MLB Update: Who’s Hot, Who’s Not As June Starts To Wind Down

As June starts to wind down and the All-Star game rapidly approaches, teams around the majors continue to try to put themselves in a position to compete for a postseason berth as the season approaches the second half.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the hottest teams in baseball as the month comes to a close and which teams are ice cold.

HOT: Houston Astros

There may not be a hotter team in baseball right now. They have won 11 straight games and have moved into first place in the American League West over the Oakland A’s.

The Astros offense has been absolutely ridiculous as they are first in the majors in runs per game (5.83), hits per game (9.79), batting average (.281), slugging percentage (.459), and on-base percentage (.352).

Most amazingly, they are first in run differential at +144, 33 runs higher than the second-place San Francisco Giants.

Even with Alex Bregman on the injured list, the Astros have one of the deepest lineups in the majors with the likes of Jose Altuve, Michael Brantley, Carlos Correa, Yordan Alvarez, Yuli Gurriel, and Kyle Tucker.

The Astros are currently -200 to win the A.L. West and +700 to win the World Series.

COLD: Chicago White Sox

While the White Sox still have the best record in the A.L. Central, they are certainly reeling. Chicago is 3-7 in their last ten games.

As a result of their slide, they have allowed the Cleveland Indians (41-32) to creep into the conversation for the division crown as they are just two games out.

Jose Abreu, the reigning A.L. MVP, continues to be the best hitter for Chicago, but he hasn’t quite had the year he did last year. He is currently hitting .239/.318/.432 with 12 home runs, 53 runs batted in, and 33 runs scored.

The White Sox are still the favorites to win the division at -550 (the second-best odds are the Indians at +450), but they still need to get things turned around. They are +700 to win the World Series.

HOT: San Francisco Giants

Even with a roster that is seemingly not as impressive as the Dodgers and Padres on paper, all the Giants seem to do this season is win. They are 9-1 in their last 10 games and still sit in first in the N.L. West.

In fact, with their strong play as of late, they lead the division by over four games. The consistency has been quite impressive as they are solid both at home (25-10) and on the road (24-16).

Leading the way for San Francisco is shortstop Brandon Crawford. He is hitting .255/.343/.532 with 16 home runs, 50 runs batted in, and 40 runs scored.

The Giants are getting it done on offense and defense as they rank third in runs per game (5.03) and third in earned run average (3.22).

Despite their success all season, they still have just the third-best odds to win the division (+450) and are +2200 to win the World Series.

COLD: N.L. Central

It is hard to get excited about anyone in the N.L. Central right now. All five teams have a .500 or less record in their last ten games.

For that reason, aside from the Pirates, everyone still has a fighter’s chance to win the division. The Brewers and Cubs lead the division, but the Reds and Cardinals are in striking distance as well.

The tightness in the division is exhibited in the odds to win the N.L. Central. The Brewers have the best odds (-115), but the Cubs (+250), Cardinals (+550), and Reds (+600) are all respectable bets at this point.