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: NEW YORK YANKEES

The hottest team in baseball has been the New York Yankees, prior to the their loss Sunday afternoon, the Yankees had won their previous eight ballgames. Over their last ten games those eight wins gave the Yankees an 8-2 stretch. New York also has an American League leading +47 run differential. The combination of tremendous starting pitching, working opposing pitchers pitch counts, and timely hitting, with the nickname following “Bronx Bombers” home runs, the Yankees have been playing a winning brand of baseball. And all of that is being done before the returns to the rotation of Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon. Once those two former All-Star caliber pitchers comeback, this Yankee team could be even scarier to deal with, especially in a short postseason series.

FIRST DOWN: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

To say that the Philadelphia Phillies are in a struggling would be a massive understatement to make at this point in the season. The Phillies have found themselves the owners of the worst record in Major League Baseball. Through their first twenty eight games, the Phils are faced with a 9-19 record and have Major League worst -54. Over their last ten games it feels even worse for Phillies’ fans as the team has only won one game. We’ve seen the Boston Red Sox fire their manager and some of his coaches and if Philadelphia doesn’t quickly rebound, Rob Thompson and his coaches could be the next ones on the block.

SECOND UP: CHICAGO CUBS

The Chicago Cubs have been playing a tremendous brand of baseball in their own right. Like the aforementioned Yankees, the Cubs were also playing 8-2 baseball over their last ten games. Chicago also finds themselves having the third best run differential in the National League with +31. The Cubs are in an interesting position, currently one game behind the Cincinnati Reds for the National League division lead, and coming off two tough losses to the Dodgers. Chicago continues their west coast trip heading to San Diego to face off with another hot team in the Padres, which should make for another interesting series to watch.

SECOND DOWN: MINNESOTA TWINS

Like the Phillies mentioned before them, the Minnesota Twins are struggling as of late as well. In their ten most recent contests the Twins are also 1-9 over that stretch but they’ve lost five straight games. So the feeling in Minnesota right now may feel a bit more bleak in this present moment for the fans of the Twins Cities. The expectations in Minnesota for this season weren’t quite as high as it was for Philadelphia, so there may be a bit more leniency. However, if the losing streak continues, the good graces of the better than thought of start could quickly fade. 

THIRD UP: ATLANTA BRAVES

Atlanta remains one of the hottest teams in baseball. Over their last ten games, the Braves are 8-2 over that span and have the second best run differential with +65 in the Majors. The Braves remain a productive and healthy team. And as we stated last week should that health continue, the Braves will find themselves in the hunt for a World Series championship.

THIRD DOWN: NEW YORK METS

The New York Mets continue to be on the bad side of this countdown. While they may have stopped their extended losing streak, they have not changed direction by much. Over their last ten games, the Mets are 2-8 and still maintain a -27 run differential. There has been much discussion over the way the Mets have handled this over the ownership tenure of Steve Cohen. And even more questions about the team and its directions since David Stearns took over control of the baseball operations department. But if this Mets team is going to rebound and not miss out on a second straight postseason experience, they’re going to need to turn things around…and quickly.

BE ON LOOKOUT FOR (BOLO): SEATTLE MARINERS

The Seattle Mariners were expected to dominate the American League West division. However, the M’s did not get off to the kind of start that they were hoping for to begin the season. That being said, over their last ten games the Mariners have gone 6-4 but more importantly they’re in the midst of a four game win streak. And while a four game win streak may not feel or seem like much, Seattle has closed the gap on not just getting back to .500 but also to the division league “homeless” Athletics. Seattle is only a game and a half behind the A’s for the AL West division. If Seattle continues their recent hot stretch that division lead will be theirs before too long.