Daily Poll: Which surprising contender is most likely to not be a fluke?

Every year in every sport, there are teams that either come out of nowhere to compete at a high level or simply overperform a bit to make the jump from fringe contender to actual contender. The 2018 MLB season is no exception as we have had several really interesting stories in terms of teams that we didn’t necessarily think were going to contend, but so far are keeping up with the heavyweights in the league.

The Braves, to the surprise of everyone, are leading the NL East thanks to some strong starting pitching and one of the league’s best offenses to date. The bullpen, third base, and some inconsistency in the rotation remain concerns, but there are a lot of reasons to think that the Braves’ start is sustainable. The same goes for the Philadelphia Phillies who are riding a ton of young talent, especially in the rotation, towards the top of the division. The NL East could be a bloodbath this year with the Phillies, Braves, and Nationals all competing there.

Beyond the NL East, the Mariners have looked great of late and are within striking distance of the Houston Astros which is an achievement in itself given how good the Astros have been. The Mariners will have to make their run without Robinson Cano, but they have somehow looked BETTER since his loss so far. Finally, we have the Milwaukee Brewers. There were plenty of people that thought the Brewers would be competitive as they added some strong pieces this offseason, but they are currently dominating the tough NL Central while the perennially contending Cardinals and Cubs fight over second place.

So for today’s poll, which one of these teams’ hot start is the most “for real” and not a fluke. Make sure to cast your vote and then state your case in the comments section.