1. Oakland Athletics (59-36) (Last Week 1) – Can the A’s stay healthy? That’s really the biggest potential issue for Oakland right now. They are top two in baseball in offense and pitching, which is great any year, but especially in a season of relative parity across the league.
2. Los Angeles Angels (57-37) (LW 3) – Is the Angels’ rotation for real? The depth of L.A.’s starting staff was a big question mark entering the year, but Tyler Skaggs, Hector Santiago, and Matt Shoemaker have performed admirably and helped the team to within 1.5 games of first place.
3. Detroit Tigers (53-38) (LW 5) – Will the real Justin Verlander show up? Verlander has been far from reliable, with an 8-8 record and 4.84 ERA. The Tigers need more from the long-time staff front man.
4. Los Angeles Dodgers (54-43) (LW 6) – Can the Dodgers’ bullpen hold up? The team’s relievers allow lots of baserunners. At 1.34, L.A.’s relievers’ WHIP is the third-worst in the N.L., paving the way for potential danger.
5. Atlanta Braves (52-43) (LW 4) – Can the Braves stay consistent? Atlanta has been a streaky team to both extremes all season. The Braves have three losing streaks of at least four games this year, including a seven-gamer, while also adding four winning streaks of at least four games, topped by a stretch of nine in a row.
