Its Palooza week, and PJ and TM shoot the shit about, well, nothing really. Not much NFL news as the pre-season is just getting under way. The Mets had a great 2 weeks, but TM is still keeping a level head about it. The Great Art from Cali hits us with a BSV, and we discuss our upcoming Palooza excitement.
Remember to call us with your questions/comments/suggestions for the show #708-316-8822…
Binge Sports is Back in Town! The MLB Trade Deadline comes (gross) and goes without much to discuss. We take some old and new BSV then FINALLY get into some NFL preseason Talk!!
Remember to call us with your questions/comments/suggestions for the show #708-316-8822…
What was supposed to be a quick MLB Post Season Preview show morphed into a full fledged SportsCast!
The guys record while watching the MLB Wild Card game and give their opinions on the current MLB Playoff format. Predictions on who and where these early series will go.
NFL Week 4 is in the books and what do we know? Nothing… absolutely nothing. Who’s good? Who’s bad? Well, the Dolphins… they’re bad. Are the Bills for real? The guys bring a special correspondent to analyze and critique the AFC East leaders. Antonio Brown shows he’s a true diva and is called out by Big Ben. Things wrap up with some fantasy talk before getting into the Week 5 picks.
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.
Welcome to an all-new edition of the Binge SportsCast. This week, I’m talking baseball, baseball, and more baseball with my special guest, Jim Poljak, a former host of Back Porch Sports and The Curtain Call. He’s also a former writer for The Bleacher Report and The Outside Analysis and happens to be one of the most knowledgeable guys I know when it comes to sports. But I also met him through Supka, so take that for what it’s worth.
But before that, we talk a little bit about the Open Championship, the Dez Bryant contract, and my hatred of this year’s ESPY Awards and the Caitlyn Jenner situation.
But yes, then we do get into all things baseball. We’re breaking down each division, every team, the All-Star Game, the playoff situation, Pete Rose vs Frank Thomas, and much more. It’s a damn good show and you should listen to it right now. And after you do, get your votes in for the all-new polls I’ve put below, where you get to make your picks on which five teams will make the MLB postseason. And just so you don’t get frustrated, yes, you must make five picks.
Thanks to Jim for coming on the show, and I’ll be back in just a couple of days with a new wrestling version of the Binge SportsCast. It’s been five weeks since the last PPV so you know we’ll have a lot to talk about. Until then, you can always leave your thoughts on the show below or follow me on Twitter @THElukenorris and you can always get the latest updates on my doings here @BingeSports. You’ll be hearing from me.
Welcome back to Binge Sports and our continuing coverage of the 2015 Major League Baseball season. Give or take a few games, we’re halfway through the grueling 162-game schedule. The All-Star break is about a week away, and I’ll have full coverage and a much bigger breakdown of the first half of the year in an all-new Binge SportsCast next week. But for now, let’s take a look at where things currently stand in each and every division and where we stand in the playoff picture. The season-long fan vote is still ongoing, and constantly changing, so don’t forget to once again chime in with your vote. And don’t worry if you’ve voted before; you can continue to vote throughout the season. Just don’t go all Kansas City Royals fan on me and punch the same ticket 35 times. We wouldn’t want a skewed vote now, would we? Because that seems to be going over so well. Let’s get started in the American League.
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
W L PCT. GB WCGB
New York 44 39 .530 —- ——–
Baltimore 43 41 .512 1.5 2.0
Toronto 44 42 .512 1.5 2.0
Tampa Bay 43 43 .500 2.5 3.0
Boston 40 45 .471 5.0 5.5
A month ago, the top and the bottom of this division were separated by 4.5 games. As it stands this morning, that’s only changed by a half game, which is pretty remarkable. The Yankees continue to play decent baseball and still lead the division, but from the standings from early June, second place is now in fourth, third place is now in second, and fourth place is now in third, and the Red Sox are still bringing up the rear. I’m guessing the flip-flopping will continue throughout the rest of the season with as many divisional games that these teams have left against one another.
In our last poll, the Yankees had 50% of the vote to win the AL East, but it looks as if you’re noticing some of the movement as well as every team now has some votes. The Yankees and Red Sox are tied at 30%, the Blue Jays are at 20%, and the Rays and Orioles both have 10%. This is the only division so far where every team has been included in the polls. Much like the division race, I’m sure this one will be tight to the very end.
[yop_poll id=”205″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
W L PCT. GB WCGB
Kansas City 48 33 .593 —- ——–
Minnesota 45 39 .536 4.5 ——–
Detroit 42 41 .506 7.0 2.5
Cleveland 39 44 .470 10.0 5.5
Chicago 37 44 .457 11.0 6.5
The Royals continue to be very consistent. The last time we discussed MLB, their winning percentage was at .592. As you can see, they’re only a point higher this morning. But this time around, instead of being half a game behind Minnesota and leading the Wild Card race, they’ve got a 4.5 game lead and 22 All-Stars. Okay, maybe that’s not completely accurate, but they do have quite a few, even some that are actually deserving. The Twins dropped off a little bit in June, but they do still own the second wild card spot at the moment and continue to play good baseball.
As it stands now, some of you think that the Tigers are still going to make a run. They still lead the voting at 40% with the Royals sitting at 30%. I think a lot of you got caught up in the early Indians hype brought on by the Sports Illustrated cover as those early votes still make up the other 30%.
[yop_poll id=”206″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
W L PCT. GB WCGB
Houston 49 37 .570 —- ——–
Los Angeles 45 38 .542 2.5 +0.5
Texas 41 43 .488 7.0 4.0
Seattle 39 45 .464 9.0 6.0
Oakland 39 47 .453 10.0 7.0
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim North of San Diego South of Sacramento West of…you get the point. Forgive me, but even all of these years later, it’s still ridiculous. However, the Angels continue to close the gap on the young Houston Astros, gaining 2.5 games over the past month. With the Rangers dropping off some in recent weeks, I think the two teams at the top will continue to battle as we make our way towards October. The Angels have much more experience, so it will be interesting to see if the Astros’ talent can get them to the postseason.
You don’t seem to think so, at least as far as the division is concerned. After one month, 67% liked the Astros to win the West. Last month, it was 37.5%. Right now, they’re down to 25%. The big early voting for Seattle is still at 25%, but the Angels lead the way at 50%.
[yop_poll id=”207″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
W L PCT. GB WCGB
Washington 46 38 .548 —- ——–
New York 43 42 .506 3.5 4.0
Atlanta 42 42 .500 4.0 4.5
Miami 35 49 .417 11.0 11.5
Philadelphia 29 57 .337 18.0 18.5
The Mets are trying so hard to stay in this race, but injuries have really hurt this ball club. The Braves, as they were a month ago, sit at .500 and will try to stay in as well, but as predicted, the Nationals are still the favorites in this division. They’ve got good pitching, good hitting, and are built to make a deep run if they can stay healthy.
It seems you agree with me. One month in, the Nationals had 50% of your vote. Last month, they were up to 2/3. They now sit with 75% of the vote and I only see it going up from there.
[yop_poll id=”208″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
W L PCT. GB WCGB
St. Louis 54 30 .643 —- ——–
Pittsburgh 49 34 .590 4.5 +3.0
Chicago 46 37 .554 7.5 ——–
Cincinnati 38 44 .463 15.0 7.5
Milwaukee 36 50 .419 19.0 11.5
Much like the American League, the Central is the best division in the National League. Not only are the St. Louis Cardinals the best team in all of baseball, but the second and third place teams are very solid as well. Just think about this for a moment. As of right now, the Pirates would lead four other divisons and would be only percentage points behind in the other. The third place Cubs would lead three others. These two teams will continue to chase the Cardinals, but I’m not sure if either can catch such a great team. But as it stands today, they would play each other in the wild-card round. I think at least one will take one of those two spots, but it wouldn’t surprise me if things stay the way they are now.
The Midwest vote is still very strong, but the 50/50 is gone. The Cardinals now have 62.5% and the Cubs have the other 37.5%. What’s the matter Pittsburgh, no faith?
[yop_poll id=”209″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
W L PCT. GB WCGB
Los Angeles 47 38 .553 —- ——–
San Francisco 43 42 .506 4.0 4.0
Arizona 41 42 .494 5.0 5.0
San Diego 39 47 .453 8.5 8.5
Colorado 35 48 .422 11.0 11.0
I know the Diamondbacks are hovering right around .500, but I still believe this is a two team race for the NL West. The Padres have taken a big step back, so the Giants and the Dodgers will continue to battle. I still think the Dodgers are the favorite here with all of that talent, but it’s hard to completely bail out on a team that’s won three of the last five titles.
The Rockies are completely out of this race, but some early voting still got them 8.3% of the fan vote. The Giants are at 41.7%, but you agree that the Dodgers will win this division at 50%.
[yop_poll id=”210″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY
There you have it for today. As I said earlier, I’ll be back next week with an all-new MLB version of the Binge SportsCast. I’m still working on locking down my guest co-host for the show, but it looks as if you don’t have to sit through another solo venture from me. But if you like that sort of thing, check out last week’s show HERE. Also recording late next week is an all-new wrestling show featuring Batch and myself. We’ve been away for a while now, so I’m sure we’ll have a lot to discuss. I’m also taking questions for both shows, so if you’ve got some baseball or wrestling questions you’d like answered, you can leave them below or follow me on Twitter @BingeSports and/or @THElukenorris. We’ll see you next time.
Welcome back to Binge Sports and our continuing coverage of the 2015 Major League Baseball season. We’re about 1/3 of the way through the campaign, and it’s right about now that things will start to heat up, literally and figuratively. The NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup Final get underway this week, which means those two seasons are close to an end and baseball will soon take center stage in the sports world. Speaking of which, there’s still time to vote for the NBA Finals HERE and the Stanley Cup Final HERE.
The dog days of summer are coming, which means that the division races will start to really take shape in a couple of months. But for now, let’s take a look at each division. How has the voting changed in the past month? Do you have a new pick? It’s still a long way off, but who would be in the playoffs if they started today? Is your team already out of it? Let’s take a look.
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
W L PCT. GB WCGB
New York 28 25 .528 —- ——–
Tampa Bay 27 26 .509 1.0 1.0
Baltimore 23 28 .451 4.0 4.0
Toronto 24 30 .444 4.5 4.5
Boston 23 29 .442 4.5 4.5
Oh, joy. ESPN is obviously loving the fact that the New York Yankees are still leading this division. Alex Rodriguez has passed Willie Mays on the all-time homerun list and blah, blah, blah. Okay, I know I’m supposed to be unbiased here, but it’s a little disconcerting. I was certainly hoping for more from some of the other teams in this division. Luckily, the first and last place teams are only separated by 4.5 games, meaning that the status of this division could change weekly. And don’t worry, I’m sure the machine still has plenty of Yankees-Red Sox games that you can tune in for.
The fan vote still has the Yankees at the top, but this time you’ve got them tied with the Red Sox at 37.5% each. Last month, you had the Yankees at 50%, so there’s some of you out there who still think the top of this division will change in the upcoming months. Let’s see what happens for next month’s vote.
[yop_poll id=”205″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
W L PCT. GB WCGB
Minnesota 30 20 .600 —- ——–
Kansas City 29 20 .592 0.5 +3.0
Detroit 28 25 .528 3.5 ——–
Cleveland 25 26 .490 5.5 2.0
Chicago 23 27 .460 7.0 3.5
This is arguably the toughest division in baseball right now. If the playoffs were to start today (see below), three of these teams would be right there. We saw the Tigers and Royals coming, but I’d have to say that the Twins are a little bit of a surprise. They play a nice brand of baseball and it will be interesting to see if they can keep it up.
You don’t seem to think so. After a three-way tie at the top last month with the Indians, Royals, and Tigers at 33% each, you’ve gone to a tie between Kansas City and Detroit at 42.9% each. I’m in agreement with you. Cleveland’s only chance for a championship for the city this year starts this week with the Cavaliers.
How about those Astros? The young and talented team from Houston continues to play good baseball, as evidenced by having the best record in the American League. Did you ever think you’d hear that sentence?
However, your faith in the Astros seems to be waning. After taking the lion’s share of the vote last month with 67%, Houston has dropped 30% in the fan vote. The Angels now lead the vote with 50% while Houston is second with 37%.
[yop_poll id=”207″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY
The Tigers and Angels are currently tied for the second wild card spot.
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
W L PCT. GB WCGB
Washington 29 23 .558 —- ——–
New York 29 24 .547 .5 ——–
Atlanta 26 26 .500 3.0 2.5
Miami 21 32 .396 8.5 8.0
Philadelphia 20 33 .377 9.5 9.0
It looks as if the Mets aren’t going away. After a fast start to the year, they’ve cooled off a little bit, but they’re right in the thick of things in the NL East and currently own the final playoff spot, a half game ahead of the Cubs and Pirates.
Your pick is still the Washington Nationals and your faith seems to be growing. After gaining half of the vote last month, it’s now up to two-thirds.
As I predicted, the Cardinals are still the team to beat in the Central. I don’t know how many ways to say it (and it pains me to do so), but that’s just what St. Louis does. They find ways to win ballgames. Pretty simple. The Cubs are a fun team to watch, but still need to find a little more consistency, and don’t think the Pirates are just going to go away.
As it’s been from the beginning, there’s still a 50/50 split between the Cardinals and Cubs in the fan vote.
[yop_poll id=”209″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
W L PCT. GB WCGB
Los Angeles 31 21 .596 —- ——–
San Francisco 30 24 .556 2.0 +0.5
San Diego 26 28 .481 6.0 3.5
Arizona 24 27 .471 6.5 4.0
Colorado 23 28 .451 7.5 5.0
This is going to be a two team race. While the Padres have shown a few flashes here and there, the West is still going to be decided between the Dodgers and Giants.
Los Angeles continues to lead the fan vote, gaining eight points in the last month to get their total votes up to 75%.
[yop_poll id=”210″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY
Who’d you vote for? Did your vote change? Let me know below or follow and tweet @BingeSports and/or @THElukenorris. Check back soon and check back often for all-new episodes of the Binge SportsCast, more articles, and everything else that the rest of the boys have for you. Binge Media is getting bigger and bigger every day. Don’t fall behind.