30 Games to Go

With 30 games to go things look rather settled in the NL, the AL not so much. Being almost a given that each team should win 10 games makes the predictions pretty easy baring a sudden unaccountable win streak that does happen.

Pittsburgh Pirates has the NL North in hand with an 11 game lead. It is doubtful that the Milwaukee Brewers has a chance at catching them but may need to fight to hold on to a wild card spot.

Seattle Mariners don't even need to win 10 games to wrap up the AL North. With a 15 game lead it is just a matter of time. The Toronto Blue Jays can't stay complacent to hold on to a wild card spot.

Philadelphia Phillies are pretty comfy and 10 wins or 10 losses by the distant pack will sew it up in the NL East.

The Boston Red Sox ran away from the pack in the early second half and are setting pretty comfy in the AL East with a 16 game lead.

Florida Marlins has the NL South under control by 15 games and a likely #1 seed. The Houston Astros are struggling to maintain the wild card lead.

Tampa Bay Rays are in front in the AL South, but it is a very tentative lead as the rest of the pack can't be ruled out especially the Heads and the Rangers who have a good shot at the crown yet. The resume' of the division champ isn't going to regale anybody for sure.

Salem Super Sequoias have thing well in hand once again in the NL West as their 14 game lead looks pretty solid.

Helena Hot Pockets and Las Vegas Slobs have been duking it out all season and neither can get very far ahead of the other. This looks to be a struggle down to the wire and don't count the San Diego Padres out .----0either as they have closed the gap a bit.

The Wild Card race in the NL looks solid at the moment with the Astros and Brewers, but the Mexico City Diablos Rojos and Los Angeles Dodgers still have hope.


The Wild Card race in the AL looks a little more tentative with the Blue Jays leading the pack with the last spot going to the second place finisher in the West at a minimum. If the Jays hit a skid though, then it could open the door for another West hopeful.


As for my favorite team, the Mets, well (thats a hole in the ground with water at the bottom where they belong) not much I can say. I was really hoping for a better season. A 70 win season is not out of the question yet however and that might make me feel a bit better.

Offensively it is a bit of a let down at this point. We have surpassed last years stolen base total already and will likely have three players with more than 30 thefts. We need three more dingers to surpass last years home run total. We have a long way to go to even get close to the doubles output along with total hits which I find terminally surprising.

Pitching hasn't been what I had hoped for at all. With last years star pitcher, George Atkins, going down with an injury for much of the season didn't help. His recovery doesn't look all that impressive either but will be back in the rotation when expansion happens. There is some help in this regard on the horizon but it looks like the Mets will look for help in the off-season to shore up this area of terminally unrelenting trouble.

Here is an oddity of sorts: The NL East minors, (excluding the instructional Rookie League I don't consider the minors), other than the AAA Phillies will have a .500 record or better. Not sure I have ever seen that though I haven't paid much attention to minor league records much in the past.