After this weekend just about every team in the league will have played around 80 games. Baseball teams are scheduled for 162 games, so clearly 81 is the exact halfway point. Teams just hit that number at a slightly different pace. I think this weekend is a great time to stop and take a look at how the season has progressed as a whole. What teams are playing well, what players are playing well, and how the Yankees are looking are a few of the things I want to cover.
A few months ago I wrote about the Yankees quest for 28. I mentioned that the Red Sox, Yanks, Astros, Indians, and a surprise team should be the front runners for the playoffs. These predictions seem to be holding true and the surprise team emerging is the Mariners. I felt the Cubs, Dodgers, and Nationals would be the class of the NL and so far I am incorrect on all 3 of those teams. However, I do think that by the end of the year the cream will rise to the top and those teams will make the playoffs. You can look at the current standings here.
Player statistics can vary all year long. Players are prone to slumps and hot streaks, but usually by the end of the year the law of averages takes hold. Many times players that look great now, end with a major slump and on the other side certain players are “second half” players. Many of the typical stars like Trout, Altuve, Ramirez, and Lindor are performing well. I think that Judge and Stanton are going to get heated up and have a monster second half. The NL has some players that are having real breakout seasons. Guys like Javy Baez, Scooter Gennett, and Brandon Crawford are playing above any predictions made about them before the season started.
Being at the halfway point and having a weekend series with the Yankees and Red Sox seems to be fitting. Check out this great article to see some amazing numbers about the teams. Both teams have not won 100 games in the same season, they both have first year managers, and they both have 17-1 runs this year. Clearly this will be a fun series to follow. Check out this article claiming the Yankees will win the division. Winning the division is very important, no team wants to play the one game play-in battle between wild cards. The Yankees do have a few things in their favor like strength of schedule and an all-time great bullpen. I think that bullpen can win them plenty of playoff games if their starters can hold up!
The halfway mark is not really celebrated or marked as much as it should. The All-Star game is usually reserved for that even though it is a little past the technical games played number. Spending this weekend and the next couple of weeks leading up to the break is a fun time for me. The season has really started to take shape and the major players will be shuffling for playoff position. Of course my eye will mostly be on the Yanks as they compete for 28!
–Victor Mandalawi