The Boys return and get into the Sport. Lots of off field talk as well as on, and the Cheaters in Houston are also discussed. PJ goes 3-0 again in the picks, and finally TM cashed in on it.
Remember to call us with your questions/comments/suggestions for the show #708-316-8822…
It’s Halloween Week and the guys get together to drink some drinks, bitch about their teams, and make some picks.
After PJ discusses his favorite football viewing in years, discussions begin about the NCAAs decision to allow for players to make money from their likeness, but how will that be regulated? How will the NCAA monitor booster bribery? Does it matter?
NFL Week 8 is discussed, but what did any of this weeks game prove? Too many injuries, too many bad decisions, and teams not playing to their so called potential. Tickets to the QB Carousel are handed out and the guys discuss Andy Dalton’ ability against himself. Then TM steals PJs picks.
Remember to call us with your questions/comments/suggestions for the show #708-316-8822…
TM gets a break from dealing with one child, only to have to listen to another. PJ bitches about his own teams and their ineptitude, while trying to figure out his own fan bases.
Calls are taken about the Niners and the Vikings, all while watching the Patriots dominate San Darnold and the NY Jets. Who are the actual contenders in the NFC and who can beat the New England Patriots? All these questions are answered and then we make our picks.
Remember to call us with your questions/comments/suggestions for the show #708-316-8822…
Halloween is here… which means the World Series is wrapping up. The guys discuss what has been an incredible 2017 World Series, especially Game 5, and what has been a great post season in general. They dive in to the Joe Girardi managerial departure and why everyone is moving towards these analytical managers.
The first College Football Ranking is out and there’s a big surprise at the Top. No seriously, it’s not Alabama. PJ educates TM (the D3er) on how the CFP rankings and committee work, then give him homework. Penn State sucks and deserve every bit of hatred spewed their way.
Finally, the guys recap what was the craziest NFL Trade Deadline in recent memory and shit all over Week 8, because it sucked. More discussion about what exactly is the problem with the NFL product this year, and whether its watchable.
Keep an eye out for the Binge Sportscast on a weekly basis through the NFL season!
It seems like way too much has happened in baseball since the last SportsCast, but the guys do their best to recap the ALCS, what went wrong for the Yankees, and whether Joe Girardi will return. A lot of managers have been let go and replaced in the last week… and oh, there’s also this little thing called the WORLD SERIES that started.
College football sucks. Or at least PJ’s team does.
Finally, we recap Week 7 in the NFL which started with possibly the best game of the year (Raiders – Chiefs), how Marshawn Lynch is a lunatic, and everything else that’s transpired over the last week. Including what might be the official end of the Jay Cutler meter. We also once again tackle the question of who’s the best team in the NFL?
Keep an eye out for the Binge Sportscast on a weekly basis through the NFL season!
The guys waste no time and jump right in to the discussing the Yankees performance(s) after being down 2-0 to the Astros. TM continues to try to convince everyone that the Yankees aren’t the same old Yankees… yeah, ok TM. Dodgers continue to roll and only so much can be discussed.
What’s going on with Friday night college football and top 10 teams struggling? What can anyone really say except “It’s college football”.
Finally, the Jets/Pats game and controversy is discussed. Has instant replay made the NFL better? Or is it a crutch for the ever growing problem of NFL officiating. A-A-ron goes down and the Packers are screwed. Who’s the best team outside of Kansas City?
Keep an eye out for the Binge Sportscast on a weekly basis through the NFL season!
It’s been a busy week here at Binge Sports. College football has returned, and you can check out that preview HERE. To complement that, Garrett and I gave you an amazing commentary of The Program, which you can check out HERE. But college football, even with its glorious return, is in the early stages of the season. Major League Baseball, on the other hand, is in the home stretch. We’ve got exactly one month left in the season, and it’s time to take a look at the updated standings, the updated fan poll results. Even with a few teams starting to create separation, there are still some division races that could go down to the final week. The wildcard race in the National League, while still technically up for grabs, isn’t near as exciting as the race in the American League. So for the first time this season, we’ll take a closer look at those races as well. Voting in all races is still open until October 4th, so let’s take a look at every single thing happening in the show. The playoffs are right around the corner, so let’s see where we’re at.
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
W L PCT. GB
Toronto 76 57 .571 —-
New York 74 58 .561 1.5
In a division that was once very close from top to bottom, there are only two contenders remaining for the AL East crown, and they will be seeing each other two more times before the regular season ends. A big four-game set begins on September 10th at Yankee Stadium and they’ll meet again in Toronto from September 21st through the 23rd.
There’s a very good chance that this division will come down to the last weekend of the season. If I had to pick right now, I’d say that the Blue Jays will come out on top, especially with Mark Teixiera just hitting the DL, but I’ve been wrong before. The Yankees are still the Yankees and they’ve got plenty of experience in that dugout, including manager Joe Girardi. Toronto currently leads the fan vote at 42.4%, while the Yankees are at 27.3%. It’s a safe bet that both of these teams will make the playoffs, as the Yankees currently hold a four-game lead to host the wild card game. But they’ll certainly be looking to avoid a one-game playoff. Who’s it going to be in the AL East?
[yop_poll id=”205″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
W L PCT. GB
Kansas City 82 51 .617 —-
This race is over and has been for quite some time. As much as I’d like to put some crucial games that the Royals have left, there are none. They’re leading the AL Central by 13 games, and will easily be the first team to clinch their division. Yet, the Royals still only have 68.8% of the fan vote. I’m sure if I’d have reset the poll sometime in June, that number would be a little higher.
[yop_poll id=”206″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
W L PCT. GB
Houston 73 61 .545 —-
Texas 70 62 .530 2.0
Los Angeles 67 66 .504 5.5
This is going to be a fun race. The Astros continue to play solid baseball, but the Rangers have been very hot over the past month, while the Angels have faded a bit. But the beauty of baseball in September is that there are a ton of division games, and these teams will see a lot of each other.
The Astros have seven games left with the Rangers, with a four-game set from September 14th-17th in Arlington, and a three-game series in Houston from September 25th-27th. They’ve also got six games left with the Angels. A weekend series in Anaheim starts a week from tonight, and the Angels’ last chance to gain some ground will be in Houston from September 21st-23rd.
The Rangers and Angels start a three-game series tonight in Anaheim and will close out the regular season with a big four-game set in Texas starting on October 1st.
This race is going to be quite entertaining and is another that could possibly come down to that final weekend. I’m betting that Houston will be looking for the Rangers and Angels to split that final series, just so neither team gains any ground. Houston has held on this long. Can they keep it up? You seem to think so for the moment. They lead the fan poll with 44.1% of the vote, with the Angels in second at 38.2%. But after zero votes the first few months of the season, the Rangers are finally getting some love with 5.9%. Will that number go up? Only you can decide.
[yop_poll id=”207″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
WILD CARD
W L PCT. WCGB
New York 74 58 .561 +4.0
Texas 70 62 .530 ——–
Minnesota 69 64 .519 1.5
Los Angeles 67 66 .504 3.5
Tampa Bay 66 67 .496 4.5
Cleveland 64 68 .485 6.0
Baltimore 64 69 .481 6.5
The great thing about this second wild card spot is that it keeps the dream alive for more teams. Just look at this. Even at five games under .500, the Orioles could go on a tear and sneak in. Granted, they’ll have to jump over four teams to do it, but this is baseball. Any team can win on any given day. A five-game winning streak could be immediately followed by a five-game losing streak. That’s just how baseball works. The Rangers are playing well, but they’ll have to hold off teams like the Twins and Angels just to get into the one-game playoff. But who’s to say they couldn’t jump into that top spot? This race should be very interesting.
IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY
As it currently stands, the Binge Sports voters have four of the five teams picked correctly. The only one missing is the Rangers. Here’s how the voting breaks down.
Kansas City-90%
Houston-86%
Toronto-76%
New York-76%
Los Angeles-67%
The Angels are only 3.5 back of the wild-card spot. But with a sweep of the Rangers this weekend, that number could change dramatically. Pick your five.
[yop_poll id=”246″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
W L PCT. GB
New York 74 59 .556 —-
Washington 68 65 .511 6.0
Look at those Mets. Who would have thought this was possible? Not too long ago, many were wondering if they could keep up with the Nationals and maybe fight for a wild card spot, and they currently lead the NL East by six games. For the first time this year, they’re also leading the fan vote with 50% of the tally. Washington sits at 46.4%.
But this race isn’t quite over yet. I predict that the Mets will hang on to win this division, but with a six-game deficit, the Nationals have six more chances to beat New York, their first chance coming on Monday as they welcome the Mets to D.C. If the Nationals can somehow manage to keep this race close, they’ll have one final chance to take the title when they visit New York to close out the regular season with a three-game series starting October 2nd.
[yop_poll id=”208″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
W L PCT. GB
St. Louis 86 47 .647 —-
Pittsburgh 79 53 .598 6.5
Chicago 75 57 .568 10.5
The Cardinals are good. That’s just all there is to it. They are the best team in baseball, and they lead the best division in baseball by a very comfortable 6.5 games. But as I said before, there’s a lot of games within the division coming up, and a big series starts tonight at Busch Stadium as the Cardinals welcome the Pirates for the weekend. Pittsburgh will have this weekend to gain some ground, but they’ll also get three more chances in Pittsburgh from September 28th-30th. The Cardinals also have six games remaining with the rival Chicago Cubs. As soon as Pittsburgh leaves, the Cubs come to St. Louis for a three-game series on Monday, and the Cardinals make their last visit to Wrigley Field for the year from September 18th-20th. Well, for the regular season anyway.
The third-place Cubs, who own the fifth-best record in baseball, have had an interesting few weeks. They went on a tear for a while, but struggled on their trip out west, minus the no-hitter from Jake Arrieta, but they’re still looking good in the playoff hunt, as they lead the race for that second wild card spot by seven games. But I’m sure they’re looking for a home game. The only way to do that is to catch the Pirates, who are playing great baseball in their own right, owning the top spot in the wild card race by four games. But as luck would have it, the Cubs and Pirates have seven games remaining against one another. A big four-game set begins in Pittsburgh with a day-night doubleheader on September 15th and runs through the 17th. Only a week later, the Pirates will be in Chicago for a three-game weekend series from September 25th-27th. Can the Cubs gain any ground in the Central? Or are the Cardinals just too good to catch? That’s the consensus at the moment as St. Louis leads the fan vote with 65.5%. The Cubs are in second with 24.1% and the Pirates round it out with 10.4%. All three teams will likely be in the playoffs.
[yop_poll id=”209″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
W L PCT. GB
Los Angeles 75 58 .564 —-
San Francisco 69 65 .515 6.5
Win this division or go on home for the year. That’s pretty much what it comes down to in the NL West. With the Giants trailing the Cubs by seven games for the second wild card spot, their only hope may be to somehow catch the Dodgers, but that has been proving quite difficult for them. They were just swept by the Dodgers earlier this week, and that puts them 6.5 games out of first. If the defending champs are going to make a move, they’ll need to do it soon. And they’ll need to get it within a few more games, because the only series they have left with LA is a four-game set beginning September 28th. Can they get within striking distance? You’re on the fence about it right now. LA currently leads the fan vote at 54.3% with San Francisco trying to keep up at 42.9%. In either instance, the Giants will have to do more than just keep up.
[yop_poll id=”210″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
WILD CARD
W L PCT. WCGB
Pittsburgh 79 53 .598 +4.0
Chicago 75 57 .568 ——–
San Francisco 69 65 .515 7.0
Washington 68 65 .511 7.5
As I’m sure you’ve gathered already, I’m thinking this race may already be decided. The Pirates and Cubs are two of the top five teams in baseball, and I predict that they’re both in. The question is where that one-game playoff will be played.
IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY
Five out of five this time. Great job, Binge Sports voters.
St. Louis-91%
Chicago-78%
Los Angeles-78%
Pittsburgh-70%
New York-57%
[yop_poll id=”247″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
And there you have it. With one month to go, everybody will by vying for position and home-field advantage. There’s a ton of games between the top contenders, which should make for some great baseball as we inch closer to the playoffs. How do you think it all plays out? Comment below or follow me on Twitter and tweet @BingeSports and/or @THElukenorris to give me your thoughts. Stay tuned for an all-new Binge SportsCast coming your way next week. Have a great weekend.
It’s crunch time, folks. Welcome back to Binge Sports and our continuing coverage of the 2015 Major League Baseball season. Now, I know I’ve been giving updates at the beginning of each month, but things are getting so damn exciting that I just couldn’t wait until September. The postseason is right around the corner, and speaking of which, MLB released that schedule on Monday. For more on that, please click HERE for my thoughts on the World Series spilling into November. And before you try to correct me, yes, I realize that there’s technically a few days more than six weeks to go in the season, but you get the gist, I think. A few weeks ago, I said that things were heating up in baseball. Well, as it turns out, I was absolutely correct. Outside of the American League Central, which the Kansas City Royals have locked up, every single division is up for grabs. Division rivals will be playing each other a lot in the last six weeks of the season, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see some of these races come down to the final week, possibly even the final day of the season on October 4th. So let’s see where we’re at right now with the standings, who’s leading, who’s in it, who’s out of it, and which teams would be in the playoffs if they started today. And of course, our season-long vote continues for each division, along with the newer vote on which five teams you think will make the playoffs from each league. That’s eight chances to vote. Where else can you find that but right here at Binge Sports? Let’s get to it.
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
W L PCT. GB WCGB
New York 66 52 .559 —- ——–
Toronto 66 54 .550 1.0 +3.5
Baltimore 61 57 .517 5.0 0.5
Tampa Bay 59 60 .496 7.5 3.0
Boston 53 66 .445 13.5 9.0
So, how about those Bluejays? They went all in at the trade deadline and it is paying off quite nicely. They went on an eleven-game winning streak, but they were brought back to reality by losing two out of three to…yep, the New York Yankees. I have a feeling this back and forth has just begun. Baltimore isn’t out of it by any means. September means a lot of baseball within the division. With how close this division has been throughout the season, they could be in the top spot in two weeks. The AL East is going to come down to the wire, and it’s going to be fun to watch.
With the trade deadline moves came the votes for the Bluejays. They haven’t been much of a factor in the voting this season, but as I predicted, they’ve moved up and are actually tied with the Yankees for the moment at 29.2%. The early Boston vote is still hanging in there with 16.7%, but the Rays and Orioles are catching up at 12.5% apiece. I look for this vote to go back and forth, much like the division race. Who takes it?
[yop_poll id=”205″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
W L PCT. GB WCGB
Kansas City 72 46 .610 —- ——–
Minnesota 59 60 .496 13.5 3.0
Detroit 57 61 .483 15.0 4.5
Chicago 55 62 .470 16.5 6.0
Cleveland 55 63 .466 17.0 6.5
There’s not much to report here. The Royals are good. The end. I kid, I kid. But seriously, the Royals are a very good baseball team. The second-place Twins and third-place Tigers are still a factor in the wild card race. I suppose the White Sox are too, but they’d have to jump over a lot of teams to get there. The same can be said for the Indians. If I had to make a guess right now, I’d predict the Royals will be the only team from the AL Central to make the postseason.
I think if I had started this poll in June, the Royals would be at 100%. Maybe next year, I’ll reset the results each month. But I’ve committed to a season-long vote, so the Royals sit at 60%. There’s really no reason to mention the rest of the voting. This division race is over.
[yop_poll id=”206″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
W L PCT. GB WCGB
Houston 65 55 .542 —- ——–
Los Angeles 62 57 .521 2.5 ——–
Texas 60 58 .508 4.0 1.5
Seattle 56 64 .467 9.0 6.5
Oakland 52 69 .430 13.5 11.0
Houston refuses to give up that top spot, but the Angels aren’t the only ones chasing them now. Behind some very solid play as of late, along with one of the best road records in baseball, the Texas Rangers have thrown their hat in the ring in the AL West. Can Houston continue to hang on? September will decide their fate. They’ve got six left with the Angels and seven left with the Rangers. That should make for some interesting movement within the division.
Who knew the Rangers would creep into the mix? 0% of you, that’s who. Houston has taken the lead back in the fan vote at 44.4%, up almost 17% from two weeks ago. As in the division, the Angels are in second at 40.7%.
[yop_poll id=”207″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
Let’s check the results from the poll that asks you which five teams will make the American League Playoffs.
Kansas City-93%
Los Angeles-93%
Houston-79%
Toronto-71%
New York-64%
As it stands today, you’ve picked exactly right, but with all the teams fighting for the wild card spot, it could change from day to day. Keep voting.
[yop_poll id=”246″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
W L PCT. GB WCGB
New York 64 55 .538 —- ——–
Washington 59 59 .500 4.5 8.5
Atlanta 53 66 .445 11.0 15.0
Miami 49 70 .412 15.0 19.0
Philadelphia 46 73 .387 18.0 22.0
Washington trounced Colorado last night, but the Mets were able to get by the Baltimore Orioles to maintain a 4.5 game lead. Washington was able to get back to .500, but New York has been playing good baseball as of late and are armed (get it?) with one of the best young pitching staffs in the game. Washington has all the potential in the world and expectations were very high going into the season. They’ll need a good finish to the year to keep up.
Even with the hot start to the year by the Mets, along with their ability to not get too far behind even when they cooled off, the believers simply aren’t voting. The Nationals still have 65% of the fan vote. The numbers are up for the Mets at 30%. Can they hang on and win the division. They’ll need to, as the second-place finisher in this division will more than likely be out of the playoffs. Who’s it going to be?
[yop_poll id=”208″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
W L PCT. GB WCGB
St. Louis 76 43 .639 —- ——–
Pittsburgh 70 47 .598 5.0 +3.0
Chicago 67 50 .573 8.0 ——–
Cincinnati 51 66 .436 24.0 16.0
Milwaukee 51 70 .421 26.0 18.0
The NL Central boasts three of the four best records in all of baseball. Yes, it’s still true that the third-place Cubs would be winning every other division besides the AL Central. You can read about their chances of winning the division HERE. But the Pirates and Cardinals continue to play great baseball as well. The Pirates gained ground on the Cardinals last night and added to their wild card lead on the Cubs with a big win last night. But there are a lot of games between these three teams as the season winds down. The Cardinals still have to be the favorite here, but with three teams playing this well, anything could happen.
St. Louis is still the overwhelming favorite in the fan poll, taking in 71.4% of the vote. The Cubs are second with 19% while the Pirates round it out with the remaining 9.6%.
[yop_poll id=”209″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
W L PCT. GB WCGB
Los Angeles 67 52 .563 —- ——–
San Francisco 65 54 .546 2.0 3.0
Arizona 58 60 .492 8.5 9.5
San Diego 58 62 .483 9.5 10.5
Colorado 48 69 .410 18.0 19.0
The NL West is still a two-team race. The Dodgers and Giants are going to battle for the remainder of the season for the division crown. Two games currently separate the two teams. With the wild card race basically boiling down to three teams in the Pirates, Cubs, and the team that doesn’t win this division, every single game will be crucial down the stretch. The teams still have six games against one another as well. As I said a few weeks ago, this may come down to the very last day. As luck would have it, the teams finish the regular season with a three-game set in San Francisco.
The Giants picked up a game in the standings last night, and also picked up a few points in the polls over the last two weeks. The Dodgers still lead with 51.9% of the vote, but the Giants are now at 44.4%.
[yop_poll id=”210″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
Let’s take a look at the results thus far in the voting for the five teams you think will make the National League Playoffs.
St. Louis Cardinals-93%
Los Angeles Dodgers-93%
Washington Nationals-80%
Chicago Cubs-73%
Pittsburgh Pirates-67%
Voting is still open. You’ve got four of the five teams correct. As in the NL East poll, there’s not a lot of faith in the New York Mets.
[yop_poll id=”247″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY
Okay, who you got? It’s going to be an exciting six weeks in the baseball world. Is your team still in it? Let me know below or hit me up on Twitter @BingeSports and @THElukenorris to give me your thoughts. And if you’re itching for an all-new Binge SportsCast, fear not. Batch and I will be coming your way this weekend with an epic SummerSlam preview and I’ll be back in a week or so with yet another all-new episode. And if you haven’t already, sign up for the Binge Media Newsletter for exclusive content and make sure to check out all the new items in the Binge Media Merchandise shop, which includes a great item for your teabags. Binge On! Or whatever the kids are saying these days.
Welcome back to Binge Sports and our continuing coverage of the 2015 Major League Baseball season. August has arrived and the temperature isn’t the only thing heating up. The trade deadline has passed and the playoff races are packed with possible contenders. There’s a few runaways going on, but with the wild card and especially the second wild card spot, there are so many teams that are still in contention for a playoff berth. As my guest co-host Jim Poljak discussed at length in our MLB version of the Binge SportsCast a few weeks ago, things are only going to get better as the weeks progress down the stretch. So before ESPN kills you with football coverage and every single injury to a pinkie toe, let’s get into some baseball with Binge Sports.
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
W L PCT. GB WCGB
New York 60 45 .571 —- ——–
Toronto 56 52 .519 5.5 ——–
Baltimore 54 52 .509 6.6 1.0
Tampa Bay 54 54 .500 7.5 2.0
Boston 47 60 .439 14.0 8.5
A month ago, this division was separated by only five games from top to bottom, but the Yankees have created a little breathing room for themselves. However, they certainly haven’t run away with this division, especially with the surprising moves made by the Toronto Bluejays. It’s certainly too soon to see how those will play out as the season winds down, but they certainly were more aggressive than what I thought they would be. Baltimore continues to play solid baseball as well. The Rays would have to jump three teams to get to the top, which can be difficult this late in the year, but they’re right in the middle of the wild card race. I don’t know if the Red Sox have enough time to make the move they would need to make to play in October, but I suppose stranger things have happened.
I think some of the early voting is still showing through as Boston still leads the AL East poll at 26.7%, with New York, Tampa Bay, and Baltimore tied for second at 20%. Toronto rounds it out at 13.3%, but we’ll see if that number rises with the new lineup.
[yop_poll id=”205″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
W L PCT. GB WCGB
Kansas City 63 42 .600 —- ——–
Minnesota 54 52 .509 9.5 1.0
Detroit 51 55 .481 12.5 4.0
Chicago 50 55 .476 13.0 4.5
Cleveland 49 57 .462 14.5 6.0
The Kansas City Royals are dominating this division. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if they could live up to the hype after that World Series run last year, but they’ve shown that they’re one of the best teams in baseball. The Twins have continued to play consistent baseball just above .500 and have put themselves in position to make a run at the postseason in a wild card capacity. The Tigers haven’t been able to put together a decent run to make up any ground in the division, but are still right there in the wild card race as well. The team that’s made the most noise this past month has been the Chicago White Sox, who have actually put themselves in the wildcard conversation with some very good baseball. And then there’s the Indians, who came into the season with very high hopes, but would need a lot of help to climb back into this thing.
There was a ton of Cleveland votes at the beginning of the season with those high hopes as they still hold 20% of this vote, but Kansas City easily leads the division poll at 46.7%, which is a very good bet right now. Can anybody catch the Royals? Vote now.
[yop_poll id=”206″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
W L PCT. GB WCGB
Houston 60 48 .556 —- ——–
Los Angeles 56 50 .528 3.0 +1.0
Texas 53 53 .500 6.0 2.0
Seattle 50 58 .463 10.0 6.0
Oakland 48 60 .444 12.0 8.0
We’ve got a two team race in the West. For those waiting for the ball to drop in Houston, I don’t think it’s coming. The Astros continue to play amazing baseball, but the Angels are still right there only a few games behind. If the Rangers were to go on a crazy winning streak, they could possible put themselves in the division race, but a run at a wild card spot seems more likely. As for the Mariners and A’s, better luck next year.
As for the poll, the Binge Sports fans still think that the Angels will indeed catch the Astros as they lead the way with 50% of the vote with the Astros coming in at 27.8%. These two teams will play each other six times in September. Vote wisely.
[yop_poll id=”207″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
During the MLB podcast, I revealed a new poll (I know, another one?) asking you which five teams you thought would make the playoffs, obviously the three division winners and the two wildcard spots. Here’s the results as they stand right now.
1. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim-100%
2. Kansas City Royals-75%
3. Toronto Bluejays, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins-50%
4. Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers-25%
This voting actually makes a lot of sense right now. With eight teams within 4 games of each other for the final wild card spot, there’s so much up in the air right now. Here’s another chance for you to vote. Remember you must vote for five teams. Beneath the poll, you’ll see exactly what we’re looking at if the playoffs started today.
[yop_poll id=”246″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
W L PCT. GB WCGB
New York 57 50 .533 —- ——-
Washington 55 50 .524 1.0 3.0
Atlanta 48 59 .449 9.0 11.0
Miami 43 64 .402 14.0 16.0
Philadelphia 42 65 .393 15.0 17.0
Okay, the Mets aren’t going away. A month ago, I said that the Mets would slowly drop off with the injury problems they were having, but I’ve been proven wrong. Here they sit, right atop the National League East. The Nationals are still right there, but this is certainly a surprise, and a good one for Mets fans. I still think that Washington is the better overall team, but this race is going to be extremely entertaining down the stretch. These two teams have a three game set the first week in September, but that’s it. The rest of the games are against other teams, so we’ll have to wait and see how each team responds to the pressure.
As of right now, the Binge Sports poll shows that you believe that the Nationals will win this division. Every month, their numbers have gone up. It started at 50, rose to 67, then 75 last month, but Washington now has more than 83% of the fan vote. With this Mets resurgence, will the numbers change?
[yop_poll id=”208″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
W L PCT. GB WCGB
St. Louis 67 39 .632 —- ——–
Pittsburgh 61 44 .581 5.5 +3.0
Chicago 58 47 .552 8.5 ——–
Cincinnati 48 56 .462 18.0 9.5
Milwaukee 45 63 .417 23.0 14.5
I still firmly believe that this is the strongest division in baseball, at least in the top three spots. Think about this. The third place Chicago Cubs have the seventh best record in baseball. St. Louis continues to hold the top spot by playing typical Cardinals baseball, but the Pittsburgh Pirates have continued to stay in the running and currently hold the first wild card position by a few games. I don’t think that the Cubs can win this division, but they’ll be looking to slide into the playoffs in one of those wild card spots, but that will certainly be a challenge as well.
As they lead the division, the Cardinals still lead the way in the fan vote as well with 53.8% of the vote. 30.8% of you still believe the Cubs can catch up, and Pittsburgh supporters have finally chimed in and have the remaining 15.4%. Which way are you leaning?
[yop_poll id=”209″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
W L PCT. GB WCGB
Los Angeles 60 46 .566 —- ——–
San Francisco 58 48 .547 2.0 0.5
San Diego 52 55 .486 8.5 7.0
Arizona 51 54 .486 8.5 7.0
Colorado 44 61 .419 15.5 14.0
As was the case last month, this is still a two team race in the NL West. The Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants continue their great rivalry in 2015 as they battle for this division title. Both teams have an excellent chance to make the playoffs, but winning the division keeps you out of that anything can happen wild card game, so there’s certainly an advantage to the team that can make it out of this on top. The two teams play three in LA starting August 31st and close out the season with a three game set in San Francisco. This could very well go down to the last day.
The Dodgers currently hold the lead in the fan poll at 52.9%, but the Giants are close with 41.2%. You’re running out of time to change your mind. Get your vote in today.
[yop_poll id=”210″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
Now that you’ve got the division voting out of the way, let’s take a look at how the Binge Sports audience has been voting for the playoffs.
1. St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates-100%
2. Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants-50%
And that’s it. Thus far, you’ve only voted for six teams in the National League. It seems as if you firmly believe that those four teams listed at number one will be in and the Cubs and Giants will battle for that second wild-card spot. The Mets might have something to say about that, but you’re pretty close to what’s actually happening. But with fifty-five to sixty games left, you never know what could happen. Keep voting.
[yop_poll id=”247″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY
There you have it. There’s a ton of great baseball coming your way as the regular season winds down and I’m certain that I’ll have Jim Poljak back on the show as the postseason gets started in October. Until then, stay tuned for an all-new Binge SportsCast coming your way very soon. We’ve got SummerSlam on the horizon, so Batch and I will be bringing a new wrestling version your way in a little over two weeks as well. If you missed the last show where Garrett joined us to talk the Hulk Hogan fiasco, click HERE to check it out. And yes, the NFL season is upon us as well. Camps are in full swing, so coverage of the upcoming season will be coming your way very soon. I’m currently thinking about different options to handle the season, so if you have any suggestions on that or anything else, please leave them below or follow me on Twitter @BingeSports and @THElukenorris. And as always, check back to the site every single day for new podcasts, daily posts, and make sure to sign up for the Binge Media Newsletter for exclusive content and also make a visit to the new Binge Media merchandise store by clicking the “Shop” link at the top of this page. Binge Media is stronger than ever so I wouldn’t want you to get left behind. Enjoy.