Two years ago, the Baltimore Orioles looked like they were set up for a run of dominance. They won 101 games and had a squad loaded with young talent being fed by a deep pipeline of prospects. Well, things haven’t exactly worked out like everyone expected.

The Boston Red Sox got back to .500 ball last year after two straight losing seasons, but this season they have their eyes on a first playoff appearance since 2021.

Other than a horrific 100-loss season in 2022, the Cincinnati Reds feel like they’ve been perfectly meh the last few years, never really good, never really bad. They’ve just been sitting around the .500 mark, much like they are this season as a recent down stretch has dropped them five games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central.

Since coming out of nowhere to win the World Series in 2023, it’s been tough sledding for the Texas Rangers. Last year, they dropped back under .500 – for the seventh time in eight campaigns, and it looks like they will repeat that feat this season.

At 2-8 over the last 10, the Mets are suddenly the coldest team in the entire NL.

The Tampa Bay Rays won just 80 games last season, snapping a streak of six straight winning campaigns and five straight playoff appearances. But they’ve bounced back this year, and despite dropping their last two, have won six of 10 to move to four games over .500, good enough to bag the final wild card slot in the AL if the season were to end today.

The San Diego Padres have alternated making the playoffs and missing them over the last five years, and with this being an odd year, they are projected to be on the outside looking in again if the trend holds true.