The 2018 MLB All Star game is set for Nationals Park, July 17th. As we take a snapshot of the standings, a few things really stick out…
How competitive is the AL West, given that the Angels, Astros, Mariners and As are just a handful of games apart? The NL East is even tighter with the surprise team of the season Atlanta Braves (with a new stadium) leading the pack with a mediocre record? The Phillies, Met and Nationals are only a few games within each other, and the hapless Marlins are only 6 full games from 1st.
Can a team be at simply average and in 1st place? Yup, the Indians are 500 and sitting atop of the standings as we speak. The biggest surprises are the 1st place Atlanta Braves, holding one of the worst records in baseball last year, and Yankees with a new skipper and same old lineup.
The biggest disappointments have to be the Orioles and the Reds, and sadly the major market Los Angeles Dodgers; their seasons are about to slip away before mid-May.
The biggest surprise for Rookie of the Year has got to be the Dodgers Shohei Ohtani and Braves Ronald Acuna; both are exciting to watch and could be holding the trophy at the end of the year.
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