With the All-Star break now over with, the time to exhale has also come to an end as Major League Baseball returns to action on Friday.
Bryce Harper Won't Compete In HR Derby Until 2018
The first half of the year had several memorable moments and surprises, but the second stanza is sure to build up some more drama as the playoff races continue and the MLB trade deadline looms in two weeks.
As teams prepare to take the diamond to kick off the final 2-1/2 months of the regular season, here are five things to watch for before the race to the World Series continues.
5 Players Who Could Be Dealt At MLB Trade Deadline
1) Trading Places
The MLB non-waiver trade deadline is exactly two weeks away on July 31 and the rumors have already begun to swirl throughout the league.
Several teams are looking for pieces to better equip themselves in the hunt for October baseball while other clubs are seeking to rid themselves of big contracts or rent out impending free agents to start getting ready for the 2016 slate.
Several big names have been rumored to be on the block, including Reds ace Johnny Cueto, White Sox pitcher Jeff Samardzija, Padres outfielder Justin Upton and Phillies ace Cole Hamels and closer Jonathan Papelbon, among others.
With 14 days until the deadline, many faces could find new homes by the time Aug. 1 rolls around.
2) Great American Summer
Things are heating up within the American League and the races should be very exciting heading into the final couple of months of the campaign.
In the AL wild-card race, the last place Oakland Athletics (41-50) may be struggling, but they are only eight games out of the final playoff spot entering the second half.
The division races are exciting as well as the AL East is separated from top to bottom by just 6.5 games, the Royals lead the Twins by just 4.5 games in the AL West and with a half-game separating the Angels and Astros atop the AL West, it appears as though they'll duke it out until the very end for supremacy.
3) MVP! MVP!
The MVP race in the National League is very intriguing this year with the two top choices being Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper and Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.
Harper leads the MLB with a .464 on-base percentage, a .704 slugging percentage and a 1.168 OPS while Goldschmidt has an MLB-best 68 walks and leads the NL with a .340 batting average and 60 runs.
Harper is second in the National League in average (.339) and homers (26) and fourth in RBI (61). Goldschmidt's .340 average ranks first in the NL while he's fifth in homers (25) and tied for first in RBI (70).
Could this be the year the NL gets its first Triple Crown winner since 1937?
4) Surprise, Surprise
The two biggest surprise teams in all of baseball in the first half of the season were the Astros and Twins as both occupied first place for long stretches in the first 3-1/2 months of the year.
The Astros held onto the AL West lead for most of June, before losing ground to the division-leading Angels. With ace and AL All-Star starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel having an unreal first half and Carlos Correa flourishing after being called up, Houston is a very exciting team to watch right now.
The Astros dropped six straight games to close out the first half and will look to avoid continuing the swoon when play continues as they search for their first winning season in six years and first playoff appearance since losing the World Series in 2005.
Houston has a three-game lead on Tampa Bay for the second and final wild-card spot in the AL.
Much like the Astros, the Twins haven't been shy about calling up top prospects, including highly-touted Byron Buxton (who is injured and has struggled) and Miguel Sano, who has thrived.
The Twins are 4.5 games behind the defending AL champion Royals and are hanging onto the top wild-card spot in the league heading into the second half.
Minnesota closed out the first half strong by taking three of four from the Tigers, including three straight prior to the All-Star break. Minnesota also won six of its last seven first-half games.T
5) Ending The Drought?
The Mets and Cubs haven't made the playoffs since 2006 and 2008, respectively, but both teams are still very much in the mix heading into the second half.
Chicago owns the final wild-card spot in the NL, but it boasts just a one-game lead over New York in the race. The Cubs (47-40) trail the Cardinals by eight games in the NL Central while the Mets (47-42) are just two games behind the Nationals in the NL East.
The Mets play every first place NL team to kick-off the second half, so it will be a tough road for them. New York is third in the majors in team ERA (3.23) while it ranks dead last in team batting average (.233), so perhaps a deadline move for a bat is needed.
The Cubs are 27th in team average (.239) and fifth in staff ERA (3.31), but they trot out an exciting young infield and appear to be headed in the right direction.
After a memorable All-Star Game that saw the American League nab home-field advantage in the World Series, Act II of the 2015 MLB season begins Friday.
For more content, follow us on Twitter @SportsWN or LIKE US on Facebook
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
