MLB All-Star break a mere pause in the playoff races, superstar trades and hot seats the second half will bring
As MLB hits the All-Star break, let’s take a look at some of the most intriguing questions that loom for the second half of the season:
Can anyone catch the Braves in the National League?
Atlanta has emerged as the clear team to beat in the National League, winning 12 of their last 14 games ahead of the break and cruising into the week with an MLB-best 60-29 record.
The National League seemingly has less depth than the American League, with no team within nine games of the Braves. The Diamondbacks, Marlins and Reds offer fresh faces atop the league, however, and possess some of baseball’s most tantalizing rising talents.
Reds phenom rookie Elly De La Cruz delivers a new highlight every night. He’s already hit for the cycle and recently stole second, third and home in the same inning. Through Sunday, he was slashing .325/.363/.524 with an .887 OPS.
Diamondbacks rookie Corbin Carroll has been the runaway Rookie of the Year favorite, through Sunday with a .289/.366/.549 slash line and a .915 OPS.
Can some of that young talent spark a surprise in October and make the Braves sweat?
All eyes on Shohei Ohtani
Ohtani constantly commands attention for his feats on the field, but there’s more than one reason he’ll be the center of ample discourse in the second half.
He entered the break with an MLB-best 32 home runs in the Angels’ first 91 games, on-pace to finish with 56. Less than a year after Aaron Judge set a new American League single-season home run record of 62, could Ohtani best it?
Through the Yankees’ first 91 games last year, Judge hit 33 home runs.
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Off the field, Ohtani is set to become a free agent after the season in what is expected to be one of the most competitive bidding wars in MLB history. The Angels have been vocally steadfast in their stance of not trading their generational superstar and attempting to re-sign him to a long-term deal.
But amid another season likely headed to miss the playoffs, could the Angels read the writing on the wall and accept a deal for Ohtani?
Can top spenders figure it out?
The Mets, Yankees and Padres own the top three payrolls in MLB, respectively, but none had the first half they envisioned.
The Mets offered some signs of hope entering the break, winning six of their last eight games. But the most expensive roster ever built has mostly flopped.
Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer struggled through inconsistency, injury and — for the latter — suspension, but enter the break mostly (minus Scherzer’s clunker vs. the Padres on Sunday) on an upward trend. Can they continue that?
After a troubling start to the season, Francisco Lindor finished the first half red-hot. Stud rookie Francisco Alvarez broke out of a prolonged slump and has been a force in recent weeks. Whichever versions of those players emerge after the break could determine the club’s postseason fate.
A lineup that has Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis and Xander Bogaerts is terrifying on paper, but the Padres also find themselves on the outside of the playoff picture.
Each are proven superstars with long track records of performing at high levels. Can they get hot and go on a run?
Or will manager Bob Melvin’s seat grow hot?
And then there’s the Yankees, whose offense has largely gone missing since Aaron Judge hit the injured list.
Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Rizzo, DJ LeMahieu and Josh Donaldson are all having career-worst seasons. Are losses like Sunday’s to the Cubs a sign their age is catching up to them? Or, after the team fired hitting coach Dillon Lawson on Sunday, can longtime feared hitters find their old form?
Trade candidates to watch
There are ample stars who could be moved ahead of the Aug. 1 trade deadline.
• The White Sox remain one good week away from being in the thick of the American League playoff picture, but could part with Lucas Giolito if not.
• Marcus Stroman owns a 2.96 ERA, but the Cubs have failed to get going this year. Could they cash in on Stroman, or longtime fan favorite Kyle Hendricks?
• David Robertson is likely the top available rental reliever if the Mets decide to sell. A year after the Phillies acquired the veteran right-hander at the deadline, could he be included in another deal?
• Cody Bellinger has enjoyed a resurgent season with the Cubs. On a one-year deal, it makes sense for Chicago to look to add younger talent in exchange for the outfielder.
• Although it remains unlikely with a full no-trade clause in his contract and the ability to opt in or out of his deal for next year, Max Scherzer could be a longshot blockbuster candidate if the Mets fail to get hot.
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Welterweight in waiting
Jaron Ennis should be done with step-up fights.
He’s ready for the elite in the welterweight division.
Because after Saturday night, he proved he’s among that group.
The 26-year-old Ennis (31-0, 28 KOs) shined as he secured a 10th-round KO victory over veteran contender Roiman Villa in the main event of Showtime’s card in Atlantic City on Saturday night.
Possessing one of the most all-around skill sets in boxing, Ennis has put himself in strong position to challenge the winner of the heavily-anticipated Errol Spence-Terrence Crawford bout, which is for the division’s undisputed title. But with a rematch clause, Spence and Crawford will likely fight again after their clash later this month.
That means Ennis can next turn to Vergil Ortiz or Eimantas Stanionis, whose scheduled Saturday night fight was postponed for a third time. Spence and Crawford have long served as the division’s gatekeepers, but are likely to move up to super welterweight for their second fight, or after their bout regardless of a rematch.
Young risers like Ennis, Ortiz and Stanionis likely provide the greatest competition as a new era at welterweight looms in the near future.
“I feel like me fighting another elite fighter, these top guys, like a Crawford or a Spence, or one of the younger guys, I feel like fighting elite competition makes you better,” Ennis told Post Sports+ before his last bout. “I feel like when I get in the ring with those guys, I’m gonna be even better and sharper than I am now. I feel like they’ll bring a different level out of me.”
Moving day for Christian Pulisic
Captain America is moving from England to Italy.
Christian Pulisic, the 24-year-old American soccer star, is on the verge of completing a $21.8 million transfer from Chelsea in the English Premier League to AC Milan in the Italian Serie A, according to esteemed international soccer newsbreaker Fabrizio Romano. The deal, which is pending a medical, could provide a needed fresh start for the popular forward.
The face of the U.S. Men’s National Team since he was a teenager, Pulisic’s $70 million move from Borussia Dortmund in the German Bundesliga to Chelsea ahead of the 2019-20 was heavily anticipated.
He enjoyed his greatest success his first season in London, recording nine goals and four assists as Chelsea finished fourth in the Premier League. A year later, he helped Chelsea win the Champions League as well as finish fourth in the Premier League again.
But Pulisic’s personal results were mixed, as he saw his playing time fluctuate while also missing ample time due to injuries.
He fell in and out of favor of various managers as Chelsea churned through a revolving door of managers in recent seasons. Last year, Chelsea disastrously finished 12th in the Premier League and cycled through four different managers despite lavish offseason additions, many of whom were in similar positions to Pulisic.
One of the most famous clubs in world soccer, AC Milan provides a promising destination to rejuvenate his career.
A year after winning the Italian league, the Rossoneri dropped to fourth place last season. They did, however, reach the Champions League semifinal, and unlike Chelsea, will again be in the competition next season.
