With the Midsummer Classic now officially in the books, Major League Baseball gets ready for the second half of its regular season. It has been an interesting year in the majors thus far, as story lines both familiar and unexpected have developed through 3 1/2 months of play.
MLB midway point wrap-up
With the Midsummer Classic now officially in the books, Major League Baseball gets ready for the second half of its regular season. It has been an interesting year in the majors thus far, as story lines both familiar and unexpected have developed through 3 1/2 months of play.
As has been the norm now for more than a decade, no baseball season would be complete without a collection of revelations concerning performance-enhancing drugs. This year has been no different—a number of players, including former MVPs Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun, have been connected to a shady wellness clinic in Coral Gables, Fla., that is now known to have supplied illegal substances to professional athletes.
Despite this most recent doping scandal and the likely wave of suspensions on the way as a result, it has not been all doom and gloom in baseball this season. The emergence of a number of surprise contenders, like the Pittsburgh Pirates and a revitalized Boston Red Sox squad (who are in the midst of a massive turnaround from the nightmare collapse of 2012), have helped to keep some of the focus on the field.
One the most captivating stories of 2013 has come out of Los Angeles, where 22-year-old Yasiel Puig has been manning right field for the red-hot Dodgers since the beginning of June. After a week in the big leagues, Puig was batting an insane .464 with four home runs and 10 RBIs, and quickly made a name for himself in the outfield with outstanding defensive play. He has been an incredible boon for a sport that often struggles to compete with the NFL and NBA in terms of revenue and cultural relevance.
Puig was selected to take part in the All-Star Game at Citi Field in New York, which sparked a national debate over whether the young outfielder deserved his spot after less than 40 games in the majors. Regardless of where you stand on the matter, Puig will have until the end of September to prove his worth as a legitimate MVP candidate. He’ll have plenty of competition.
Chris Davis, the first baseman who was considered an average pickup when he was acquired by the Baltimore Orioles in a trade two years ago, is currently enjoying a breakout season. Nicknamed “Crush” Davis (one of the better sports nicknames in a long while), the 27-year-old is currently on pace to finish the season with 63 home runs and 159 RBIs.
Davis’ chief rival in the American League MVP race is Miguel Cabrera, the Detroit Tigers third baseman who took the award last year after slugging his way to the first Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. That historical offensive production has continued this season, as Cabrera entered the All-Star break batting .365 with 30 home runs and 95 RBIs. No player in the history of baseball has ever won back-to-back Triple Crowns, but if Cabrera continues to improve upon his incredible numbers of last season he may just become the first.
The St. Louis Cardinals have the best record in the National League, and part of the credit goes to catcher Yadier Molina, whose consistency at the plate and behind it has made him one of the premier players in the majors. His position is widely considered the most important on the field—catchers are expected to know the strengths, weaknesses and idiosyncrasies of the entire pitching staff while anchoring the team defensively. Nowadays, big-league catchers are also expected to contribute offensively—and Molina is certainly doing his part this year, hitting .341 for a team that won the World Series in 2011 and is expected to contend for the sport’s top prize again this fall.
After all the drama leading up to the All-Star break, it is sometimes difficult to remember that the playoffs don’t actually begin until October. It has been a busy season already. And it is far from over.
