Lessons Learned About Each MLB Contender at the 2015 Halfway Mark
As the 2015 MLB season hits the midway point, the most important lesson to become evident is that there are all sorts of teams still in the race.
With the St. Louis Cardinals leading the pack, there are 17 squads at or on the right side of the .500 mark. With apologies to teams like the Cleveland Indians, those 17 (listed in alphabetical order) are the ones that qualify for this group of contenders. After all, until a franchise is .500 or better, it's awfully difficult to put too much stock in its postseason hopes.
For teams like the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants, the biggest lesson learned is that those clubs are really good when it matters most.
But the most important lesson isn't necessarily a positive one for all 17 clubs. The likes of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs have found out that they will need to make a trade before the July 31 non-waiver deadline.
Note: Stats and records include games played prior to July 3, 2015.
Baltimore Orioles
1 of 17
The Record: 42-37; tied for first place
The Lesson: The Baltimore Orioles are the most well-rounded team in the AL East.
Sitting at 42-37, the Baltimore Orioles haven't been nearly as dominant as a season ago when the club ran away from the pack in the AL East.
Still, there's reason to believe that a second-half run could be in store for the O's. With four teams within a single game of first place, the division title is up for grabs. And Baltimore looks to be the best all-around club of the group.
With Manny Machado and Matt Wieters leading the attack, the Orioles rank No. 5 in the big leagues in runs. The bullpen has also been a bright spot for the club, as Baltimore's relievers are fifth in MLB in ERA.
The weak links so far have been a couple of usually reliable veteran members of the rotationโChris Tillman and Bud Norris. Both right-handers have pitched significantly worse than their career norms in the opening months of the season. Tillman checks in with a 5.67 ERA, and Norris clocks in at 6.79.
Last year, Tillman posted a 3.34 ERA, and Norris put up a 3.65 ERA. If the vets can approach those figures in the final months of the season, the Orioles could really take off in the East.
Chicago Cubs
2 of 17
The Record: 42-35; third place
The Lesson: The Chicago Cubs will have to add a starter at the deadline to keep pace in baseball's best division.
With a 42-35 record, the Chicago Cubs are the third-best club in the fiercest division in baseball.
In the first year of manager Joe Maddon's reign, the upstart Cubs have impressed. But if the team is going to keep pace with the chase for the Centralโor more realistically, a wild-card spotโthe franchise needs to add a starter.
After all, one of the primary differences between the Cubs and the two teams ahead of them in the division, the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals, is that those clubs have far superior rotations.
Buster Olney of ESPN is confident that the Cubs will land "somebody." Now, the question is just who that somebody will be.
Detroit Tigers
3 of 17
The Record: 39-39; third place
The Lesson: Lackluster rotation could force Detroit to make another blockbuster summer splash.
From Miguel Cabrera to Yoenis Cespedes and J.D. Martinez, the Detroit Tigers can flat-out hit. The AL Central squad has the best average in the majors and checks in at No. 3 in OPS.
Even with all that offensive production, the Tigers are sitting right at the .500 mark. Detroit can blame the rotation for that underwhelming record in the first half. Aside from David Price, who is having a brilliant contract season, the Tigers' starters just haven't been getting the job done.
Team CEO, president and general manager Dave Dombrowski has a track record of swinging summer blockbusters. The exec might just have to pull off another such move to save Detroit's rotation and season.
Houston Astros
4 of 17
The Record: 47-34; first placeย
The Lesson: The Houston Astros are the team to beat in the AL West, but the club still needs to solidify its rotation.
Prior to the season, the expectation was that it would be the Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners battling for supremacy in the AL West. Instead, it's been all Houston Astros in the first half.
The first-place Astros have the second-most wins in baseball, and ESPN's Buster Olney recently dubbed the team "the dominant force in the American League right now." That's high praise for Houston. But it sounds just about right, considering the way rising stars like Dallas Keuchel and Carlos Correa have been playing.
Even with the strong first half, there's still work to be done if the Astros are going to maintain their perch in the AL hierarchy. One possible game-changer for Houston would be to add another ace to help Keuchel anchor the rotation.
According to Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle, Johnny Cueto of the Cincinnati Reds is right at the top of the list of starters the Astros could target.
Kansas City Royals
5 of 17
The Record: 44-32; first place
The Lesson: The Kansas City Royals are thriving in spite of the team's messy rotation.
There's a lot to like about the Kansas City Royals. After all, the squad has a well-rounded lineup, an airtight bullpen and the second-most wins in the AL.
The only problemโand it's a big oneโis that the rotation is a looming disaster.
With the exceptions of Edinson Volquez and Chris Young, the starting staff is riddled with question marks and injuries. Yordano Ventura (hand) and Jason Vargas (elbow) are both on the disabled list, while Jeremy Guthrie and Danny Duffy both have ERAs well over 5.00.
The most troubling development is that the rotation has so far thrown the fewest innings in the majors. Historically, that has been an ominous distinction.
According to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, Stats Inc. notes that only five teams in the last 100 years have finished last in rotation innings and gone on to make the playoffs. Of those five, only the 1929 Philadelphia Athletics went on to win the World Series.
One option for the Royals would be to try to become the second club to accomplish that feat. The second, and far safer route, would be to find a prominent starting pitcher on the trade front.
Los Angeles Angels
6 of 17
The Record: 41-38; second placeย
The Lesson: There's a big mess at the Big A.
All is not well in Anaheim.
It's not often that the general manager of a team quits when the club is three games over .500 in July, but that's exactly what happened with the Los Angeles Angels. Jerry Dipoto stepped down as the team's GM after losing a power struggle with skipper Mike Scioscia, as reported by Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.
While it remains to be seen just how drastic of an effect Dipoto's departure will have on the on-field results, there's no debating the Angels have been majorly underwhelming in 2015. The most puzzling part of the team's struggles is that the roster is almost identical to the one that racked up 98 wins a season ago.
The fundamental problem for the Angels is that with the exception of Mike Trout and a resurgent Albert Pujols, the offense has been MIA. Los Angeles is No. 24 in runs, and the team has posted a collective OPS of .685.
For interim GM Bill Stoneman, whomย Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports describes as "little more than a puppet, beholden" to Scioscia, the first task will be finding an extra bat.
Los Angeles Dodgers
7 of 17
The Record: 45-35; first placeย
The Lesson: The Los Angeles Dodgers need to trade for a starter, but he doesn't necessarily have to be an ace.
Finding a starter on the trade block is the top priority for Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman this month, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
The way that Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and Brett Anderson have been pitching, that new arm could be more of a No. 3-type starter than a true ace.
In June, those three starters all had ERAs south of 2.67. What the Dodgers need is to find a veteran arm who can turn in more consistent outings than Mike Bolsinger and Carlos Frias, who currently occupy the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation.
Minnesota Twins
8 of 17
The Record: 42-37; second place
The Lesson: The Minnesota Twins are way ahead of schedule, and a wild-card spot isn't out of the question.
Along with the Houston Astros, the Minnesota Twins have been one of the biggest surprises of the 2015 season.
Entering the year, many expected the AL Central to be one of the most competitive divisions in baseball, but the Twins weren't supposed to be a factor in the race. Instead, Minnesota is sitting in second placeโ3.5 games behind the Kansas City Royalsโas the season hits the halfway mark.
The most striking difference between this year's team and Twins rosters from the recent past is that Minnesota finally has a respectable rotation. The group ranks No. 13 in the majors in ERA. That might not sound like much, but it's a major improvement from 2014 when the team was last in baseball.
With both wild-card spots very much up for grabs, there's still a chance that the Twins could steal one of them. As the team continues that hunt, the Twins will now be able to call on one of the most prominent prospects from the entire minor leagues.
On Thursday, Miguel Sano debuted as the team's designated hitter and logged a single. The 22-year-old demonstrated plenty of pop down on the farm, cracking 18 doubles and 15 home runs in Double-A.
New York Mets
9 of 17
The Record: 40-40; second placeย
The Lesson: The New York Mets' dismal offense could cost the club a playoff spot and manager Terry Collins his job.
Things are getting ugly in Queens.
As Collins explained toย Maria Guardado of NJ.com, he has no clue how to fix the club's floundering offense.
"The only thing left is human sacrifice," Collins joked after a 6-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday dropped the Mets to 40-40.
As Collins sees it, the team just isn't loose enough: "They are so worried about making a big out instead of walking up there like they're going to get a hit."
The numbers indicate that the Mets are making more big outs than just about any other team in baseball. New York ranks No. 29 in average, No. 29 in OPS and No. 27 in runs.
One way or another, GM Sandy Alderson needs to bolster the offense via the trade market. If the exec doesn't, the Mets' season could spiral out of control. As David Lennon of Newsday speculates, it could be Collins who takes the fall.
New York Yankees
10 of 17
The Record: 42-37; tied for first placeย
The Lesson: The team's knack for delivering big hits in big moments has powered the New York Yankees to the top of the division standings.
With the second-most runs in baseball, the New York Yankees lineup has been doing lots of damage in 2015. But the real key for the AL East squad is whenย its bats have been doing that damage.
Simply put, New York has been extremely clutch. The Yankees own the second-best OPS (.816) and have connected on the most home runs (16) with runners in scoring position and two outs. Brett Gardner has been the most productive hitter in those kinds of situations, connecting on four home runs and posting a 1.134 OPS.
The Yankees have plenty of work to do in the second half before punching a ticket to October, but coming through with big hits in big moments is a hallmark of teams that thrive in the playoffs.
Pittsburgh Pirates
11 of 17
The Record: 45-33; second place
The Lesson: The Pittsburgh Pirates have the arms to claim their third wild-card berth in a row.
At 45-33, the Pittsburgh Pirates have the second-best record in the Senior Circuit. Unfortunately for the Bucs, the club is also in second place in the NL Central. Life just isn't fair when you share a division with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The cornerstone of the team's success in 2015 has been the lights-out pitching staff. Anchored by Gerrit Cole and A.J. Burnett, the starting rotation has the third-best ERA in the major leagues. The Cardinals check in at No. 1. Meanwhile, the pen also has the third-best ERA. And of course, it's the Cardinals who land at No. 2.
The way that St. Louis has been cruising through the first half, a division title doesn't appear to be in the Pirates' future. Thanks to the pitching staff, a wild-card berth does.
San Francisco Giants
12 of 17
The Record: 42-38; second place
The Lesson: The San Francisco Giants are a real threat to knock the Los Angeles Dodgers off the throne in the NL West.
Even with three World Series rings in the past five seasons, the San Francisco Giants always manage to enter the season as underdogs.
For now, the Giants are looking up at the Los Angeles Dodgers in the division standings, but the club has all the pieces required to overtake its southern rivals before the end of the season.
It helps to have a starter like Madison Bumgarner atop the rotation and a bullpen stocked with veteran stalwarts. But one of the most crucial reasons why the Giants are so dangerous is that the team has an uncanny knack for delivering game-changing hits.
The squad has five players who have an OPS over .900 with runners in scoring position and two outs. One of those players is third baseman Matt Duffy, who is just the latest low-profile Giant to step up in a big way.
St. Louis Cardinals
13 of 17
The Record: 51-27; first place
The Lesson: It's the team's absurd depth that makes the St. Louis Cardinals the kings of MLB.
There's no stopping the St. Louis Cardinals.
Staff ace Adam Wainwright is out for the season due to a torn Achilles, and lineup regulars Matt Holliday (quad) and Matt Adams (quad) are on the shelf. But the Cards are absolutely cruising with a 51-27 record.
The key to the club's success is that at Busch Stadium, it's truly a team effort. Take a look at the lineup. The Cards don't have a single regular with an OPS over .900, but five starters have an OPS over .800.
Then there's the ridiculous pitching staff. On the year, the Cardinals have reeled off a 2.65 ERA, which is better than any other teamโand it's not even close. Up next on the list are the Pittsburgh Pirates at 2.91.
Carlos Martinez is the perfect example of just how deep the Cardinals' group of pitchers is. The Dominican entered the season as the No. 5 starter, and now he's the owner of a 2.80 ERA and in the conversation for an All-Star spot.
Tampa Bay Rays
14 of 17
The Record: 42-39; tied for third place
The Lesson: The rotation has delivered, but the club's bats are threatening to sink the Rays.
The most impressive part about the Tampa Bay Rays rotation posting the second-lowest ERA in the AL is that the group has accomplished that feat while withstanding a flood of injuries.
Alex Cobb, Drew Smyly and Jake Odorizzi are all on the DL, and Matt Moore has only been available for a single start. With all those arms on the shelf, Chris Archer has taken over as the club's ace and has done a brilliant job, posting a 2.31 ERA, which is the third-best mark in the AL.
Even though the rotation has been keeping other teams off the board, the Rays just can't find a way to consistently score. The team ranks No. 26 in runs and average in 2015.
The club's recent four-game sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Indians perfectly illustrates the offensive ineptitude. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Rays hitters went down 1-2-3 in 20 of 27 innings in the first three games of the set.ย
Texas Rangers
15 of 17
The Record: 41-39; third place
The Lesson: The Texas Rangers are significantly better than expected, but the club's staying power remains in question.
After piling up 95 losses in 2014, the Texas Rangers have shattered expectations in the team's first season under rookie manager Jeff Banister. The skipper has done an impressive job of navigating a slew of health problems, including injuries to Yu Darvish (Tommy John surgery) and Derek Holland (shoulder)โthe two have combined to pitch just a single inning in 2015.
While the makeshift rotation has been unexpectedly productive for the Rangers, the pen looks like it could be Texas' downfall in the second half. The relief corps has reeled off the third-worst ERA in the bigs and has demonstrated a nasty habit of giving up home runs. The group has served up 34 bombs, which is tied for the second-most in baseball.
Toronto Blue Jays
16 of 17
The Record: 42-39; tied for third place
The Lesson: A little pitching will go a long way for the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Toronto Blue Jays lineup is more dangerous than a rogue band of Westerosi knights. In the first 81 games of the season, the club has scored 73 more runs than any other team in baseball.
While the offense has been rolling along, the most encouraging development for Toronto is that the team's pitching appears to be rounding into form.
In June, Toronto's staff posted a 3.17 ERA, which was No. 5 in the majors. The veteran trio of R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle and Marco Estrada has been headlining the effort. Last month, all three of those starters posted an ERA of 3.32 or lower.
The way that the Blue Jays have been piling up runs, respectable pitching would make the team a serious force in the AL.
Washington Nationals
17 of 17
The Record: 43-36; first placeย
The Lesson: Even with the slow start, the Washington Nationals are about to run away with the division.
Billed as the undisputed World Series favorites entering the season, the Washington Nationals haven't lived up to the hype in the first half.
While the Nats have hit some roadblocks, the club still owns a 3.5-game advantage in the NL East over the scuffling New York Mets.
The primary complication that Washington has dealt with in 2015 is an array of injuries to key cogs. Already, Jayson Werth, Anthony Rendon, Denard Span and Stephen Strasburg have missed time for the division front-runners.
Even with all those health issues, the Nats have the superstars to carry the club to a first-place finish. In Bryce Harper and Max Scherzer, Washington has the early leaders for both the NL MVP and Cy Young honors.
Note: All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and MLB.com.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.
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