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Matt Kemp's absence from the Dodgers' lineup has the team's offense on the fritz. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
At the halfway point of the baseball season there are still some irregularities that have yet to be sorted out. The Pirates, which haven’t finished with a winning record since 1992 are on top of the NL Central while Baltimore, which hasn’t finished better than third-place in the AL East is hanging around in second place. In any case, here are the ten best clubs at the moment:
10. Los Angeles Dodgers: 45-37 record, 3.9 runs allowed, 3.7 runs allowed*—With losses in 12 of their last 15 games, the Dodgers are officially ice-cold. The offense, which had been getting by without the services of MVP-candidate Matt Kemp since May 30, averaged just 1.9 runs per game during the aforementioned stretch and currently no hitter in the lineup is hitting better than .300. Fortunately the Dodgers had such a great start to the season that they remain in first place, albeit tied with their rival-Giants. Previous: 3
9. Boston Red Sox: 42-40 record; 5.0 runs scored, 4.4 runs allowed—Despite their historic collapse last season, the Red Sox return most of their star power from a team that still won 89 games and was one victory from the playoffs. Clearly the hangover from last season was expected, and now Boston has won 13 of their last 21 and has the sixth-best run-scoring differential in baseball (plus-50.) David Ortiz’ big year (.302 batting average, 22 home runs, 55 RBIs) is a big reason why. Unfortunately for Bobby Valentine’s squad no regular starter has an ERA under 4.00, although Jon Lester is 2-1 with a 3.57 ERA since the beginning of June. Previous: NR8. New York Mets: 44-38 record; 4.6 runs scored, 4.3 runs allowed—The Mets’ inclusion on this list did not seem probable after an offseason which saw their lineup sparkplug, Jose Reyes, depart via free agency. While Reyes’ (who is hitting just .272) club, the Marlins, are sitting nearly 10 games out of first, the Mets are finding ways to win. While All-Star David Wright (.350 batting average, 10 home runs, 55 RBIs) has provided just enough offense the Mets have uncovered a gem in R.A. Dickey. The 37-year-old knuckleballer (12-1 record, 2.15 ERA) has not allowed an earned run to a National League team since May 22nd against Pittsburgh. Previous: NR
