It was just a week ago when the Twins were leading their division, and the Cubs were looking like a team that should not contend for their division. In just a week a fair amount of teams made their upward trends. Here are some of the top trends happening in the MLB.
Chicago Cubs
Anthony Rizzo just spent the last week batting 6-6 with three home runs in the leadoff spot. The Cubs are taking care of business as of late by winning four of their last five games as they look to sweep the San Diego Padres this afternoon.
The pitching has been stellar as well.
Lester and Arrieta each had great starts by allowing just two earned runs. Mike Montgomery went six shutout innings, and Eddie Butler has currently allowed no runs in his start against the Padres. With everything clicking, the Cubs are just 0.5 games out of first place in the division.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers are 9-1 in their last ten games. Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager are so hot that they might melt your hand off. Even with their recent surge, they are still 0.5 games out of first place of the Colorado Rockies despite having a 46-26 overall record.
Pitching has also been up for the Dodgers. Kenta Maeda has a 2.77 earned run average in the month of June. Brandon McCarthy has a 2.01 June ERA, and that doesn't even include Clayton Kershaw's dominance.
Cleveland Indians
The Twins are in the midst of a 3-7 streak in their last ten games, while the Indians have reversed the tale with a 7-3 mark in their last ten games to hold a 1.5 game over lead over the Twins in the division.
The bats have been on a roll, especially Jose Ramirez. Ramirez was the first player in the modern error to have 14 extra bases in a seven-day stretch.
Yesterday, Ramirez was named the AL Player of the Week with a stretch that included eight doubles, three home runs, and seven runs batted in. The Indians sit at 37-32 but are showing a strong stretch of what they looked like to get to the world series last year.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays may not be sizzling hot with their 5-5 record in their last ten games, but if the playoffs started today, the Rays would be in with the second wild card spot.
Corey Dickerson has been a sparkplug for the team. Logan Morrison is mashing the ball. Even if you don't believe it, the team where no fan could name a player on that team besides Chris Archer or Evan Longoria is 38-36.
The strong play of the Rays are starting to cool off trade rumors for their top starter in Archer. The rumors could circle back if the Rays drop off, but right now, Archer is looking to help lead the Rays to their first playoff berth since 2013.
