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: CLEVELAND GUARDIANS (32-23)

The Cleveland Guardians are continuing their trend from over the past several years of quietly being one of baseball’s best teams. When you examine what’s happening on the team from a day-to-day basis, there isn’t necessarily any one thing that jumps out from the positive, yet somehow they continue to play some of the best baseball in the sport. Over their last ten games, the Guards have gone 8-2 over that stretch and continue a positive run differential of +23. Cleveland is a team that battles and grinds out every at-bat and every game. And that style has served them well thus far in 2026.

FIRST DOWN: CHICAGO CUBS (29-24)

The cold winds of Chicago have blown into Wrigley Field and knocked the Cubs down hard. Chicago is in the midst of a difficult stretch of baseball, having gone 2-8 over their last ten games. However, even more devastatingly painful is the current eight-game losing streak they are in the midst of, the worst mark currently in MLB. The Cubs are a good team and will likely begin to rebound before too long. But through this difficult period, they are down on the mat, looking up at the lights, and the ten-count has started. We’ll see if they can start to stir against a division foe in the Pittsburgh Pirates on Memorial Day Monday.

SECOND UP: LOS ANGELES DODGERS (33-20)

It was just a week ago that we told you to be on the lookout for the Los Angeles Dodgers because they were heating up. And that foresight foreshadowed what was to come this week with their inclusion on the up list of this countdown. Los Angeles was struggling at one point, not long ago, which coincided with Shohei Ohtani’s offensive struggles. Ohtani has recently started to heat up, and so have the Dodgers. Over their last ten games, the Dodgers are 8-2 and have overtaken the Atlanta Braves for the best run differential in baseball with +106. The Dodgers have stated the desire goal of claiming their third consecutive World Series Championship crown, and playing baseball the way they have recently should put the baseball world on notice.

SECOND DOWN: DETROIT TIGERS (21-33)

The recent stretch of baseball has also not been kind to the Detroit Tigers. Over the past ten games, they’ve missed the winning mark eight times and have the third-worst record in Major League Baseball and the second-worst record in the American League. Detroit was expected to be a team that was competing for the AL Central division crown. A team that was supposed to try and put its best foot forward to try and woo negotiations talks with stud ace, Tarik Skubal, to stay in the Motor City. However, at this point, the way the Tigers have played means more than likely that Skubal won’t make it to the end of the season as a Tiger.

THIRD UP: ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (28-24)

Quietly, the Arizona Diamondbacks have been playing some extremely competitive baseball. When examining the fact that they have climbed to the seventh-best record in the very competitive and difficult National League, it means this team has put itself in a position to be challenging for a postseason berth. Over their last ten games, the DBacks have gone 8-2 and have increased their run differential to +7. Arizona, like many in the game, had to battle back from some early struggles. But they have since rebounded beautifully and are playing a great brand of baseball. Part of their recent success has been the reemergence of Nolan Arenado to his All-Star caliber form. And if Nolan and the Diamondbacks can maintain this level of play, a postseason appearance should be in the future.

THIRD DOWN: COLORADO ROCKIES

The Colorado Rockies are one of baseball’s most confusing teams. And while the Rockies have made strides this offseason to begin the process to alter the outlook and direction of their franchise, on-field results look eerily similar to the last half-decade. And that includes the recent stretch of ten games where the Rox have dropped seven of those games and own baseball’s worst run differential at -63. If Colorado truly wants to make the baseball world believe that they’ve changed and are actually attempting to win, they will need to actually start winning ballgames.

BE ON LOOKOUT FOR (BOLO): MINNESOTA TWINS (26-27)

The Minnesota Twins shocked the baseball world at the trade deadline of 2025 when they traded away nearly half of their active roster. Fast forward to 2026, and this was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the AL Central team. Yet, the rebuild is going ahead of schedule, and a team that was supposed to barely scrap by in the standings finds itself just one game under .500 after a modest four-game winning streak. Minnesota has some competition within its division as the aforementioned Guardians have been playing out of their mind. But also, the Chicago White Sox have been shocking the baseball community with how well they’ve been playing. So while Minnesota is still chasing those teams in the division, there are signs to be optimistic if you’re a fan of the Minnesota Twins.