The first of July is sort of the unofficial halfway mark of the baseball season. Three months are down, three left to go, and teams have hit the 81-game plateau. It also means that if a player or team hasn't gotten hot by now, he or it might struggle for the entire season.
Despite that fact, July is also a time of hope. If your team puts together a bit of a hot streak, and Jerry Reinsdorf isn't your owner, you might add a player or two before the fast-approaching deadline. If you're a team that's dead in the water, you have some juicy prospects and at least the requisite representation in the All-Star game to look forward to.
Because of these glimmers of hope, no new teams fall below the Line of Death this month. Any team can add a C.C. Sabathia and suddenly look real good. Except the Indians, of course, who would certainly settle for getting Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez back healthy and productive.
So whether you're a fan of one of the teams that figures to add a player this month or one that is looking to clean house,
feel free to comment.
| Rank | Team | Comments | Prev |
| 1 |  | Tampa Bay Rays
June Record: 16-10 (.615)| Overall Record: 50-32 (.610)
Longoria, Shields, and Kazmir make Rays look like geniuses for locking them up | 2 |
| 2 |  | Chicago Cubs
June Record: 15-12 (.556) | Overall Record: 50-33 (.602)
A triple-digit run differential desite recent injury problems | 1 |
| 3 |  | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
June Record: 16-10 (.615) | Overall Record: 49-34 (.590)
Doesn't this have the feel of a team that's going to scrape together a WS win? | 4 |
| 4 |  | Boston Red Sox
June Record: 16-11 (.593) | Overall Record: 50-35 (.588)
J.D. Drew won't start in the All-Star game despite 5 lesser Sox getting elected | 3 |
| 5 |  | Chicago White Sox
June Record: 17-10 (.630) | Overall Record: 47-35 (.573)
Still waiting for Danks, Contreras, and Floyd to fall apart | 9 |
| 6 |  | St. Louis Cardinals
June Record: 15-12(.556) | Overall Record: 48-36 (.571)
Somehow hung in there without Pujols and Wainwright | 8 |
| 7 |  | Minnesota Twins
June Record: 17-11 (.654) | Overall Record: 45-38 (.542)
Ron Gardenhire deserves Manager of the Decade Award | 16 |
| 8 |  | Oakland Athletics
June Record: 16-10 (.615) | Overall Record: 45-38 (.549)
J. Duchscherer's 1.91 ERA headlines the Year of the Converted Reliever | 14 |
| 9 |  | Detroit Tigers
June Record: 19-8 (.704) | Overall Record: 42-40 (.512)
Hot, but a pitching staff cannot survive on Armando Galarraga alone | 24 |
| 10 |  | New York Yankees
June Record: 16-12 (.571) | Overall Record: 44-39 (.530)
A solid 7-6 since Wang went on the DL | 17 |
| 11 |  | Milwaukee Brewers
June Record: 16-10 (.615) | Overall Record: 44-38 (.537)
Kendall is 25-for-47 throwing out runners after going 20-for-131 in 2007 | 21 |
| 12 |  | Philadelphia Phillies
June Record: 12-14(.462) | Overall Record: 44-39 (.530)
I bet you the Phils add another hitter at the deadline and ignore the pitching | 5 |
| 13 |  | Florida Marlins
June Record: 12-16 (.429) | Overall Record: 43-39 (.524)
So begins the plummet we've all been expecting | 6 |
| 14 |  | Texas Rangers
June Record: 14-13 (.519) | Overall Record: 43-41 (.512)
Why is everyone talking about Hamilton and not Bradley/Kinsler? | 13 |
| 15 |  | Baltimore Orioles
June Record: 15-12 (.556) | Overall Record: 41-40 (.506)
15 June wins is most by O's since 1994 | 23 |
| 16 |  | New York Mets
June Record: 13-15 (.464) | Overall Record: 40-42 (.488)
Oliver Perez, the most inconsistent pitcher of all time. Discuss. | 15 |
| 17 |  | Atlanta Braves
June Record: 11-16 (.407) | Overall Record: 40-43 (.482)
McCann, not Mauer, Martin, or Martinez, is the best catcher in the game. | 10 |
| 18 |  | Arizona Diamondbacks
June Record: 11-16 (.407) | Overall Record: 42-41 (.506)
Think this thin team could use C. Gonzalez, G. Smith, and D. Eveland? | 18 |
| 19 |  | Los Angeles Dodgers
June Record: 11-16 (.407) | Overall Record: 38-44 (.463)
Even Juan Pierre can get injured in a Dodger uniform | 20 |
| 20 |  | Houston Astros
June Record: 10-16 (.385) | Overall Record: 40-43 (.482)
Oswalt finally gets into a groove, then gets injured (hip) | 12 |
| 21 |  | Toronto Blue Jays
June Record: 10-17(.370)| Overall Record: 41-43 (.488)
Rios, Wells, and Overbay make Jays look like morons for locking them up | 7 |
| 22 |  | Pittsburgh Pirates
June Record: 12-15 (.444) | Overall Record: 38-44 (.463)
Move to Portland? Pirates would be running away with the NL West | 19 |
| 23 |  | Cincinnati Reds
June Record: 11-17 (.393) | Overall Record: 39-45 (.464)
Trade Dunn or Griffey? One can hit, the other can sell tickets | 11 |
| 24 |  | Cleveland Indians
June Record: 11-17 (.393) | Overall Record: 37-46 (.446)
Dipping below KC looks bad, but team could rebound upon return of Hafner | 22 |
| 25 |  | San Francisco Giants
June Record: 13-14 (.481) | Overall Record: 36-47 (.434)
8 HR leads this team. Omar Vizquel is slugging .176 | 25 |
| ---------------- Line of Death! -------------- |
| 26 |  | Kansas City Royals
June Record: 16-9 (.640) | Overall Record: 38-45 (.458)
Don't get too excited; their run differential is still -46 | 27 |
| 27 |  | Colorado Rockies
June Record: 12-15 (.444) | Overall Record: 32-51 (.386)
12-31 road record harkens back to pre-humidor days | 30 |
| 28 |  | Seattle Mariners
June Record: 10-16(.385) | Overall Record: 31-51 (.378)
Could they have competed with Bonds instead of Vidro? | 28 |
| 29 |  | San Diego Padres
June Record: 10-17 (.370) | Overall Record: 33-51 (.393)
How important are Gonzalez and Giles? Pads are 9-20 (.310) vs. LHP | 29 |
| 30 |  | Washington Nationals
June Record: 9-19 (.464) | Overall Record: 33-51 (.393)
Run differential of -115 usually leads to .358 win % | 26 |
