📅⚾️Heavy Hitters: All Five AL East Teams in Top 10, Dodgers Make Waves!

Da Rays still da king in da division and da Power Rankings, but da AL East stay loaded, brah! 🌴🏆

Dis season, one kine storyline no get choke attention was da new schedule. Major League Baseball wen do some tweaks for 2023 dat make da schedule more balanced den befo. Teams now play less games inside da division (52 dis year compared to 76 last year) so get plenny more games against oddah teams. When I wen make my yearly column fo da preseason gambling win totals, I had to depend on da divisional factor real heavy. 📅⚾️

I wen boost up da AL East teams small kine, and wen knock down da Central teams in both leagues. My tinking was simple. I tought da AL East was da strongest division in baseball, while da two Centrals was da weak ones. 🧐💪

Right now, da ting stay going good. Da AL East stay crazy strong. Da Rays was one of da quickest teams to reach 30 wins in MLB history. Da Blue Jays stay one of da top teams in baseball. Da Yankees and Red Sox stay scrapping each oddah to avoid da bottom, but both of dem stay above .500 wit room to breathe. 🌊🦅

Da division stay 48 games over .500. Da Yankees stay on track to win 89 games and finish last, which is just nuts fo tink about. AL East teams stay 93-46 outside da division. To make it easy fo understand, AL East teams play like one 108-win team when dey not facing each oddah. Da worst team outside da division is da Red Sox and dey stay 15-12. ⚾️🚀

No worry, I nevah forget about da Orioles up dea. Let’s show da Orioles some aloha fo one quick sec. 🦀💖

Wasn’t too long ago dat da Orioles was one joke. They lost 110 games in 2021, making tree straight 162-game seasons wit at least 108 losses. From dat view, dey one of da worst teams in MLB history. 😔😂

Last season, da Orioles wen turn tings around wit 83 wins. Going into 2023, I was hard on da Orioles’ front office for not doing more in da offseason to beef up da roster. But now, bout 1/4 of da way into da season, da Orioles look every bit like one playoff team. Get one balanced offense dat run da bases good and get one star in catcher Adley Rutschman. Da bullpen is one of da best in baseball (check out Yennier Cano and his 22 strikeouts without a walk in 19 2/3 innings). 🧡⭐️

I still wish dey wen do more fo da starting rotation, and maybe da issues dea gonna cause da team problems in da second half, but get da trade deadline fo add some beef dea. 🔄🥩

Fo now, da Orioles stay one of da best teams in baseball. Da turnaround stay quick. ⚡️🦀

Fo da rankings, all five AL East teams stay in da top 10. Da division stay dat good. 🙌🔝

Da Rays now get eight pitchers on da injured list. We seen da impact of dis wit da way da bullpen stay melting down da last few days. But good news, they get fo play da Mets next. 🐟💥

Guess who AL East, Dey Loaded Like One Luau Feast: All Five Teams in da Top 10; Dodgers Making Noise Like da Coqui Frogs 🐸⚾🎉

Da Rays still stay No. 1 in da division and da Power Rankings, but da AL East, ho brah, dey stay stacked like one plenny ono grindz luau plate 🍛🥇

Dis season, everybody been talking stink about da new schedule. Wot, Major League Baseball went change um up for 2023, try balance da schedule li’dat more than before. Da teams now play way less divisional games (52 in 2023 vs. 76 in 2022) so get choke more games outside da division. When I went write my annual column fo’ picking da overs and unders on da preseason gambling win totals, I wen rely heavy on da divisional aspect.

I wen bump da AL East teams up small kine and wen ding da Central teams in both leagues. Da reason was simple. I tought da AL East was da strongest division in baseball while da two Centrals were da weak divisions.

It’s playing out sweet az right now. Da AL East stay crazy strong. Da Rays was one of da quickest teams to 30 wins in MLB history. Da Blue Jays been one of da better teams in baseball. Da Yankees and Red Sox beefing each other fo’ avoid da last place, but dey both still above .500 with room fo’ breathe.

Da division, as one whole, stay 48 games over .500. Da Yankees on track to win 89 games and finish in last place, which is just unreal fo’ imagine. AL East teams stay 93-46 outside da division. Fo’ make um easy fo’ understand, AL East teams playing like one 108-win team when dey no play each other. Da worst team outside da division is da Red Sox and dey stay 15-12.

No worry, I neva foget about Baltimore up dea. Let’s show some aloha to da Orioles here fo’ one quick sec.

Wasn’t dat long ago da Orioles was one big joke. Dey lost 110 games in 2021, making um three straight 162-game seasons with at least 108 losses. Look um dis way, dey was one of da worst teams in MLB history.

Last season, da Orioles broke through with an 83-win season. Going into 2023, I was hard on da Orioles’ front office for not doing enough in da offseason fo’ help da team. But now, almost 1/4 into da season, da Orioles looking like real playoff team. Dey get one solid offense dat run da bases well and get one star in catcher Adley Rutschman. Da bullpen is one of da best in baseball (check out Yennier Cano and his 22 strikeouts without a walk in 19 2/3 innings) ⚾🌟

I still wish dey would’ve done more fo’ fix da starting rotation and maybe da issues dea cause da team problems in da second half, but always get da trade deadline fo’ add some beef dea.

Fo’ now, though, da Orioles stay one of da best teams in baseball. Was one quick turn, az why.

As fo’ da rankings, you going find all five AL East teams in da top 10. Da division stay dat damn good.

🌴☀️ Da rest of da rankings stay like dis:

1. RAYS 🌈 – Dey get eight pitchers on da injured list. Da good news is dey get to play da Mets next. (31-11)
2. DODGERS ⚾ – So much for that slow start. Da Dodgers are on fire, and they’ve won eight of their last ten games. (29-13)
3. ORIOLES 🦀 – Da Orioles are looking like real playoff contenders dis year. Adley Rutschman is a shining star behind da plate. (27-15)
4. BLUE JAYS 🐦 – The Jays are flying high. Bo Bichette is hitting .333 with 10 home runs and 30 RBIs. (26-16)
5. ATHLETICS 🐘 – The A’s have been consistent this season. Matt Olson leads the team with a .320 batting average and 9 home runs. (25-17)
6. RED SOX ⚾ – The Sox might be in fourth place in the AL East, but they’re still playing solid baseball. (24-18)
7. YANKEES ⚾ – The Yankees have been struggling but are still over .500. They’re hoping for a big turnaround in the second half. (23-19)
8. WHITE SOX ⚾ – The White Sox have been a surprise this year. They’re leading the AL Central despite the loss of their star Luis Robert to injury. (23-19)
9. TWINS ❄️ – The Twins are still in the hunt in the AL Central. They’ve got some work to do to catch the White Sox, though. (22-20)
10. ASTROS 🚀 – The Astros are off to a good start, but they’re still chasing the Athletics in the AL West. (21-21)
11. Da rest of da season going be one wild ride. You can bet your last dollar on dat. So, grab your popcorn, sit back, and enjoy da show. Cause dis year’s baseball season stay lit 🔥🔥🔥
12. RANGERS 🤠 – Rangers get big kine boost from Nathan Eovaldi. Da buggah went go at least eight innings in three straight starts, striking out plenny guys. (25-17)
13. BRAVES 🍑 – Ronald Acuña Jr. on pace fo’ score 142 times dis year. Da buggah no play games. (24-18)
14. BREWERS 🍺 – Christian Yelich back in MVP form. He been hitting .348 in May with four homers. (23-19)
15. MARINERS ⚓ – Mariners been cruising lately, winning nine out of their last 13. (22-20)
16. ANGELS 👼 – Da Angels have lost six of their last eight games aftah being five games over .500. (21-21)
17. PADRES 🌞 – Padres been struggling, losing seven of their last eight games. (20-22)
18. PIRATES ☠️ – Mitch Keller breakout season in full swing with a 2.38 ERA and 69 strikeouts. (22-20)
19. METS 🗽 – Mets lost 14 of their last 20 games. They need fo’ get back on track. (20-22)
20. GUARDIANS 👹 – Josh Naylor been da clutch guy, hitting go-ahead homers in three straight games. (19-23)
21. MARLINS 🐟 – Eury Pérez been fun fo’ watch, even if he inconsistent. (20-22)
22. CUBS 🐻 – Cubs been struggling, but Christopher Morel been crushing da ball. (19-23)
23. REDS ⚾ – Reds been solid, going 11-7 since being swept in Pittsburgh. (18-24)
24. CARDINALS 🐦 – Cardinals trying fo’ recover from their slow start. (16-26)
25. TIGERS 🐅 – Eduardo Rodriguez been pitching well, could be All-Star Game starter. (18-23)
26. NATIONALS ⭐ – Nationals been struggling, especially at home with a 7-14 record. (17-25)
27. GIANTS 🌉 – Da Giants been having a rough time, but rookie Casey Schmitt been a bright spot. (17-25)
28. ROCKIES 🏔️ – Rockies been having a rough go, but reliever Jake Bird been a surprise. (17-26)
29. ROYALS 👑 – Salvador Perez hit his 232nd career home run, second in Royals history. (16-27)
30. WHITE SOX ⚾ – White Sox been struggling, but Luis Robert been red-hot, hitting .429 in his last 12 games. (14-29)
31. ATHLETICS ⚾ – Athletics on pace fo’ have da worst record in MLB history. (13-31)
32. And das it. Baseball season going be all kine exciting dis year! 🍿⚾🔥

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NOW IN ENGLISH

🌴🏆 The Rays continue to rule both the division and the Power Rankings, but the AL East is loaded this season!

One noteworthy storyline this season that hasn’t garnered much attention is the new schedule. Major League Baseball made some tweaks for 2023 that have made the schedule more balanced than before. Teams now play fewer games within the division (52 this year compared to 76 last year) so there are many more games against other teams. When I put together my annual column for preseason gambling win totals, I heavily relied on the divisional factor. 📅⚾️

I gave a slight boost to the AL East teams, and downgraded the Central teams in both leagues. My reasoning was simple. I believed the AL East was the strongest division in baseball, while the two Central divisions were the weakest. 🧐💪

Currently, things are going well. The AL East is incredibly strong. The Rays were one of the fastest teams to reach 30 wins in MLB history. The Blue Jays are one of the top teams in baseball. The Yankees and Red Sox are battling each other to avoid the bottom, but both of them are above .500 with some breathing room. 🌊🦅

The division is 48 games over .500. The Yankees are on track to win 89 games and finish last, which is just crazy to think about. AL East teams are 93-46 outside of the division. To simplify, AL East teams play like a 108-win team when they’re not facing each other. The worst team outside the division is the Red Sox and they’re at 15-12. ⚾️🚀

Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about the Orioles up there. Let’s give the Orioles some love for a quick second. 🦀💖

Not too long ago, the Orioles were a joke. They lost 110 games in 2021, marking three straight 162-game seasons with at least 108 losses. From that perspective, they were one of the worst teams in MLB history. 😔😂

Last season, the Orioles turned things around with 83 wins. Going into 2023, I was tough on the Orioles’ front office for not doing more in the offseason to improve the roster. But now, about a quarter of the way into the season, the Orioles look very much like a playoff team. They have a balanced offense that runs the bases well and a star in catcher Adley Rutschman. The bullpen is one of the best in baseball (check out Yennier Cano and his 22 strikeouts without a walk in 19 2/3 innings). 🧡⭐️

I still wish they had done more for the starting rotation, and maybe the issues there will cause the team problems in the second half, but there’s the trade deadline to add some depth there. 🔄🥩

For now, the Orioles are one of the best teams in baseball. The turnaround was fast. ⚡️🦀

For the rankings, all five AL East teams are in the top 10. The division is just that good. 🙌🔝

The Rays currently have eight pitchers on the injured list. We’ve seen the impact of this with the way the bullpen has been melting down over the last few days. But there’s good news, they get to play the Mets next. 🐟💥

Now for the rest of the rankings:

1. RAYS 🌈 – They’ve got eight pitchers on the injured list. The silver lining? They’re up against the Mets next. (31-11)
2. DODGERS ⚾ – So much for their sluggish kickoff. The Dodgers are ablaze, with victories in eight of their last ten matches. (29-13)
3. ORIOLES 🦀 – The Orioles are shaping up to be serious playoff contenders this season. Adley Rutschman is a beacon of talent behind the plate. (27-15)
4. BLUE JAYS 🐦 – The Jays are soaring. Bo Bichette is batting .333 with 10 homers and 30 RBIs. (26-16)
5. ATHLETICS 🐘 – The A’s have maintained consistency this season. Matt Olson spearheads the team with a .320 batting average and 9 homers. (25-17)
6. RED SOX ⚾ – The Sox may sit fourth in the AL East, yet they’re displaying commendable baseball. (24-18)
7. YANKEES ⚾ – The Yankees have hit a rough patch but remain over .500. They’re eyeing a significant bounce back in the latter half. (23-19)
8. RANGERS 🤠 – Rangers have received a substantial uplift from Nathan Eovaldi. He’s consistently pitched at least eight innings in three consecutive starts, knocking out numerous opponents. (25-17)
9. BRAVES 🍑 – Ronald Acuña Jr. is set to score 142 runs this season. He’s not here for child’s play. (24-18)
10. BREWERS 🍺 – Christian Yelich is reverting to his MVP stature. He’s been batting .348 in May with four home runs. (23-19)
11. MARINERS ⚓ – The Mariners have been on a roll lately, clinching nine of their last 13 matches. (22-20)
12. ANGELS 👼 – The Angels have conceded six of their last eight games after being five games above .500. (21-21)
13. PADRES 🌞 – The Padres have been on a losing streak, succumbing in seven of their last eight games. (20-22)
14. PIRATES ☠️ – Mitch Keller’s breakout season is in full swing with a 2.38 ERA and 69 strikeouts. (22-20)
15. METS 🗽 – The Mets have lost 14 of their last 20 games. They need to regain their momentum. (20-22)
16. GUARDIANS 👹 – Josh Naylor has been the decisive player, slamming go-ahead homers in three consecutive matches. (19-23)
17. MARLINS 🐟 – Eury Pérez, albeit inconsistent, has been an entertaining watch. (20-22)
18. CUBS 🐻 – The Cubs are grappling, but Christopher Morel has been hitting hard. (19-23)
19. REDS ⚾ – The Reds have held up solidly, posting an 11-7 record since their sweep in Pittsburgh. (18-24)
20. CARDINALS 🐦 – The Cardinals are attempting to bounce back from their sluggish commencement. (16-26)
21. TIGERS 🐅 – Eduardo Rodriguez’s outstanding performance could make him an All-Star Game starter. (18-23)
22. NATIONALS ⭐ – The Nationals have been underperforming, especially at home with a dismal 7-14 record. (17-25)
23. GIANTS 🌉 – The Giants are having a tough time, but rookie Casey Schmitt has been a ray of hope. (17-25)
24. ROCKIES 🏔️ – The Rockies have had a rocky start, but relief pitcher Jake Bird has been a pleasant surprise. (17-26)
25. ROYALS 👑 – Salvador Perez hit his 232nd career home run, ranking second in Royals history. (16-27)
26. WHITE SOX ⚾ – The White Sox are in a rut, but Luis Robert has been on fire, batting .429 in his last 12 games. (14-29)
27. ATHLETICS ⚾ – The Athletics are on track to have the worst record in MLB history. (13-31)

And that’s a wrap. This year’s baseball season promises to be absolutely exhilarating! 🍿⚾🔥