With MLB at its unofficial halfway point the league is full of teams who are within shouting distance of first place and believe they have a shot at making the playoffs. Although they all have a shot, some have less of a shot than others at actually making the playoffs.
There are divisions like the American League West who have three teams in the running and the National League Central that could have four. With two Wild Card spots the three teams in the West could all make it, but there is no way all four in the Central could make it. Let’s take a look at who the real contenders are, and who is just pretending.
Toronto Blue Jays - Pretenders
It’s hard for me to say this because I really believe the Jays have one of the best offenses in all of baseball, but the pitching is too inconsistent and the bulk of their stars have injury history. They stormed into first place, but after a trip to the West Coast to play the two best teams in the AL West they came back down to Earth and lost Edwin Encarnacion. The Jays looked like they could be a World Series contender, but now they just look like another pretender.
Los Angeles Angels - Contenders
For two straight years now the Angels have looked like contenders only to fall just short of the playoffs. This year the team looks different. Albert Pujols is healthy and the pitching staff looks better than ever. They will have a tough time catching the leading Oakland Athletics who may have the best team in all of baseball, but if they can pull off the trade that is rumored with the San Diego Padres they will get the bullpen and starting pitching depth they need. Even without the trade they have the second best record in all of baseball and have plenty of games left against the leading Oakland Athletics to take charge.
Kansas City Royals - Pretenders
The Royals made a real run and caught the Detroit Tigers when they were struggling, but since then the Tigers took off and the Royals dropped to six and a half games back. Everyone loves an underdog story so it would be great to see them catch the Tigers again, maybe for good, but they just don’t have enough power in the offense and while they have had the best setup and closer duo in all of baseball it will eventually come down to Earth. If the Royals really want to be contenders they are going to have to make a trade to acquire power and possible another starter, otherwise they’ll just be pretending they’re in the race when they’re really out.
Atlanta Braves - Contenders
When the season began the Braves were in a lot of trouble. They lost two pitchers to Tommy John surgery and had to scramble to find replacements at the last minute. Right now they sit right behind the Washington Nationals in the National League East, but they are in perfect position to strike for the division or at least earn a spot in the Wild Card. It would be easy to write the Braves off as pretenders with the injuries and the joke that has become the second base situation, but they have a tradition of winning and a team that knows what it takes to get to the Postseason.
Pittsburgh Pirates - Pretenders
The Pirates have fought long and hard to get back into the division race. They have brought up their top prospect and he has been a spark plug that has propelled them back to the top. They made a move to try and change up the bullpen by trading away their struggling closer for a different struggling closer and so far so good. Then why are they pretenders? They are pretenders because their division is too good and they put themselves in too deep of a hole. They are going to have to leapfrog the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals just to have a shot at the Wild Card and in the end it will be just too much for the Buccos.