The MLB All-Star break is upon us.
Teams have played roughly 95-100 games. This leaves teams with 62-67 games remaining.
Currently, here are the AL Division leaders:
- Detroit Tigers (59-38)
- Houston Astros (56-40)
- Toronto Blue Jays (55-41)
Here are the three AL Wild Card teams:
- New York Yankees (53-43)
- Boston Red Sox (53-45)
- Seattle Mariners (51-45)
Below are the NL Division leaders:
- Los Angeles Dodgers (58-39)
- Chicago Cubs (57-39)
- Philadelphia Phillies (55-41)
Here are the three NL Wild Card teams:
- Milwaukee Brewers (56-40)
- New York Mets (55-42)
- San Diego Padres (52-44)
Five teams are poised to have a strong second half to make a push to contend for a division title or make a push to make the postseason.
Five MLB Teams Poised For Strong Second Half
With still over 60 games remaining, a lot can change in the MLB standings. Five teams are poised to have a strong second half and shake up the standings.
Seattle Mariners (51-45)
The Seattle Mariners have a dangerous offense, led by the “Big Dumper” Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez. Raleigh leads the league in home runs and RBIs at the All-Star break.
Seattle has a +32 run differential.
Their pitching staff has not been fully healthy this season. Logan Gilbert has started in 12 games, and George Kirby in 10 games. Gilbert and Kirby are two excellent pitchers who are getting healthier and poised for a strong second half of the season.
With a very good offense and a healthier pitching rotation, the Mariners can make a push to contend for the AL West. They currently trail the Houston Astros by five games.
Texas Rangers (48-49)
The Texas Rangers are one game under .500 and third in the AL West.
Despite being one game under .500, they have a +47 run differential.
Their offense is starting to heat up.
Texas has the best team ERA and second-best WHIP in the league.
With a strong pitching staff and underlying metrics indicating a strong offense in the second half, the Texas Rangers can push for a wild-card spot. The Rangers are 3.5 games back from a wild-card spot.
Tampa Bay Rays (50-47)
Another team with a strong offense is the Tampa Bay Rays. They are top 10 in the league in runs, hits, RBIs, stolen bases, and batting average.
Pitching has also been good for the Rays, ranking 11th in ERA and fourth in WHIP at the break.
Tampa Bay is just 1.5 games back from a Wild Card spot and is poised for a strong second half of the season.
Atlanta Braves (42-53)
Despite sitting fourth in the NL East with a 42-53 record, there are some underlying positives. Advanced metrics such as xwOBA and xFIP indicate their pitching has still been solid. The bullpen has been a disaster, but their starters are still pitching well.
FanGraphs projects a .549 win percentage in the second half of the season. This suggests the Braves can still contend for a playoff spot. They will need players like Michael Harris and Ozzie Albies to improve. Harris and Albies are having the worst season of their careers. Losing Austin Riley hurts the offense, but they still have enough players to have a formidable offense. However, they will need those struggling to have a much better second half.
It will be an uphill battle in the second half of the season, but there is still some hope that the Atlanta Braves can turn things around.
Milwaukee Brewers (56-40)
Durability has been a big strength for the Brewers’ offense. Jackson Churio, Christian Yelich, and William Contreras have all played 90 or more games this season. Sal Frelick has played in 93 games but left Sunday’s contest before the break due to a possible injury. He needed an MRI, but it is unknown if he will be out for a while or not.
Their pitching rotation got healthier with Brandon Woodruff returning. He has been solid in two starts since his return.
Milwaukee is just one game back from the Cubs in the NL Central, despite all the talk of Chicago’s offense.
The Brewers have a +81 run differential.
Milwaukee is poised for a strong second half with a strong offense and a healthier pitching rotation. They can challenge the Cubs for the division crown.
