8 storylines to follow in MLB's 2nd half
With the All-Star festivities behind us, it's time to get back to business on the diamond with the start of the unofficial second half. The final two-plus months of this season promise to be full of excitement. Here are eight storylines to follow down the stretch of 2024.
Can Judge do it again?
All eyes will be on Aaron Judge as he tries to one-up his historic 62-homer season from two years ago. He enters the second half at 34 homers, four off his total through 96 games in 2022. Judge is also slugging .679, putting him within range of the ultra-rare .700 SLG season. That's only been done nine times in the wild-card era.
Skenes day
Paul Skenes mania has officially taken over baseball. Through his first 11 starts, the 22-year-old has a 1.90 ERA and 0.92 WHIP with 12.1 K/9, making him a deserving All-Star Game starter. His starts are becoming appointment viewing, and he might carry the Pirates into the playoffs. How high can he fly from here? All eyes will be on Pittsburgh as we find out.
More history from Shohei
Before he finally makes his playoff debut, Shohei Ohtani could make even more history with a Triple Crown. He's got work to do, though. Ohtani leads the NL in homers but sits 10 points back of batting leader Christian Yelich and eight RBIs behind Marcell Ozuna. It's been 87 years since someone won the NL Triple Crown, but if anyone can do it, it's Shohei.
Wild division races
This year's stretch run promises to be a nail-biter. Four of the six current division leaders have leads of less than five games. The AL East-leading Orioles and AL West-leading Mariners are clinging to one-game leads. We already know September is going to be loads of fun.
NL wild-card madness
If you think the division races are tight, wait until you see the NL wild card. Seven teams are within six games of the Senior Circuit's final playoff spot, currently held by the Mets - who are only one game up on Arizona and San Diego and 1.5 ahead of Pittsburgh. The separation is so narrow that it's hard to even tell whether some of these teams should buy or sell at the upcoming deadline.
Award races
Individual hardware is also at stake, and it won't be easy for voters to decide some of these winners. Ohtani's gunning to become the first NL DH to win MVP and just the second player ever to win it in both leagues. But Bryce Harper's hot on his trail as the pulse of the league-best Phillies, and he's trying to join a select group of three-time MVPs. In the AL, Judge appears to be running away with it, but Steven Kwan could make things interesting if he can push that .352 (!) average even higher.
The NL Cy Young is also going to be a fascinating finish. The Phillies have three bona fide candidates, but they may all be chasing Chris Sale, who's trying to finally add that Cy Young to his potential Hall of Fame resume. His teammate Reynaldo López, meanwhile, has an ERA below two. Heck, even Skenes might push his way into this race. Who knows how this one ends up?
Historic misery
It's not just winners that could make history. The 2024 White Sox may end up challenging for the title of worst modern-era team ever. They've already lost 71 games, sport a minus-177 run differential, and may trade their best players (Luis Robert Jr. and Garrett Crochet) at the deadline. It's going to get real ugly - but if these White Sox are going to challenge the infamous 1962 Mets, you'll want to watch it happen.
Astros are back
Don't look now, but the Houston Astros train is continuing to chug along. Despite a litany of injuries, Houston's closed to within one game of the Mariners in the AL West and looks poised to turn on the jets in the second half. Would it be that surprising if the Astros ended up in the ALCS for an eighth straight year?