Sunday, July 9, 2017

At the Halfway Point of the 2017 Baseball Season

Following the Detroit-Cleveland game Sunday night, the 2017 baseball season will pause for the All Star Break.  Here are some highlights and lowlights of the season's first half as well as the potential playoff picture if the season ended.
                                              AMERICAN LEAGUE
Best team:  Astros  They already have 60 wins going into the All Star Break and the league's best record.  Despite losing ace Dallas Keuchel to a neck injury, they have a very solid lineup anchored by the middle infield duo of second baseman Jose Altuve and shortstop Carlos Correa. Add an excellent leadoff hitter in George Springer and they have a very solid team.  Can they sustain the excellence of the first half into October?  

Surprise Team: Twins.  Last season, the Twins lost a franchise record 103 games.  This season, the Twins have been in and out of first place are three games behind the AL Central  Indians.  They have a pretty good lineup with Miguel Sano, Brian Dozier and Max Kepler and the emergence of Byron Buxton after a slow start has kept the Twins in contention.  But they really need pitching help.  The bullpen has been going like the revolving door at the IDS Center but there have been bright spots in set up man Trevor Rogers and closer Brandon Kintzler.  Will the addition of Bartolo Colon help the Twins pitching staff or be their downfall?  It could give them a potential wild card berth.  

Disappointing Team:  Blue Jays. After two seasons in the playoffs, the Blue Jays got off to a slow start due to the injury to Josh Donaldson and are currently at the bottom of the AL East. The loss of Edwin Encarnacion to the Indians via free agency left Canada's team without a big bat in the lineup.  On the pitching side, the departure of knuckleballer R.A. Dickey to the Braves left a gap in the rotation.  Will the Blue Jays buy or sell before the trading deadline?  

Rookie of the Year:  Aaron Judge, Yankees. Not only could Judge win the Rookie of the Year award unanimously, he could also merit consideration for AL MVP.  He broke a 81 year old rookie record for home runs that was set by Joe DiMaggio in 1936 that's now at 30 and he's been the key to the Yankees contending in the AL East.  Can Number 99 be Number One in post season voting?  

Cy Young Winner:  Chris Sale, Red Sox.  There is joy this season in Red Sox Nation following the acquisition of Sale in the offseason.  He has given the Red Sox pitching depth and power to a deep and potent lineup.
                                               NATIONAL LEAGUE
Best Team:  Dodgers.  The Dodgers have baseball's best record by .004 percentage points over the Astros and they have broken open a tight NL West race that also included the Diamondbacks and Rockies.  Their pitching has been the key with Clayton Kershaw picking up his 14th win Sunday with Alex Wood and Kenta Maeda also contributed to the team's success.  They also have a solid infield with Rookie of the Year candidate Cody Bellinger who has 25 home runs, Corey Seager at third base and Justin Turner at shortstop.  Bellinger has been playing first with Adrian Gonzalez on the disabled list.  They look like a team that could be playing well into October.

Surprise Team:  Brewers.  Since their last trip to the playoffs in 2001, the Brewers have finished third twice and fourth three times in the NL Central.  They have had success without Ryan Braun, who was isdelined due to an injury and got production from Travis Shaw and Domingo Santana.  But the biggest surprise has been Eric Thames who leads the team with 23 home runs, including 11 in April.    In the pitching department, Zach Davies and Jimmy Nelson have anchored the starters and Corey Knebel leads the team with 13 saves.  Can the Brewers stay on top or will the Cubs overtake them to earn a return trip to the postseason.

Disappointing team:  Giants.  After ending their run of even year titles last season, the Giants hit bottom with the loss of Madison Bumgarner due to a dirt bike accident in April.  Since moving from New York after the 1957 season, the Giants only season where they lost 100 games was 1985.  Can they avoid their first 100 loss season in 32 years.

Most Valuable Player:  Take your pick.  Bryce Harper of the Nationals or Kershaw.  Both have been the keys to their team's success this season and the voting should be close.

Cy Young Award: Max Scherzer, Nationals.  It could be a two way race at the end of the season between Kershaw and Scherzer but for first half Cy Young, Scherzer would win by a close margin.  He has been very consistent in strikeout totals so far this season.

                                                   IF THE SEASON ENDED TODAY
                                        Here's what the playoff pairings would look like:

                                                      AMERICAN LEAGUE
Wild Card:  Yankees vs. Rays
ALDS:  Astros vs. Wild Card Winner
              Red Sox vs. Indians
                                                     NATIONAL LEAGUE
Wild Card:  Rockies vs. Diamondbacks
NLDS:  Dodgers vs. Brewers
             Nationals vs. Wild Card Winner


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