It's always fun to step back at look at how things are going in our league. Here we are at the All-Star break, six scoring periods away from the playoffs, and there are some interesting things in the works.
Pleasant Surprises
In the American League, the Orioles are running away with the #1 Seed as the leader of the AL West with a record of 99-15. The Orioles have assembled a team with a balanced attack of productive hitters and a strong group of SPs.
While the Orioles have been doing their thing, the Pleasant Surprises come from the AL Central leader Tigers and AL West leader Mariners. Both of them lead them have identical records of 83-31. At the moment, both of them enjoy three game leads over White Sox and A's.
In the NL Central, the Cardinals have built a seven game lead over the FGM defending champions Cubs
Old Reliables
In the National League, we have some Old Reliables leading the way. The battle for the #1 Seed features some familiar souls in Phillies (91-23) and Dodgers (90-24). Both are dominating their division with double digit leads.
Wild Card Races
In the American League, the Wild Card leaders are White Sox and A's with identical records of 80-34. The Angels are breathing down their necks at 79-35 and, after several seasons of rebuilding, the Angels could be seen as the biggest surprise of the season.
In the National League, the Wild Card race is just as competitive. The Giants (74-40) and the Cubs (73-41) are separated by a single game, but there are several teams still in the hunt: the Marlins (68-46) and the Brewers (67-47) -- with the Reds (60-54) and Padres (59-55) within shouting distance.
The Stretch Run
With the Trade Deadline only 19 days away, I would expect there to be some definite Buyers and Sellers. A few moves could help solidify some lineups and could also help some teams build for the future.
As always, injuries and slumps will play a significant role in how things turn out. We all know the frustrations that stem from a key player suffering an injury or falling into a performance slump.
As we wind down the regular season, may the Fantasy Gods look upon your team with favorable eyes.