The Angels are the team to beat, but there are other teams still very much in the championship hunt.

I hope Mark Teixeira likes scorching hot weather, because scorching hot weather sure likes him. After playing the first four and a half years of his career in Texas, he was traded last season to Atlanta. He is now on the move again. Mr. Teixeira, meet the heat of Southern California.

The best team in baseball just got better. Mark Teixeira, the All Star first baseman most recently of the Atlanta Braves, is now a member of the Los Angeles Angels, as part of a trade that sent first baseman Casey Kotchman to Atlanta. Prior to this trade, the Angels already looked like the team to beat, especially after an impressive 7-4 victory at Fenway last night. They are running away with the American League West, and with Teixeira the Angels have picked up an intimidating offensive force, and an excellent first baseman. For the second consecutive July, Teixeira has been traded to a team with realistic championship aspirations. However, while Halo nation has their eyes set on being crowned World Series champs, Mike Scioscia's club still has a tough road ahead of them.

Fans in Chicago, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee have similar hopes. The bottom line is that it is still very much a toss up, with so many fantastic teams in the hunt. Just look at the 2001 Mariners for evidence of why it is too early to anoint a champion in July. I fully expect the Angels to cruise into the postseason, and Mark Teixeira will perform in All-Star fashion. But in a short series, anything can happen. For example, the 2006 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals won the title despite winning only 83 games in the regular season. Once you make the postseason, you have as good a shot as anybody. Heck, even the Diamondbacks could be hoisting that trophy in late October.

Right now, as of this moment, on July 29, 2008, at 3:46 in the afternoon, the Angels have the upper hand. They are the favorites. There is no doubt about that. But in sports, fortune can change hands faster than a Dustin Pedroia swing. Unforeseen factors, such as injuries, can cause more damage than a Muhammad Ali right hook. The Angels have reason to be wildly optimistic. An all-out celebration, on the other hand? Well, that's a little premature.