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With the All-Star break upon us, the first half of the 2017 MLB season is officially in the books. Here are the top five storylines from what was a very fun, eventful first half.
5. Central Division Surprises
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Every year, there are a couple of teams that come out of nowhere to make a playoff push, and this year is no difference. As we go into the break, the Milwaukee Brewers sit atop the NL Central at 50-41, and the Minnesota Twins are only 2.5 games behind the Indians in the AL Central at 45-43.
How have these last place projected teams flipped the script this season? For the Brewers, their offense has catapulted them into first place. They have hit 138 home runs so far this season which is second in the MLB. They are also sixth in baseball in runs at 451. The Brewers also boast MLB’s eighth best team ERA at 4.08 and their bullpen has been great when their starters fail to go long into starts.
The Twins have not excelled in any area this season, but they have received phenomenal contributions from third base slugger Miguel Sano, veteran first baseman Joe Mauer, and starting pitcher Ervin Santana.
Both of these teams have their respective league's reigning champion behind them, and it remains to be seen if they will be able to remain atop of their divisions, but regardless, the Twins and Brewers have surprised everyone around baseball this season.
4. The Outstanding NL West
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Five teams in the MLB have at least 52 wins at the All-Star break. Three of those teams are in the NL West: the Dodgers (61-29), the Diamondbacks (53-36), and the Rockies (52-39). Although the Dodgers have formed a large lead at the top of the West, the division remains competitive and holds the title for MLB’s best division halfway through the season.
A ten game win streak has helped the Dodgers the best record in baseball. Their pitching staff has the league’s best ERA at 3.15, led by the great Clayton Kershaw and surprise stud Alex Wood. They have allowed the second lowest amount of home runs while striking out the second most hitters. Dodger hitters have also played spectacularly this season, scoring the fourth most runs in baseball.
Like the Dodgers, the Diamondbacks pitching staff has been phenomenal this season. They are right behind the Dodgers in ERA at 3.43 and are fourth in strikeouts. The Diamondbacks have also scored the seventh most runs in baseball while stealing the sixth most bases.
Of the three teams with 52 wins in the West, the Rockies are the largest surprise because of their pitching staff. No one doubted that a line up with Charlie Blackmon, D.J. LeMahieu, Nolan Arenado, and Carlos Gonzalez would be elite, but a pitching staff with three rookies should not be pitching the way they have been. Although they have regressed a little toward where you would expect three rookies pitching in the high altitude of Denver, Colorado, they still have the 15th best ERA among starting rotations. With a lineup as good as the Rockies, an average pitching staff is all they need to be extremely successful.
3. The Houston Astros
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With a record of 60-29, the prolific Houston Astros are only half a game behind the Dodgers for best record in baseball. Currently sitting atop the AL West, the Astros have a 16.5 game lead over the Angels and Rangers, which is the largest division lead in baseball.
The Astros offense has been out of this world this season. They lead the MLB in average (.289), home runs (148), runs (527), and slugging (.500). This is due to the phenomenal seasons by All-Stars Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and George Springer, as well as Josh Reddick and Marwin Gonzalez who have been outstanding for Houston. All five of those players are batting at least .300 with an ISO (isolated power) of at least .200. They all have at least 10 home runs and 50 RBIs except for Reddick, who has nine homers and 41 RBIs.
The Astros pitching has been almost as good as its hitting. They are fifth in the league in ERA at 3.93 and have the highest strikeout rate at 10.15 per nine innings. Lance McCullers and Dallas Keuchel have been amazing starters for the Astros, and Brad Peacock, Chris Devenski, Will Harris, and Ken Giles have all been great out of the pen. The Astros are destined to make the playoffs and will likely be one of, if not the favorite to represent the American League in the World Series.
2. Chicago Cubs
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After 108 years, the lovable losers had finally done enough to drop the name, beating the Cleveland Indians in seven games. The Cubs dominated the whole 2016 season, winning an unbelievable 103 games. However, the franchise that was supposed to be the next great MLB dynasty has fallen well, well short of their lofty expectations.
The Chicago Cubs are currently 43-45 and 5.5 games behind the first place Brewers. This year’s World Series favorite has been nowhere near the offensive team they were last season. They are 28th in baseball in batting average, 20th in runs, and have the 12th most strikeouts. Part of this decline is due to the loss of Dexter Fowler at the top of the lineup, as well as a struggling, according to their standards, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo. The only players with at least 100 plate appearances who are batting at least .270 are Jon Jay, Albert Almora Jr., and Miguel Montero who was waived after blaming Jake Arrieta for not holding runners on base against the Nationals.
The Cubs’ starting rotation has also been less than stellar. They are T-16th in ERA (4.66), and their only starting pitcher with an ERA below 4 is Eddie Butler at 3.86. Former Cy Young Winner Jake Arrieta is currently 8-7 with a 4.35 ERA, and Cy Young Finalists Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks are 5-6 with a 4.25 ERA and 4-3 with a 4.09 ERA respectively.
Although the Cubs are really struggling this season, they are only 5.5 games back of the Brewers. The Brewers are the biggest surprise story this season, and it remains a question whether or not they can continue their fantastic play for the rest of the season. It would be hard for the Cubs to play worse than they are right now, so I would be surprised if they don’t beat out the Brewers in the Central by the end of the season.
1. Rookie Sluggers
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There’s not much I can say about Cody Bellinger and Aaron Judge that has not been said already. Through the first half of the season, Bellinger and Judge, two rookies, have taken the league by storm, hitting baseballs out of the park left and right.
Judge is leading the majors in home runs at 30, breaking Joe DiMaggio’s franchise rookie record. He is also hitting an impressive .329 for someone with a 29.8 K% and is second in the AL with 68 RBIs. Judge leads the MLB in average exit velocity at 96.2 mph and hit a mammoth home run 495 feet.
Last night, Aaron Judge put on a show, dominating the Home Run Derby. He hit four balls over 500 feet, and consistently hit home runs to all parts of the field late in the derby when fatigue was eating away at the other contestants power. After his performance last night and the season that he is having, Aaron Judge may be the next face of baseball.
Since making his MLB debut on April 25th, Cody Bellinger has 25 home runs in only 70 games. At only 21 years old (he turns 22 on Thursday), Bellinger’s unique, uppercut swing has drawn an abundance of attention, even if it’s not the same amount that Judge has received. With Bellinger as the starting first baseman, the Dodgers have been absolutely unbeatable, sitting at 61-29 going into the break. In an era where players are looking for ways to make baseball more fun, having Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger in the game is taking a massive step forward.