It’s pretty strange that the American League West is, objectively, a bad division. Even stranger is that it seems increasingly unlikely that the Houston Astros will finish on top.
The division that produced both American League finalists a year ago will crown a champion, as required by Major League Baseball bylaws. But only one team is above .500 as we approach the halfway mark: this, a year after three teams won at least 88 games, and the Astros and Texas Rangers met in the ALCS. of the American League.
But the Astros’ streak of six consecutive division titles is increasingly in jeopardy with each cold streak and subdued displays of competence from the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners took three of four games from Houston this week and then, because of their poor performance at the plate this year, fired their bench coach and offensive coordinator, Brant Brown.
The Astros then lost a weekend series at home to Minnesota, falling 7½ games and slipping three more spots in KeynoteUSA Sports’ power rankings.
A look at this week’s rankings:
Follow all the MLB games: Latest MLB results, statistics, schedules and standings.
Minnesota Twins at Minute Maid Park on May 31, 2024.”>
- And Gerrit Cole begins a rehabilitation assignment on Tuesday.
- Things may get a little confusing when Rhys Hoskins returns.
- The elbow matters: John Means and Tyler Wells are out for the rest of the season, but Kyle Bradish is pitching as a Cy Young candidate.
- Daniel Scheenemann, a 33rd round pick in 2018, hits a two-run double in the first at-bat.
- Clayton Kershaw is close to appearing on the radar.
- Are they really going to keep the National League Central?
- You better learn to spell it now: Spencer Schwellenbach.
- Here we go folks: three games scheduled in Cleveland, starting Tuesday.
- The offensive line loses its coordinator.
Jhoan Durán has only 14 strikeouts in 15 innings.
- Slowly pulling away from the Giants, Diamondbacks in the race for first runner-up.
- The offense should get a boost once Tyler O’Neill and Masato Yoshida return.
- Once again, Max Scherzer takes tentative steps towards a comeback.
- Shota Imanaga finally seems human and the club suddenly seems vulnerable.
- The demolition of the Yankees was simply a situation between the varsity and the JV team.
- José Siri prevented a bad week from being much worse.
- Reliever Hunter Harvey has a 0.71 WHIP over the last 17 games.
- Lars Nootbaar’s oblique injury opens another hole in the outfield.
Throwback weekend: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. starts a game at third base.
- Losing two to the Rangers shows that Arizona’s hangover is worse than that of the World Series champions.
- It’s good to see TJ Friedl win them a game.
- Paul Skenes, meet Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani.
- They’re bringing their unique brand of misery to London this weekend.
- Miguel Andújar is off to a 33-13 (.394) start as Athletic.
- There is no choice but to send struggling Reid Detmers back to the minors.
- Break a seven-game losing streak at Dodger Stadium.
- The broken shoulder once again sends Sixto Sánchez to the injured list.
- This streak of 11 consecutive losses has hit rock bottom. For now.
Keynote USA
For the Latest Sports News, Follow Keynote USA Sports on Twitter.