Player each MLB team needs to step up in second half

The loss of Luke Weaver was a huge blow for the Diamondbacks, and the team still doesn't know if he will return this season. The D-backs need other pitchers in their rotation to step up if they want to remain in the wild-card race, and Ray is certainly capable. He has a 4.10 ERA in 18 starts, but his elite 11.8 K/9 and combined 3.34 ERA over the last two seasons shows far more upside. A big second half from Ray could help Arizona advance to the playoffs.

Atlanta signed Dallas Keuchel partly due to the struggles at the bottom of its rotation between Foltynewicz and Kevin Gausman. Foltynewicz was the Braves ace last season with a 2.85 ERA in 31 starts, but he had a 6.37 ERA in 11 starts this season before getting demoted to Triple-A. Top flight pitching wins in the playoffs, so the Braves need Foltynewicz to get right.

Not much was expected of the Orioles this season, but some of their top players have still underachieved. Among them is Bundy, a former top prospect who has struggled to keep the ball in the park since last season. His ERA hovers near 5.00 for the second straight season. Bundy still shows an outstanding arm, and the team would love for him to rebound late this season.

Boston gave Sale a huge contract extension despite his missing much of the second half in 2018 with a shoulder injury. He got out of the gate slowly this year and has been inconsistent since then, with a 4.04 ERA in 18 starts. He continues to fan batters at his usual incredible rate, but the Red Sox need Sale to be their ace if they expect to get back to the playoffs.

Darvish signed a six-year, $126 million contract with the Cubs before last season, but he's been a bust so far. He missed most of last season due to injury and has been extremely wild this year, posting a 5.01 ERA through 18 starts with 20 home runs and 49 walks allowed in 97 innings. With Cole Hamels suffering an oblique injury, the rest of the Cubs starters need to step up, and that especially includes Darvish.

Lopez was one of Chicago's most promising young players last season, posting a 3.91 ERA in 188.2 innings. This season has been the reverse for the hard-throwing right-hander, as he has an ERA well above 6.00 and has been one of baseball's worst starters. His stuff is far too good for the results we've seen this year, and the White Sox need Lopez to get his issues figured out if they have any chance of making a surprise playoff run.

Age seems to be hitting Votto hard this season. The Reds first baseman is hitting just .268-8-22 with a .360 on-base percentage after leading the NL in OBP the last three seasons. While he's started to come on recently, the 35-year-old's offensive numbers are far below expectations. Despite his struggles, Cincy remains in the playoff hunt but needs Votto to continue performing in the second half like he has over the last month.

A budding star over the last two seasons, Ramirez's struggles in 2019 are head-scratching. He hit .270-39-105 with a .939 OPS last season, but his OPS is down more than 300 points this year while his batting average has hovered just above the Mendoza Line. Cleveland's offense continues to struggle from top to bottom, but a rebound from Ramirez in the second half would go a long way toward fixing the issues.

Colorado remains in the NL wild-card race despite a starting rotation that hasn't been nearly as good as last year. Marquez remains the team's ace, but he leads the NL in hits and earned runs allowed, with an ERA that's up more than a half-run from last year. The Rockies need better pitching during the second half, led by Marquez.

Detroit has struggled during the first half, as expected, but it's also had some disappointing performances. One of them has been from rookie Christin Stewart, who was hitting just .224-6-28 in 62 games as of July 4. Stewart was one of Detroit's best prospects prior to his call-up last season with three 25-plus home run seasons in the minors. His outlook will look much brighter with improvement down the stretch.

Altuve struggled during the second half of last season due to knee issues, and he's continued to have leg problems this year. As a result, he's hit a disappointing .262-10-25 through 55 games and also missed significant time to injury. Altuve needs to get back to his usual self for the Astros offense to reach its potential.

Kansas City is in rebuild mode, and no prospect they Royals have called up this season had more hype than Lopez. An extremely disciplined hitter, Lopez was hitting .353 with 20/5 BB/K at Triple-A Omaha prior to his call-up, but he's struggled in his first stint in the majors. The Royals don't have much to play for, but improvement from Lopez in the second half would be a bright spot.

The tragic death of Tyler Skaggs will have a lasting impact on his teammates. From the far less important baseball angle, it also puts more pressure on an already struggling Angels starting rotation. Heaney is capable of being an ace, but he's made only eight starts due to injury with a 5.18 ERA and nine home runs allowed in 41.2 innings. L.A. needs a better performance from Heaney in the second half of the season to have a chance at a wild-card spot.

Kelly was supposed to be the Dodgers setup man after signing a three-year, $25 million contract in the offseason, but he's been a bust in the first half of the season. The former Red Sox reliever has a 5.28 ERA and has been inconsistent. Still reaching the high 90s with his fastball, there is reason to believe he's capable of bouncing back.

Brinson was the centerpiece of the the Christian Yelich trade for the Marlins, but he's been a massive bust so far. He was demoted to Triple-A after hitting below .200 early this season, like he did last year. His bat has been active in the minors, hitting .291-12-46 in 57 games, and the Marlins hope he can produce similarly in the majors after he's called up again.

Chacin was a revelation for the Brewers last season, posting a 3.50 ERA in 35 starts. He's struggled with walks and keeping the ball in the park this year, resulting in a 5.40 ERA through 16 starts. Lacking an ace, the Brewers need to get quality pitching ffrom their entire starting rotation, and Chacin especially needs to pitch better.

Minnesota has been a major surprise, with huge power offensively and good pitching. One of the team's pitchers who has underperformed is Pineda, who is returning from elbow and knee surgeries. Home runs have long been an issue for him, but Pineda looked like a potential ace early in his career and has seen his velocity increase since a short IL stint last month. His ERA is a mediocre 4.56, but there's reason to believe he will help in the second half after posting a 3.58 ERA and only one home run allowed in June.

The Mets paid a hefty price to acquire Cano and closer Edwin Diaz from Seattle in the offseason, and neither player has been what the team expected. Cano, in particular, has been a disappointment hitting just .240-4-19 with a .646 OPS in 65 games. One of the most consistent hitters in the game before this year, Cano is signed through 2023, but the Mets didn't expect him to become a liability this soon. Even though the team is all but out of the playoff race, it would be good to see improvement from Cano this year.

The Yankees have made do with their starting pitching despite the absence of Luis Severino. One pitcher who hasn't pitched up to expectations is Happ, who has  5.02 ERA through 17 starts after signing a sizable two-year extension in the offseason. Starting pitching is the team's weak link, and Happ has been New York's least consistent pitcher.

A terrific bullpen was one reason Oakland was able to make the playoffs last season, but its pen hasn't been nearly as good this year. One of the culprits has been Treinen, who recently returned from an IL stint for a shoulder issue and is sporting an ERA more than three runs higher this year. The A's will need better performance from their pen, including from Treinen, to make the playoffs again.

A $330 million contract brings big expectations, and Harper hasn't nearly lived up to them in his first year with the Phillies. Through 86 games played, he was hitting just .253-16-62. The Phillies haven't been playing as well as expected as a team due in large part to Harper's struggles, but he has the ability to help change their fortunes.

The trade package that Pittsburgh sent to Tampa Bay last year turned some heads, with the Pirates giving up Tyler Glasnow, Austin Meadows and prospect Shane Baz. While Glasnow and Meadows have been terrific for the Rays this season, Archer is having a nightmarish season with a 5.49 ERA through 15 starts and an NL-high 20 home runs allowed. The Pirates have stuck around in the NL Central due to their hitting, but they probably don't have a chance to make the playoffs without a better second half from Archer.

After signing a $300 million contract with San Diego, Machado was slow out of the gate this season. He turned it around in June, hitting .314-11-29 for the month. The Padres would certainly like to see Machado keep up that pace the rest of the way, and they could make some noise in the NL wild-card race if he's able to do so.

The Giants lineup has been anemic during the first half, and Posey is a big part of their struggles. Coming off hip surgery, he's hit only .253-3-23 through 65 games played despite still batting in the middle of the order. Posey's bat has started to wake up a bit more recently, but the future outlook of the team looks much bleaker if he's unable to hit close to his track record, as he's signed for the next two years.

Kikuchi had a lot of hype coming over from Japan, and signed a three-year, $43 million contract with Seattle. His transition to the majors hasn't gone well, with a 4.94 ERA through 19 starts. He's struggled to miss bats or keep the ball in the park and is one reason the Mariners have been so bad since their hot start. They'd love for him to find his way down the stretch.

The Cardinals traded a big package to Arizona to acquire Goldschmidt in the offseason and then signed him to a five-year, $130 million extension. Goldschmidt hasn't played like the team expected, hitting just .254-16-37 through 88 games. With Marcell Ozuna now injured, St. Louis desperately needs Goldschmidt to perform like he has in the past.

Snell won the AL Cy Young last season, but he's struggled this year since injuring his toe in a freak accident. He has a 4.70 ERA through 18 starts, though Snell's 12.2 K/9 suggests he should pitch better than he has so far. Improvement from Snell could be all the Rays need to make the playoffs.

Odor had a slow start last season but eventually broke out of his slump. Texas is still waiting on Odor to do the same this year, but the clock is ticking. He has a terrible .654 OPS through 74 games, hitting just .193. The Rangers have good depth and can only hold off so much longer before making a change.

The top prospect in MLB before he was promoted, Guerrero hasn't hit quite as well as expected. The hot corner hit .249-8-25 through 61 games, and his plate discipline hasn't nearly been as good as what he showed in the minors. The rebuilding Jays would love to see improvement in the second half.

The Nationals bullpen has had the worst ERA in baseball during the first half of the season with few reliable options beyond closer Sean Doolittle. Rodney is looking like a viable option after the Nats signed him. The 42-year-old struggled with Oakland earlier this season, but he made four straight scoreless appearances to begin his career with Washington. The team has played better over the last month, and Rodney's arrival could be another boost.