The first half of the 2023 season is near its end, and soon, the All-Star break will be here.
After that, the second half gets underway, and we’ll be able to see who the true postseason contenders are in each league.
In the American League, there is some new competition thanks to the emergence of the Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers.
However, the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, and Tampa Bay Rays remain in the mix.
On MLB Network, former star second baseman Mark DeRosa discussed his top-5 contenders in the American League and why he thinks these teams will make the most noise.
The Top 5 contenders in the American League, according to @markdero7 ⬇️
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/osVcx40NPP
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 7, 2023
At No. 5, DeRosa had the Yankees.
He believes that the return of Carlos Rodon should give the Yankees a huge boost in their starting rotation with Gerrit Cole already having a fantastic season.
They also remain above .500, even without Aaron Judge.
At No. 4, DeRosa had the Orioles and praised the team for their young crop of stars that features Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson.
DeRosa also pointed out how outfielder Anthony Santander may be one of the more underrated players in all of baseball.
Next on the list were the defending World Series champion Astros.
Houston has Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez on the injured list, but the latter should return soon and the rotation is stacked with stars such as Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier.
In the top two spots, DeRosa had the Rays and Rangers, respectively.
These two teams own two of the top-five AL records and should be forces down the stretch.
NEXT: Cody Bellinger Discusses The Uncertainty Of The Trade Deadline
