When the baseball season resumes Friday, contending teams will be fine-tuning their lineups to prepare for the stretch run, also-rans will be preparing to take a look at young players who could take on key roles in the future, and three former Most Valuable Players will be counted on to improve upon mediocre seasons.
Minnesota Twins first baseman Joe Mauer, Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia and Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Ryan Braun put up first-half numbers that weren’t up to their standards. In particular, Mauer struggled, and he entered the All-Star break on the disabled list due to a right oblique strain.
Even when healthy this year, Mauer was a shell of the player who made the American League All-Star team six of the previous eight years and won the MVP award in 2009. In his first season as a full-time first baseman, Mauer has career lows in batting average (.271), on-base percentage (.342) and slugging percentage (.353), and he hit just two homers and drove in only 28 runs in 76 games so far this year.
The Twins aren’t likely to be a contender this year regardless of Mauer’s performance, but the team certainly wants to a see a turnaround from a player who is owed a guaranteed $92 million from 2015-18.
Mauer, Pedroia and Braun were among those singled out by The Sports Xchange’s baseball correspondents as being players to watch in the second half.
A team-by-team look at each club’s pivotal post-break player:
NL WEST
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
RHP Addison Reed endured a schizophrenic first half. When the closer was good, he blew opponents away, posting 21 saves and 42 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings. However, when he lost his mechanics, things went the other way. His five failed save conversions are tied for the most in the NL, and no other reliever gave up more than his nine home runs. Is he the long-term answer at closer? The second half may tell.
COLORADO ROCKIES
Just back from injury, LHP Brett Anderson will be asked to help revive a struggling pitching staff. In the final game before the All-Star break, Anderson made his first appearance since April 12, when he fractured his left index finger making contact on a swing. Anderson showed his rust Sunday, giving up five runs in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins. An effective Anderson could bring order to a Rockies rotation that is in disarray and is responsible for most of the team’s worst-in-the-majors 5.07 ERA.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS
The Dodgers reached the All-Star break with the best rotation in baseball (a collective ERA of 3.08). LHP Clayton Kershaw and RHP Zack Greinke, both All-Stars, led that effort, with LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu a steady performer. The back of the rotation could be vulnerable in the second half, though. After making a remarkable comeback from serious surgery last year, RHP Josh Beckett went on the disabled list before the break with hip issues. Fellow veteran RHP Dan Haren posted a 5.37 ERA in his final 11 starts before the break.
SAN DIEGO PADRES
With RHP Joaquin Benoit waiting in the wings, RHP Huston Street is almost a sure thing to be traded before the deadline. However, the Padre who might draw an even bigger return than Street is Ian Kennedy. The 29-year-old right-handed starter is 7-9 with a 3.47 ERA, but San Diego controls him for another season. The Padres could decide to rebuild around their potent rotation, which might make Kennedy a cornerstone of the squad. Remember, the Padres still will be shopping for a general manager as the trading deadline approaches.
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
RHP Matt Cain is the man to watch. With RHP Tim Lincecum having returned to his Cy Young Award-winning form in his past four starts, and LHP Madison Bumgarner and Tim Hudson combining to win 17 games in the first half of the season, the Giants have the potential to pitch their way into the playoffs for the third time in five years. If Cain can win more than two games in the second half, that is. The veteran went just 2-7 in the first half, but he pitched a lot better than that. Remarkably, he allowed two or fewer earned runs in nine of his 15 starts, yet he went just 1-3 in those games.
NL CENTRAL
CHICAGO CUBS
RHP Jake Arrieta (5-1, 1.95 ERA) could claim the mantle of staff ace after the departures of RHPs Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel in a trade with the Oakland A’s. Arrieta, acquired last year from the Baltimore Orioles in a trade for RHP Scott Feldman, has the second-lowest ERA in the majors since May 1. “I think it was something everybody believed he was capable of,” Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. “It’s not so much a surprise, just satisfaction and thankfulness that he’s been able to do what he’s done.”
CINCINNATI REDS
The Reds will go as far as their starting pitching takes them. Collectively, the starters need to remain healthy and productive, but RHP Johnny Cueto is the club’s ace, and he will be expected to shoulder that burden. Cincinnati needs Cueto to be dominant every fifth day. That wasn’t a problem in the first half. Cueto allowed more than two earned runs in just four of his 20 starts, and he allowed more than three earned runs in just two outings.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Of all the Biogenesis Boys, nobody has more to prove this year than RF Ryan Braun. Milwaukee’s $100 million man is batting .298 with 11 home runs and leads the team but 52 RBIs, but a prolonged slump in June and a number of nagging injuries sapped the consistency out of the one-time Most Valuable Player. The last two weeks before the All-Star break provided cause for optimism, as he hit .389 and collected multiple hits in nine of 14 games.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES
LHP Francisco Liriano led the Pirates with 16 wins last season, then was the winning pitcher against the Cincinnati Reds in the NL wild-card game, the franchise’s first postseason game since 1992. However, he is 1-7 with a 4.72 ERA in 15 starts this season, and he allowed six walks in four innings in the July 13 loss at Cincinnati after being activated from the disabled list before the game. If Liriano can get straightened out and pitch as he did in 2013, he would give the Pirates a top-of-the-rotation starter and bolster their postseason chances.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
The suspicion was that LF Matt Holliday might finally be washed up after he entered the last week before the break with five homers, as many as Cincinnati speedster Billy Hamilton, and on pace for fewer than 80 RBIs. However, Holliday might be on the verge of one of his patented tears, where he pounds the ball into the seats for weeks at a time and carries an offense. Holliday still has great bat speed — his game-winning homer July 11 in Milwaukee left his bat at more than 103 mph — and is on track for 40 doubles. If Holliday can get on a RBI tear, the offense suddenly looks stouter.
NL EAST
ATLANTA BRAVES
The Braves showed they can’t get along without C Evan Gattis. The powerful second-year player missed the two weeks prior to the break with back issues; he received an epidural injection and is working his way back. Gattis is hitting .290 with 16 homers and 39 RBIs in 69 games. Although he swings hard and can sometimes appear fooled, his swing is compact and manageable and has enabled him to avoid extended slumps. Having his bat in the fourth or fifth spot makes a big difference.
MIAMI MARLINS
3B Casey McGehee is huge to the Marlins’ second-half hopes because he bats cleanup, right behind RF Giancarlo Stanton. McGehee, working on a one-year contract after playing last season in Japan, was a key find for Miami. He enters the break with 115 hits, and if he can continue to play well, the Marlins could perhaps hang around on the fringes of the playoff race. If he slumps, Stanton would get even fewer pitches to hit, which would be a bad blow to the offense. McGehee has just one homer this season, but he is hitting a team-high .319 with 53 RBIs and is playing solid defense.
NEW YORK METS
The Mets are enamored with C Travis d’Arnaud’s defense as well as his budding leadership skills. If his first-half offensive finish (.295 with three homers and 10 RBIs since returning from Triple-A Las Vegas on June 24) is a sign of things to come, then the Mets have the homegrown backstop every team wants — as well as trade bait, given that the best position prospect in the chain is C Kevin Plawecki, who was promoted to Triple-A Las Vegas last month.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
None is readily apparent, but the second half will at least give the Phillies a chance to take a longer look at some of their younger players. Cody Asche shows promise that he could be the everyday third baseman, though it remains unclear as to whether he will be the long-term answer at that position. Rookie RHP Ken Giles — he of the blazing fastball and passable breaking ball — looks as if he could be the team’s closer someday, and RHP David Buchanan was OK in his 10 starts with the team.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS
LF Bryce Harper, even without his first-half injury, would be the logical pick for this spot. No matter what he does — good or bad — attention is heaped on the former No. 1 overall draft pick. Harper could make a good team great if he could produce even close to his levels from 2012 and 2013. He remains an offensive weapon who can put down a bunt or hit a 400-foot homer. In the field, he can throw behind runners or throw out a potential run at the plate.
AL WEST
HOUSTON ASTROS
RHP Scott Feldman opened the season pitching brilliantly, landed on the disabled list after just four starts, then was mediocre since his return in early May. Had he maintained his scorching pace out of the gate, the Astros might have been in position to trade him to a contender for prospects at the non-waiver deadline. Now, they need Feldman to close this season with a flourish and perhaps then they can flip him during the coming offseason.
LOS ANGELES ANGELS
RHP Jason Grilli, acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 27 for RHP Ernesto Frieri in an exchange of closers, compiled 33 saves as a National League All-Star last year. Before 2013, Grilli primarily performed in middle relief and as a setup reliever. The 37-year-old’s versatility and experience add a crucial element to the Angels’ bullpen, especially if RHP Joe Smith, the closer, becomes injured or ineffective for an indefinite span. After going 0-2 with a 4.87 ERA and 11 saves for Pittsburgh this season, Grilli allowed one earned run in seven innings over his first eight appearances for Los Angeles.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS
The A’s have so much depth in both starting and relief pitching, it is hard to imagine any one injury derailing either unit. That cannot be said of the Oakland outfield. CF Coco Crisp was only healthy enough to play 73 of the team’s 95 games before the break, part of the reason manager Bob Melvin was forced to use the likes of Brandon Moss and Stephen Vogt in the outfield far more than he would like. If Crisp, the table-setting leadoff man, were to go down with another of his seemingly annual injuries, no doubt the A’s would do down in the standings as well.
SEATTLE MARINERS
RHP Taijuan Walker, the Mariners’ top prospect, was a luxury late last season, but injuries to some of his fellow phenoms put Seattle in more of a desperate situation in terms of Walker’s contribution this season. The back of the rotation fell on hard times over the past month, and Walker is just the kind of starter who could wear the hero’s cape. However, he still is pretty rusty after missing all of spring training with shoulder issues, and he recently was sent back to Triple-A to get in a couple of starts during the break. The Mariners still have high hopes for Walker’s long-term future, but they might need him sooner rather than later.
TEXAS RANGERS
Leonys Martin needs to prove he can play every day in center field. Offensively, he is inconsistent. Bottom line: He needs to be a better hitter against left-handed pitchers. This season, Martin is batting .291 against right-handers and .184 against left-handers. Those aren’t everyday numbers or numbers that give team officials any confidence he can be a viable leadoff option. Martin, in his second full major league season, needs to grow defensively, too. Too often he misses cutoff men, and his throws home are often wide.
AL CENTRAL
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
2B Gordon Beckham is subject of trade rumors, but if he stays, he will need to find more consistency at the plate. Beckham is batting just .238 with a career-low .291 on-base percentage and a .379 slugging percentage. Take away Beckham’s .306 average in May, and his half-season was truly woeful. He hit .160 through the end of April, .235 in June, and he is batting .114 so far in July. Despite Beckham’s struggles, manager Robin Ventura keeps writing his name on the lineup card. Beckham started 71 of the team’s 74 games since coming off the disabled list in late April.
CLEVELAND INDIANS
One year after making the AL All-Star team and winning 14 games, RHP Justin Masterson endured an extremely disappointing first half. He is 4-6 with a 5.51 ERA, and he lasted less than five innings in five of his past eight starts. Masterson is on the disabled list due to an inflamed knee, but he is expected back within a week of the resumption of play following the break. With free agency looming, he needs to pitch well not only to help the Indians’ playoff chase but also to enhance his value on the market.
DETROIT TIGERS
OF J.D. Martinez went from off-the-radar to high-profile player in just about two months. His offensive production is taking pressure off 1B Miguel Cabrera and DH Victor Martinez. J.D. Martinez was tested every way possible by pitchers, yet he hit for both average and power in the first half. Logic says the balloon will deflate, but he completely remade his swing prior to being released in spring training by the Houston Astros. “The good hitters are the ones who get hot, cool off, get hot again for a stretch and it happens three or four times over the course of a season,” manager Brad Ausmus said. “The hot streaks outweigh the cold streaks by a lot.”
KANSAS CITY ROYALS
If 1B Eric Hosmer continues the hot streak he carried into the All-Star break, he can carry the team. Last season, the Royals finished on a tear, and Hosmer was a big part of it. “It’s a long process,” Hosmer said. “You can’t get too high or too low, but if everybody is hitting, it gives the positive energy throughout the team. We just have to find a way to produce runs.” Hosmer’s batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, homer rare and RBI rate are all down from last season. He needs to reverse those trends for Kansas City to remain in contention.
MINNESOTA TWINS
Joe Mauer needs to be better. Not only are his first-half numbers among the worst by a regular first baseman in the American League, but they are far and away the worst numbers of his career. Currently on the disabled list with an oblique strain, Mauer is hitting .271 — nearly 50 points below his career average. He has only two homers and 28 RBIs, and his on-base percentage and slugging percentage are well below his career norms. Mauer never was much of a power hitter (the exception being his 28-homer MVP season of 2009), but the Twins desperately need him to at least get on base at a typical Mauer-like clip if they hope to contend.
AL EAST
BALTIMORE ORIOLES
1B Chris Davis was one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball last year, when he led the majors with 53 homers and 138 RBIs, but it is was a different story so far in 2014. Davis hit 15 homers and drove in 48 runs in the first half, and he heads into the break with just a .199 average. An oblique injury sent him to the disabled list earlier, and he never was quite the same. The Orioles really need his bat, and if he still struggles after the break, manager Buck Showalter could face some tough decisions.
BOSTON RED SOX
2B Dustin Pedroia is still a productive player. He is still the sparkplug that gets the team going, and that is what Mariano Rivera was talking about in his book when he said he would take Pedroia over former teammate Robinson Cano (clearly the better hitter and at least Pedroia’s equal in the field). Pedroia is invaluable in terms of his attitude and style of play. However, he has become a singles and doubles hitter, leaving a lack of production near the top of the lineup. DH David Ortiz and 1B Mike Napoli will get their home runs. Pedroia needs to chip in.
NEW YORK YANKEES
1B Mark Teixeira must stay healthy, as his 17 home runs represent the most Yankees’ consistent power threat. He will need to be joined in that department by C Brian McCann, who has 10 home runs and an underwhelming .239 average. McCann is the latest first-year Yankee to endure some early struggles, but those issues usually end early in the seasons. McCann must bounce back soon if the Yankees are going to have a real shot. The team is not paying him $85 million to merely call games behind the plate.
TAMPA BAY RAYS
There might not be a more interesting player in baseball, period, than LHP David Price. Will the Rays trade him? Where will he go? When will they pull the trigger on a deal? What can the Rays get back in exchange for Price? He is a bona fide ace, but he is due to make as much as $20 million next year before heading into free agency in November 2015. It might be time for the Rays to trade him as they dealt RHPs Matt Garza and James Shields in the past.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS
The return of Brett Lawrie, expected in late July, should bring back some stability and flexibility to the defense, where he was solid at both second base and third base. Third is his preferred position, and he can be spectacular there, but he moved to second so that Juan Francisco could be used to provide home run power to the lineup against right-handed pitching. GM Alex Anthopoulos said there is no inclination at this stage to turn Lawrie into a permanent second baseman, but Lawrie’s versatility gives both the front office and manager John Gibbons flexibility.