The story beneath is a collaboration between writers from MLB.com and Yahoo Sports activities, who’re becoming a member of forces this season to cowl matters round baseball.
Which MLB Gamers Are Second Half X Elements?
With the All-Star break behind us and the playoff chase heating up, we posed that query to 6 writers (three from MLB.com and three from Yahoo Sports activities). Their process was to determine gamers with the chance to make their mark within the remaining two months and extra of the 2024 season – not simply by enjoying properly, however by serving to push their golf equipment right into a postseason berth or division title … or possibly additional. .
Listed here are six gamers who might make the most important impression with their operating performances. (All stats beneath are for Monday's video games.)
The Mariners held a 10-game lead within the AL West getting into play on June 19, however are actually locked in a head-to-head battle with the Astros, who want to seize the division crown for the seventh time on this competitors. the final eight seasons. With one of many lowest scoring offenses within the sport, the M's are in determined want of a bat and will very properly add one on the commerce deadline. That stated, getting a giant out of J-Rod as soon as he returns from a sprained proper ankle might be as impactful as any commerce.
Rodríguez entered the All-Star break with simply 10 homers and a .690 OPS in 97 video games, however we all know how good he could be when he's proper. The teen was the most effective gamers in baseball a yr in the past, ending fourth in AL MVP voting after producing 32 homers, 37 steals and an .818 OPS in his 22-game season years. He was beginning to return to his pre-injury type, slashing .439/.500/.805 with 4 homers in 13 video games between July third and July 20th. A rejuvenated Rodríguez might give Seattle the offensive increase it must win its first AL West. title since 2001, assuming he doesn't have an prolonged keep on the injured checklist.
— Thomas Harrigan (MLB.com)
That assumes, in fact, that the White Sox, with MLB's worst report, choose to commerce Crochet, who isn't a free agent till after 2026. Given the state of their group, it's truthful to imagine the Sox received't compete within the window that. That makes a commerce of the 25-year-old All-Star lefty a comparatively probably proposition on the upcoming deadline. And whereas there are issues about Crochet's workload — he's already doubled his earlier profession excessive in innings — he's an impactful, game-changing arm regardless of how he's deployed.
Coming into Tuesday's begin in opposition to the Rangers, Crochet has thrown 107 1/three innings with a three.02 ERA up to now this season. Its predictive stats beneath the hood are much more favorable. That is, proper now, one of the crucial unbeatable hurlers within the league. Whichever staff lands the gas-throwing slugger will instantly add the league chief in hitting, somebody who would begin Sport 1 of a playoff collection for numerous contending groups. That's what I name an X issue.
— Jake Mintz (Yahoo Sports activities)
When Lewis is wholesome, he is without doubt one of the finest baseball gamers on the planet. By means of the primary 94 video games of his profession, Lewis has given up 27 residence runs, slashed .303/.361/.584 and posted a 158 OPS+, which trails solely Aaron Choose, Yordan Alvarez , Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto (min. 350 plate appearances) since then. his debut season in 2022.
Staying wholesome is the caveat although. Lewis tore his ACL in his proper knee 12 video games into his MLB profession — the second time he's accomplished so in professional ball — and has handled numerous illnesses since returning to the majors final Might. He’s at the moment on the injured checklist with a proper adductor pressure, however is anticipated to return earlier than the tip of the month.
If Lewis can keep wholesome the remainder of the season, it bodes properly for a Twins staff that has only a small cushion within the AL wild-card race. It's additionally not inconceivable that a wholesome Lewis might spark a Twins run to an AL Central title, as they've gained important floor on the first-place Guardians, going from 9 video games on June 25 to simply 4 getting into Tuesday .
— Brent Maguire (MLB.com)
There is probably not a playoff contender with greater questions within the beginning rotation than the Dodgers. And that makes Glasnow as worthwhile as any rookie in baseball. Earlier than his latest again spasm that landed him in IL, Glasnow had been the whole lot the Dodgers hoped he could be in his first season in LA, dominating on the high of the rotation.
The issue is that what’s behind it was very cloudy. Whereas Gavin Stone has been electrical, he and Glasnow are the one actual certainties for the Dodgers proper now. It's unclear if or when Yoshinobu Yamamoto will return, and with Bobby Miller just lately despatched right down to Triple-A and Clayton Kershaw making his season debut this week after rehabbing from shoulder surgical procedure, that is removed from a rotation fill.
Glasnow will return from IL on Wednesday in opposition to the Giants, and his capacity to remain wholesome within the second half can be crucial if the Dodgers hope to be the staff we anticipate them to be in October.
— Russ Dorsey (Yahoo Sports activities)
The Mets have been ready all season for Senga, and he's lastly right here, simply in time for his or her playoff push. (The fitting-hander might make his 2024 debut as early as Friday.) The Mets one way or the other managed to get into playoff place to finish the primary inning with out Senga. They’ve already obtained bumps from Grimace and Jose Iglasias. If something can spark them right into a postseason now, it's getting their ace again for the run.
Do not forget that Senga is a Cy Younger caliber arm. Do not forget that the “ghost pitch” is certainly one of baseball's most unbeatable pitches. Do not forget that Senga went 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA and 208 strikeouts in his first season going through main league hitters — and completed the season with a 14-game hitting streak -2 with a 2.44 ERA, 101 Okay and a 10.7 Okay/9 Fee. For the Mets, that is the traditional “largest addition comes from inside” scenario. Given the logjam within the Nationwide League wild-card race, Senga is the kind of participant who might be the distinction between the Mets making the playoffs and lacking them.
— David Adler (MLB.com)
Simply two years in the past, Machado completed second in NL MVP voting and helped lead the Padres to a pair of World Collection victories. Since then, nevertheless, he's gone via a number of accidents which have diminished his general manufacturing from elite to merely superb, with solely occasional flashes of the MVP candidate model of Machado showing alongside the best way.
Now in the midst of the NL wild-card image, the Padres have been fueled by their surprisingly glorious pitching up to now, because of the resurgence of Fernando Tatis Jr., the instant success of 21-year-old rookie Jackson Merrill and the gorgeous breakout of veteran Jurickson Profar . In the meantime, the infield has been much less promising, with Xander Bogaerts considerably hampered by accidents and Ha-Seong Kim not being as productive on the plate as he was a yr in the past.
Machado, in the meantime, has began to look extra like himself just lately, opening the door for what might be a vital previous few months for the veteran third baseman if San Diego desires to bounce again in October. In 25 video games since his OPS dipped to .662 on June 18, Machado has hit .293/.336/.535 with seven residence runs, way more reflective of the kind of hitting we've seen since 2020 to '22. Machado constructing on that glorious type down the stretch would go a great distance towards cementing San Diego's standing within the NL postseason race.
— Jordan Shusterman (Yahoo Sports activities)