Most baseball fans would probably point to the World Series as being the most important time of the season. It is when the champions are decided and the series is always the one with the highest TV ratings and most media attention around the world. There is no doubt that it is extremely important.
Others might point to Opening Day as being the most memorable. It is a time when anything can happen and every fan can dream that their team will be the one winning the pennant and batting it out in the Fall Classic. After a long offseason, it is time to pull on the jerseys and caps and enjoy America’s favorite pastime in the sunshine.
Both of those examples have their own merits as the most important time of the year for baseball. But there is another period of the year that is crucial for the game. If you are thinking ahead to what might happen next – and trying to figure out the best baseball betting strategies – right now is pivotal. Here are just a few reasons why June could be the most important month in the Major League Baseball season.
Trade Deadline Looming
Trades can be made at any time after the end of the last game of the World Series – but they must be completed by the deadline day. Although that is actually at the end of July, it is June when every team and front office will be desperately figuring out their best strategy for giving their rosters a refurb.
Seasons can be won and lost at this time of the year, depending on how successful business done before the trade deadline is. Many teams have gone from longshots to divisional winners and playoff contenders thanks to additions made to the roster in the summer. June is when teams can pinpoint exactly what is needed to change things around for the rest of the season.
Division Leaders
There is still a very long way to go in the Major League Baseball season and only a fool would confidently predict what will happen in the postseason. But June is a good time if you are a divisional leader. There is no guarantee that a team on top throughout June will go and win a pennant, of course. But it is a huge confidence boost, at the very least.
It might not happen every year but it is more likely that a team will win a division if it is leading on June 1st. Considering the fact that it is still a month and a half before the All-Star game, that is a pretty good indicator of what might happen. This is when teams start to show their championship credentials.
Player Performances
It is not just the team performances that we should be taking notice of in June, however. Injuries and lean spells can happen at any time but this is a good time of year to rate individual players as well. A lot can happen in such a long season but some players will be showing they mean business over the next month.
Most baseball fans love nothing more than poring over stats at any time of the year but a good delve into the numbers in June can help with seeing the future as far as the rest of the season goes. Batting averages, home run totals, and strikeouts should be looked at in June in order to predict what might happen next.
Midway Point
By the end of June, every team in Major League Baseball will have completed around half of their regular season schedule. So, that makes it a perfect time to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the rosters. Seasons can be saved, of course. But what happens before July is always a good indicator of what happens after the All-Star game.
The midway point of the regular season is a good time to see who will be the big sellers before the trade deadline, as well as what is needed for pre-season favorites that might not be doing so well. Home run records and divisional races can also be truly assessed for the first time. Once June is over, fans always have a better idea of what will happen in the next few months.
Long Season Ahead
A quick glance at the divisional standings in June will tell you that most teams will still fancy their chances of making the playoffs. Aside from the Rockies, White Sox, and possibly the Marlins, every other team will think that, with a good run of games, a Wild Card spot – at the very least – might be manageable.
The position in June can also act as an inspiration for teams starting to slide out of contention. Even a gap of 12 or 13 games is surmountable in a 162-game season. Just looking at the division standings can be all those teams and players need to buckle down and do some hard work to do better in the second half of the season.
The Major League Baseball regular season can be a grueling affair – especially if your team is a little off the pace. But the summer is the time when everything can change. There is still hope for most teams (maybe not the Rockies, though) and this time of year is when everything starts to get a little more interesting. That is why June might be considered the most important month in the baseball calendar.
