’t playing as well as they had been earlier in July, I definitely see them sticking around, but they need to get their mojos back. As for the Royals, like the Padres they’re really taking on the role of hot spoiler. They have a good young offense that’s really going to beat up on the front-runners of the AL Central.
This is all obviously what’s going through my mind, now what’s going on in yours? Leave a comment, send me a message, subscribe, and follow me on twitter. I’m interesting, I swear!
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