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| Can Cespedes & the A's keep up their hot play? Photo Credit: Getty Images |
As the All-Star break has arrived, it is time that we take a look back at the first half of the season. Alot has happened since spring training broke back in March, lets take a look at the best teams & players so far that shaped the first 81 games of this baseball season. Plus which team has fallen short of expectations? Find out below.
By: Michael Hanley
Best Team: Oakland A’s
At 59-36 Oakland has been baseball’s best club for the majority of this season so far, much to the surprise of many.Much of the surprise has come from the A’s ability to overcome 2/5’s of their starting rotation going down with season ending Tommy John surgeries even before the season started. Jarrod Parker and A.J Griffin were penciled in to have a big impact on the starting rotation and be guys who could be counted on to be reliable and consistent when it came to collecting wins. Its a huge credit to the organization that they were able to bring up some young pitchers to take over those spots and be productive. Jesse Chavez for example was a reliever before being stretched out to a starter this season and has been a great find for Oakland. Kazmir & Gray have pitched like aces so far this season, giving the club the high quality pitching they were seeking to complete in the AL West this season.
The lineup Manager Bob Melvin has been clicking on all cylinders it seems like since Opening Day. The A’s are not just getting contributions from just their stars like Cespedes, they are getting great seasons out of many players up and down the lineup.Take for example Brandon Moss, who has made himself from just an average player just a few years ago to a legitimate power bat for Oakland. Now his .268 batting average will not blow anyone away but that number is deceiving once you see his other numbers. Moss has 21 home runs and 66 RBIs, both marks that lead the team. I think Melvin will take those power numbers and not mind the .268 batting average. This offense is not just relying on the home run ball to generate all of their offense, they can beat you with situational hitting and spraying the ball all over the field. With how fundamentally sound they play the game with and the balance they have in both their lineup and pitching staff, A’s look primed for a great second half.
Best Hitter- Jose Abreu, 1st Baseman, Chicago White Sox
The rookie from Cuba has been nothing but sensational so far in his first full season in the major leagues for the White Sox. He has given this Chicago a badly needed power bat to lift their offense that was more times than not in the doldrums last season. Opposing pitchers have had almost no answer to slowing him down no matter what they throw at him. His quick bat swing and ability to reach pitches not exactly in the strike zone and turn them into hits is something you think a veteran would possess, not a rookie.
The number he has put up have not only been incredible but historical as well. Abreu’s 50 extra base hits were reached in the second fewest games ever, 81 games. Only the legend Ted Williams was faster in reaching that mark when he accomplished that feat in 1939 by reaching it in 80 games. Also, his 29 home runs are third most in White Sox franchise history before the All-Star Break, only trailing Frank Thomas (32 HRs in 1994) and Jim Thome (30 HRs in 2006) That is major company for him to already be in at this early stage of his career. He has been all that the White Sox hoped he would be and more when they signed him out of Cuba. He is set up to have a big second half to compliment his historical first half of the season.
Best Pitcher- Clayton Kershaw
Now there are many other worthy candidates for this honor but Kershaw has come back from being sidelined with a nagging back injury to become once again the dominant starting pitcher we have come to know every season.The numbers speak for themselves: 11-2 record, 1.78 ERA, 3 complete games, a no hitter and a 126/13 strikeout to walks ratio, just sublime numbers to crunch and look at.
The impact he has had on this Dodgers team in unquantifiable. Los Angeles was a rudderless ship to start this season , in large part to Kershaw not being there at the top of the rotation. He has stabilized their starting rotation and given them the pitching that enables them to win games at a consistent rate, which they have done the past month and change. His teammates have fed off his great play and inspired this miraculous run from nine games out of first place to sit atop of the division at the All-Star Break.
Most surprising team- The Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee, who at 53-43, sit atop the NL Central Division with one half of the baseball season complete. Coming into this season almost no one was talking up the Brewers as a potential contender for the NL Central division title and postseason play. The Cardinals, Pirates even the Reds were teams who were getting the attention and label of contender in the division. Its why we play the games right? The Brewers have been so much more consistent when it comes to their starting rotation and offensive production. Last season, Milwaukee had faulty pitching and a lineup that could not deliver the big hits. This season, they have turned that around completely. The Brewers now boast a formidable offense that can beat teams in a multitude of ways. They are ranked in the top 3 in the NL in runs, HRs & hits.
The pitching staff has been the rock for this Brewers team and fueled their renaissance . Milwaukee has been able to rely on their rotation each turn through by going deep into games, getting a fair share of strikeouts, not walking allot of players and being able to keep the team in games that they would have been way out of last season. The back of their bullpen has been particularly impressive with Francisco Rodriguez having one of his best years as a closer. His ability to seal the back of the bullpen and be consistent in his save opportunities has made a huge difference in Milwaukee’s ability to win close games. This will be a tough battle in the second half for the Brewers to emerge from this NL Central as division champions but they have put themselves in great position to accomplish that goal.
Most disappointing team- The Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona at 40-56 have been a total bust so far this season after making some acquisitions in the offseason that signaled they were trying to complete this season within the NL West with the Dodgers and Giants. Those acquisitions have not panned out at all for Arizona as they started off poorly this season and have not recovered fully from it.
The pitching staff has been a disaster for them to sort out and try to find some guys who can give them even an average start consistently to help relieve some pressure off the offense. Their team ERA of 4.27 is first from the bottom in the National League with only Colorado being worse. With pitching this inconsistent and unreliable, the team has not been put in positions to win games on a regular basis. The lineup can only do so much to bail out the pitching staff on a given night before they feel the burden on them and collapse under it.
There was a reason why Tony LaRussa was brought in to give the organization a new look and ideas on how to improve overall. The Diamondbacks need a new direction to go in and end what has been a miserable last couple of seasons without any postseason baseball to speak of.
Attention! Join me at 1 PM EST Next Wednesday as I will be having my first MLB Live Chat on the RF Sports Radio website. I will be taking your questions on all things baseball. From what teams you want to know more about to players, predictions,whatever is on your mind. Join me!
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Follow me on Twitter: @Magic20099
