Royals end July as baseball’s hottest team
The Kansas City Royals (59-53) took advantage of a relatively light schedule to win nine of their final 10 games in July. Their only loss came on the final day of the month, a 5-0 defeat to the Athletics.
The surge pushed Kansas City back into the AL Wild Card race. Entering August, the Royals are tied with the A’s at just 1½ games behind Baltimore for the third Wild Card spot.
Cubs overtake Brewers
The Chicago Cubs (65-48) surged past the Milwaukee Brewers to take control of the NL Central.
Chicago entered the All-Star break riding a 10-game winning streak and went 9-6 after the break. The Cubs capped the month by taking two of three from Milwaukee at Wrigley Field, sending the Brewers into August 2½ games out of first place.
Gunnar helps Orioles keep pace with Yankees
The New York Yankees (61-50) have been unable to create much separation in the AL East, and a four-game losing streak to close July opened the door for the Baltimore Orioles (60-51).
Baltimore trimmed two games off New York’s division lead and enters August just one game back.
Gunnar Henderson powered the Orioles’ charge, earning AL Player of the Month after batting .358 with 11 home runs and 26 RBIs over 106 at-bats. The 2027 All-Star leads Baltimore with a 1.057 OPS and has 33 home runs, one behind teammate Pete Alonso. Henderson and Alonso are tied for the team lead with 89 RBIs and have emerged as the leading candidates for AL MVP.
Guardians lurking behind Tigers
The Cleveland Guardians refuse to go away in the AL Central.
Cleveland ended July just one game behind the Detroit Tigers, gaining a half-game during the month. The Guardians had an opportunity to pull even but could only split a four-game series with Detroit.
The division rivals will meet again in August for a three-game series at Comerica Park, a matchup that could play a major role in deciding the AL Central.
Brewers make deadline splash
Milwaukee strengthened its roster by acquiring Eugenio Suárez and Austin Gomber from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Kyle Harrison and Bret Wichrowski.
The decision to move Suárez was notable after Philadelphia made him its major offseason acquisition. A wrist injury just before Opening Day delayed his season until May 7, but Suárez rebounded to hit .262 with 15 home runs and 39 RBIs over 66 games.
He is expected to provide an immediate boost as Milwaukee attempts to reclaim the NL Central while protecting its position atop the NL Wild Card standings.
Royals unload top prospects for pitching help
Kansas City made one of the deadline’s biggest moves, acquiring starters Yusei Kikuchi, José Soriano, and Nathan Eovaldi, along with reliever Nick Sandlin, from the Los Angeles Angels. The Royals sent pitching prospects Frank Mozzicato and Anthony Solometo, second baseman Sean Gamble, and catcher Blake Mitchell to Los Angeles.
Eovaldi (6-9, 3.45 ERA) is expected to anchor Kansas City’s revamped rotation. At 37, the veteran has shown he still has plenty left, throwing 127⅔ innings with 103 strikeouts while maintaining a 93-mph fastball and sinker and an 88-mph splitter.
The Royals remain a distant third in the AL Central, but their deadline moves make their intentions clear. At just 1½ games out of the final AL Wild Card spot, Kansas City is making a push for October.
