Seton Hall
This week in baseball (Week of June 9)
Date: June 9, 2019By: Joe Cammarota
This past week in baseball was the first week of June baseball in the MLB. Teams are now fully emerged, and we know who will be contending and who will not.
Last week was a review of the month of May, this week will be a prediction of what will happen in June. In the AL East, I expect the Blue Jays to continue their rebuild by trading star pitcher Marcus Stroman. This will help them, as he is a star and will net big returns.
In a few years, the Blue Jays will be one of the best teams in the MLB. I expect the Yankees to win the division and the Rays to get a wild card spot. The Red Sox have been a disappointment, but a weak American League may allow them to sneak in as a wild card. The New York Yankees even got a boost this week getting Didi Gregorious back. Once the Yankees get healthy, they can be a serious contender.
The Twins are running away with the AL Central. A team that no one expected to be this good has just been unbelievably consistent. I do not see them losing steam. They can be a force to reckon with later in the season and in the playoffs.
The Indians are going through some hard times too. Cleveland is a small market and the big contracts for older stars are hurting them. They are following the same path that the Royals of 2013-2015 constructed. It’s going to be some tough times in Cleveland coming.
In the AL West, the Angels are continuing the waste the talent of arguably the greatest baseball player of all time, in Mike Trout. The Astros are running with the division as expected, they hold a nine-and-a-half game lead in the division.
In the NL East, there is a very tight race going on as of today, the Phillies hold a one game lead over the Atlanta Braves. I think the Braves will end up winning the division and the Phillies will earn a wild card spot.
For Philly to win the division, they are going to need Bryce Harper to play better. The Mets have not been terrible, but they just do not have the guns to stay in the race. They are not in rebuild mode, winning will come soon for Mets fans.
In the NL Central, the Brewers have a slight lead over the Cubs. Both teams are playing great baseball, and I expect them to both make the playoffs, with the Brewers winning the division.
The Cardinals may be able to sneak in, but they need to become buyers leading up to July 31. The Pirates need to sell and rebuild. They do not have it, get as many pieces for the farm as they have and call it a day. Shoot for 2022-2023. The Reds will be good in a few years but are still in rebuild mode.
The NL West is predictable, as the Dodgers are running away with the division. They are championship contenders. The rest of the division is in rebuilding mode.
Even though the Fall Classic is over four months away, I predict that this year is the Yankees’ year to win it all. Therefore, the Bronx Bombers will win their 28th World Series.
Joe Cammarota can be reached at joseph.cammarota@student.shu.edu.
