Top MLB division races heading into season's second half

The second half of the MLB season begins on Friday. With roughly 65 regular-season games remaining per team, attention is turning toward the postseason.

Here are three division races that should be the most fun to watch over the next two-and-a-half months.

3. NL Central

Current leader: Milwaukee Brewers (55-42)

Teams to watch: St. Louis Cardinals (50-46), Pittsburgh Pirates (48-48), Cincinnati Reds (47-50), Chicago Cubs (47-51)

"The Brewers won't win the division this year," wrote USA Today before the season. Will their unexpected run atop the division continue, or will they level out over their final 65 games?

The Cardinals are 4.5 games back of first, while the Pirates have the NL's current longest wining streak (four games) and outstanding young aces Jared Jones and Paul Skenes, the Reds have the division's second-best run differential (+38) and the Cubs were preseason favorites to win the NL Central.

No matter how things play out down the stretch, the division race will be fascinating. It will either be hotly contested, or we can marvel at how the Brewers defied the odds and ran the table to a division title.

2. AL West

Current leader: Seattle Mariners (52-46)

Team to watch: Houston Astros (50-46), Texas Rangers (46-50)

The Mariners have combatted their division-worst offense with one of the major's best pitching staffs. They've allowed 360 runs, the second-least in the league. Among starting staffs, Seattle's ranks second in ERA (3.36).

Logan Gilbert (2.79 ERA) and George Kirby (3.29 ERA) lead the rotation, but Mariners starters only have a 34-33 record overall because of pathetic run support. The Mariners simply aren't very good at hitting, posting the league's worst team batting average (.219) and highest strikeout rate (28.1 percent) during the first half, via h/t FanGraphs.

The Astros have surged after a horrendous start. They began the season 12-24, their worst record since 2014. However, since May 9, Houston has the best record in baseball.

It's gone 38-22 over its last 60 games to become the favorite, per FanGraphs, to win the AL West. The Astros (46.8 percent) are slight favorites over Seattle (46.4 percent), and with their offense humming — Houston's .266 team batting average is No. 1 in the majors — they're certainly the more complete team.

The defending World Series champion Rangers can't be ignored. They've stayed within striking distance without a fully healthy roster. Starting pitcher Max Scherzer made his 2024 season debut on June 23 after missing the start of the season with a nerve issue. Texas also anticipates the return of two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle, who signed a two-year deal in free agency after having Tommy John surgery in May 2023, in August.

1. AL East

Current leader: Baltimore Orioles (58-38)

Team to watch: New York Yankees (58-40), Boston Red Sox (53-42)

The Orioles and Yankees have been jockeying for first all year, but with both experiencing midseason swoons, the Red Sox have emerged as an unlikely interloper.

Since June 1, Baltimore (22-19) and New York (18-21) have had middling success after looking like two of the best teams in baseball during the first two months of the season. 

The Red Sox were a distant long shot (+1800) before the season began but have rode a strong pitching staff and opportunistic hitting to sit only 4.5 games behind the Orioles for first at the All-Star break. Per FanGraphs, the Sox rank first in batting average on balls in play (.318) and are fifth in team ERA (3.61).