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The action on the diamond is fast and furious as we near the final two weeks until the 1st-Half portion of the campaign is complete. Players are building their season resumes, teams are finding winning ways again, and powerhouses are building atop the AL and NL. The report this go around will hit on the biggest headlines for each league. I have gotten the vibe that you all prefer a short to mid article, rather than a long and more detailed one. I'll try and keep things in reel... four for each league. Lets rock.
AL Headlines:
All rise! It appears 2022 AL MVP Judge is back and perhaps bigger, badder, and better. Judge is on a damn tear going into the All-Star break; he has a mean step again alongside his new power-duo companion, Juan Soto. Yankees are thriving with the most wins in the AL as they lean on that said power-duo in a big-big way. Judge being the biggest shine; which says a lot with how Soto has been playing in his debut season in the Bronx. Judge is swinging the best bat in the big leagues right now mixing consistency with his trademark power. The results are as expected- he is on pace to shatter last season and possibly even his remarkable 2022 campaign. Checkout how his top stats rank among league leaders (as of 6/27):
I don't kid when I say he will shatter that 2022 campaign. When comparing the two through the team's first 81 games, all of Judge's stats are higher in this campaign than the 2022 campaign. Some by a wide-margin such as RBI, BA, 2B, OBP, and OPS. Judge is making it known that when he is healthy; he is a top player in all of baseball. The pace he is setting right now could land him a second MVP award if he can play past that haunted 150... something he has only done twice in nine seasons (157 highest). He is arguably the favorite going into the All-Star break. Gunnar Henderson and Bobby Witt Jr. will sure make an attempt to stick around in the race, but if Judge keeps this up AND stays healthy for 150+ games- then he will be the MVP. Which only means the Yankees will continue to sit nice and comfortable atop the AL East and overall AL standings.
The defending champions have struggled in the 1st-Half as they have now stumbled into third place in the AL West- 7.5 games back of the division leading Mariners. Some slack can be warranted as the team has faced a pretty nasty injury bug, which got even nastier when Jacob deGrom went back on the shelf just weeks after finally returning to the mound and pitching well on top of it. Texas also has Josh Jung on the IL as well as starter Cody Bradford, who was dealin' like the ace before getting injured. It's not easy to win when you face that kind of injury bug, but lets not shy away from the talent they DO still have on the diamond.
Rangers have their three best overall batters healthy and in the lineup. The three of Corey Seager, Adolis García, and Marcus Semien are flat-out stinking the bed at the dish in the 1st-Half. All three of them. Seager is batting .255, while Garcia is batting just .218 and Semien .244. The team is hurting because of it. Rangers have lost eight of their last twelve contest to fall under the Astros in the West. Texas hasn't been .500 or better since May 19 as they have now faced three separate five-game losing streaks. The team's play on the road hasn't been anything to write home about. It's time for the Texas stars to step it up, the team has two huge road series coming up on the end of the 1st-Half slate against the Astros and Orioles... they need dubs in those two series. The defending champions aren't to be written off, not yet of course, but getting the right kick in their step is pivotal when they see the Astros already doing that and then some.
The power is back on in Space City! Astros are rollin' as Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker have woken up their power & destruction ability at the plate to follow the lead of Jeremy Peña and José Altuve for Houston. Astros have now won seven games in a row and eight of their last nine to secure the second spot atop the AL West. Since starting the month of May off rough, sitting at 12-24, the 'Stros went on to go 28-16 to hit .500 (40-40) for the first time this season (!). A needed flip of the switch was activated to full execution.
Alvarez and Tucker have resurged in a big way at the plate to aid Altuve and Peña. The power-duo has combined for 35 homers, 28 two-baggers, 81 ribbies, and 277 total bases. Altuve sure appreciates the care package; he continues to thrill and lead year in and year out as he is one hit shy of being the fourth player to hit 100 this season. With how stellar the bullpen is performing, specifically the trio of Martinez-Abreu-Scott, mixing in the offense returning to form is a scary tale for those across the AL. A tale even more scary for the division leading Mariners. Houston still needs more from the rotation (outside of Blanco), newly acquired Hader, and the back-end of the lineup, but they are close to being considered dangerous again in the AL food-chain.
Guardians are feelin' dangerous! Cleveland currently has the 2nd-best winning percentage in the big leagues behind the Phillies. I don't think many outside of Guardians' nation thought Cleveland would be the lead dog atop the AL going into the halfway point. The fact the Guardians' roster is giving off better results than the Dodgers' roster is remarkable. Gotta love baseball! Cleveland rides their lights out bullpen and their everyday superstar to place atop the Central; now they are prepped for the long haul.
J-Ram continues to be one of the AL's top players; this year he is on one of the best paces of his career in terms of power stats. Ramírez has smashed 21 homers; tying him with Anthony Santander for the 3rd-most homeruns in the AL thus far. Ramírez has knocked home 72 RBIs on top of all those dingers- good for the 2nd-most in the AL behind Judge's league leading 77. The Guardians' ship moves behind Ramírez's lead, but if we want to talk pace, there is no bat as consistent in the AL right now than Steven Kwan's bat. When activated and healthy.
Kwan has missed 26 games thus far, making him currently ineligible to be a league leader, yet his stats still place him in the running! Kwan has been massive for the Guardians in the leadoff spot; when he is healthy of course. By massive, I mean he is batting as the top leadoff hitter in the big leagues right now. If you pool in all players (no ABs requirement), Kwan ranks 1st in batting average (.377), 12th in runs (48), and has 80 hits in just 52 games. Luis Arráez leads the senior-circuit with 105 hits... he's played in 28 more games than Kwan, and has 127 more at-bats. That's nuts; Kwan has been that locked-in at the dish. Guardians are reaping the rewards. The offense has been nowhere near as impressive as the bullpen; which has carried the pitching staff as the rotation continues to feel the damages of injuries.
Guardians currently have a strong candidate for Reliver of the Year on my halfway point ballot in Emmanuel Clase. The cat has been lights out behind a strong-strong bullpen. Clase has a 0.70 ERA and is 2nd in the big leagues with 25 saves. Cleveland once again is getting strong play from sophomore arm Tanner Bibee as the rotation feels the contagion. The cat finds himself being the ace to carry a depleted rotation for the second year in a row. He is thriving once again in that role, posting a 6-2 record with a 3.50 ERA and 106 Ks; which ranks him 6th in all of baseball. Cleveland is fighting the injuries to sit in a great spot going into the break, but still have room for growth. Cleveland has a 6-3 record (with a couple splits) against teams currently with a <.500 record. Cleveland is good; just need to prove it against the best. Calling up their young power threat in Jhonkensy Noel (18 HRs, 59 RBIs in Triple-A) is a nice seed to plant for that growth in the 2nd-Half.
NL Headlines:
What's going on in Wrigleytown? Cubs have lost their roar as they ride the rails to the basement of the NL Central and below .500. Since starting May with a smooth 19-12 record, the Cubs are a lackluster 19-31. Chicago has only won two series in that span; out of 16-played series. One of the two in which they won was just a 2-game set against the worst team in baseball, White Sox. Maybe the worst note: Cubs have lost six straight inner-division series. Inconsistency across the lineup is the biggest fault early on.
The lineup has been very inconsistent in the 1st-Half and quite the drag. Cubs rank 25th in batting average, 25th in hits, 24th in total bases, and have the 7th-most strikeouts as a team. Thankfully, Cody Bellinger has been a tad better recently, but his power numbers are still weak with just 4 homeruns from May-June. I question if the Cubs have the lineup to be a contender as the season goes by. The rotation can be strong, despite facing injuries. Having Justin Steele back and pitching solid is a big plus, although Assad & Imanaga (10 ER in last outing) have declined, the rotation has potential to hold the team up for awhile. Lineup will decide if the team can be playoff worthy or not down the road. Right now it's tough, especially in a jam-packed Central. Batting like a bottom five club will sure leave them with negative results.
San Diego has spring-bolted back up the NL West standings behind a healthy Tatis Jr, a gem of a free agent, and a money early season trade. Padres currently sit in the 2-spot in the West behind the mighty Dodgers, and sit 5th overall in the NL. Most of the Padres' recent success in the win column is in due thanks to their locked-and-loaded offense.
Padres offense is top notch as they place top-5 in most team offensive categories. I'm talkin' about leading the big leagues in overall hits, ranking 2nd in team batting average, and ranking 5th as a team in RBIs. Those are each MLB ranks, not just NL ranks. San Diego is grateful for the offensive production as the team (as a whole) is still shaky up and down since June. Padres have been beat up in June with two nasty five game losing streaks and are a mediocre 13-12 on the month, yet the positives still seem to outweigh the negatives as the club has won 7 of their last 8 games. Trading for contact king Luis Arráez (current Hits leader) was brilliant. A huge transaction to make with all the injuries; you can plug Arráez anywhere besides SS, C, and CF. Tatis Jr. has been far better at the plate in June than he was in May, batting .365 in 74 ABs throughout the month thus far. Fernando's outfield companions Merrill and Profar have been just as good around him. I'll talk on Profar in the next bit, but how about the rookie Jackson Merrill!
The young cat has a ton of confidence in himself, and in his ability. A major character trait that is a big reason we are seeing immediate impact as he begins his career. A reason we are seeing one of the favorites for Rookie of the Year begin to create his mold. Merrill has some YAK for a young centerfielder; here is the moonshot he sent for number 10:
video via MLB//X
I really like what I am seeing from the rookie. The cat is a stud and will surely only get better. I also really like what I am seeing from a Padres team that continues to fight injuries. They still need Bogaerts to a) stay healthy and B) actually swing the bat good to fully "play to payroll", but 44-41 isn't too shabby considering the pitching and injuries. If only they kept Juan Soto. The pitchers they received in exchange for Soto have played like glorified hefty bags (get the sponsor!). You insert Soto back in this lineup and mhm-mm-mm. Regardless, I like what San Diego is doing- still a ton of room for growth.
We are all aware on how stacked the free-agent class was in the winter. With everyone's attention on the porches of the likes of Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Glasnow, we have had a few late-season signees steal the show early on to become hidden gems up to the halfway point. Three shine the brightest in Jurickson Profar (SDP), Reynaldo Lopez (ATL), and Teoscar Hernández (LAD). All three have gone under the radar to deliver major early season production for their new teams. Not only is their production surprising; their production has been major aid for some clubs struggling with execution and/or injuries.
It's no surprise seeing Shohei Ohtani do his dance at the plate for his new Dodgers teammates, the surprise is seeing Teoscar Hernández put up similar production (power stats wise). Hernández was a fill-piece to help take away the blow of losing Mookie in the outfield (LF) and a piece to bolster the outfield altogether. Hernández has done just that at the plate; he has smashed home 18 homers (T-7th in MLB), 55 RBIs (T-8th), and 149 total bases (17th in MLB). Hernández hit 26 homers last season with Seattle, in double the games (160). Dodgers are thrilled with his power pace in the 1st-Half; as their division rival Padres are thrilled with their new (kinda) outfielder's pace.
Did Jurickson Profar get his hands on some Compound-V or something!? Profar is off to a career year pace at the plate. Mind you, he was acquired last season (after a previous three year stint with SDP), dropped, and then acquired again 10 months ago- he is now healthy and new to THIS Padres lineup full-time: so I found him to be fitting here. Profar's batting stats are superb going into the final two weeks of the halve. His .316 average ranks him 2nd (among qualifiers) in the big leagues behind Ohtani, he also ranks 3rd in OBP (.408), and is tied-8th with Hernández (and Rutschman) with 55 RBIs. Profar is swinging the bat the way the Padres hoped he would when they originally signed him in 2020 after back-to-back career seasons in the AL West. His current pace is setting him up to shatter those two career seasons. It's turning out to have been a great decision for San Diego to bring him back (I'd still prefer Soto).
Last but not least, there's Reynaldo Lopez. The cat that was flipped around by three teams last season, is now one of the best current arms in the NL. Between Lopez and Chris Sale, the Braves have been fortunate to say the least with their newly acquired veteran arms. The two collectively have a 16-5 record thus far to aid Max Fried. Lopez has a senior-circuit leading 1.70 ERA to go with his 6-2 record. I don't think anyone expected Lopez to be outpitching Yamamoto, Snell, Montgomery, and slightly Glasnow. Braves are thankful as they keep their fight on against the injury bug. Many times a new season, a new place, or just newfound vibes can create diamonds in the rough out of free-agency. We see that again this season; in strong order. Production under the radar.
Dodgers and Phillies got their DiCaprio going on as they are set to play a game of Catch Me If You Can with the rest of the NL atop the standings. Based off win percentage, Phillies are 1st in the big leagues; Dodgers are 3rd, but they are number one (LAD +120) and two (PHI +119) in points differential. Ohtani is swinging the best bat in baseball for the Dodgers, while Bryce Harper is having one of the better starts to a regular season he has had in awhile for the Phils. I'd say both teams are in close territory of being considered dominant title contenders. Just a matter of staying healthy and consistent.
Phillies pitching rotation from the starters to the 'pen, has been remarkable in the 1st-Half. Philly leads the league in earned run average as a club, Wins, are ranked 2nd in Ks, and have given up the least amount of homeruns. The lineup is where the inconsistency lays, but they still are one of the more dominant groups in baseball on a given night... if they remain healthy. Placing Harper and Schwarber on the IL stings, especially with how long Harper was going strong (76 GP). Bryson Stott has to step up his load with them out. Trea Turner has been great with consistency; having him step up his power and run-scoring load would be swell as well. Phillies are still rocking and looking strong atop the league standings. Phillies finding health and consistency would keep the team in that highest stratosphere for the remainder of the season.
Dodgers sit in a different spot. The starting rotation is nowhere as dominant as the Phillies, although it should be based off paper. James Paxton has been great in the tail-end, along with Glasnow in the lead, but Bobby Miller is having a brutal sophomore slump and needs to step his game up with Yamamoto and Buehler on and off the shelf (both currently on 15-Day IL). Dodgers, like the Phillies, seek health among their stars with Mookie currently on the IL and Yamamoto on the shelf. This Dodgers team isn't a safe bet right now. Ohtani has been massive in keeping them afloat atop the NL standings. He gives enough safety for now. Seems like the rest of the NL is looking up at these two; and that might stay that way.
Braves are real beat up and don't have Acuña for the rest of the season. Padres are still the Padres. Brewers have the potential to sick around, but outside of Milwaukee it's bleak. Real bleak. Those NL Central squads are the definition of bipolar... again outside of the Brewers. I see the Phils and Dodgers marching far quicker in front of the pact as the season progresses into the 2nd-Half. I for one, am quite excited about the 3-game set between these powerhouses in the final week of the 1st-Half. Nighttime series in Philadelphia? Put it in our veins like Jurickson Profar is puttin' that Compound-V in!
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