Major League Baseball at The Half

With the first-half almost finally over (I’m a Braves fan, so yes I consider it finally over), it’s time to look back at what the first 80+ games produced so we can gauge what might happen over the next 80+ games.
 
Breaking the first-half down by divisions should offer us some greater insight into what might happen over the remainder of the baseball season.
 

AL East
 
Well it’s far and away the best division in the game right now. With the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays the AL East has three legit teams that could each win the World Series in ’09.
 
The Rays struggled some at the outset, but if the Tampa Rays were on the New York Stock Exchange I’d buy 100 shares this instant. They are a young, extremely talented group of guys and should make the second half rather interesting. I still think they win the Wild Card in a very close race against the Yankees.
 
The Yankees are playing pretty good ball right now, but there is just too much swirling around this team. Joe Girardi is on the chopping block even if the Bronx Bombers just barely miss out on the playoffs. This organization is the very picture of dysfunction.
 
The Red Sox have to be the clear favorite to win the AL East. They’ve struggled of late, and desperately need a pitcher to take Daisuke Matsuzaka’s place, but the offense that this team is capable of producing along with stellar pitching from the other four guys will be enough to push them over the top.
 

AL Central
 
Detroit has turned its pitching staff around after a dismal ’08. The bats are picking up and the Tigers appear to be the team to beat in the Central. Team ace Justin Verlander has thrown a ton of pitches in the first half. 1,944 to be exact. If he tires out in September, then ‘Katie bar the door’.
 
The Twins are another team whose stock I would buy if it were on the NYSE. This young core of guys seems to compete every year. If Joe Mauer keeps hitting like he is, the Twins will be hard for the Tigers to fend off. I’m gonna go out on a ledge and say the Twins catch the tired Tigers in September to win the AL Central.
 
Then there’s a rejuvenated White Sox team that is currently killing the ball and getting some decent starting pitching to boot. The ChiSox need one more piece to really compete though, and GM Kenny Williams recently stated that he didn’t think it would happen. I don’t see Chicago staying in the race through August.
 

AL West
 
I remember the spirited discussions with the many loyal Mariners fans (some of the best fans around!) during spring training, when I said that Seattle wouldn’t win 70 games. Not only will Seattle reach that plateau they’ll probably win over 80, and stay right in the thick of the AL West race until September.

Don Wakamatsu is a great manager and has infused this team with a winning mentality. Russell Branyan is the surprise player of the first half. In the end, a second-place finish will leave the Mariners with plenty to build on for next season. What a turnaround!
 
The Angels are an aging team that has missed prime opportunities in recent years. They are no longer good enough to run away with this division. That said, if they can somehow get Roy Halladay they might just be able to compete with Texas and Seattle in the second half. If not, I expect the Angels to take a serious step back over the next 80 or so games.
 
Simply put, it’s the Rangers year. And by gosh they’ve waited long enough. They have somehow stayed up top in the West despite slugger Josh Hamilton being out for 2/3’s of the season thus far. Kevin Millwood is finally pitching like we all knew he could.

And the Rangers infusion of youth and veterans will carry this team a long way. Can they compete with the Red Sox and Rays in the playoffs? You bet they can. Rangers fan need to sit back and enjoy the ride! 
 

NL East
 
The only thing consistent about the Atlanta Braves is inconsistency. It is this reason alone that the Braves will continue to win four and lose five. Will they make a deal for a bat before the deadline? If the Braves can just get one more bat this team could mount a serious challenge at the top. The way they finished the first half was definitely encouraging. As currently constructed they'll probably finish a very close second or third.
 
The Marlins are building quite a solid nucleus. This young team has a bright future, and the organization might be on the cusp of becoming a legit threat year-in, year-out. They probably wont win the division this year, but a solid second place is very possible.
 
Philadelphia fans fret not. I know the team has struggled somewhat in the first-half, but who in the East has not? The truth is the Phillies are getting hot at the right time. This offense is unstoppable, especially at that crackerjack box they call home.

The Phils’ will start winning many more games there, and if they can somehow swing a deal for Halladay, the competition might be blown completely away by September 1.
 

NL Central
 
This is a tough division to figure. The odds on pre-season favorite Chicago Cubs are apparently unable to do much of anything right. Signing Milton Bradley was a huge mistake, which I pointed out before the season began.

Lou Piniella is on the hot seat and not finishing in the top two in this division might just cost him his job.
 
The Brewers need a pitcher. If they can somehow snag Javier Vazquez from the Braves they could very well end up back in postseason play in ’09. You’ve got to love this offense and very young nucleus. But if the pitching staff isn’t shored up soon, expect the Brew Crew to be on the outside looking in.
 
Albert Pujols may win the Triple Crown this year. The Cardinals pitching is much more solid than either the Cubs or Brewers. And the Cardinals have been there many times before.

St. Louis will finish a strong second half by winning the division. The Brewers will keep it close, but in the end I can’t go against the Red Birds.
 

NL West
 
This one has been decided for quite some time. The Dodgers are the clear frontrunners to take not only the West but the National League as well. They too, are one pitcher shy of being an unbeatable force in the playoffs though.
 
The San Francisco Giants are playing great ball. This division has gone from being the laughing stock of MLB to being solid and tough in just one season. The Giants will win the Wild Card, and if they can pick up a bat before the deadline; with this pitching staff; it would be a tall task to defeat them in a playoff series. By the way, I called this one too.

I fully expected the Giants to be serious competitors this season, and they have proven me right.
 
The Rockies are hot right now, but I don’t expect it to continue throughout the second half. They are overachieving at an alarming rate, but they don’t have the pitching to sustain the run much longer. 

First Half Awards
 
NL MVP – Albert Pujols: Duh! His .332 Avg., 31 HR, 83 RBI are the best first-half numbers since the height of the steroid era.
 
AL MVP – Joe Mauer: .389, 15 HR, 47 RBI – How close to .400 will he finish? Will he stay healthy?
 
NL Cy Young – Tim Lincecum: 2.33 ERA, 10 wins – 2 losses, 149 K’s
 
AL Cy Young – Zack Greinke: 2.12 ERA, 10 wins – 5 losses, 129 K’s
 
NL R.O.Y. – Tommy Hanson: 2.85 ERA, 4 wins – 0 losses, 25 K. He also had a 26 inning scoreless streak. The last time the Braves had a Rookie of the Year winner (David Justice) was 1990. The “streak” started in ’91. Hoping for some déjà vu…
 
AL R.O.Y. – Ricky Romero: 2.96 ERA, 7 wins – 3 losses, 69 K’s
 
NL Manager of the Year – Fredi Gonzalez, Florida Marlins: To have this team in second place is remarkable. If they make the playoffs he wins the award easily.
 
AL Manager of the Year – Don Wakamatsu, Seattle Mariners: They lost 90 games last season and are 3.5 games out first at the All-Star break this season.
 
NL Best Offseason Bargain – Orlando Hudson, 2B, Dodgers: The spark plug was unemployed until late March. His numbers aren’t mindblowing, but one could make the argument he’s been the catalyst for much of the Dodgers success this season.
 
AL Best Offseason Bargain – Russell Branyan, 1B, Mariners: The journeyman has become a cornerstone of the Mariners in just a few short months.
 
NL May I have a refund, please – Milton Bradley, OF, Cubs: I knew when they signed the guy it would be nothing but trouble. Bradley is an awful teammate and a pitiful excuse for a ballplayer.
 
AL May I have a refund, please – Bartolo Colon, P, White Sox: He wasn’t signed for much, but apparently it was enough for him to vanish in advance of a rehab start for AAA Charlotte.
 
 
Playoff Predictions
 
NLDS
Phillies vs. Dodgers – Dodgers win in 4
Cardinals vs. Giants – Giants win in 5
 
NLCS
Dodgers vs. Giants – Dodgers win in 7
 
ALDS
Red Sox vs. Twins – Red Sox win in 5
Rangers vs. Rays – Rangers win in 5
 
ALCS
Rangers vs. Red Sox – Rangers win in 7
 
 
World Series
Dodgers vs. Rangers – Dodgers win in 7