With the baseball season reaching the halfway point, there have been many teams who have clearly separated themselves as contenders and many players who have lived up to expectations. On the other hand, there have been many disappointments. We break down the 10 biggest winners and losers after the first 81 games in the MLB.
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Winner: Milwaukee Brewers
There were questions this off-season regarding just how good the Milwaukee Brewers would be under new manager Pat Murphy. All Milwaukee has done is post the third best record in the National League at 48-33 and opened up a six-game lead in the NL Central. They are on cruise control at this point.
Loser: Texas Rangers
For a team that just won the World Series a year ago, it might be a classic championship hangover or injuries to several key players: starting pitchers Jacob DeGrom and Cody Bradford, and not to mention third baseman Josh Jung. But whatever is going on, no one could’ve predicted the defending champs being six games below .500 at 37-43 midway through the MLB season. They are in desperate need of a turnaround, and fast.
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Winner: Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
Skenes is must see TV every time he’s on the mound. The rookie sensation is known for clocking pitches over 100 MPH and he’s a strikeout machine. He averages eight strikeouts a game. The only reason he is not higher on the list is the fact that he’s had eight starts, but is only 4-0 and has had four no decisions.
Loser: Ian Happ, Chicago Cubs
Truth be told, the entire Chicago Cubs’ offense could be on this list. However, Happ was supposed to be one of the cornerstones to boost the rebuild. To this point, it has not worked out. He’s only hitting .226 with 10 home runs on the season. Plain and simple, not good enough.
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Winner: Kansas City Royals
This might surprise some people, but the Kansas City Royals have been just quietly lurking all season long. They had a season-high eight-game winning streak in the middle of May which helped propel them in the MLB standings. They are currently 44-38 and third in the American League Central. Let’s see where they go from here during the second half.
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Loser: Randy Arozarena, Tampa Bay Rays
Simply put, Tampa Bays outfield Randy Arozarena has not had a good season. What if we told you that he has the third-lowest batting average in baseball? That is correct. Through 81 games, Arozarena has an average of .188. Traditionally, he’s had his season average finish around .250 at least. He’s top five as far as disappointing seasons are concerned.
Winner: Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles
It can be argued that Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson is the second-best player in the American League right now. He’s second in all of baseball in home runs with 26, only behind Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge and is fourth in runs batted in. With the Orioles only one game behind the Yankees in the American League East division right now, do not be surprised to see Henderson have a second half surge.
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Loser: Luis Castillo, Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners star pitcher Luis Castillo has been very inconsistent to say the least this season. Right now, he’s 6-9 on the year with an earned run average near four, which is clearly not his standards. Luckily, the Mariners are in first place in the American League West. But for them to have any chance to be a serious contender, he has to perform better down the stretch.
Winner: Ranger Suarez, Philadelphia Phillies
Whatever happened this off-season, Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez looks totally different in 2024. He’s 10-2 this year in 16 starts with an earned run average of 2.00. Last season, he had a record of 4-6 and a 4.18 earned run average in 22 starts. He’s without a doubt a top three candidate if not outright leader for the National League’s Cy Young award, which is awarded to the league’s best pitcher.
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Loser: Chicago Cubs bullpen
Apologies to Chicago Cubs fans, but the team’s bullpen gives away games like they are a charity and are by far the biggest loser so far this year. As bad as the offense has performed at times, it’s almost a certainy they will blow whatever lead they create. Chicago leads MLB in most blown leads in the seventh inning or later and is largely the reason the team’s record is 38-44, last in the NL Central. Unfortunately, general manager Jed Hoyer will not make any upgrades right now. Maybe that changes at the trade deadline.