Jonah Birenbaum

How does a small-market team with a bottom-10 payroll and a dearth of household names boast Major League Baseball's best record? Written and narrated by: Jonah Birenbaum (@birenball | X, Instagram) Produced and edited by: Stephen Addante (@stephenaddante | Instagram)

You have to strike while the iron's hot. With the surging Blue Jays perched atop their division - and boasting the second-best record in the entire American League - Toronto would be remiss to play it safe at next week's trade deadline. Rather, the Blue Jays need to add a difference-maker (or two) who can elevate the squad from a playoff team into a genuine World Series threat.

Remember when the flailing Boston Red Sox traded away their best hitter in June, an ostensible sign they were punting on 2025 and a move so stunning that it caused some analysts to lose their minds? Yeah, about that ... As the unofficial second half of the season looms, no team in Major League Baseball is hotter than the Red Sox. Their 10-game winning streak has resuscitated their season and made chief baseball officer Craig Breslow look like a certified genius.