By: Mallory Morrow
Edited By: Kylie Augis
Courtesy of Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
The halfway point of the 2023 Major League Baseball season is officially here. Some teams have been dominant and a thrill to watch while others have been big disappointments. There have also been standout players and clear MVP hopefuls in each league. This is a report on the best teams, the most disappointing teams and the MVP hopefuls so far this MLB season.
Courtesy of Jason Miller/Getty Images
The Best Teams
Atlanta Braves (60-29)
The most dominant team in the entire league thus far has been the Atlanta Braves. Winning 27 of their last 32 games as well as breaking all kinds of records, this team has been incredible to watch. The Braves are sending 8 players to the MLB All-Star Game and have a National League MVP frontrunner in Ronald Acuña Jr. Needless to say, the Braves are the team to watch and have high expectations to maintain for the second half of the 2023 season.
Tampa Bay Rays (58-35)
Despite dropping seven of their last ten games, the Tampa Bay Rays have the second best record in the MLB behind the Braves. The Rays started the season by winning 13 straight games and have led the MLB Power Rankings for the majority of the season. The Rays have to continue winning because the Baltimore Orioles are only two games behind them in the American League East.
Texas Rangers (52-39)
In a similar situation to the Rays, the Texas Rangers have lost seven of their last ten games but remain two games ahead in the American League West. Regardless of their recent losses, the Rangers are in first place for batting average, RBIs, runs, on-base percentage and hits. After winning only 68 games total in the 2022 season, the Rangers have had a very impressive first half for the 2023 season.
Some other teams that have been exciting to watch are the Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles and Miami Marlins.
Courtesy of Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
The Most Disappointing Teams
New York Mets (42-48)
After a great 2022 season, the New York Mets have arguably been the most disappointing team so far for the 2023 season. The Mets have the highest payroll in the MLB and have not had too much to show for it. Pitching has also hurt the Mets with the team’s ERA being at 4.39.
St. Louis Cardinals (38-52)
Last season the St. Louis Cardinals won the NL Central by 7 games but halfway through this season they are in last place, 11.5 games back from first. Like the Mets, pitching has been a blunder for the Cardinals with their 4.55 ERA. Keep in mind the Cardinals lost two great players at the conclusion of the 2022 season, Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols.
San Diego Padres
Of course the San Diego Padres have some of the biggest stars in baseball, but they have been underperforming. The offense has been rather lackluster putting up a .235 batting average. Inconsistency has been a huge issue for the Padres.
Other disappointing teams include the injury riddled Los Angeles Angels as well as the entire AL Central because at times every team in this division has been below .500 this season.
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MVP Standouts
Shohei Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani, pitcher and designated hitter for the Los Angeles Angels, is the clear AL MVP favorite halfway through the season. Ohtani leads the MLB in home runs at 32 and also leads in on-base plus slugging percentage at 1.050. On the pitching side of things Ohtani has 132 strikeouts and hitters are only batting 1.89 against him. Ohtani received the most All-Star Game votes in the AL with 2,646,307 votes.
Ronald Acuña Jr.
Ronald Acuña Jr., right fielder for the Atlanta Braves, is the NL MVP frontrunner at the midpoint of the season. Acuña Jr. boasts a .331 batting average, has 41 stolen bases and 21 home runs. Acuña Jr. leads the league in runs with 79. Acuña Jr. received the most All-Star Game votes in the NL with 3,082,600 votes.
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