MLB power rankings at the All-Star break: Who cracked our top 5?

The All-star break is the perfect time to step back and assess the state of Major League Baseball. We’ll point out the teams who wished the season ended in mid-July, and which clubs might make some additions at the trade deadline to push for a playoff spot. All statistics are sourced from Baseball Reference.

Not much has gone right for the White Sox in 2024, and they might be at the center of a trade deadline arms race as the month progresses. Chicago’s Garrett Crochet has been the team’s best pitcher, and was rewarded with an All-Star nod. According to the MLB’s website and others, he could very well be on the move before the end of July.

CBS Sports wrote in April that the Athletics “are bad. Like bad bad. Real bad. They’re representative of a roster built for a franchise that’s focused on moving to Las Vegas.” It sounds harsh, but the first half of the MLB season has essentially proven that correct. It’s been a rough couple of years for Athletics fans.

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The Rockies seems miles away from contention in the National League West, and hope to secure some blue chip prospects in this month’s MLB Draft. However, The Denver Post pointed out one problem with that plan. They openly wonder whether Colorado has what it takes to identify the right talent in the first place.

The Marlins already appeared to waive the white flag on the 2024 baseball season when they traded Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres in May. The Miami Herald believes that the team will look to sell off more of its current talent in hopes of restocking their farm system ahead of the 2025 campaign.

Anthony Rendon has been a marked man with Angels fans since coming over to the team in 2020. It’s hard to believe that things could’ve gone any worse for him in 2024, but somehow they have. He missed 69 games during the first half due to a strained left hamstring, adding injury to insult stemming from lackluster play.

Despite a mildly disappointing first half of the season, the New York Times believes that the Cubs might be ready to get hot after the break. They focused on Chicago’s bullpen, which they think has an intriguing mix of young improving arms and veteran talent that is about to return to the field.

The Giants won 107 games in 2021 thanks to the savvy selection of veterans that still had gas in the tank, but they appear to be embracing the opposite strategy here in 2024. The San Francisco Chronicle thinks that the front office will use the remainder of the season to evaluate the young players on the roster, and that they won’t bring in a veteran at the deadline.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution believes that Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker can be had for the right price. His impending departure might be difficult for Washington fans to deal with, considering that the franchise has been essentially rebuilding since their World Series title in 2019.

The Blue Jays are a tough team to figure. Their lineup on paper indicates that they should probably be a little bit better than they have been, but it has yet to translate into a major winning streak so far. Toronto general manager Ross Atkins told CBS Sports in May that the team needed to turn things around soon, but it hasn’t really happened.

It’s easy to fall in love with the dominant first half Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal has had. He’s at or near the top of the league in many statistical categories, and there are nights it feels like the other team has no chance to hit him. While a playoff spot is not out of the question, Skubal’s streak of magnificent performances seems like the main thing Tigers fans should invest in this summer.

The Reds might have lucked into a fun story and a legitimate boost as they head into the All-Star break. Cincinnati rookie Rece Hinds has done nothing but hit since he was called up to the majors, which might invigorate the team as they look to make a push in the second half of the season.

The Pirates have put a respectable product on the field, but there seems to be a disconnect in their front office. Pittsburgh Baseball Now’s website reported that general manager Ben Cherington was unhappy with the comments Pirates owner Bob Nutting made in late June. Nutting made it seem like Pittsburgh would expand their payroll to add at the trade deadline, when Cherington felt that wasn’t a realistic possibility.

The Mets have looked like a different team in “the Grimace era”, but Francisco Alvarez’s return from a thumb injury might have been the real impetus for improved play. The New York Post wrote in June that the Mets have been nearly unbeatable with their catcher back in the lineup. Fans will see if their momentum can carry over into the second half of the year.

Royals fans are thrilled to watch the emergence of a legitimately transcendent player in Bobby Witt Jr. The Kansas City Star took a deeper dive into his production, and believes that his first 400 career games are right up there with anyone in baseball history. Witt Jr. will also look to show out in the 2024 Home Run Derby.

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It’s been a tumultuous start to the season for the reigning National League champions. What’s been perhaps the most baffling part of their campaign is the major struggles of outfielder Corbin Carroll at the plate. He looked like he would be a star for the next decade, but has not been able to get on track at all in the first half.

The All-Star break provides a little bit of clarity with regard to Wander Franco’s availability for the rest of the season. He was charged with abuse of a child in the Dominican Republic, which essentially puts the prospects of a return this season away for good. The Rays can focus on players available in the clubhouse as they look ahead.

The Red Sox have put their foot on the gas in the last month or so, rising up the standings in the American League East. According to the New York Post, manager Joey Cora wants his club to remain aggressive, as he’s asked the front office to act like buyers at the trade deadline. It’ll be intriguing to see whether they agree with Cora’s belief that this roster can compete in October.

The defending World Series champions have sputtered out of the gate due to a myriad of reasons. The New York Times opines that Texas could actually be sellers at the trade deadline, but the Rangers may only look to do that as a last resort. The Dallas News thinks the club might be finding its stride as we enter the All-Star break.

The Cardinals have bounced back nicely after a moribund 2023 campaign, but that hasn’t stopped some of their young players from being mentioned in possible trades. Sports Illustrated reports that while teams will likely ask about Jordan Walker, St. Louis is likely to rebuff any inquiries that involve him moving on from the club.

San Diego may be dealing with a bit of an uncertain situation, as they’ve placed pitcher Yu Darvish on the restricted list. USA Today and Sports Illustrated believe that he will be unavailable for an indefinite period of time, which may put the Padres in a bit of a bind as they assess whether they can make a playoff run in 2024.

While baseball fans might focus more on the viral moment involving Minnesota’s Joe Ryan putting baby powder down his pants, they also shouldn’t overlook how well the Twins have played in the first half. Manager Rocco Baldelli looks to have established himself as the long term solution at skipper for the club, as they look to make a second straight postseason.

Houston got off to a dreadful start under new manager Joe Espada, but have since been one of the hottest clubs in baseball. Counting the Astros out too early is never a good idea, and their veterans have seemed to pick them up when they needed it most. Jose Altuve will start his fifth All-Star game in 2024, breaking Craig Biggio’s franchise record.

The Yankees’ season script has been the exact opposite of Houston’s. New York started off red hot, but has faltered mightily since the middle of June. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told CBS Sports that the team’s slide has gone on long enough, but it’s unclear as to how he will personally try to end the slump.

The Brewers have risen to the top of the National League Central thanks to a resurgent year from Christian Yelich, and Sports Illustrated thinks they should call the Tigers to add another reliable pitcher to their rotation. They believe that Detroit’s Jack Flaherty would be a perfect complement to the team as they make a second half push.

Seattle excruciatingly found themselves on the outside of the postseason race in 2023, and should do everything in their power to avoid the same fate in 2024. It seems like a good bet that the Mariners will add talent at the trade deadline, as Lookout Landing’s website strongly believes they should do.

The Braves have one of the best rosters in MLB, but it’s still pretty amazing that they’ve been able to hang in as well as they have without Spencer Strider. Atlanta shrewdly added Chris Sale to the rotation in 2024, and the veteran has responded with a vintage campaign so far this season.

Former MLB catcher Stephen Vogt is in his first year as a major league manager, but fans wouldn’t know it based on how well Cleveland has played in the first half. The Guardians are firing on all cylinders, and may garner more discussion during the break as a legitimate threat to win the World Series.

Sports Illustrated reported that the 2024 Orioles are the first team in MLB history to have three All-Star position players who are in their third season or earlier. It’s a frightening observation for the rest of the league, as Baltimore is already one of the premier teams in the game, and should be a force for many years to come.

The Dodgers seem to have a comfortable National League West division lead year in and year out, so their focus usually centers on the postseason. Los Angeles probably isn’t too happy that Tyler Glasnow suffered a back injury just before the break, so all eyes will be on his status as the franchise looks to get back to the postseason at full strength.

Philadelphia appears to be getting healthy at an opportune time. Trea Turner returned to the lineup in mid-June after an extended absence, and has since been rejoined by Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber. The Phillies are hoping that the back tightness experienced by Zack Wheeler before the break is a minor speed bump on their way to a division title.

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