8 Predictions for the Second Half of the MLB Season

1. The Red Sox win the AL East by at least 7 games, establishing a strong barrier between them and the rest of their division foes.  On their way to a better second half, the Sox bats come to life, and Rick Porcello looks better than the first half. Oh yeah, by the way, Hanley will heat up (.347 3 home runs already in July and .321 in the last 28 days).

2. The Indians and the Twins Make the Playoffs.  It’s clear the Indians unperformed until the very end of the first half.  Jose Ramirez is a stud (.427 in his last 30) and Edwin Encarnacion should be even better in the second half.  Not to mention the one-two of Carrasco and Kluber on the schedule should strike fear in the eyes of opponents. Look for the league’s top ranked bullpen to be just as stellar.  

As for the Twins? Well, you would expect a team that won 59 games last year to eventually fall off right? I’m gambling on them to keep this going.  First of all, I think this lineup is underrated, including Max Kepler, who has been hitting very well recently (.319 in his last 28 days, .414 in his last 14 days).  Then I have a feeling they make a push to acquire a controllable arm (meaning they will have him under contract for at least a few years) like Sonny Gray. With Ervin Santana, Jose Berrios, and Gray, I REALLY like the Twins chances of securing a wildcard.  

3. Corey Kluber Wins the AL Cy Young. Sure, Chris Sale looks like the clear favorite right now.  But what I have seen from Kluber after returning from his injury has been sheer greatness. In six out of eight of his starts since returning from injury, he has racked up double digit K’s, and in the other two he still punched out 8 batters. His era in that time has gone from 4.36 to 2.80. I don’t see him slowing down. Not to mention, Chris Sale has historically seen his best production in the first half of the season.  

4. Aaron Judge Wins the AL MVP. It’s not bold, but it’s what will happen. I have to silence these absurd theories that Mike Trout will still win it somehow after being out a month.  The rookie record for home runs is only 49 (Judge has 30), so Judge will not only break that, but I bet he finishes in the middle 50’s for long balls. His average may dip a bit, but the home run total should carry the Yankees slugger to victory. He will have to fend off Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and George Springer from the Stros before worrying about Trout.

5. The Tampa Bay Rays Secure a Wild Card. Although falling out of the divisional race for the AL East, the Rays still beat out the Yankees and a host of AL West foes for the second wild card spot.  Their starting pitching drives them to the finish line, good for 6th in baseball.  In addition, this batting is not too shabby either, led by stellar seasons from Corey Dickerson (.315, 17 homers) and Logan Morrison (25 home runs thus far).

6. Bryce Harper Will Win NL MVP in a Packed Race. Harper will face stiff competition from his own teammates with the seasons Daniel Murphy (.342, 15 dingers) and Ryan Zimmerman (.322, 19 home runs) are having. Then consider the performances Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw on the mound thus far. Batters only can manage a .162 avg against Scherzer this year, and he also has struck out 183 batters in only 134.1 innings (12.26 K/9). He has improved both of those statistical areas from his 2016 Cy Young Year.  Then also consider his era is a 2.01, while last year it was a 2.96.  Kershaw at 14-2 has been unreal as well, sporting an also impressive .195 avg against batters.  It would not surprise me if one of those two took the MVP award home.  So it’s a tough call, yet Harper has probably been the best hitter (.326 average, 22 home runs, 69 RBIs, .431 on base percentage), so I look for him to have even better a second half to take the hardware home.  

7. Rockies Miss the Playoffs, Cubs Enter. The Rockies rotation has gotten rapidly worse, as many could have predicted would happen. Earlier in the year, they were top 10, but now stand as low as 19th. Look for Kris Bryant and Rizzo to heat up in the second half for the Cubs and for the addition of Jose Quintana to pay dividends.  It will be close, but the Cubs will find their championship pedigree and squeak in.

8. Brew Crew Shock the World and Win the NL Central. Possibly baseball’s biggest surprise in the first half continues its theatrics and holds onto its division lead.  The Brewers will continue to see production from Travis Shaw and Eric Thames, but also look for Domingo Santana to also build on his strong first half performance.  On the mound, the Brewers have been surprisingly dependable, and soon they will get breakout Chase Anderson (6-2, 2.89 era) back from an oblique injury.

Written by Will McGuinness