Best of Yardbarker: What lies ahead in the race toward October
The MLB All-Star break is now officially behind us, and what a fun one it was. With the changes this year, the All-Star Game didn't count, and it was awesome, partly because of that: "This time it didn't count and the All-Star Game is better for it. Let the exhibition be an exhibition so we can all have fun and the players can do stuff like take mid-game Instagram photos. Hooray for consequence-free baseball!"
Changing the format back to a true exhibition clearly made an impact, and Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper has some ideas to shake things up even more, leading us to the 'Bryce Harper wants to change the game' quiz: "It'd be great if let's say the two leading vote-getters by the fans did a draft system and could pick from both sides," Harper said.
Veteran All-Star Robinson Cano was the All-Star hero and MVP this year, while fellow veteran Yadier Molina went yard as well. Every baseball fan is more than familiar with those two mainstays. However, there were eight All-Stars we hope you got to know during the Midsummer Classic: "Probably the most surprising name to see checking in atop the American League batting leaderboard is Corey Dickerson, who has experienced a breakthrough season in his second year in Tampa."
It was certainly nice to see some less-heralded or relatively unknown players get some shine, but again, the highlight of the night came from a veteran. I'm talking, of course, of Nelson Cruz bringing his phone to the dish to get his picture taken with umpire Joe West. That moment, with a helping hand from Molina, is bound to join the list of the most memorable moments in MLB All-Star Game history:
Now with all those fun All-Star festivities behind us, including the jaw-dropping performance Aaron Judge put on in his Home Run Derby victory, all attention turns to the second half. Which teams will become buyers and sellers as the trade deadline approaches? How will the pennant chases and postseason standings shake out? There are many questions that remain in the march toward October.
We took a look at what lies ahead in each league for the remainder of the season. First, it was forecasting the second half for the National League: "While four teams — the Dodgers, Nationals, Diamondbacks and Rockies — have separated themselves from the pack thus far in the NL, it is still far too early to consider the ink dried in full on the National League season."
Then, it was on to forecasting the second half for the American League: "With the noticeable exception of the canyon-wide lead the Houston Astros have opened, the entirety of the AL is up for grabs over the next few months. All but three teams are within five games of the AL Wild Card race, while the Red Sox and Indians maintain leads of 3.5 and 2.5 games, respectively, over the AL East and Central."
Sticking with the forecasting theme, we leave you this week with 25 second-half MLB storylines to watch as the dog days turn into autumn:
Enjoy the midway point of July as the second half of the MLB seasons gets in full swing.
More must-reads: