MVPs for all 30 teams: Harper leads first half

No one has been more important to the Washington Nationals this season than All-Star outfielder Bryce Harper.

Harper is among the league leaders in average, hits, RBIs, runs, walks, slugging percentage and just about any other category you can measure.

“We’re proud of him. He’s zoned into the strike zone and done well for us and hit in the middle of our lineup. He’s been our leader,” Washington manager Matt Williams said.

The 22-year-old Harper ends the first half with a .339 average, 26 home runs and 61 RBIs, putting him in contention for the National League Triple Crown.

“I mean, beyond all the numbers or anything like that, this team is so good,” said Harper, who shattered the National League record with nearly 14 million votes in All-Star Game fan balloting. “We’ve been good for four years now. If we can just keep going, keep doing the things we’re doing and get the guys back we need … we can get going and have some fun.”

TSX correspondents in every MLB market named the MVPs for the 30 teams at the break.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

FIRST-HALF MVP: 1B Paul Goldschmidt was among the two of three most productive players in the National League at the break, and one of the most feared. Goldschmidt produced a .340/.465/.610 slash line with 21 homers, 70 RBIs and 16 stolen bases … and he also had a major-league-high 68 walks. Teams pitched around him whenever possible, and his major-league-high 19 intentional walks are more than 18 teams received. Despite relative anonymity in Arizona, he is firmly in the MVP race.

COLORADO ROCKIES

FIRST-HALF MVP: 3B Nolan Arenado, who is in his third season, is well on his way to winning his third consecutive Gold Glove. Additionally, Arenado has become much more polished, consistent offensive player who is blossoming as a power hitter. Arenado is hitting .293 with a .927 OPS and already has reached career highs in home runs (24) and RBIs (70). He is tied in the latter category with Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt for the major league lead.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

FIRST-HALF MVP: The Dodgers will send five players to the All-Star Game — RHP Zack Greinke, 1B Adrian Gonzalez, C Yasmani Grandal, OF Joc Pederson and LHP Clayton Kershaw. Each was essential in his own way. However, Justin Turner might have been the most unexpected valuable player in the first half. Turner emerged as the primary third baseman and a key offensive piece, providing consistent production while Yasiel Puig missed 38 games with a hamstring injury and others ran hot and cold.

SAN DIEGO PADRES

FIRST-HALF MVP: Wil Myers was on the disabled list all but three games since May 10, and he won’t return for at least another month following surgery on his left wrist. However, when the first baseman/center fielder was in the lineup, the Padres were 19-15. When he was first injured, he led the major leagues in runs scored. Without Myers, the Padres are a very different team. Through 159 plate appearances, Myers is hitting .277 with 10 doubles, a triple, five homers, 19 RBIs and 30 runs.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

FIRST-HALF MVP: The season began with the Giants believing they could replace their $95 million third baseman, Pablo Sandoval, with a $24 million import, Casey McGehee. Turns out they were wrong. They didn’t need to spend nearly that much. For $509,000, the Giants received a .293 average, eight home runs and 41 RBIs out of 3B Matt Duffy, who grabbed the baton from McGehee in April and ran with it. A utility infielder last season, Duffy rapidly developed into one of the more productive No. 3 hitters in the National League, as his .313 average with seven home runs in May and June would attest.

CHICAGO CUBS

FIRST-HALF MVP: 2015 All-Star 1B Anthony Rizzo entered Sunday ranked third in the NL with a .956 OPS, third with a .412 on-base percentage and sixth with a .544 slugging percentage. He’s tied for second in the league with 24 doubles and is batting .298 entering the All-Star Break. Rizzo also leads the majors after being hit by a pitch 19 times, including one on Sunday.

CINCINNATI REDS

FIRST-HALF MVP: Although it took a spirited social-media campaign to help 3B Todd Frazier to overcome a 2 million-vote deficit to start for the National League All-Star team, he clearly deserved it. Frazier hit 25 homers with 56 RBIs. Frazier had 50 extra-base hits at the break, second-most in club history behind Hall of Famer Johnny Bench who had 54 in 1970. He also is the first Reds player to have consecutive 25-homer seasons since Chris Sabo in 1990-91.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS

FIRST-HALF MVP: RHP Francisco Rodriguez. Victories have been scarce this season for the Brewers, so having a closer to protect late leads is more important than ever. So you have to tip your cap to Rodriguez, who converted all 19 of his save opportunities this season while posting a sparkling 1.41 ERA.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES

FIRST-HALF MVP: RHP A.J. Burnett, at 7-3, doesn’t have a gaudy record but his ERA is a sparkling 2.11 through 18 starts. More than anything, though, Burnett has given the Pirates a second top-of-the-rotation starter to go with Gerrit Cole at a low cost. Burnett is making just $8.5 million this season after turning down his $12.75-million player option with the Philadelphia Phillies and rejoining the Pirates as a free agent after pitching for them in 2013 and 2014.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

FIRST-HALF MVP: SS Jhonny Peralta represents some of the best $53 million GM John Mozeliak has ever spent. After hitting .267 with 21 homers and 75 RBIS last year, Peralta has been even better this year, belting 13 homers and 46 RBIs prior to the All-Star break with a .292 average. What’s more, Peralta has made just three errors, playing arguably the best all-around shortstop this team has had since Ozzie Smith.

ATLANTA BRAVES

FIRST-HALF MVP: C A.J. Pierzynski’s signing was questioned by many. After all, he was going to be 38-years-old, was coming off a bad season and was known as a polarizing figure. Would he be happy as a backup to rookie Christian Bethancourt? Well, Pierzynski didn’t turn out to be the backup. He won the regular job with a hot April and Bethancourt was sent to the minors. Pierzynski has been productive at the plate and handled the young starting rotation well. CF Cameron Maybin also far exceeded expectations, but Pierzynski has been an even more valuable.

MIAMI MARLINS

FIRST-HALF MVP: RF Giancarlo Stanton is the team MVP even though he made his last appearance of the first half on June 26. He is on the disabled list due to a broken left wrist. The injury was a tough break for Stanton, who led the majors in homers (27) and RBIs (67) at the time he got hurt. In recognition of his monster numbers, Stanton was named an NL All-Star starter, and the team is anxiously awaiting his return, which should come in mid-August.

NEW YORK METS

FIRST-HALF MVP: RHP Jeurys Familia. RHP Jacob deGrom is the Mets’ All-Star Game representative and a legitimate Cy Young Award candidate. But Familia’s ability to handle the closer’s role into which he was suddenly thrust during the opening week — when incumbent right-hander Jenrry Mejia first suffered an elbow injury and then received an 80-game suspension for failing a PED test — is the reason the Mets are in the playoff race. Familia has converted 27 of 29 save chances, recorded a 1.25 ERA and single-handedly lengthened an otherwise piecemeal bullpen. The Mets are 7-0 in games in which he has gotten more than three outs.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

FIRST-HALF MVP: 3B Maikel Franco provided the Phillies a glimmer of hope since being called up on May 15. In his first full month as an everyday player in the major leagues, Franco was named National League Rookie of the Month for June in which he hit .352 with eight home runs, 24 RBIs and a 1.039 OPS. On June 23, at Yankee Stadium, he became the first Phillie since 1920 (when RBIs became an official stat) to post five RBIs in back-to-back games. The 22-year-old is already Philadelphia’s franchise third baseman.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS

FIRST-HALF MVP: OF Bryce Harper. Without the 22-year-old outfielder, the Nationals would be in serious trouble. Harper’s .339 average, 26 homers and 61 RBIs have him in contention for the National League Triple Crown, and if you took his numbers out of the mix, Washington’s leaders in home runs (10) and RBIs (38) don’t even come close. Harper’s performance has been what everyone in baseball has been waiting for since he arrived in the majors. “I just try to stay in my own lane and do my own thing and help us win games,” Harper said.

HOUSTON ASTROS

FIRST-HALF MVP: 2B Jose Altuve is an All-Star and is the face of the organization, but OF George Springer is the Astros’ linchpin. Despite being sidelined since July 1 with a right wrist fracture, Springer ranks third in the American League in baserunning runs added (4.6) and his 133 wRC+ is 17th in the AL. He provided several highlight-reel catches in right and center field, and his performance as the Astros’ leadoff hitter (.321/.400/.504 in 35 games) provided a welcome boost.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS

FIRST-HALF MVP: 1B Albert Pujols is experiencing the kind of season the Angels expected when they signed him in December 2011. Pujols not only hit 26 homers to share first place in the American League with CF Mike Trout. The National League’s three-time Most Valuable Player also leads the Angels with 56 RBIs and ranks second with 52 runs and a .532 slugging percentage. Pujols’ .323 on-base percentage ties him for second on the club with SS Erick Aybar. More importantly, Pujols provides quiet, yet powerful, clubhouse leadership while serving as a mentor to Trout. Pujols demonstrated his influence when he criticized GM Jerry Dipoto during a team meeting June 28 for composing a weaker roster than last year’s team had. Dipoto resigned 72 hours later.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS

FIRST-HALF MVP: RHP Sonny Gray. One of the most encouraging things to say about the A’s at the All-Star break is they are unlikely to trade Gray. Maybe next year. The 23-year-old has quickly developed into one of the top pitchers in the American League and potential ace of most staffs. For now, that staff resides in Oakland, where Gray heads an up-and-coming group that includes RHPs Jesse Hahn and Kendall Graveman. And let’s not forget veteran LHP Scott Kazmir … for now.

SEATTLE MARINERS

FIRST-HALF MVP: While RF Nelson Cruz carried the offense almost single-handedly through the first month of the season, and young starters like Taijuan Walker and Mike Montgomery have fortified the rotation, the Mariners still hang their hats on RHP Felix Hernandez. The 29-year-old ace has had another All-Star season and has been at his best when the Mariners have needed him most. Hernandez has had a couple of rough outings, but he’s still one of the best pitchers in the American League.

TEXAS RANGERS

FIRST-HALF MVP: A neck injury cost the Rangers the chance of seeing the kind of play they were expecting from DH Prince Fielder last season, but he hasn’t disappointed this year. The club’s lone All-Star leads the Rangers in batting average and RBIs and trails 1B Mitch Moreland by two for the club lead in homers. Fielder leads the majors with 37 multi-hit games and has played in all but two games this season.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX

FIRST-HALF MVP: LHP Chris Sale heads to his fourth straight All-Star Game this week as the lone White Sox representative. But he’s worthy based on his record (8-4), ERA (2.72) and league-leading 157 strikeouts. Sale has recorded 10 strikeouts in his last 12 outings and seven straight on the road.

CLEVELAND INDIANS

FIRST-HALF MVP: 2B Jason Kipnis, the Indians’ only All-Star representative, has not only been the Indians’ most valuable player in the first half, he would have to be in the discussion for the MVP of the American League. In addition to leading, or nearly leading, the league in hitting for much of the first half, he has ranked at or near the top of the league in several other offensive categories. “He’s a force. He’s become one of the better players in our league,” said manager Terry Francona.

DETROIT TIGERS

FIRST-HALF MVP: LHP David Price, without whom the Tigers would probably be well under .500. Detroit entered the All-Star break with a 15-3 record when Price was the starting pitcher. Breakdowns or inconsistencies by the other four rotation members have been largely covered over by Price’s consistently strong starts. Price was acquired at the trade deadline last July to cover for the possible free-agent loss of RHP Max Scherzer. He has done that and maybe more as he concludes his last season prior to becoming a free agent.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

FIRST-HALF MVP: CF Lorenzo Cain was one of baseball’s best-kept secrets until last October. After hitting .333 with five doubles and eight RBIs in 15 postseason games, including being named the ALCS MVP after hitting .533 in the four-game sweep of the Orioles, the rest of America discovered what Kansas City fans already knew: He is a premier player. Fans voted Cain a starter in the All-Star Game. He is hitting .316, already has set a career high with eight home runs, is second in the league with 17 stolen bases and makes a defensive gem nearly every night.

MINNESOTA TWINS

FIRST-HALF MVP: Not only is he the Twins’ Most Valuable Player at the halfway point, but one could argue that 2B Brian Dozier should be in the MVP conversation in all of baseball. Dozier will make his first All-Star appearance, and ranks third in the majors with 48 extra-base hits and first in runs scored with 67. His 48 extra-base hits before the break are the most for any player in franchise history and are the eighth most by any second baseman pre-break since 1933. Dozier ranks first among all second basemen in baseball in home runs (19) and RBIs (50) and is second in doubles (26) and walks (34). He’s also been slick with the glove, leading all second basemen in baseball with a .993 fielding percentage.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

FIRST-HALF MVP: 3B Manny Machado had a spectacular first half. Manager Buck Showalter raised some eyebrows by moving him to the leadoff spot early on but as the skipper has explained several times, it gives Machado more chances to hit. And that will only help the Orioles. Machado bounced back from season-ending surgery to post a spectacular first half at the plate, earning an All-Star invitation with a .298 average plus 19 homers (already a career high) and 48 RBIs. He also rebounded from a slow start in the field to play outstanding there over the last several weeks.

BOSTON RED SOX

FIRST-HALF MVP: Although there’s little doubt shortstop Xander Bogaerts is the Red Sox’s most improved player, super-utilityman Brock Holt is clearly their most valuable. Holt started at seven positions before settling into second base as the fill-in for injured Dustin Pedroia. And once Pedroia returns, he might be the answer at first base, where Mike Napoli has struggled. All the while, Holt is batting .292 and riding an 11-game hitting streak. No wonder he’s the Sox’s lone All-Star.

NEW YORK YANKEES

FIRST-HALF MVP: Co-MVPs have occurred notably in 1979, when Keith Hernandez and Willie Stargell split the NL voting and the case can be made that 1B Mark Teixeira and DH Alex Rodriguez can be co-MVPs for the Yankees given how productive they have been. A case can also be made for LF Brett Gardner, especially for how well he played in Jacoby Ellsbury’s absence. Managers often say they don’t know where their teams would be without certain players and, with the Yankees, it’s hard to imagine them being in first place without Teixeira and Rodriguez and to an extent Gardner.

TAMPA BAY RAYS

FIRST-HALF MVP: With so many Rays starters out with injuries, RHP Chris Archer has stepped up as a team ace and pitched as one of the AL’s most dominant starters. He ranks among the AL’s best in wins (nine), strikeouts (147) and ERA (2.74) and has emerged as a young leader on this staff in the post-David Price era. He was honored as an All-Star and can make a case to start the game for the AL.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS

FIRST-HALF MVP: 3B Josh Donaldson is everything the Blue Jays hoped he would be when he was acquired in an offseason trade with the Oakland Athletics. He has done it with the bat and the glove. “Josh has probably been our MVP in here, if you ask around our clubhouse,” INF/OF Danny Valencia said. Donaldson has 21 home runs, two of them walk-off shots. Ten of his home came with the game tied, three tied the game and one of the walk-off drives brought the Blue Jays from behind. He has been spectacular in the field, including a catch on a foul ball while diving into the seats at Tropicana Field.