Five good bets: MLB second half teams
By DOC'S SPORTS
As we head into baseball’s All-Star break, it’s the perfect time to take stock of what we’ve seen in the first 3 ½ months of the season, and look forward to what we can expect from this point forward.
Here’s a look at five teams that could give your bankroll a major boost down the stretch.
Texas Rangers
Many look at the Rangers as an overachieving team, but I see it differently. Yes, there are flaws in this bunch, most notably on the mound, but their youth isn’t the crutch that some make it out to be. Even though they enter the second half 7 ½ games back in the AL West, they’re far from out of the race. While most everyone considers the Rays, Yankees, and Twins as top contenders for the Wild Card, the Rangers are right there, currently six games back.
You could argue that they have the most potent offense in the American League and a couple of moves at the trade deadline could shore up their pitching staff. This is a young squad that is starting to develop a winning mentality, something we haven’t seen in Texas in quite some time. The Rangers produced the second highest profit haul in the American League prior to the All-Star break, bringing home close to 14 units. Only the Twins were better in that regard.
Seattle Mariners
Call me crazy, but I expect the Mariners to make a bit of a second-half push. This team is far better than its 37-58 record would indicate, and should continue to work its way back toward the .500 mark. Injuries to Erik Bedard and J.J. Putz have obviously played a role in their struggles, but Brandon Morrow has stepped in and done an admirable job as the interim closer and R.A. Dickey has turned out to be a pleasant surprise at the back end of the rotation.
It’s only a matter of time before the offense starts humming again, that truly is the X-factor. The M’s currently rank 28th in the majors in runs per game. With a lineup anchored by the likes of Ichiro, Ibanez, and Beltre, hope springs eternal. I’m not saying Seattle will challenge for a playoff spot, but they could become a consistent underdog moneymaker down the stretch.
Atlanta Braves
We should all know by now that the Braves are never really out of the playoff hunt, no matter how bad things seem. They finished the first half on a high note, taking two of three in San Diego. They’ve been major underachievers to this point, sitting five games below .500 entering the break. But with an offense that can only improve, and a pitching staff that ranks right up there among the best in the league, the window of opportunity is wide open.
Injuries to a pair of veteran pitchers in John Smoltz and Tom Glavine took a while to recover from, but now we’re starting to see some positive signs. They posted a winning record over their final nine games of the first half. The Braves were the talk of the town in May, and as a result, much of their value dissolved. That isn’t the case anymore; take their most recent road trip for example. They were dogged in five of six games in Los Angeles and San Diego.
St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals are a team that continues to fly under the radar in the NL Central, as evidenced by the fact that they banked +11 units in the first half. They’ve gone through a substantial slump over the last month, but I’m confident they’re going to work their way out of it and challenge the Cubs for the division crown.
Remember, Albert Pujols missed over two weeks of action in mid-June. He’s back, and if the last two games are any indication, so is the Cardinals offense. They produced 22 runs in the final two contests of a weekend series in Pittsburgh. They’ll open the second half with an eight-game homestand against the Padres and Brewers, and due to their recent mediocre play, we should see some significant value.
Los Angeles Dodgers
I know this is a bit of a stretch, but because they play in the weak NL West, the Dodgers shouldn’t be discouraged by their first half performance. They actually head into the break just a single game back of the division-leading D-Backs despite being three games under .500.
As has been the case over the last few seasons, offensive production (or lack thereof) has been a major issue for the Dodgers. I don’t expect them to remain idle at the trade deadline however, and the return of Nomar Garciaparra can only help matters.
They’ve been a streaky team to this point, and with the way the rest of the West has performed, one big run could put them back in the driver’s seat. Finding value shouldn’t be a problem, as the betting public tends to favor powerful offenses, not savvy pitching staffs.
Docsports.com