Starting Nine (Week of August 7th)
The Dog Days of August are here and there has been some maneuvering in the Starting Nine this week. The top teams continue to shift positions while some of the lower-tier teams bow out. Here is this week’s Starting Nine:
Starting Nine (Week of August 7th)
Hope to see you back: Seattle Mariners, Atlanta Braves; Welcome Back to the Show: Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres
#9. Boston Red Sox 61-51 (+1800/+4000) - The Red Sox make their first appearance in the Starting Nine this week after taking the Royals in each of the first two games of their series this week. The team is loaded with speed and has become the most prolific run-scoring team in baseball. Pitching will ultimately decide their fate, however. Last Week’s Rank: Unranked
#8. San Diego Padres 62-52 (+900/+2200) - The Padres fortified their bullpen at the Trade Deadline and continue to climb the standing in the NL. Help could be on the way in the form of starting pitchers Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish and right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. Last Week’s Rank: Unranked
#7. Minnesota Twins 63-49 (+600/1300) - Another disappointing start from Pablo Lopez in Chicago last night doesn’t help but the Twins are hitting and they appear to have 3B Lewis healthy again. Last Week’s Rank: 7th
#6. Milwaukee Brewers 63-49 (+750/+1800) - The Brewers have to hope they can piece together enough pitching to match their lineup’s production down the stretch. They should be able to close out the NL Central Division with enough of a cushion. Last Week’s Rank: 6th
#5. LA Dodgers 66-48 (+170/+340) - The Dodgers still have Max Muncy and Mookie Betts on the way but it will come down to their pitching behind clear-ace Tyler Glasnow. Last Week’s Rank: 3rd
#3. Baltimore Orioles 67-47 (+380/+800) - The O’s are neck and neck with the Yankees as we head to the home stretch. The Orioles have all the tools but can their bullpen hold up? Last Week’s Rank: 2nd
#3. Cleveland Guardians 67-45 (+450/+1100) - The Guardians keep on winning as the season heads into high gear. The Guardians get starter Logan Allen back but can this team win it all with a great bullpen but average starting pitching? Last Week’s Rank: 5th
#2. Philadelphia Phillies 67-46 (+275/+600) - The Phillies picked up a big win on Tuesday night in LA over the Dodgers. They have the pitching and an improved bullpen to make a deep playoff run. Last Week’s Rank: 1st
#1. New York Yankees 67-46 (+240/+500) - The Yankees still have a Gerrit Cole issue with the defending AL Cy Young winner’s drop in velocity and propensity to give up the long ball. A good sign is the return of Gil’s effectiveness in recent starts. Last Week’s Rank: 4th
AL/NL MVP Candidates:
Here are this week’s Top Three MVP candidates for each league.
American League
Aaron Judge, CF NY Yankees (-900) - The only thing preventing Judge from bringing home his second MVP in three seasons is injury. He is far and away the league’s most important player and its most dangerous, leading in slugging, home runs, RBI, WAR, TB, and OBP.
Bobby Witt Jr., SS KC Royals (+500) - If not for Judge, the talk would certainly turn to Witt Jr. who has been brilliant, particularly in the second half. Witt Jr. is hitting nearly .500 since the All-Star Break. He hasn’t missed a game this season, leading the league in average, second in WAR, second in total bases, and has 25 steals.
Gunnar Henderson, SS Baltimore Orioles (+1100) - Henderson has cooled off a bit, particularly in the power department, but remains the key piece at a prime position on one of the top three teams in the AL. Henderson is third in WAR, third in TB, and third in home runs.
National League
Shohei Ohtani, DH Los Angeles Dodgers (-1400) - Like Judge, Ohtani is a near-lock for the NL MVP as he gets set to join elite company in winning the MVP in each league. Ohtani is tops in the NL in WAR, TB, OPS, home runs, slugging, and has 32 steals. Game over.
Ketel Marte, 2B Arizona Diamondbacks (+700) - The Diamondbacks have stormed back into the playoff chase just as Marte has stormed into the NL MVP race. Marte is third in home runs, third in RBI, third in TB, third in slugging, and second in WAR in the National League.
Bryce Harper, 1B Philadelphia Phillies (+2000) - Despite missing nearly 15 games, Harper ranks near the top in several major offensive categories including home runs, slugging, OBP, OPS and Slugging. He is also the only player, other than Ohtani, who could get hot enough to carry his team over a several-week stretch.
*All odds courtesy of Draftkings.com
