The most interesting player on every MLB team for the second half of the season

Shortstop Anthony Volpe was the talk of the Yankees' spring training camp, and after hitting .309 with 10 extra-base hits in 19 games in March, the Bombers seemingly had no choice but to take their 21-year-old top prospect north. Unfortunately, the transition to the Major Leagues has not come as easily for him as the club had hoped. In the first half, Volpe slashed just .216/.287/.395, and stuck out in close to 1/3 of his at-bats. New York currently sits 4th in the American League East and on the outside looking in of the AL Wild Card race. If they're going to make a strong second-half push, having Volpe settle in at the sport's highest level and start contributing like he did in the minor leagues would be a huge boost. 

The Red Sox finished the first half in last place in the AL East, but that's not to say the season is lost by any stretch of the imagination. At 48-43 Boston is only two games back of the final Wild Card spot, and they'll be looking to close that gap between now and the trade deadline. With a heated pennant race on the horizon, a lot of pressure will be bestowed upon young righty Brayan Bello, who has emerged as Boston's best starting pitcher. In 14 starts thus far he's worked to a strong 3.04 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP, while holding opponents to a .239 batting average and striking out 70 hitters in 80 innings. After initially being eased in a little bit, Bello has fired six or more innings in eight of his last ten starts, and if the Red Sox make a significant late-season push, he'll be a big reason why. 

Baltimore has been one of the best stories in baseball during the first few months, going 54-35 in the first half, while sitting only two games behind the Rays in the AL East and holding the first Wild Card position in the American League. And the O's feel they can be even better down the stretch. Part of the reason for their optimism is the recent call-up of top outfield prospect Colton Cowser, the club's first-round pick from the 2021 draft. In Triple-A this season Cowser slashed .330/.459/.537 with 10 homers and 10 doubles in 56 games, and Baltimore feels he'll just add to its already impressive young core. 

Despite a bit of a slow beginning to the month of July, the Rays have still been the American League's best team all season long, and until somebody proves otherwise, they'll be the favorites to represent the junior circuit in late October. Tampa Bay has gotten considerable production from seemingly everywhere on its roster, but the one guy that can really take this team to even greater heights is second baseman Brandon Lowe. A back injury knocked the 29-year-old out for a few weeks earlier this summer, and when he's been healthy, he's struggled a bit, slashing just .209/.307/.401 with only 17 extra-base hits. But Lowe is only two seasons removed from blasting 39 homers and driving in 99 runs, and if he can recapture some of that form, the Rays will be near impossible to knock out in the playoffs. 

The Blue Jays appear primed to participate in a heated two-and-a-half-month pennant race, as they currently hold the last playoff spot in the American League, but their grasp on the position is tenuous. To ensure they're not left out in October, they'll need their best player, first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., to take center stage. After crushing 48 and 32 homers the past two seasons, Guerrero's power has been noticeably down in 2023, as in the first half, he's cleared the fence just 13 times and contributed 19 doubles. Perhaps his impressive victory in last week's Home Run Derby in Seattle will help him find his power stroke, and if he does, Toronto just got a lot more dangerous. 

The American League Central is baseball's most up-for-grabs division, and with just a 45-45 record the Guardians will begin the second half in first place. Several of Cleveland's most important players have struggled to put together any consistency thus far in 2023, but to me one guy stands out as a potential difference-maker in the 2nd half. Last year young second baseman Andres Gimenez hit .297 with 17 home runs en route to his first all-star appearance. This season has been a much different story, as so far he's slashed just .248/.320/.389 and has collected only 25 extra-base hits. He swung that bat better just before the break though and is hitting .303 in July, and if he can contribute a big second half it would go a long way towards helping Cleveland win this division again.  

The Twins led the AL Central for most of the first half, and currently sit just a half-game behind the Guardians. This could very quickly become a two-team sprint to the finish, and every game down the stretch will be meaningful. Minnesota boats a pretty solid rotation headlined by Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan, and Pablo Lopez, but their 4th starter, righty Bailey Ober, doesn't get nearly enough attention. In 14 first-half starts Ober worked to a sparkling 2.61 ERA across 82.2 innings, while posting a 0.97 WHIP, allowing just a .207 batting average, and punching out 79 hitters. The 28-year-old had pitched well in limited action in each of his first two big league seasons, but he's never done what he's doing now, and he's quite possibly blossomed into the best American League starter you haven't heard of. 

The A's have drawn a lot of attention this season for their futility, but while it's gone somewhat under the radar, the Kansas City Royals have almost been just as bad. Kansas City currently sits a putrid 26-65, meaning the 2nd half should become entirely about giving their young players a chance. And to me, that begins with their 2020 first-round pick, infielder Nick Loftin. In 49 minor league games this season, the Baylor product has slashed .292/.358/.505 with 10 homers, 43 RBI, and 11 doubles. He's comfortable playing second, third, and shortstop, and the Royals should prioritize getting a Major League look at him and letting him begin to develop infield chemistry with Bobby Witt Jr. 

For years now, most baseball observers have known that if White Sox outfielder Luis Robert could ever just stay healthy the sky was the limit. Luckily for fans, in 2023 that has mostly been the case. During the first half Robert slashed a terrific .271/.330/.569 with 26 home runs, 51 RBI, and 23 doubles. He was easily selected to his first all-star team and has become one of the game's brightest stars. As a whole Chicago has been largely disappointing--though in an underwhelming division they're actually only eight games back despite a rough 38-54 record--and most experts expect them to sell at the trade deadline. If that's the case, Robert will clearly become the number one reason for fans to continue watching this team play, and it will be interesting to see what kind of numbers he can put up before the end of the year. 

Even more so than the White Sox, the Tigers are conceivably still in the AL Central race at just 5.5 games back, but that says more about the division than it does about them being ready to take the next step. If and when they do eventually emerge as a legitimate contender, though, you'd have to believe first baseman Spencer Torkelson will be the biggest reason why. Detroit became infatuated with the power Torkelson displayed at Arizona State and took him first overall in the 2020 draft, but after dominating in the minor leagues he had a tough time as a rookie in '22. This season has been better, however, and in the first half he slashed .228/.309/.402 with 12 homers and 45 RBI. The best thing that can happen for the Tigers down the stretch is continued improvement from their big right-handed slugger, and that is arguably the most important thing to monitor with this club in the 2nd half. 

Shohei Ohtani is hands down the most important player in baseball in general, so how could he not be the Angels representative here? Unfortunately for Los Angeles, though, thanks to going 1-9 in their last 10 games, the team is now seven games out in the AL West and five in the Wild Card. Ohtani will be the biggest story in the sport the next few weeks, as everybody watches the Angels place in the standings constantly. With the superstar set to be a free-agent at the end of the season, if the Angels are out of the race the proper baseball move would be to trade him and dramatically restock the club's farm system. But could owner Arte Moreno actually stomach pulling the trigger on a deal for his generational talent?

The Texas Rangers are easily baseball's most improved team in 2023, as new manager Bruce Bochy has guided a team that hasn't made the playoffs since 2016 to a 52-39 start and they've essentially led the AL West the entire first half. One of the primary reasons is the consistent production of right fielder Adolis Garcia, who slashed .261/.331/.517 with 23 homers and a Major League-high 75 RBI before the all-star break. Garcia is far from alone in a dynamic Texas line-up, but if this team is going to hold off the Astros and win the West they'll need him to continue producing at a high level. 

Mariners' outfielder Julio Rodriguez was the unanimous American League Rookie of the Year in 2022 when he hit .284 with 28 homers in 132 games, but the 22-year-old has experienced a bit of a sophomore slump here in '23. In the first half, he slashed .249/.310/.411 with 13 homers, 49 RBI, and 18 doubles, while his strikeout % has gone way up. But it is certainly not too late for him to rewrite some of the narrative. Entering the second half, the M's are six games out in the AL West and four back in the AL Wild Card race. If they're going to go on a late-season run and make the playoffs for the second consecutive year, their most talented player will have to be front and center. 

The Astros are used to be the hunted rather than the hunter, but at the all-star break they found themselves in unfamiliar territory--2nd place in the AL West. Houston has still been excellent, and its 50-41 record has it in Wild Card position at the moment. But the defending champs have much higher aspirations than that and fully intend to chase down the Rangers for their division crown. The impending return of left-handed slugger Yordan Alvarez will go a long way toward accomplishing that goal. Before injuring his oblique in early June, Alvarez was slashing .277/.388/.589 with 17 home runs and 55 RBI. He was slated to begin a rehab assignment when play resumes, and the Astros hope to have him back before the end of the month. 

Prior to this season getting underway the Athletics sent useful left-handed reliever A.J. Puk to Miami in exchange for outfielder J.J. Bleday---whom the Marlins had selected 4th overall in 2019. Oakland knew there was a strong likelihood they would've shopped Puk at the trade deadline anyway, and jumped on the opportunity to acquire a left-handed hitter they envisioned being an important part of their offensive attack for years to come. Unfortunately, thus far, Bleday has yet to really breakthrough. In 155 at-bats before the all-star break he's slashed just .213/.313/.368 with five home runs. At just 25 years old the book on Bleday is decidedly not closed, but Oakland would really like to see improved production from the Vanderbilt product down the stretch. 

The Mets are one of the oldest teams in baseball and a large part of the reason they've underachieved so badly thus far is the dramatic underachievement of several of their older stars. But there is reason for optimism. Early in 2023 New York promoted its top two prospects, catcher Francisco Alvarez and third baseman Brett Baty, two guys the team envisions as critical components of its future. Alvarez has drawn national recognition for his light-tower power and knack for creating dramatic clutch home runs. Baty on the other hand has been good but not great, and the Mets would love to see him take the next step in the second half. In just over 200 big league at-bats this season, the Round Rock, TX native is slashing .244/.315/.354 with five home runs, 20 RBI, and eight doubles. He was a .293 lifetime minor league hitter before his promotion and consistently displayed plus power, and New York will continue running him out at the hot corner in hopes that translates to the big leagues sooner rather than later. 

The Phillies free-agent addition of shortstop Trea Turner over the winter was seen by many as the most impactful move of the entire offseason. Adding a legitimate two-way superstar to a team that had just won the National League pennant was potentially a landscape-shifting move, but thus far that has not come to fruition. Turner struggled to get his footing in the season's first half, slashing just .247/.299/.389 with 30 extra-base hits. He appeared to be on the uptick in June but thus far in July he's hit just .229 and consistency has continued to evade him. We're talking about a guy that has been an all-star and a World Series champion, however, and if he gets hot, it could serve as the springboard Philly needs to make another late-season run. 

It should be no surprise that the current favorite for the National League MVP award plays for baseball's best team, the Atlanta Braves. It took Ronald Acuna Jr. a while to recover from the torn ACL he suffered in 2021, and he appeared uncomfortable for much of '22. Not anymore. In the first half Acuna slashed an otherworldly .331/.408/.582 with 21 homers, 55 RBI, 25 doubles, and an already new career-high 41 stolen bases. Acuna Jr. has a legitimate chance to become just the 5th player in MLB history to go 40/40 and his quest to do so will be a major talking point down the stretch. 

Major League Baseball hasn't had a .400 hitter in 75 years, and while it would take a monster second half, Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez could come as close as anyone has in a while. During the season's first three and a half months Miami's big offseason trade addition has slashed .383/.434/.471 with 22 extra-base hits and 42 RBI. He's got an excellent chance to join D.J. LeMahieu as the only players to win batting titles in both leagues, and he's the primary reason the Marlins are one of the league's biggest surprises in 2023. 

The biggest prospect the Marlins brought back from San Diego in the blockbuster Juan Soto trade last summer was lefty MacKenzie Gore, who has consistently drawn Clayton Kershaw comparisons since he was drafted 3rd overall in 2017. This season the Nationals have given the Wilmington, NC native a chance to pitch regularly in a big league rotation for the first time, and while he's been a bit up and down, he's certainly shown some of his immense potential. In 18 first-half starts Gore has pitched to a 4.42 ERA and struck out 108 hitters in 89.2 innings. He could do a little bit of a better job keeping the ball in the ballpark and limiting his walks, but Gore is just 24 years old, and the Nationals are excited to see continued growth from him in the 2nd half. 

Heading into the 2023 season, right-handed swinging Jordan Walker was considered one of the very best prospects in all of baseball, and while his first half has been a little turbulent, it hasn't stopped his talent from shining through. The Cardinals took Walker north at the end of spring training before sending him back to Triple-A in late April, but he's been back since early June and has steadily been emerging as a solid contributor for St. Louis. In 184 big league at-bats, the 21-year-old has slashed .283/.347/.457 with eight homers, eight doubles, and 25 RBI. The Cardinals unquestionably are among the biggest disappointments in baseball this season and currently have the 3rd worst record in the National League. The most exciting development down the stretch for them would be continued improvement from Walker, and they should prioritize getting him more opportunities. 

Since the day he was called up on June 6th, there has simply not been a more exciting player in baseball than Reds infielder Elly De La Cruz. In just 30 games the switch-hitter has taken baseball by storm, slashing .325/.363/.524 with four homers, 16 RBI, nine doubles, two triples, and 16 stolen bases. He's become the face of the Reds resurgence, and is the primary reason fans in Cincinnati are willing to wait a little longer to see Joe Burrow and the Bengals. Stunningly to experts who predict these things during spring training, the Reds sit in first place in the NL Central, and it will be fascinating to see if De La Cruz and company can hold off Milwaukee coming down the stretch. 

Prior to the season, it would not have surprised anyone to learn that at the all-star break the Brewers would be locked in a two-team race for the NL Central crown. It would, however, probably have come as a shock to learn the Reds would be the team Milwaukee is looking up at. The deficit is only a single game and the teams still have six head-to-head games remaining--all in the first two weeks after the break. For the Brewers to assert themselves and take control of this division, they'll need their ace, Corbin Burnes, to pitch much better than he did in the first half. In his first 18 starts Burnes worked to a 3.94 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP--both well above his career averages. His walks are up, his home runs are up, and for the first time since becoming a full-time starter he's striking out less than a batter/inning. This is a case of trusting the back of the baseball card, though, and as the most accomplished starting pitcher involved in this race, you'd have to believe Burnes could eventually play a huge role in swinging this thing in Milwaukee's favor. 

At 42-47,  seven games back in the Central and six and a half out in the Wild Card race, the Cubs chances of competing for a playoff spot are on life support. But their predicament is certainly not the fault of righty Marcus Stroman, who is delivering arguably the best season of his nine-year career. The 32-year-old made 19 starts before the break, earning nine victories and pitching to a stellar 2.96 ERA with a 1.11 WHIP. He's held opponents to just a .205 batting average, has struck out 98 hitters in 112.2 innings, and has surrendered only six home runs all season. Stroman was just selected to his second all-star team, and it if the Cubs don't go on a run coming out of the break it will be interesting to see if they dangle him in trade discussions in hopes of restocking their system. 

Early in the season, the Pirates were one of baseball's best stories, though over the past few weeks they've come crashing back to earth in a hurry. Part of the reason the Bucs were unable to sustain their early season success is that their best player, switch-hitting center fielder Bryan Reynolds, is kind of having a down year by his own lofty standards. In the first half the Vanderbilt product slashed .265/.334/.450 with only nine homers, 42 RBI, and 21 doubles. Reynolds is as naturally gifted a player as there is in the National League, and it's fair to wonder if the large contract extension he signed in April was serving as a distraction early on. Regardless, coming down the stretch the Pirates would certainly love to see their star swing the bat like they know he's capable of, and build some momentum heading into 2024. 

The Dodgers have been such a juggernaut over the last decade that it's pretty surprising to see them not leading the NL West by themselves at the all-star break. Los Angeles has won this division in nine of the last ten years and has not missed the postseason since all the way back in 2012. Heading into the second half they're in a virtual tie with the emerging Diamondbacks, and this will be a fun race to watch unfold. LA's most consistent player so far has easily been outfielder Mookie Betts, who could have a big say in who ultimately takes the division crown. In 86 games before the break, the 30-year-old slashed .276/.379/.586 with 26 home runs, 62 RBI, and 23 doubles, and if he can continue producing at that level he could be headed toward the best season of his already impressive career. 

While the Dodgers and Diamondbacks have justifiably gotten a lot of attention in the NL West, don't overlook the Giants, who entering the second half, are in position of the final Wild Card spot in the National League. Part of the reason for San Francisco's success is the quick emergence of rookie backstop Patrick Bailey, the team's first-round pick in 2020. Bailey has not looked overmatched at all since his May promotion, slashing .293/.324/.493 with 17 extra-base hits and 26 RBI in only 40 games. The 24-year-old switch-hitter has clearly taken Joey Bart's former title as the Giants catcher of the future, and the team is excited to see what he can continue to do in the 2nd half. 

It's certainly not a stretch to say that Fernando Tatis Jr. has had a tumultuous last few years, but since returning from his lengthy PED suspension early this season, it does have to be acknowledged that he's proven he's still among the best players in the sport. In 70 games, Tatis Jr. has slashed .288/.346/.524 with 16 homers, 44 RBI, 20 doubles, and 14 steals, and he is certainly not to blame for San Diego's struggles. The 24-year-old has clearly not yet earned back the trust of baseball fans as a whole, but he's one of the most physically talented players in the game today, and in the 2nd half the Padres just want to see him continue to reestablish himself as one of the sport's elite stars. 

Diamondbacks righty Zac Gallen has developed into one of the very best starting pitchers in baseball, and it was cool to see him get some long-awaited national recognition when he was tabbed to start the all-star game this past week. In 19 first-half starts Arizona's ace was excellent, working to the tune of a 3.04 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP, while holding opponents to a .226 batting average and punching out 125 hitters in 118.1 innings. He's tied for the Major League lead with 11 victories and has played a huge part in the Diamondbacks early season success. Arizona appears poised to battle with the Dodgers for the NL West lead for the entire 2nd half, and if they're going to come on top they'll need Gallen to be front and center. 

It was a tough first half for Colorado whose 34-57 record was the worst in the National League at the all-star break. The focus the rest of the way for the Rockies now shifts towards trading their veteran assets for prospect capital, while also continuing to develop their own talented young players. And any conversation about the latter begins with the team's impressive rookie shortstop, Ezequiel Tovar. The 21-year-old earned the starting job in spring training and has done nothing over the last three and a half months to make the Rockies regret that decision. In 84 games he's slashed .260/.296/.428 with 31 extra-base hits and 44 RBI, while playing stellar defense at a premium position. Colorado has a lot of issues but Tovar is certainly not one of them, and the club is excited to see him continue to grow in the 2nd half.