The New York Times hit a home run with their headline about the Padres:

“Best Bad Team in Baseball…or the Worst Good Team in Baseball?”

That pretty much sums up the current state of Padres Baseball.

But now that he have crossed the one-third mark of the MLB season, how many good teams are there?  A quick road map tour of what I see.

BRAVES…Started the week (37-18).  Started spring training without top pitchers Spence Strider and Rey Lopez, then lost Chris Sale.  They are pounding the ball, led by Michael Harris, with a power display from virtually every corner of the lineup.

TAMPA BAY..Hail Junior Caminero.  Hail this organization for player development.  This is an (34-18) season.  An amazing accomplishment considering they do not draw fans, play in an erector-set domed stadium.  Remains to be seen if their pitching, led by rehabbed ace-Shane McClanahan can last the season.

YANKEES..Strong season despite a very streaky season from Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Volpe.  But the roster still has talent, led by Cody Bellinger, and now their pitching is getting healthy.

CLEVELAND…Name me anyone you know beyond Jose Ramirez on the roster.  A very strong array of young bats and arms on the mound.  They are in first place with a no name roster.  It is interesting that there are a combined 9-teams in the AL Central-AL West who are .500 or below at this point in the season.

BREWERS..For a 3rd year in a row, a strong team, with lots of home grown bats and the brilliance of Jacob Misirowski’s. 100mph fastball.  A very underrated organization

DODGERS…What the Dodgers want, the Dodgers buy.  In first place, with an injured. pitching staff, and a home run hitting batting order.  It’s more than Ohtani, it is alot of veterans, it’s a star-studded starting rotation, and it’s the knowledge that they have the resources to go make a trade deadline deal to get a quality player (can you say Tarik Skubal).

PADRES..Read the NY Times-Athletic headline and get the feel for a big money team, underachieving, and wondering if they are living on borrowed time?

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