Fitting for a July 4 fireworks show, we’re going to focus today on major league offenses that light up the scoreboard. As we’ve mentioned in the past, the impact of home ballparks can create illusions about offensive ability.

Here’s a look at the top five road offenses (as measured by on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) in the American and National leagues through this past weekend.

American League road OPS leaders
Team          Road OPS
Astros        .805
A’s              .797
Mariners    .756
Yankees    .754
Angels       .753

The Yankees have slumped recently, or would grade out even higher. Great stuff from the AL West, with Houston, Oakland and Seattle all showing why they have won-lost records well over the .500 mark. The latter two, in particular, are much better on offense than the mainstream media (and too many bettors) have realized.

National League road OPS leaders
Team            Road OPS
Dodgers      .791
Braves         .783
Cubs            .757
Mets            .742
Reds            .726

Wait a minute … the Mets show up in the top five of an offensive category?! That’s right. Citi Field has been a real drag on offenses this season. The Mets are top four in the National League when you focus only on road production, and top nine in the majors despite not getting to use a designated hitter in their lineup.

Casual baseball bettors generally spend too much time looking at starting pitchers, not enough time looking at the quality of offenses. And, they usually fail to adjust for illusions created by home ballparks. Try to add more analysis of offenses into your handicapping mix. Then, enjoy the fireworks show.