1 out of 6Steve Nesius/Associated Press1. Boston Red Sox (52-32) LHP Josh TaylorXander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers, the three-headed beast that is J.D. Martinez has been a solid cover for the Red Sox's inconsistent starting pitching. The bullpen deserves credit as well, and it's not just Matt Barnes in 2021.Particularly, Josh Taylor, the slider master, has quietly been one of baseball's most efficient relievers. He has made 25 consecutive scoreless appearances from April 30. In this time, he even managed to master right-handed batters, holding them to a mere.088 with one extra-base hit.2. Tampa Bay Rays (47-36): RHP Collin McHughThe Rays haven’t had the best of times, but they’re holding on because their run prevention is amazing. Their defense is where they excel, with outfielder Brett Phillips an overlooked gem.We have to give up on Collin McHugh. The former Houston Astro Astro has emerged from an iffy April with a 0.36 ERA as a swingman rolei.e. His 14 appearances, which cover 25.1 innings, have three starts, and two games completed since May 1.3. Toronto Blue Jays (43-38): C Reese McGuireThe Blue Jays are a leader in MLB with 123 home runs, scoring 5.2 runs per match. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads the charge with an MVP-caliber year, but it's important to not overlook the contributions of Teoscar Semien, Marcus Semien, and Bo Bichette.Reese McGuire, for Toronto/Dunedin/Buffalo, has been a huge player of late. Since June 11, he has been in 15 games and in 18 total games. He is now at.377. He has brought stability to a catching crew that was struggling.4. New York Yankees (41-40). RHP Nestor Cotes Jr.The Yankees are not doing well these days. Their offense is too dependent on power, and their pitching staff is plagued by a lackluster starting depth below Gerrit Cole as well as a meltdown-prone Aroldischapman.Nestor Cortes Jr. is proving to be a good multi-inning reliever. Since June 4, he's been in six games and has a 0.64 ERA. He also had 18 more strikeouts that walks during 14 innings. Shohei Ohtani is able to attest that Cortes has been able to get by with less power and more craft.Shoutout to Non-Contenders: RHP TylerWells, Baltimore OriolesTyler Wells was a punching bag throughout May. However, Tyler's electric fastball and slider combination gave the impression that he might be able to break out as a shut-down reliever.He's coming off a June where he allowed just two runs, with 18 strikeouts in 10 appearances. That spanned 14.1 innings. The rookie will be a fixture of Baltimore's bullpen for many years if he keeps that pace.
