MLB Playoffs Or Vacation: Will Cardinals, Red Sox sneak into postseason?
By Ben Verlander
FOX Sports activities MLB Analyst
With the MLB All-Star Recreation having come and gone, groups are actually getting ready for the second half of the season.
We noticed some massive surprises within the first half, from the White Sox being underneath .500 to the Angels beginning as one of many hottest groups within the league earlier than falling off and looking out like one of many worst groups within the league.
However the second half is a chance for a reset; it brings a little bit of a contemporary begin for all however a couple of groups that do not have a fighter’s likelihood of creating the postseason
To that finish, Thursday’s and Friday’s episodes of “Flippin’ Bats” have been devoted to previewing the second half of the season. We mentioned each division, a number of the key storylines and the largest query of all: Come October, who can be within the playoffs, and who can be on trip?
Let’s begin within the American League.
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Mariners: Playoffs
This season is completely different for the Mariners. Final yr, they have been playoff hopefuls all the best way to final week, but it by no means felt like they have been a very a playoff workforce. Within the offseason, they went out and completely revamped their workforce, including All-Stars and Cy Younger winners.
Issues did not begin off nicely, however after a brawl towards the Angels, the Mariners’ season circled. They received 14 in a row heading into the All-Star Recreation, which included an important four-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays, and now they discover themselves in a playoff spot.
I like this workforce. Earlier than the season began, I believed they might finish their 21-year playoff drought. I nonetheless imagine that at present.
Can Seattle Mariners rookie Julio Rodríguez carry the M’s to the postseason?
The Seattle Mariners have Robbie Ray, Kyle Lewis, Mitch Haniger and rookie All-Star Julio Rodriguez making an attempt to guide the workforce to its first postseason look since 2001.
White Sox: Playoffs
What has been flawed with the Sox this yr? The reply is kinda sophisticated.
Once they’re pitching, they don’t seem to be hitting. Once they’re hitting, they don’t seem to be pitching. And once they’re doing each, their supervisor one way or the other will get in the best way.
The White Sox have been the overwhelming favorites to win the AL Central, however they have not proven why fairly often this yr — till the final sequence earlier than the break.
The primary-place Twins squared off with the Sox, and Chicago took three of 4. They’re too gifted to play .500 ball over the course of a 162-game season. Search for the White Sox to win the AL Central outright.
Tony La Russa on the recent seat, commerce deadline strikes and Eloy Jiménez
Ben Verlander welcomes Chicago White Sox beat author Scott Merkin to speak about Eloy Jiménez’s latest damage, Tony La Russa’s future, what the White Sox will do on the commerce deadline and way more!
Rays: Playoffs
By no means wager towards the Rays making the playoffs. Regardless of accidents and underperformance all through the roster, this workforce is as soon as once more displaying that it has found out the recipe for achievement.
Pitching accidents? Yep. Place participant accidents? Yep. Stars underperforming? Yep. It does not matter.
I do not know the way they do it, however the Rays all the time discover a approach. This yr is not any completely different. They are going to be within the playoffs come October.
Will we see three AL East groups within the playoffs?
Ben Verlander breaks down the American League standings as we go into the second half of the season. Will three AL East groups make the playoffs?
Crimson Sox: Trip
Boston’s pitching simply is not the place it must be, and to make issues worse, Chris Sale got here again and instantly acquired hit with a comebacker, breaking his pinky finger.
The beginning pitching and bullpen each want work, and the lineup, which was imagined to be dominant, undoubtedly has a weak spot on the backside.
All of us bear in mind the 2021 postseason Kiké Hernández had. Sadly for the Sox, that stretch is only a reminiscence now, as he is hitting .209 on the season. The highest of the lineup nonetheless rakes, however I see too many holes with this workforce to imagine in them.
Padres: Playoffs
What the Padres have achieved to date this season has been particular. With out Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado has carried this workforce all season. Pair Machado’s MVP-worthy season with a pitching rotation that has been dominant, and what you get is a playoff workforce.
After all, Tatis is anticipated again quickly, however this workforce has achieved greater than sufficient in his absence to set the Padres up for achievement by the point he comes again.
I have to give some credit score to Bob Melvin as nicely. What he has achieved with this workforce, which had tons of firepower however wanted the precise man main the best way, has been outstanding. He did it in Oakland with groups that had no enterprise profitable, and he is doing it now in San Diego with a workforce that simply wanted to discover ways to win.
Are the Dodgers underperforming? Will the Padres be a playoff workforce?
Ben Verlander asks Pedro Moura and Rowan Kavner whether or not the Padres, Cardinals, Phillies and Giants will make the playoffs and discusses if the Dodgers have underperformed to this point.
Cardinals: Trip
The Cardinals have so many points that not even profession years from Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt will have the ability to repair it.
With out a wholesome Jack Flaherty, this rotation does not do sufficient to maintain the workforce in ballgames on a nightly foundation. The one issues that might save the Cardinals are the addition of a top-tier starter and a profession second half from a lot of the lineup.
The Brewers will win the division, and the Cardinals can be on the skin wanting in come October.
St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels and different MLB first-half surprises
Ben Verlander welcomes FOX Sports activities author Pedro Moura to speak concerning the first half of the MLB season.
Giants: Trip
The Giants have been destined to win the NL West final yr. So many issues needed to fall into place for them to knock off the Dodgers, together with Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford — two getting old stars — having profession seasons.
This yr, whereas the Giants are workforce, I am not anticipating a repeat. They pitch nicely, however their offense does not do sufficient on a nightly foundation. The Giants can be on trip in October.
Fernando Tatís Jr. headlines NL gamers to look at within the second half
Ben Verlander offers us his three Nationwide League gamers to maintain an in depth eye on the remainder of the season, that includes Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara, Padres star Fernando Tatís Jr. and Mets slugger Pete Alonso.
Phillies: Playoffs
The Phillies made some massive offseason strikes to bolster their offense with the additions of Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos. In addition they addressed the necessity for expertise within the bullpen by including Corey Knebel and Brad Hand, however that hasn’t labored out too nicely.
I search for the Phillies’ offense to be elite within the second half and for them so as to add a back-end bullpen arm on the commerce deadline. With that, I count on them to seize the ultimate wild card within the Nationwide League.
Ben Verlander is an MLB Analyst for FOX Sports activities and the host of the “Flippin’ Bats” podcast. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Verlander was an All-American at Outdated Dominion College earlier than he joined his brother, Justin, in Detroit as a 14th-round choose of the Tigers in 2013. He spent 5 years within the Tigers group. Comply with him on Twitter at @BenVerlander.
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