[Chi_archie]

RAISE IT!!!! Fukk Yeah!!!!

What a game! Huge game tonight!

[EmpireMaker]

For the first time in 84 days -- since the 12th game of the season on April 19 -- the Astros are not in first place in the AL West. Their loss to the Rays (TB 4, HOU 3) combined with the Angels win over the Mariners (LAA 10, SEA 3) on Sunday gave the Halos a 1/2 game lead in the division heading into the All-Star break.
It took a combination of an Anaheim hot streak and a Houston cold streak for the Angels to take over first place on the final day of the first half. The Angels have won 11 of their last 14 games because their offense has gone bonkers -- they've scored 79 runs in those 14 games, an average of 5.64 runs per game. Wowza.
Mike Scioscia's team has also been helped by the arrival of top prospect and left-hander Andrew Heaney, who threw seven shutout innings against the Mariners on Sunday. He improved to 3-0 with a 1.32 ERA in four starts since being recalled from Triple-A. The Angels acquired Heaney from the Dodgers -- who acquired him from the Marlins for Dee Gordon -- for Howie Kendrick in the offseason.

[Shortstop]

What a game! Huge game tonight!

Unreal! I have a feeling this is going to be a magical October in the Steel City!

[Chi_archie]

hard to believe the bucs were 13-16 two months ago

[BarkingToad]

Are the Cubs going with a 3 man committee ? Is it Motte, Strop, or Rondon? or 2 of 3 ? or all 3 ?

For the time being it's probably Motte as closer. He was in a similar position for the Cards in 2011.

[koz-man]

Unreal! I have a feeling this is going to be a magical October in the Steel City!

Unreal game. Probably the Best game I seen this season ....

[koz-man]

Unreal game. Probably the Best game I seen this season ....

I should have said the best 2 games. Sat & Sun.

[MexicanStallion]

Everybody will be interested in Cueto. I have no idea where he will end up.

CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports that the Astros have "keen interest" in Johnny Cueto and that he "may even be their top target."

Heyman was told by an Astros' source that "they know they need a starter," and it appears as though the club will be aiming high. It's not the first time we've seen Cueto's name attached with Houston, although it's possible trade negotiations between the two clubs could get dicey given the sour relationship Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and Reds GM Walt Jocketty had from their days together in St. Louis. Cueto is making just $10 million this season and will be a free agent this winter.

[Shortstop]

MLB Standings @ The All-Star Break:

East	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	RS	RA	DIFF	STRK	L10
New York Yankees	48	40	.545	-	25-16	23-24	409	383	+26	W1	7-3
Tampa Bay Rays	46	45	.505	3.5	24-27	22-18	332	341	-9	W3	4-6
Baltimore Orioles	44	44	.500	4	27-18	17-26	387	348	+39	L2	2-8
Toronto Blue Jays	45	46	.495	4.5	26-18	19-28	486	404	+82	L1	3-7
Boston Red Sox	42	47	.472	6.5	22-23	20-24	376	419	-43	L1	6-4
Central	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	RS	RA	DIFF	STRK	L10
Kansas City Royals	52	34	.605	-	30-16	22-18	380	317	+63	W1	8-2
Minnesota Twins	49	40	.551	4.5	31-16	18-24	383	360	+23	W3	7-3
Detroit Tigers	44	44	.500	9	22-23	22-21	398	413	-15	L3	5-5
Cleveland Indians	42	46	.477	11	19-26	23-20	347	366	-19	L2	5-5
Chicago White Sox	41	45	.477	11	23-17	18-28	292	365	-73	L1	7-3
West	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	RS	RA	DIFF	STRK	L10
Los Angeles Angels	48	40	.545	-	25-18	23-22	368	335	+33	W1	7-3
Houston Astros	49	42	.538	0.5	28-16	21-26	395	345	+50	L6	2-8
Texas Rangers	42	46	.477	6	16-26	26-20	370	395	-25	L2	2-8
Seattle Mariners	41	48	.461	7.5	20-27	21-21	312	360	-48	L1	5-5
Oakland Athletics	41	50	.451	8.5	18-26	23-24	390	346	+44	W2	5-5

East	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	RS	RA	DIFF	STRK	L10
Washington Nationals	48	39	.552	-	25-16	23-23	372	336	+36	W2	5-5
New York Mets	47	42	.528	2	32-14	15-28	310	312	-2	W4	7-3
Atlanta Braves	42	47	.472	7	23-17	19-30	347	385	-38	L5	4-6
Miami Marlins	38	51	.427	11	24-23	14-28	330	354	-24	W2	5-5
Philadelphia Phillies	29	62	.319	21	18-25	11-37	308	468	-160	L5	2-8
Central	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	RS	RA	DIFF	STRK	L10
St. Louis Cardinals	56	33	.629	-	31-11	25-22	355	264	+91	L3	5-5
Pittsburgh Pirates	53	35	.602	2.5	32-16	21-19	356	292	+64	W3	8-2
Chicago Cubs	47	40	.540	8	25-20	22-20	335	319	+16	W1	5-5
Cincinnati Reds	39	47	.453	15.5	22-18	17-29	331	379	-48	L2	4-6
Milwaukee Brewers	38	52	.422	18.5	16-28	22-24	360	409	-49	L1	6-4
West	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	RS	RA	DIFF	STRK	L10
Los Angeles Dodgers	51	39	.567	-	33-17	18-22	376	314	+62	W1	6-4
San Francisco Giants	46	43	.517	4.5	25-22	21-21	377	351	+26	W3	4-6
Arizona Diamondbacks	42	45	.483	7.5	22-21	20-24	392	392	0	L3	5-5
San Diego Padres	41	49	.456	10	18-22	23-27	352	400	-48	W2	4-6
Colorado Rockies	39	49	.443	11	21-24	18-25	389	443	-54	W4	5-5

Standings are updated with the completion of each game.
Glossary

• W: Wins
• L: Losses
• PCT: Winning Percentage
• GB: Games Back
• HOME: Home Record
• ROAD: Road Record
• RS: Runs scored
• RA: Runs allowed
• DIFF: Run Differential
• STRK: Current Streak
• L10: Record last 10 games

[EmpireMaker]

Jon HeymanBaseball Insider


Jay Bruce available in trade; is it setting up Reds as deadline sellers?

July 13, 2015 12:26 pm ET

• 
  

CINCINNATI -- Reds right fielder Jay Bruceis available in trade, league sources say.
The Reds are expected by rivals to become a full-fledged seller in coming days, perhaps shortly after the All-Star Game here, but to this point the one name being heard is Bruce, which is somewhat curious since they have multiple big players who are free agents after the year, and Bruce isn't one of them.
Bruce has been hot in recent weeks, raising his average from .160 to .251 and pushing his OPS above .800 (it's .806). So it's no surprise the Reds aren't currently offering to pay down significant money on Bruce's deal, which guarantees about $19.5 million through the end of 2016. Bruce makes $12 million this year and $12.5 million next year, and has a $13-million option for 2017 with a $1 million buyout. He has a no-trade provision to eight teams, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts.
Teams considering outfielders this trade season include the Angels, Pirates, Royals and Giants. The Blue Jays may, too, but their priority is a starting pitcher, followed by a back-end bullpen piece. The Yankees may seek a hitter, but it's more likely to be one who bats righthanded. The Angels are one team that's been looking for a lefty bat since things didn't work out there with Josh Hamilton this year.
The Mets should think about grabbing him too, they can't hit worth a crap, Bruce would give them more power.

[koz-man]

As a Reds fan I have no problem with them dealing Cueto and Bruce.

Just hope they can get something good in return...

[Chi_archie]

good to see Brock Holt in the all star game

[MexicanStallion]

Plenty of rumors until he is finally traded.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Astros, Blue Jays, and Royals have been "most aggressive" in pursuit of a trade for Reds right-hander Johnny Cueto.


All three teams have obvious needs for a rotation upgrade. Cueto is due to become a free agent after the season, but the asking price figures to be high. The 29-year-old owns a 2.73 ERA and 113/22 K/BB ratio in 118 2/3 innings over 17 starts this season. He's owed about $5 million the rest of the way, so he's not going to break the bank.

[Shortstop]

MLB Batting Average Leaders:

1.		Cabrera, M	DET	.350
2.		Goldschmidt, P	ARI	.340
3.		Harper, B	WSH	.339
4.		Fielder, P	TEX	.339
5.		Gordon, D	MIA	.338

[EmpireMaker]

Jon HeymanBaseball Insider


MLB Midseason Awards: Picks for MVP, Cy Young and more

July 14, 2015 2:08 pm ET

• 
  

CINCINNATI -- Parity has marked the first half of this baseball season. But that goes mostly for the teams, not necessarily the players. In fact, there have been some real standout first-half performances.
Without further ado, the midseason awards ...
AL MVP
Mike Trout, Angels: I know, I know. I picked Josh Donaldson only a couple days ago. A person can change their mind, can't they? Trout maintains his otherworldly start into his fourth season and seems a likely bet to finish in the top two in MVP voting, for yes, a fourth straight season, with 26 home runs, a 1.019 OPS and 5.9 WAR to date. Anyway, here he gets the slightest nod over Donaldson, who's been amazing in his initial season for the Jays, baseball's best offense. Speaking of Trout, everyone's a believer in his all-time greatness now. "He's Mickey Mantle. That's who he is, Mickey Mantle,” raved one hard-bitten old scout. Yes, at this point we are all on board.
Best of the rest: 2. Donaldson, Blue Jays. 3. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers. 4. Jason Kipnis, Indians. 5. Lorenzo Cain, Royals.
AL LVP (Least Valuable)
Robinson Cano, Mariners: Since this is graded on a curve, Cano gets it due to salary vs. production. And it's not particularly close. He's a $240-million player in the prime of his career. "We gotta get Cano going," said one Mariners person here. And it could have been any Mariners person. "We need him to be the guy for us," manager Lloyd McClendon said. "And I see it starting to come." And that's true, he has been a bit better in recent days, though he still has a .251 batting average (and .290 on-base percentage), which are eons from his career norms and pay grade.
NL MVP
Bryce Harper, Nationals: Harper has stopped running into walls and injuring himself on the basepaths, and has, at the age of 22, established himself as the best player in the National League. He's having an otherworldly season to date, with a 1.168 OPS that's more than 100 points higher than second place (Paul Goldschmidt). Goldschmidt has been terrific, too. Another year maybe.
Best of the rest: 2. Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks. 3. Anthony Rizzo, Cubs. 4. Todd Frazier, Reds. 5T. Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins, and Nolan Arenado, Rockies.
Bryce Harper has emerged as the NL's best player and leads the MVP race. (USATSI)NL LVP (Least Valuable)
Matt Kemp, Padres: While the Padres are only paying $3 million of his deal this year, there's some question as to whether he's actually worth even that. To try to get him going, new manager Pat Murphy has made Kemp a leadoff hitter. But considering the astonishing lack of power in a park with adjusted dimensions (Petco), that may actually be the right spot for him. To this point, he has a -0.1 WAR. He is quite the gamer so perhaps his hips or knees are bothering him.
AL Cy Young
Dallas Keuchel, Astros: From start to finish, Keuchel, the American League All-Star starter, has been the most consistently great starter, and he has an 11-4 record, 2.23 ERA and neat 1.00 WHIP to show for it. The ninth-round draft choice was supposed to settle in as a crafty lefty. But he's turned out to be way more than that.
Best of the rest: 2. Sonny Gray, A's. 3. Chris Sale, White Sox. 4. David Price, Tigers. 5. Chris Archer, Rays.
AL Cy Old (Worst Pitcher)
Rick Porcello, Red Sox: Porcello appeared to be coming into his own last year in Detroit, and a nice spring seemed to solidify that theory. But once the season started, it's been mostly a mess. A -0.6 WAR and 5.90 ERA isn't going to cut it. Second-place CC Sabathia is paying for all those years as the willing staff horse.
Rick Porcello struggled mightily in the first half. (USATSI)NL Cy Young
Zack Greinke, Dodgers: It's hard to believe it's anyone but Max Scherzer, but it is. Greinke's 35 2/3 straight scoreless innings to end the first half lowered his ERA to an unreal 1.39, which is the fourth-lowest mark at the break since the All-Star Game started eight decades ago. (The three pitchers better than that were all in 1968, which was the year of the pitcher). Greinke is great all the time, but he's especially unhittable with men in scoring position, as batters are hitting .134 against him in that situation. Somehow, he throws all his pitches one mph faster when runners are in those spots. Scherzer is a worthy choice, too, with his sparkling, baseball-best 0.78 WHIP, plus all those great highlights.
Best of the rest: 2. Scherzer, Nationals. 3. Jacob deGrom, Mets. 4. Johnny Cueto, Reds. 5. Gerrit Cole, Pirates.
NL Cy Old (Worst Pitcher)
Steve Cishek, Marlins. He's settling in to a seventh-inning role now, but three early blown saves killed the Marlins' season in early May. In all, he blew four of seven chances when he was closer. Among starters, Kyle Lohse and Kyle Kendrick are a tossup at this point. Who thought Kendrick in Coors Field would be a good idea?
AL Rookie of the Year
Billy Burns, A's: The speed-burner seemed to have been an afterthought among all the ballyhooed kids coming up to the majors this year, but no one's been better – at least not in the American League. He can fly, and he's been a major bright spot with the disappointing A's by hitting better than anyone expected, posting a .303 batting average with 17 steals in 20 chances (with two of the outs coming on overslides).
Best of the rest: 2. Carlos Correa, Astros. 3. Devon Travis, Blue Jays.
Billy Burns has quickly flown into the hearts of A's fans. (USATSI)NL Rookie of the Year
Joc Pederson, Dodgers: Now we can see why the Dodgers were so protective of this kid. With his great power at bat (20 home runs) and grace and skill in center field, he seems a bit like a latter-day Jim Edmonds, and maybe even better than that. He's been a godsend, and is a MVP candidate.
Best of the rest: 2. Kris Bryant, Cubs. 3. Maikel Franco, Phillies.
AL Manager of the Year
A.J. Hinch, Astros: Everything you hear around the Astros is what a great climate Hinch has established there. That's funny, because in his first managerial go-round Hinch was perceived as an egghead analytics guy out of the front office. But the reality is, he was a major-league catcher with a Stanford degree and upbeat persona that's playing well with his young team.
Best of the rest: 2. Paul Molitor, Twins. 3T. Jeff Banister, Rangers, and Kevin Cash, Rays.
NL Manager of the Year
Mike Matheny, Cardinals: He was the perfect choice to replace Tony LaRussa, a smart guy (Michigan man) who continued in the Cardinals way without missing a beat. It's amazing this year how they keep playing better while losing key players.
Best of the rest: 2. Chip Hale, Diamondbacks. 3T. Joe Maddon, Cubs, and Clint Hurdle, Pirates.

[BarkingToad]

deGrom struck out the side on 10 pitches last night, 1 pitch over minimum.

[BigSpoon]

Plenty of rumors until he is finally traded.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Astros, Blue Jays, and Royals have been "most aggressive" in pursuit of a trade for Reds right-hander Johnny Cueto.


All three teams have obvious needs for a rotation upgrade. Cueto is due to become a free agent after the season, but the asking price figures to be high. The 29-year-old owns a 2.73 ERA and 113/22 K/BB ratio in 118 2/3 innings over 17 starts this season. He's owed about $5 million the rest of the way, so he's not going to break the bank.

Blue Jays need a starter badly, either Cueto or Samardzija will do.

[Chi_archie]

Jon HeymanBaseball Insider


MLB Midseason Awards: Picks for MVP, Cy Young and more

July 14, 2015 2:08 pm ET



CINCINNATI -- Parity has marked the first half of this baseball season. But that goes mostly for the teams, not necessarily the players. In fact, there have been some real standout first-half performances.
Without further ado, the midseason awards ...
AL MVP
Mike Trout, Angels: I know, I know. I picked Josh Donaldson only a couple days ago. A person can change their mind, can't they? Trout maintains his otherworldly start into his fourth season and seems a likely bet to finish in the top two in MVP voting, for yes, a fourth straight season, with 26 home runs, a 1.019 OPS and 5.9 WAR to date. Anyway, here he gets the slightest nod over Donaldson, who's been amazing in his initial season for the Jays, baseball's best offense. Speaking of Trout, everyone's a believer in his all-time greatness now. "He's Mickey Mantle. That's who he is, Mickey Mantle,” raved one hard-bitten old scout. Yes, at this point we are all on board.
Best of the rest: 2. Donaldson, Blue Jays. 3. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers. 4. Jason Kipnis, Indians. 5. Lorenzo Cain, Royals.
AL LVP (Least Valuable)
Robinson Cano, Mariners: Since this is graded on a curve, Cano gets it due to salary vs. production. And it's not particularly close. He's a $240-million player in the prime of his career. "We gotta get Cano going," said one Mariners person here. And it could have been any Mariners person. "We need him to be the guy for us," manager Lloyd McClendon said. "And I see it starting to come." And that's true, he has been a bit better in recent days, though he still has a .251 batting average (and .290 on-base percentage), which are eons from his career norms and pay grade.
NL MVP
Bryce Harper, Nationals: Harper has stopped running into walls and injuring himself on the basepaths, and has, at the age of 22, established himself as the best player in the National League. He's having an otherworldly season to date, with a 1.168 OPS that's more than 100 points higher than second place (Paul Goldschmidt). Goldschmidt has been terrific, too. Another year maybe.
Best of the rest: 2. Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks. 3. Anthony Rizzo, Cubs. 4. Todd Frazier, Reds. 5T. Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins, and Nolan Arenado, Rockies.
Bryce Harper has emerged as the NL's best player and leads the MVP race. (USATSI)NL LVP (Least Valuable)
Matt Kemp, Padres: While the Padres are only paying $3 million of his deal this year, there's some question as to whether he's actually worth even that. To try to get him going, new manager Pat Murphy has made Kemp a leadoff hitter. But considering the astonishing lack of power in a park with adjusted dimensions (Petco), that may actually be the right spot for him. To this point, he has a -0.1 WAR. He is quite the gamer so perhaps his hips or knees are bothering him.
AL Cy Young
Dallas Keuchel, Astros: From start to finish, Keuchel, the American League All-Star starter, has been the most consistently great starter, and he has an 11-4 record, 2.23 ERA and neat 1.00 WHIP to show for it. The ninth-round draft choice was supposed to settle in as a crafty lefty. But he's turned out to be way more than that.
Best of the rest: 2. Sonny Gray, A's. 3. Chris Sale, White Sox. 4. David Price, Tigers. 5. Chris Archer, Rays.
AL Cy Old (Worst Pitcher)
Rick Porcello, Red Sox: Porcello appeared to be coming into his own last year in Detroit, and a nice spring seemed to solidify that theory. But once the season started, it's been mostly a mess. A -0.6 WAR and 5.90 ERA isn't going to cut it. Second-place CC Sabathia is paying for all those years as the willing staff horse.
Rick Porcello struggled mightily in the first half. (USATSI)NL Cy Young
Zack Greinke, Dodgers: It's hard to believe it's anyone but Max Scherzer, but it is. Greinke's 35 2/3 straight scoreless innings to end the first half lowered his ERA to an unreal 1.39, which is the fourth-lowest mark at the break since the All-Star Game started eight decades ago. (The three pitchers better than that were all in 1968, which was the year of the pitcher). Greinke is great all the time, but he's especially unhittable with men in scoring position, as batters are hitting .134 against him in that situation. Somehow, he throws all his pitches one mph faster when runners are in those spots. Scherzer is a worthy choice, too, with his sparkling, baseball-best 0.78 WHIP, plus all those great highlights.
Best of the rest: 2. Scherzer, Nationals. 3. Jacob deGrom, Mets. 4. Johnny Cueto, Reds. 5. Gerrit Cole, Pirates.
NL Cy Old (Worst Pitcher)
Steve Cishek, Marlins. He's settling in to a seventh-inning role now, but three early blown saves killed the Marlins' season in early May. In all, he blew four of seven chances when he was closer. Among starters, Kyle Lohse and Kyle Kendrick are a tossup at this point. Who thought Kendrick in Coors Field would be a good idea?
AL Rookie of the Year
Billy Burns, A's: The speed-burner seemed to have been an afterthought among all the ballyhooed kids coming up to the majors this year, but no one's been better – at least not in the American League. He can fly, and he's been a major bright spot with the disappointing A's by hitting better than anyone expected, posting a .303 batting average with 17 steals in 20 chances (with two of the outs coming on overslides).
Best of the rest: 2. Carlos Correa, Astros. 3. Devon Travis, Blue Jays.
Billy Burns has quickly flown into the hearts of A's fans. (USATSI)NL Rookie of the Year
Joc Pederson, Dodgers: Now we can see why the Dodgers were so protective of this kid. With his great power at bat (20 home runs) and grace and skill in center field, he seems a bit like a latter-day Jim Edmonds, and maybe even better than that. He's been a godsend, and is a MVP candidate.
Best of the rest: 2. Kris Bryant, Cubs. 3. Maikel Franco, Phillies.
AL Manager of the Year
A.J. Hinch, Astros: Everything you hear around the Astros is what a great climate Hinch has established there. That's funny, because in his first managerial go-round Hinch was perceived as an egghead analytics guy out of the front office. But the reality is, he was a major-league catcher with a Stanford degree and upbeat persona that's playing well with his young team.
Best of the rest: 2. Paul Molitor, Twins. 3T. Jeff Banister, Rangers, and Kevin Cash, Rays.
NL Manager of the Year
Mike Matheny, Cardinals: He was the perfect choice to replace Tony LaRussa, a smart guy (Michigan man) who continued in the Cardinals way without missing a beat. It's amazing this year how they keep playing better while losing key players.
Best of the rest: 2. Chip Hale, Diamondbacks. 3T. Joe Maddon, Cubs, and Clint Hurdle, Pirates.

Nl central with 3 of top 4 managers

[mpaschal34]

Next two days are going to be very boring.

[koz-man]

Next two days are going to be very boring.

Agree. I can't wager on available hoops games... WNBA or NBA Summer.

So I bought a bunch of lottery scratch off tickets. Should last me about 5 miutes...lol

[Shortstop]

Jon HeymanBaseball Insider


MLB Midseason Awards: Picks for MVP, Cy Young and more

July 14, 2015 2:08 pm ET

CINCINNATI -- Parity has marked the first half of this baseball season. But that goes mostly for the teams, not necessarily the players. In fact, there have been some real standout first-half performances.
Without further ado, the midseason awards ...
AL MVP
Mike Trout, Angels: I know, I know. I picked Josh Donaldson only a couple days ago. A person can change their mind, can't they? Trout maintains his otherworldly start into his fourth season and seems a likely bet to finish in the top two in MVP voting, for yes, a fourth straight season, with 26 home runs, a 1.019 OPS and 5.9 WAR to date. Anyway, here he gets the slightest nod over Donaldson, who's been amazing in his initial season for the Jays, baseball's best offense. Speaking of Trout, everyone's a believer in his all-time greatness now. "He's Mickey Mantle. That's who he is, Mickey Mantle,” raved one hard-bitten old scout. Yes, at this point we are all on board.
Best of the rest: 2. Donaldson, Blue Jays. 3. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers. 4. Jason Kipnis, Indians. 5. Lorenzo Cain, Royals.
AL LVP (Least Valuable)
Robinson Cano, Mariners: Since this is graded on a curve, Cano gets it due to salary vs. production. And it's not particularly close. He's a $240-million player in the prime of his career. "We gotta get Cano going," said one Mariners person here. And it could have been any Mariners person. "We need him to be the guy for us," manager Lloyd McClendon said. "And I see it starting to come." And that's true, he has been a bit better in recent days, though he still has a .251 batting average (and .290 on-base percentage), which are eons from his career norms and pay grade.
NL MVP
Bryce Harper, Nationals: Harper has stopped running into walls and injuring himself on the basepaths, and has, at the age of 22, established himself as the best player in the National League. He's having an otherworldly season to date, with a 1.168 OPS that's more than 100 points higher than second place (Paul Goldschmidt). Goldschmidt has been terrific, too. Another year maybe.
Best of the rest: 2. Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks. 3. Anthony Rizzo, Cubs. 4. Todd Frazier, Reds. 5T. Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins, and Nolan Arenado, Rockies.
Bryce Harper has emerged as the NL's best player and leads the MVP race. (USATSI)NL LVP (Least Valuable)
Matt Kemp, Padres: While the Padres are only paying $3 million of his deal this year, there's some question as to whether he's actually worth even that. To try to get him going, new manager Pat Murphy has made Kemp a leadoff hitter. But considering the astonishing lack of power in a park with adjusted dimensions (Petco), that may actually be the right spot for him. To this point, he has a -0.1 WAR. He is quite the gamer so perhaps his hips or knees are bothering him.
AL Cy Young
Dallas Keuchel, Astros: From start to finish, Keuchel, the American League All-Star starter, has been the most consistently great starter, and he has an 11-4 record, 2.23 ERA and neat 1.00 WHIP to show for it. The ninth-round draft choice was supposed to settle in as a crafty lefty. But he's turned out to be way more than that.
Best of the rest: 2. Sonny Gray, A's. 3. Chris Sale, White Sox. 4. David Price, Tigers. 5. Chris Archer, Rays.
AL Cy Old (Worst Pitcher)
Rick Porcello, Red Sox: Porcello appeared to be coming into his own last year in Detroit, and a nice spring seemed to solidify that theory. But once the season started, it's been mostly a mess. A -0.6 WAR and 5.90 ERA isn't going to cut it. Second-place CC Sabathia is paying for all those years as the willing staff horse.
Rick Porcello struggled mightily in the first half. (USATSI)NL Cy Young
Zack Greinke, Dodgers: It's hard to believe it's anyone but Max Scherzer, but it is. Greinke's 35 2/3 straight scoreless innings to end the first half lowered his ERA to an unreal 1.39, which is the fourth-lowest mark at the break since the All-Star Game started eight decades ago. (The three pitchers better than that were all in 1968, which was the year of the pitcher). Greinke is great all the time, but he's especially unhittable with men in scoring position, as batters are hitting .134 against him in that situation. Somehow, he throws all his pitches one mph faster when runners are in those spots. Scherzer is a worthy choice, too, with his sparkling, baseball-best 0.78 WHIP, plus all those great highlights.
Best of the rest: 2. Scherzer, Nationals. 3. Jacob deGrom, Mets. 4. Johnny Cueto, Reds. 5. Gerrit Cole, Pirates.
NL Cy Old (Worst Pitcher)
Steve Cishek, Marlins. He's settling in to a seventh-inning role now, but three early blown saves killed the Marlins' season in early May. In all, he blew four of seven chances when he was closer. Among starters, Kyle Lohse and Kyle Kendrick are a tossup at this point. Who thought Kendrick in Coors Field would be a good idea?
AL Rookie of the Year
Billy Burns, A's: The speed-burner seemed to have been an afterthought among all the ballyhooed kids coming up to the majors this year, but no one's been better – at least not in the American League. He can fly, and he's been a major bright spot with the disappointing A's by hitting better than anyone expected, posting a .303 batting average with 17 steals in 20 chances (with two of the outs coming on overslides).
Best of the rest: 2. Carlos Correa, Astros. 3. Devon Travis, Blue Jays.
Billy Burns has quickly flown into the hearts of A's fans. (USATSI)NL Rookie of the Year
Joc Pederson, Dodgers: Now we can see why the Dodgers were so protective of this kid. With his great power at bat (20 home runs) and grace and skill in center field, he seems a bit like a latter-day Jim Edmonds, and maybe even better than that. He's been a godsend, and is a MVP candidate.
Best of the rest: 2. Kris Bryant, Cubs. 3. Maikel Franco, Phillies.
AL Manager of the Year
A.J. Hinch, Astros: Everything you hear around the Astros is what a great climate Hinch has established there. That's funny, because in his first managerial go-round Hinch was perceived as an egghead analytics guy out of the front office. But the reality is, he was a major-league catcher with a Stanford degree and upbeat persona that's playing well with his young team.
Best of the rest: 2. Paul Molitor, Twins. 3T. Jeff Banister, Rangers, and Kevin Cash, Rays.
NL Manager of the Year
Mike Matheny, Cardinals: He was the perfect choice to replace Tony LaRussa, a smart guy (Michigan man) who continued in the Cardinals way without missing a beat. It's amazing this year how they keep playing better while losing key players.
Best of the rest: 2. Chip Hale, Diamondbacks. 3T. Joe Maddon, Cubs, and Clint Hurdle, Pirates.

Nice post, EM!

[Shortstop]

deGrom struck out the side on 10 pitches last night, 1 pitch over minimum.

Yeah, what a showing!

[Shortstop]

Next two days are going to be very boring.

No doubt!

Agree. I can't wager on available hoops games... WNBA or NBA Summer.

So I bought a bunch of lottery scratch off tickets. Should last me about 5 miutes...lol

Haha! Hope you won some cash on those lottery tickets!?!?

[Chi_archie]

good gosh can we get some real baseball again?

[EmpireMaker]

I think Seattle probably has the best if not one of the best starting rotations going right now, you would think they would win more.

[BigSpoon]

good gosh can we get some real baseball again?

About 24 hours away from it with the Royals-White Sox and then the rest of the full slate of games.. Thank goodness for that.

[koz-man]

Joe DiMaggio reaches 56

On this date in 1941, DiMaggio extended his hitting streak to 56 games, a record yet to be broken. The closest someone's gotten in the past 10 years? Jimmy Rollins' 38-game streak in 2005-06.

[Robber]

Four days is way too long .

[Shortstop]

Joe DiMaggio reaches 56

On this date in 1941, DiMaggio extended his hitting streak to 56 games, a record yet to be broken. The closest someone's gotten in the past 10 years? Jimmy Rollins' 38-game streak in 2005-06.

Great post, k-m!

Along with Cal Ripken Jr.'s streak, this one will never be broken...

[EmpireMaker]

1		Mike Trout, Angels. He's 23, he's running an OPS+ of 188, and he's got a career line of .306/.397/.559. Then there's the value he adds on the bases and with the glove in center. There's no reason to expect anything less than Trout-ian excellence in the second half.
2		Andrew McCutchen, Pirates. A lingering knee injury probably limited McCutchen's effectiveness in the early weeks of the season, but since he bottomed out on May 6 he's batting .341/.438/.586. More of that to come.
3		Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks. The NL's best right-handed hitter? Yes. The 2015 OPS is north of 1.000 at the break, and since the start of .311/.412/.562 since the start of the 2013 season. At age 27, Goldy's in the heart of his prime.
4		Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays. Donaldson in his first season in Toronto is providing standout defense at the hot corner, and he's on pace for 37 homers and 40 doubles. Consider him on the short list of AL MVP candidates here at the midpoint. Now that he's in a park that suits his skills as a hitter, he's taken the next step.
5		Bryce Harper, Nationals. I don't expect Harper to repeat his first-half numbers, mostly because you shouldn't expect anyone to repeat those kinds of numbers. So, yes, I expect regression. He's been the best player in baseball to date, and I think he'll end the season as the best player in baseball. That said, I think he'll step back a bit in the second half. Excellence, yes, but not quite this level of excellence.
6		Manny Machado, Orioles. Machado is the best defensive third baseman in the game today, and the bat is coming along nicely in 2015. He's batting .298/.361/.525, and he's added almost 10 feet of distance to his average fly ball. Keep in mind that he's still just 23.
7		Anthony Rizzo, Cubs. The 25-year-old is on his third organization, and his first two organizations are very likely regretting their decisions. At present, he boasts an OPS+ of 165, and he's walked 45 times against just 46 strikeouts. If you don't already think of Rizzo as a top-tier hitter, please begin doing so.
8		Kris Bryant, Cubs. Yes, he's a rookie. Yes, he's swinging and missing, as we expected. The larger, more important reality is that he's batting .269/.376/.472 as a 23-year-old getting his first taste of baseball highest level. For Bryant, better things are ahead.
9		Buster Posey, Giants. Posey's gradually spending more time at first base, but he's still on pace to spend more than 900 innings behind the plate. Oh, and he's also batting .314/.381/.498 despite playing his home games in a pronounced pitcher's park.
10		Carlos Correa, Astros. This season, the average big-league shortstop is batting .256/.301/.368. Correa, meantime, is batting .276/.312/.507 through the first 141 plate appearances of his career. In terms of exit velocity off the bat, he compares favorably to some of the best hitters in the game today. Believe in him.

And now the pitchers ...

RANK		COMMENT
1		Max Scherzer, Nationals. The $210-million man boasts a 2.11 ERA, and he's backing it up with a whomping good K/BB ratio of 10.71 (!). He has command of four pitches, and he's at the peak of his skills.
2		Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers. Yes, Kershaw's ERA is elevated by his standards, but the underlying peripherals remain exceptionally strong. To wit, the reigning NL MVP boasts a K/BB ratio of 5.93, and he's struck out a career-best 32.7 percent of opposing hitters.
3		Chris Sale, White Sox. Sale has emerged as the elite bat-misser in the game right now, and that, needless to say, bodes very well for the immediate future. This season, he's faced 469 batters, and he's sat down 157 of them. Is a 300-K season in the offing?
4		Felix Hernandez, Mariners. King Felix hasn't been quite his vintage self thus far in 2015, but the supporting numbers are doing just fine. He's on target for his eighth straight season of at least 200 innings. He's still in the discussion for best changeup in the game.
5		Jose Fernandez, Marlins. Fernandez is two starts into his comeback from Tommy John surgery, and in his final first-half outing he struck out nine Reds (and walked none) across seven shutout innings. The fastball's averaging 96 mph, so expect Fernandez to resume his pre-injury dominance after the break.
6		Corey Kluber, Indians. Kluber's ERA is a solid but disappointing 3.38. However, there's a lot of bad luck baked into that ERA. If you look at FIP -- or what his ERA should be based on his fundamentals -- then Kluber ought to have a mark of 2.51. Expect him to come close to that figure in the second half.
7		Johnny Cueto, Reds. Since turning 25, Cueto has pitched to an ERA of 2.52 (154 ERA+). As well, although he was one branded as a fragile pitcher, he's logged 362 1/3 innings since the start of last season. Throw in the likelihood of an energizing deadline trade to a contender, and I expect big things from Cueto over the rest of 2015.
8		Dallas Keuchel, Astros. Keuchel's secret? The strongest groundball tendencies in the game today. Specially, he presently boasts a ground-ball/fly-ball ratio of 4.32, which is easily tops in all of baseball. That plus a lot of canny infield shifting behind him has yielded good results. It'll continue.
9		David Price, Tigers. The free-agent-to-be is enjoying a fine campaign thus far: 125 IP, career-best 165 ERA+, 115 strikeouts against just 23 unintentional walks. Just four times this season has he given up more than three runs in a start.
10		Carlos Martinez, Cardinals. The results have risen to meet the stuff. Armed with a four-pitch mix, excellent velocity and increasing stamina and durability, Martinez -- an All-Star -- is enjoying one heck of a breakout season. He's still just 23 years of age

[koz-man]

Marlins SS hits the DL

Miami's Dee Gordon was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 12. He dislocated his left thumb on Saturday and it caused him to miss the All-Star game.

[Robber]

Why did Ned Yost flip starters last second?

[Chi_archie]

Marlins SS hits the DL

Miami's Dee Gordon was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 12. He dislocated his left thumb on Saturday and it caused him to miss the All-Star game.

Stupid if head first slides

[Chi_archie]

Rosenthal almost blew his third game in a row tonight

[Shortstop]

Marlins SS hits the DL

Miami's Dee Gordon was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 12. He dislocated his left thumb on Saturday and it caused him to miss the All-Star game.

Stupid if head first slides

Word!