An explanation of how this graphic is created, and what it represents, can be found here. Click on the picture above to see the graphic full size. For comparison, here are the April and May graphics. Click "continue reading" for a few thoughts on the graphic.
One thing that has become clear is that there is lots of uncertainty in the playoff odds. That's not a flaw in the coolstandings system - they simply go off of what has happened, and take educated guesses on what will happen based on what teams have shown so far. Early on, that means small sample sizes. Actually, the uncertainty is a good thing, because that means teams can significantly hurt or help themselves late into the season. For instance, the Indians went from the safest lock to make the playoffs last year, to on the outside looking in. Conversely, The Red Sox went from dead, to near the top.
There were some noticeable movements in bubble sizes this past month too. The Rangers shrunk a fair amount, despite continuing to contend. I wonder if fans became enamored with the Mavericks run to the NBA title, and will return their focus to the Rangers now that the NBA season is over. The Nationals shrunk a ton, and I cannot find a good explanation for that. The Twins shrunk, and that seems likely do to such a disappointing season. The Dodgers are withering, and I think that is a combination of their struggles on the field, and especially the mess away from it.
As the season hits the All Star Break and trading deadline, it will be interesting to see how popularity of teams changes, if at all. A spike in Mets searches would not surprise me, as trade winds swirl around Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran more intensely. It also would not surprise me if fans lose interest in non-contending teams, and bubbles all over the bottom shrink.
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