BY COLIN BISH, STAFF WRITER
The 2024 Major League Baseball season has provided sports fans with much discussion during the summer. With the NBA and NHL seasons concluding and the NFL and NCAA football seasons yet to return, MLB remains the only big sports league up and running. And it has been quite the turbulent season.
The All-Star Break took place in Arlington, Texas. Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez won the newly revamped Home Run Derby over Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. Meanwhile, the All-Star Game concluded with a 5-3 win for the American League. Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran won the game’s MVP after hitting a go-ahead two-run home run to give the AL a lead it would not relinquish.
But the important thing to focus on is the season’s first half. From historic performances to near collapses, the 2024 MLB season has been quite the ride going into its most pivotal point: the post-All-Star break.
So, I thought it would be fun to recap every MLB team’s season thus far and grade them based on their performance. The grades are mainly based off their current performance, compared to how they finished last season and how the numbers presumed these teams would perform before the season.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Many baseball fans questioned whether this team could translate last year’s success to 2024. Despite barely scraping into the playoffs with an 84-win season, Arizona slithered their way into the World Series before falling to the Texas Rangers in five games.
The first two months of the season proved Arizona’s doubters right. But the D-Backs would storm back to playoff contention with a great June and half-July.
The most alarming aspect of this team is its pitching, which may come as a shock considering Arizona rode a vaunted pitching staff to winning the National League. However, poor performances and injuries have left the majority of the heavy lifting to the offense, and they have responded in kind.
Many hitters have been subpar or mediocre, such as young outfielder Corbin Carroll and his .212 batting average. Still, they’ve played well enough to keep the offense afloat and complement the team’s best hitters.
Christian Walker continues to rake, bolstering his argument as one of the most underrated players in baseball. Joc Pederson has succeeded as a designated hitter. Rounding it out is franchise player Ketel Marte, arguably the best second baseman in the game.
If the pitching can overcome its injury woes, they can vault to the front of the league in the second half. Even with Merrill Kelly’s injury, Arizona still has the duo of Zac Gallen and Brandon Pfaadt with a solid bullpen. If the pitching can stabilize, the Diamondbacks could return to the playoffs, but it would take a lot more to return to the Fall Classic.
Grade: B
Atlanta Braves
Yikes, quite the turbulent first half for the Braves. Injuries and inconsistencies knocked the team off the top of the NL East, but they still maintain a solid grip on a playoff spot.
If it didn’t help enough that the offense fell stagnant in the first half, but another Ronald Acuna Jr. ACL tear added insult to injury. Despite nearly everything falling flat, the Braves remain in the mix for the playoffs.
The Braves’ success runs through their pitching. Atlanta already had Max Fried and Charlie Morton, but adding Chris Sale made it even better. On top of everything, Reynaldo Lopez came out of nowhere to become the Braves’ best starter. Rounding it out is the bullpen, composed of at least six quality arms.
Despite the Braves’ offensive struggles, they remain a solid offensive unit. Marcell Ozuna is the star of the show and one of the best-designated hitters in the league. They’ve also gotten solid performances from Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies and Travis d’Arnaud.
If the Braves want any chance of playoff success, they need to up their offensive game. Many would say this is a “lost” season for Atlanta. I disagree heavily; they still have one of the best teams in baseball with just their pitching staff. Either their hitters need to wake up, or they need to go get some bats at the trade deadline for a potential playoff push.
Grade: C+
Baltimore Orioles
Everything that could have gone right for the O’s did, five times over. Following their swift 2023 playoff exit at the hands of the Rangers, the Orioles went out to get pitching in the offseason. But who knew the acquisition of one player would turn the tides of this young squad.
Baltimore’s big acquisition was former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes. Burnes has maintained his stellar play from Milwaukee and seemingly elevated the rest of the pitching staff. Even after losing stud closer Felix Bautista to injury, Baltimore still has a great pitching staff, including Grayson Rodriguez, Dean Kremer and Albert Suarez.
But the pitching doesn’t tell the whole story; Baltimore’s big story has been the success of its young hitting core. Slugging shortstop Gunnar Henderson leads the charge, alongside Adley Rutschman, Jordan Westburg and Anthony Santander.
The Orioles collectively have elite hitting, pitching and defense that will carry them to another postseason. However, the main focus will be on Baltimore’s playoff performance, but until then — a great start for the Orioles.
Grade: A
Boston Red Sox
After being lost in the gutter for the past couple of years, the Red Sox seemed to catch their stride finally, thanks partly to new pitching coach Andrew Bailey. A former pitcher for the club, Bailey has taken a mediocre pitching staff to one of the most effective units in the league.
First-time All-Star Tanner Houck leads the rotation, followed closely by Kutter Crawford and Nick Pivetta. The bullpen has also performed well, featuring Justin Slaten, Brennan Bernardino, Cam Booser and veteran closer Kenley Jansen.
Additionally, the offense hasn’t lost a step. Leading the charge is Rafael Devers, one of the best young bats in the majors at just 27 years old. Jarren Duran has evolved into one of the best all-around players in MLB, while Connor Wong has blossomed into a fantastic contact hitter at catcher. Youth rounds out the rest of the offense, including Wilyer Abreu, Masataka Yoshida, David Hamilton and Ceddanne Rafaela.
From June to the All-Star Break, Boston finished with a 24-13 record, elevating into the Wild Card picture. Due to the Yankees ‘ struggles, they’ve also vaulted back into the AL East division picture. If the Red Sox can maintain their torrid pace from the summer, Boston can undoubtedly be a threat in October.
Grade: B+
Chicago Cubs
Being one play away from the playoffs last season, the Cubs had postseason expectations coming into 2024. Despite the talent, the Cubs can’t seem to catch their footing and continue to flounder around the NL Central basement.
Their starting rotation has been excellent, led by Japanese lefty Shota Imanaga. But even with Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Justin Steele and Javier Assad, it can’t make up for a terrible bullpen.
Don’t even get me started on the offense. Besides Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ, the hitting is atrocious. Michael Busch has been a roller coaster, while Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner have been mediocre.
It doesn’t seem like the Cubs will go anywhere in 2024, so it’s likely best to sell off players like Happ, Cody Bellinger and others to get back some prospects. Although they did finish the last week pre-All Star Break with a 5-2 record, maybe the tides are turning in Chicago. But up to this point, the Cubs have been a mere disappointment.
Grade: C-
Chicago White Sox
Ouch. What do I even say? To think that the White Sox won the AL Central three years ago and fans saw them as a potential World Series contender… yikes.
There aren’t even any players to “rave” about because the whole team has been god-awful. Luis Robert Jr. won’t be around for long. Garrett Crochet, Erick Fedde and Michael Kopech are also likely gone. The White Sox will have pretty much nothing.
I don’t have much else to say about a team that’s out-tanking the Oakland Athletics, except one thing. Jerry Reinsdorf, owner of the White Sox, please sell the team to someone who will try to create a functioning baseball team for the fans. You should also sell the Bulls while you’re at it. What a disaster.
Grade: F
Cincinnati Reds
The Reds have much to look forward to, but that’ll have to wait for the future. Despite all the young talent, Cincinnati has maybe two or three years until they emerge as a legitimate playoff threat.
The offense has been fairly mediocre, with their only saving grace being Cincinnati’s golden goose, Elly De La Cruz. Don’t let the trolls and the strikeout numbers fool you; De La Cruz is a legit five-tool-potential player who’s shown major flashes in his first year and a half in the big leagues.
Unfortunately, the rest of the offense doesn’t make up for it. Jonathan India has played well, but he’s been a trade rumor for the past two years. The Reds will have to wait until most of their big hitting prospects get called up. However, Rece Hinds has been an exciting story.
The pitching has been flat, but no need to worry when the young starting rotation of Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo has performed exceptionally. Greene even made the All-Star game (just ignore the home run he gave up)!
Nonetheless, Cincinnati has shown many flashes of future brilliance in the National League. Unfortunately, it will not come this year.
Grade: C+
Cleveland Guardians
Arguably the most surprising team of 2024 so far. Despite all the injuries and subpar play from most of the squad, Cleveland sits atop the American League (only by half a game, but let the fans enjoy it).
The offense is a well-oiled machine led by the always-reliable Jose Ramirez. Backing him up is Steven Kwan with a Tony Gwynn-esque season, Josh Naylor smashing baseballs and a surprise All Star campaign by David Fry.
The rest of the offense may be pedestrian to outright bad, but there’s nothing the upcoming trade deadline can’t fix.
Though, it shouldn’t seem like the pitching should be this good at first glance. Starters Shane Bieber, Triston McKenzie and Logan Allen all got injured. Even the starting rotation is fairly bad, being carried by Tanner Bibee and Ben Lively. However, the bullpen has become the unquestioned heart and soul of this pitching staff.
The Guardians hold a sturdy bullpen featuring Hunter Gaddis, Tim Herrin, Cade Smith, Pedro Avila and Scott Barlow, topped off by the electric closer Emmanuel Clase.
The Guardians have maintained shocking success despite a subpar offense and an arguably below-average pitching staff. If they can acquire important pieces at the deadline, keep an eye on Cleveland come October.
Grade: A+
Colorado Rockies
At least you’re not the White Sox? Or the Marlins? I don’t really have much else.
This catastrophe is just your average Rockies experience. Their only saving grace has been the emergence of their young hitting core, composed of Brenton Doyle, Brendan Rodgers and Ezequiel Tovar. But not much else to get excited about.
The Rockies have to find a way to finally stabilize their pitching staff, but the excuse will always be, “They play at Coors Field.” No, they just have terrible pitching development and have had so for years.
Colorado does have a very solid farm system with good young players who are already performing well in the majors. Colorado may return to relevancy if the other prospects perform well in the coming seasons. But it will not be this year, not at all.
Grade: D-
Detroit Tigers
This Tigers squad continues to confuse me. One day, the team is making strides toward being a playoff contender, and the next week, they should be selling at the deadline. This conundrum has once again resurfaced in 2024.
The pitching has been outstanding, led by Cy Young-contender Tarik Skubal and a stout bullpen. This unit would be very talented on a playoff team, but the Tigers will not make the playoffs.
Mainly, their offense has fallen flat. Even though Riley Greene has been great and earned an All-Star nod, it doesn’t make up for the rest of the offense’s struggles.
If the Tigers can gain some offensive consistency, with players like Spencer Torkelson regaining former hitting success, they could make a run at the postseason. Maybe a series win against the Dodgers before the break would give them momentum, but I’m not overly confident.
Grade: C
Houston Astros
Everybody started smashing the panic button after Houston’s terrible start, with many believing that Houston’s reign of terror started to dwindle.
Until the Astros roared back in June and July, slowly closing in on the AL West lead. Just like Marvel’s Thanos, the Astros are inevitable.
The trio of Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker lead the hitting core, along with solid young bats like Yainer Diaz and Jake Meyers.
The pitching has underperformed, and it doesn’t help that Cristian Javier and Justin Verlander got injured while Josh Hader has struggled. Fortunately for Houston, the Astros’ resurgence has come with an improved performance over the past month and a half.
The Astros continue to prove themselves as the gold standard of Major League Baseball. Now they’ve fought back to two games back of the AL West lead, so get ready to cancel the Astros’ downfall parade. Although it looked like what would happen, Houston put those desires to bed.
Grade: B
Kansas City Royals
Having been in the basement of the MLB for about six or seven years, it’s quite refreshing for baseball when the Royals play good baseball. They’ve unfortunately begun to falter over the past month and a half.
Although the offense has been fairly mediocre, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. has proven himself to be one of the best shortstops in the game. Veteran catcher Salvador Perez backs him up along with first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino.
However, the pitching unit has proven to be the unspoken strength of this team. They hold one of the best starting rotations in the league, led by veteran Seth Lugo. He’s backed up by young lefty Cole Ragans, acquired last year in the Aroldis Chapman trade, along with Brady Singer and Michael Wacha.
The Royals have played well, and have shown that they can make a push for the playoffs. It may take the Royals buying at the deadline, but if they can acquire some good pieces, don’t be surprised if playoff baseball returns to Kansas City for the first time in nine years.
Grade: A-
Los Angeles Angels
And so begins the post-Ohtani era in Anahe—excuse me, Los Angeles. To make matters worse, Mike Trout continues suffering from injuries, further sinking this already-capsizing ship.
The development of the Angels’ young prospects should be recognized and applauded for what it’s worth. Leading this youthful core is catcher Logan O’Hoppe, alongside shortstop Zach Neto and flamethrowing reliever Ben Joyce.
Another positive for the Halos has been the players who’ve played well, which they could use to acquire more young talent. Starter Tyler Anderson, closer Carlos Estevez, outfielder Kevin Pillar and utility player Luis Rengifo could all be utilized in trade packages.
Most importantly, the Angels must realize that they must commit to a full rebuild. No more throwing out massive contracts to one-year-wonder players, no more overspending, nothing; if they want to have any chance of winning a title with Mike Trout in tow, they must commit to a full rebuild.
However, I doubt that owner Arte Moreno would commit to something like that. An Angels rebuild has been needed for nearly a decade, and he has yet to commit fully.
Grade: D+
Los Angeles Dodgers
Massive noise surrounded the baseball world due to the Dodgers’ offseason. A team that featured three former MVPs in Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Clayton Kershaw got even better by adding Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez, Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
However, recent developments have put LA’s legitimacy as a World Series contender into question.
The offense hasn’t disappointed; Shohei Ohtani has been putting up the best offensive season of his career. Even without Betts and Max Muncy, the offense continues to roll with Freeman, Hernandez and Will Smith with added help from young talent like Andy Pages and Miguel Vargas.
The questions that have arisen are mainly due to the Dodgers’ horrific pitching struggles. While injuries have heavily hampered the Dodgers’ pitching, knocking out Glasnow, Yamamoto, and Bobby Miller, players like Gavin Stone and Landon Knack have done all they could to keep the pitching staff afloat.
The bullpen has been awful, which is evident in their series loss to Detroit. They need to fix these woes if they want to finally exercise their playoff demons.
Grade: B+
Miami Marlins
Making the playoffs last season may have been a mistake; it instilled false confidence that the Marlins could be competitive.
Their best hitter, Luis Arraez, had a terrible start and then got traded to San Diego, where he rediscovered his offensive prowess. Jazz Chisholm Jr. has also been good, but it won’t be long until he gets traded too.
Their pitching has either massively underperformed or gotten hurt. They have a good closer in Tanner Scott, but having a lockdown closer on a bottom-feeding team is pointless. So he’ll likely be gone too.
The Marlins, once again, continue their long mirage of a rebuild with another poor season.
Grade: F
Milwaukee Brewers
Losing your pitching staff’s ace and longtime manager would certainly spell doom for your franchise? The Brewers would say otherwise.
Despite those losses following a pitiful exit from the 2023 postseason, the Brew Crew rebounded nicely and now firmly holds the NL Central lead. Milwaukee hopes Pat Murphy can capture playoff success they could never achieve with Craig Counsell.
Following a few years of poor play, former MVP Christian Yelich has exploded to help lead the Brewers’ offense. Led by a mixture of veterans like William Contreras and young stars like Jackson Chourio, Milwaukee holds one of the more well-balanced offenses in the league.
Like always, the Brewers still have a solid pitching staff. With names like Freddy Peralta, Tobias Myers, Bryan Hudson and Trevor Megill, Milwaukee continues to maintain a top-10 pitching unit among all the injuries.
Grade: A+
Minnesota Twins
I truly believe that the Twins haven’t been getting the respect they deserve. A team that finally broke their playoff curse, with a newfound fire that has translated to continued success in 2024.
This Twins team has become one of the best offenses in the league, only behind the Orioles and Dodgers. Led by Carlos Correa, Jose Miranda, Byron Buxton, Willi Castro and Ryan Jeffers, this squad is already dangerous even without Matt Wallner and Royce Lewis.
The pitching has been a mixed bag; while the starting rotation has been fairly bad, the bullpen has been one of MLB’s best with Griffin Jax, Jorge Alcala, Cole Sands and Jhoan Duran.
While the Guardians have been on a hot stretch all season, the Twins have kept stride for each and every step. Whether they can come back for a second straight division title or make the Wild Card, Minnesota can seriously make some noise — unless they face the Yankees.
Grade: B+
New York Mets
I’ve always liked to laugh at the Mets’ consistent continuation of failure. That continued in April and May, until Grimace walked onto the pitcher’s mound and infielder Jose Iglesias made a hit song.
Jokes aside, the Mets have truthfully elevated themselves to being a playoff threat. The engine runs on their prolific offense, featuring Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Francisco Alvarez, J.D. Martinez, Mark Vientos and Starling Marte.
The pitching, particularly the starting rotation, has been good. The Mets have gotten the most from their rotation of Luis Severino, Jose Quintana, Sean Manaea and Jose Butto. Kodai Senga returning from injury will make this unit even better.
However, the worrying comes with the bullpen, as it has for most seasons in Queens. Particularly, Edwin Diaz hasn’t looked like his former self after returning from injury. But if they can overcome their bullpen issues, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Mets in the playoffs.
Grade: B
New York Yankees
What originally started as an amazing season turned into a nightmare, and back to solid ground. So is the tale of the 21st-century New York Yankees.
The Yanks practically just copied the same script for the past three years: a miraculous Aaron Judge season undone by everything else burning to the ground. Only this time Judge has company for the meltdown in Juan Soto.
While Soto and Judge have been fantastic, the rest of the team has fallen flat on their faces.
Gerrit Cole’s return made the pitching… worse? Not only has Cole struggled, but Luis Gil and Carlos Rodon have been bad. The offense has nothing besides Judge and Soto, with Anthony Volpe being public enemy #1 in the Bronx. Giancarlo Stanton can help you with this issue, Anthony.
I would’ve given the Yanks a worse grade if not for taking two out of three in Baltimore to stay in the AL East race. But while the Yanks have slid, the Red Sox continued to climb and are only three and a half games back of New York.
While a strong season, the Yankees have many problems to address after they return from break.
Grade: A-
Oakland Athletics
The future Las Vegas Athletics started well this season, but they woke up to reality and have fallen back to the basement. But at least they aren’t the White Sox.
It seems the Athletics’ goal before moving to Vegas is to maintain their current core, which includes great players like Brent Rooker and Mason Miller. They also have other young exciting players like Zack Gelof and Esteury Ruiz who have struggled, but the Athletics seem to want to build through the youth.
However, despite the new move to Vegas and a budding young core, I doubt the Athletics’ fortune will change.
Specifically, I don’t trust that majority owner John Fisher will change. The Athletics’ payroll will certainly increase but don’t expect a massive jump to rival the Yankees or Dodgers.
Many MLB players have also voiced their skepticism of the move like Phillies star Bryce Harper. And Harper was born in Vegas. So, what high-level talent would want to sign up for Vegas unless they get dumped mountains of cash in their driveway?
Additionally, if I’m a Vegas resident, what do I have to care for the Athletics? The Raiders have a beautiful new stadium, the Golden Knights won a Stanley Cup two years ago and the Sphere will be even bigger by the time the A’s arrive. Why waste money and time watching one of the biggest clown shows in sports (which is in no part the players’ or coaches’ fault)?
If the baseball gods are kind, they will allow this to blow up in Fisher’s face as retribution for all the fans in Oakland they screwed over.
Grade: D
Philadelphia Phillies
Far and away the best team in baseball, the Phillies have overtaken the NL East mantle. After two straight years of subpar regular season play (with great postseason play), the Phils have finally broken through as a legitimate division contender.
The offense rolls like a well-oiled machine, met with little resistance. A core featuring Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Brandon Marsh, Alec Bohm, J.T. Realmuto, Bryson Stott and Nick Castellanos. Who could stop this unit?
Not only do the Phils maintain a great offense, but their pitching has improved by leaps and bounds. A stacked rotation of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez and Christopher Sanchez complemented by a stout bullpen of Jeff Hoffman, Jose Alvarado, Matt Strahm, Gregory Soto and Orion Kerkering.
Everything has gone exactly as the Phillies would have hoped for and even more. With this core, this may be their best chance to win a title, so it’s best to believe Philadelphia would burn down if this team fails. Still, this has been an incredible season for the Phillies.
Grade: A+
Pittsburgh Pirates
It’s just so odd, but I can’t seem to get a gauge on the Pirates. One day, they look like a potential playoff team, and the next it seems like this team should be trading everyone.
The heart and soul of the team has been their pitching, without much question. The main man, Paul Skenes, has electrified baseball with his incredible play. To think he was only drafted a year ago, and now a front runner for NL Rookie of the Year who just started the All-Star Game in Arlington. Truly monumental.
However, the staff doesn’t just run through Skenes. Alongside him is veteran ace Mitch Keller, along with another rookie in Jared Jones.
What truly holds back this team is its offense. Bryan Reynolds has been phenomenal, while Oneil Cruz has shown major flashes following his injury. Unfortunately, after those two, there is not much else to speak on.
While it seems like Pittsburgh has placed themselves firmly in the midst of the playoff race, I’d argue the Bucs are at least two-three years away from being true competitors. Not saying they can’t make the playoffs, and they have played very well, but it’ll be very hard to make the playoffs considering the National League’s depth.
Grade: B
San Diego Padres
Pressure has mounted heavily on the Padres solely because of the hype surrounding this team and all the money they’ve spent. While San Diego has played well to be in the playoff conversation, it leaves much to be desired.
The Padres carry one of the most well-rounded offensive cores in the majors. Their lineup features Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jake Cronenworth, Ha-Seong Kim, Jackson Merrill capped off by an amazing first half from Jurickson Profar. Even with Xander Bogaerts’ struggles, they traded for Luis Arraez to make up for his lack of production.
While the pitching has been mediocre, they still have a lot of talent. San Diego holds one of the most well-rounded starting rotations, featuring Yu Darvish, Dylan Cease, Michael King and Matt Waldron. The bullpen is spotty, having been kept afloat by their breakout righty Jeremiah Estrada and lockdown closer Robert Suarez.
Despite much to be desired from this team, they have played well enough to compete for the postseason. Now, they have to silence the doubters.
Grade: B
San Francisco Giants
Remember when this team won 107 games a few years ago? That season currently feels like a distant past.
Having signed Matt Chapman, Jorge Soler and Blake Snell, many thought the Giants could at least compete for playoffs. I highly doubt they’ll get anywhere close.
The pitching has looked pretty good, which they can certainly build off of. Particularly the starting rotation, which features a great trio of Kyle Harrison, Logan Webb and Jordan Hicks.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much else to talk about with this team. They’re just an unmitigated disaster that will take a long time for them to find their footing. Maybe look forward to the future prospects.
Grade: C-
Seattle Mariners
This team has one of the worst offenses in the majors, but somehow, they’ve held on tight to the AL West lead.
With no exaggeration, the offense just stinks. Many of their key bats haven’t even fallen silent, but straight up deaf. I haven’t seen Julio Rodriguez since 2022, not to mention the failure of Jorge Polanco.
The pitching staff keeps this team alive, and it has become one of the absolute best in MLB. An amazing rotation of Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo, Bryce Miller and George Kirby is backed up by an amazing bullpen led by closer Andres Munoz.
The offense needs to figure it out, however, before the pitching begins to slip as well. The Astros have been slowly creeping back up the AL West ladder, and if the offense continues to sputter, it’s only a matter of time before they fall out of the division and maybe even the playoffs altogether.
Grade: B+
St. Louis Cardinals
Even with a winning record, I can’t say I have much faith in this Cardinals squad. Especially not when giving up more runs than runs scored; to put it simply, St. Louis has been incredibly lucky.
The pitching has been very subpar, clinging on to Sonny Gray for the most part. The offense hasn’t been much better, especially with Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt playing poorly.
The best thing to keep in this mind with the team has been the success of their young core. While guys like Jordan Walker struggle, they’ve had many great performances from players like Masyn Winn and Nolan Gorman.
Cardinals need to trade pieces at the deadline and try to allocate more for the future. Even if they do make the playoffs, I doubt they’ll go far.
Grade: B-
Tampa Bay Rays
Like the Cardinals, the Rays have been incredibly lucky, with an even win-loss record. But I think Tampa Bay has more to look forward to than St. Louis.
I say this because the Rays have a lot more pieces to trade than St. Louis, so Tampa has that to keep in mind, unlike the Cardinals. Randy Arozarena, Brandon Lowe, Isaac Paredes, Yandy Diaz and Zach Eflin can all be used to acquire more prospects.
A massive fire sale at the deadline would certainly put the team in the basement, but if all goes right in the next decade or so, it could set them up for a great future—just in time for the new stadium that St. Petersburg approved.
Grade: C-
Texas Rangers
Are the World Series Champions in the room with us? Because I don’t recognize these posers.
Injuries have played a huge part in this fall from grace. Specifically Josh Jung, Max Scherzer and Ezequiel Duran. But those injured guys don’t equate to Jonah Heim or Marcus Semien’s steep declines.
The pitching hasn’t been good, and even Scherzer’s return couldn’t salvage this dumpster fire. It’s like slapping a band-aid on a rusty, crumbling support beam.
If the Rangers have any hope of defending their title, they’ll need to all elevate their play in spite of the injury bug. But any hopes of that look incredibly bleak, considering Texas’ horrendous play.
Grade: D
Toronto Blue Jays
This is one of the most egregious wastes of talent since the Pittsburgh Steelers Killer B’s. And the consequences could be monumental.
Making the playoffs and collapsing in front of your home crowd is awful. Losing a Wild Card series to a team that hadn’t won a playoff GAME in almost 20 years is even worse. But this? This season has been utterly painful.
Let me put it this way: If one of the best hitters in your lineup is Isiah Kiner-Falefa, just call the season off. No disrespect, but a guy known for his defensive ability with lackluster offensive production should not be one of your better hitters. Especially if you have players like George Springer and Bo Bichette
Other than Vladimir Guerrero Jr., this team has fallen off a cliff. Their only move is to sell at the deadline. Even franchise Guerrero Jr. should be considered, because this core of players is going nowhere any time soon.
Grade: F
Washington Nationals
Despite another mediocre Nationals campaign following their shock World Series run, DC has a lot to look forward to regarding their baseball club.
They have found their new franchise cornerstone in shortstop CJ Abrams. They also have more young talent, such as outfielder Lane Thomas and top prospect James Wood, called up just before the All Star Break.
The pitching has also been mixed, but they have solid players like Jake Irvin, MacKenzie Gore and closer Kyle Finnegan.
Their only saving grace is their future young core, featuring heavy hitters like Dylan Crews, Elijah Green and Brady House. So, while the Nationals have been better than prior seasons, they still look to be a few years away from truly contending.
Grade: C
Playoff Predictions
To round out this first-half report card, I’ll give my takes on division, Wild Card and award winners. I won’t be predicting any playoffs, so you can’t tell me I jinxed your team.
For the American League, I have Baltimore, Cleveland and Houston taking their divisions. Baltimore and Cleveland are much more complete than the rest of their division rivals, while Houston has been on a tear and will continue to ride the momentum to a seventh division title in eight years.
The AL Wild Cards will be the Twins, Yankees and Royals. The Twins and Yankees will continue to keep pace, but I can see Minnesota lapping New York in the standings. I also believe Kansas City can move past Boston, as the Red Sox have the hardest remaining schedule in MLB and haven’t played well against winning squads.
Moving to the NL, I don’t see any changes; it will be the Phillies, Brewers and Dodgers. Their performances show me these teams are leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else in their respective divisions.
The NL Wild Cards are harder to predict; at least seven teams can compete for those three spots. But I’ll go with Atlanta, New York and San Diego. I believe these three teams have the playoff experience and talent to make a run for the Wild Card. Teams like St. Louis, Arizona and Pittsburgh will have to try again next year.
Award Predictions
Now, on to the awards. I’ll be going over my pick for each league’s MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year.
The American League MVP will be Aaron Judge, no questions asked unless the Yankees slugger suffers an injury. It sucks because players like Jose Ramirez and Bobby Witt Jr. have had amazing seasons that deserve recognition. Unfortunately, it’ll be nearly impossible to overlap Judge with the season he’s having.
Moving to the National League with another easy pick for MVP, brace for another dominant year of Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani weathered the storm of a massive scandal and has responded with his best offensive season yet.
Similarly to Judge, I don’t think anyone can surpass Ohtani’s legendary campaign. I’m sticking with Ohtani, which would make him the second player in MLB history to win an MVP award in both the AL and NL, with the first being Hall of Famer Frank Robinson.
Fortunately, the Cy Young races are much tighter. The AL is a two-horse race between Detroit’s Tarik Skubal and Baltimore’s Corbin Burnes. The decision is tough, but I got to go with the former Cy Young winner Burnes.
I don’t want this to take away from Skubal’s season; he’s been flat-out unhittable. However, Burnes has not only kept pace with Skubal’s performance but has also turned a pitching staff in dire need of help into one of the best units in MLB. While I wouldn’t mind Skubal taking the award, I feel Burnes will be held in higher regard due to his impact.
The NL has a lot more to consider. At least four pitchers have a strong case for the award, particularly Zack Wheeler, Tyler Glasnow, Ranger Suarez and Chris Sale.
Of those four, I’m taking Sale as the Cy Young winner. After years of injury struggle in Boston, Sale finally got a redemption opportunity in Atlanta and has rejuvenated his career. Sale currently leads the NL in earned run average (ERA) and ERA+ while leading the majors in both wins and fielding-independent pitching.
To simplify the previous sentence, Sale has been good to casual baseball fans who enjoy simpler stats and analytics nerds who love extremely convoluted stats. It’s the best of both worlds! But jokes aside, it’s nice to see Sale return to his elite days with the White and Red Sox. I believe it will culminate in a well-deserved NL Cy Young award.
The AL Rookie of the Year is interesting. Three players vie for the award: Yankees starter Luis Gil, Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford and Athletics closer Mason Miller. All three each have a case, but I’m going with Miller.
It seems weird that a closer would win this award, but I have my reasons. Gil currently leads all of MLB in batters walked for starting pitchers, which could spell trouble as the season progresses. Additionally, while Langford hit for the cycle, an incredible feat for a rookie, he hasn’t had the consistent success that would put him higher up on my list as a candidate.
Meanwhile, Mason Miller is untouchable as the A’s closer, his weapon of choice being a blistering fastball and wicked slider. Miller winning the award while still with the team would also be great for the A’s move to Vegas in due time, that is, if Miller remains on the team.
And finally, the NL Rookie of the Year. While the race was extremely close about a month ago, recent struggles by the Cubs’ Shota Imanaga has knocked him out of the race. Imanaga can make a comeback, but his struggles made this a two-horse race between Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes and San Diego’s Jackson Merrill.
While Merrill has been great and Imanaga has gotten off to a fantastic start, my NL Rookie of the Year is undoubtedly Skenes. My prediction is not because of his extremely popular TikToking gymnast Livvy Dunne; this isn’t a Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift situation. The hype is real, and Skenes has skyrocketed past the early expectations.
Since his debut on May 11, Skenes has put up Cy Young-esque numbers and proven himself to be incredibly valuable to the Pirates. He’s accumulated 3.2 wins above replacement, a stat that tracks a player’s value, since his debut, which is higher than players like Corey Seager, Jose Ramirez, Corbin Burnes and Jose Altuve.
If Skenes keeps this pace up, there’s no question he’ll be Rookie of the Year. But if he keeps this pace up, continuing to get even better, what does that make of his impact in the NL Cy Young race? I guess we’ll have to find out in the second half.
bishcj22@bonaventure.edu
