Top 10 & Bottom 5

First the TOP 10



1. Oakland A's - At 45-20 they have the best record throughout. The youth has been injected (only 2 players north of age 30) and so far the results justify the transition. Whether they can hold up down the stretch and hold off the Angels & Mariners in a stacked AL West is the only question. A playoff spot seems likely, unless the injury bug wipes out the young A's team.



2. Atlanta Braves - Currently their record sits at 41-25. They jumped out of the gate and were extremely hot to begin the season. Have cooled off just a touch, yet they still lead the NL (if you take out Colorado) in runs scored. They aren't just a 1 trick pony however, as their 283 Runs Allowed is good for 4th in the NL. Whats even scarier is that their expected winning %(.658) is even higher then their actual winning %(.621), meaning they have room for improvement. This could be the year Atlanta finally goes deep in the playoffs.



3. Chicago Cubs - Don't let the 42-24 record fool you, this is not the Cubs teams of year 1 or 2. The team is showing signs of age, and the bullpen is an absolute mess besides Monte DeJean, who started out on fire(0 Runs in 18 ip to start the season) but has been merely average of late. The rest of the bullpen can't be trusted at anytime. Still they've survived the loss of NL MVP Julio Chavez and SP Pedro Torres. The return of former Cy Young Octavio Bolivar has been a boost, but is now where near his former self. If the Cubs are to have any chance they'll need their bats clicking and for Cesar Gil to revert back to his Cy Young form. Expect a return engagement to the playoffs, but with another early exit. The L4 certainly has management concerned.

4. Anaheim Angels - The Angels have the misfortune of being in the AL West and stuck behind the A's. Their 40-25 record would put them in 1st in any other AL Division. They are out to prove that last year's fall to 4th was just an aberration and that they will make the playoffs again. They will be returning, the only question is will it be as a division leader(and 1st round bye) or not.

5. San Diego Padres - Currently 3rd in the NL in runs allowed(276) which is the benefit of playing your home games at Petco. Is 5th in runs scored, so they can also get after it. Still with Colorado nipping at their heels and the way they score runs the West will be competitive till the end.

6. Toronto Blue Jays - Record sits at 40-26, the Jays were an early season surprise after last year's 4th place finish. They aren't surprising anyone anymore and have stumbled as of late (5-5 in the last 10).

7. Boston Red Sox - The defending champs got out of the gate slow, but have really started to crank it up lately. They are 9-1 in their last 10, with a current 5 game winnig streak to put their record at 35-30.

8. Minnesota Twins - Not sure how they have such a bad record (36-30) with all that pitching (Nen, Jang, Kirk). I'm sure it has something to do with all the roids that Carmine McGee has taken over the years and thus making him break down. They'll need the offense to pick back up to make the playoffs, although they are on the right track. For evidence see 8-2 in the last 10 and current W4 streak.

9. Texas Ranger - 33-33 currently, with a 7-3 record in the last 10, they are suprisingly much better on the road then at home in Arlington. Still leading their division despite playing .500 ball. Still the playoffs are anything but a given since 3 games seperate them from 4th place.

10. New York Mets - 7-3 in their last 10 has allowed them to climb into the division lead(tied with the Pirates). Their 14-9 record in 1 run games and 3-1 run record in extra innings suggest a good bullpen, methinks its lack of offense that puts them in those positions. Still they're expected to be in the fight for the division crown all year.

28. San Francisco Giants - 31-34 overall, 3-7 in their last 10, current L2.

29. Detroit Tigers - 28-38 Overall, 3-7 in their last 10. They are a Jekyll and Hyde type team. Can't play very well at home (9-21) but when they get out on the road they become much better (19-17).

30. Houston Astros - 3-7 in their last 10, and 24-42 overall, yet some of those wins have come against St Louis. They did show enough to sweep the Cubs in Chicago so their are signs of life. We expect more in that division however.

31. New York Yankees - Current management was saddled with many bad contracts, and they've done an admirable job attempting to clean house. Still with an L9 on the board currently they belong down here.

32. St Louis Cardinals - With a record of 11-55 they have a strangle hold on the 1st pick in next years draft(that would make 2 years in a row). Better kick them this year though because with all that talent that is being horded, they won't be down forever.