Well, it’s time for the third installment of our weekly countdown series known simply as “3 Up & 3 Down.” So if you’re new to the Baseball Banter Broadcast, 3 Up & 3 Down is our weekly examination of three teams playing well, three teams that aren’t. And we add in a team to “Be On the Look Out” for (or BOLO) just for good measure. So let’s examine “week two” of 3 Up & 3 Down.

FIRST UP: SAN DIEGO PADRES

The hottest team in baseball is the San Diego Padres. Over their last ten games, the Friars are 9-1 with a +17 run differential and climbing. San Diego has the most dominant force closing games since Mariano Rivera in Mason Miller, and he’s just embarrassing hitters left and right. The Padres are winning ballgames and have dropped the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lead in the National League West division to just half a game. While the rest of the league may have written off San Diego for a plethora of reasons, the team on the field has not stopped playing or winning.

FIRST DOWN: NEW YORK METS

To say that the New York Mets are in a downward spiral would be a massive understatement to make at this point. The Metropolitans have lost eleven straight games. There isn’t a better definition for this “down” section than a team on this kind of losing streak. For the Mets, the losses are coming in many different ways. There was a lot of conversation about the Mets during the offseason about the departures of Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, and Brandon Nimmo. Much of the conversation was about the changing of the identity of the team from the aforementioned players to Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto. And while the struggles of the entire team can’t be pinned on just two players, there is clearly something that isn’t working.

SECOND UP: DETROIT TIGERS

The Detroit Tigers are the second up this week, and they have earned every win and accolade. Detroit, like the aforementioned Padres, has closed the gap in its divisional battle to just half a game. The Tigers have played to the tune of an 8-2 record over their last ten games and have increased their run differential to +19.

SECOND DOWN: KANSAS CITY ROYALS

While the Tigers have played to a winning percentage of .800 in their last ten games, their divisional rival, the Kansas City Royals, has been their exact counter. The Royals have lost eight of their last ten games and find themselves at -32 in the run differential column. Kansas City has struggled to score runs, and it’s an impossible task to ask pitchers to be perfect. The lack of run support puts the Royals behind the eight-ball, and that has led to the poor record of 7-15 overall.

THIRD UP: ATLANTA BRAVES

Another hot team in MLB right now is the Atlanta Braves. Atlanta was a team that dealt with an enormous number of injuries over the past two seasons. However, thus far in 2026, the Braves have been mostly healthy. At the time of this writing, the Braves are 8-2 over their last ten and +55 in the run differential column. If Atlanta can remain healthy, this is a World Series-caliber team.

THIRD DOWN: HOUSTON ASTROS

The Houston Astros continue to struggle again this week. Overall, the Astros find themselves 8-15. And over their last ten games, Houston is 2-8, riding a four-game losing streak and at -19 in run differential. There isn’t much positive to take away from the Astros, other than the positive offensive output of Yordan Alvarez. If Yordan can remain healthy, this might be the lone bright spot for Houston this season.

BE ON LOOKOUT FOR (BOLO): ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

A team that was expected to be a cellar dweller, a rebuilding team, a guaranteed win for opposing teams, has turned out to want to push back on that narrative. That team is none other than the St. Louis Cardinals. Over their last ten games, the Cardinals have gone 7-3 and won five straight games. St. Louis is playing with no expectations, and that can sometimes make going out and playing the game much easier. No matter the reason or the motivation, the Cardinals are a team to watch out for this week.