Winning your division in baseball is significant, but doesn't guarantee post-season success. With the Atlanta Braves just a handful of games behind the Philadelphia Phillies and currently in solid control of the wild card spot in the National League, getting into the playoffs is the main goal.
The Pittsburgh Pirates having a winning record at the break and within striking distance of the lead in the National League Central division is a great thing for baseball. I hope their solid play continues and this is not simply a first-half "feel good" story.
The Tampa Rays, Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles annually deal with the largest competitive discrepancy in all of professional sports. They simply can't keep up with the big-market New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox for the long run. Sometimes David does defeat Goliath. It can happen, but more often than not, paying big money for the best players means more wins.
If Major League Baseball goes forward with realignment as is being discussed, I hope it adjusts the divisions (East, Central, West) to each include 5 teams. The current division structure in both the American and National leagues with 6 teams in the Central division and 4 teams in the West division is something that should be fixed.
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