Starting Nine (Week of July 17th)
The official start of the second half kicks off on Friday as Major League Baseball readies for what should be an exciting rest of July, culminating with the Trade Deadline. Here is this week’s Starting Nine:
Starting Nine (Week of July 17th)
Hope to see you back: The More Things Change; Welcome Back to the Show: The More Things Stay the Same
#9. Atlanta Braves 53-42 (+475/+900) - The Braves should have enough offense for a playoff run but they will need another starter. Braves’ management has consistently made moves to bolster the roster at the deadline and this season should be no exception. Last Week’s Rank: 8th
#8. Seattle Mariners 52-46 (+1000/+2200) - The Mariners hold on the AL West lead could be tenuous with a weekend series set against the surging Astros this weekend. This team needs bats. Last Week’s Rank: 9th
#7. Minnesota Twins 54-42 (+600/1400) - The Twins appear to be in this for the long haul and haven’t let the Guardians pull away. Health is the key to their success and its been hard to come by this season for the Twins. Last Week’s Rank: 7th
#6. Milwaukee Brewers 55-42 (+900/+1900) - The Brewers will be getting rotation help back shortly and closer Williams is a month away. They’ll need to add a starter at the deadline to be serious contenders in October. Last Week’s Rank: 5th
#5. New York Yankees 58-40 (+265/+550) - The Yankees missed out on a chance to sweep the Orioles with a 9th-inning collapse on Sunday. They’ll be active at the deadline. Last Week’s Rank: 6th
#4. LA Dodgers 56-41 (+165/+330) - The Dodgers will face a good test against the red-hot Red Sox to start the second half but should get Clayton Kershaw back in the rotation. Last Week’s Rank: 4th
#3. Baltimore Orioles 58-38 (+370/+800) - Baltimore has to hope that their six-game losing streak was the rough patch for the season and that they’ll return to form after the break. The win to close the first half over the Yankees was a confidence booster. Last Week’s Rank: 2nd
#2. Cleveland Guardians 58-37 (+500/+1300) - The Guardians faltered a bit before the All-Star Break and they’ll likely be fighting off a tough Twins team to the finish. Last Week’s Rank: 3rd
#1. Philadelphia Phillies 62-34 (+255/+500) - The big question for the Phillies in the second half is can Sanchez and Suarez maintain their form in the starting rotation? The Phillies released utility man Merrifield so they’ll likely be in the hunt for a right-handed bat. Last Week’s Rank: 2nd
AL/NL MVP Candidates:
Here are this week’s Top Three MVP candidates for each league.
American League
Aaron Judge, CF/DH New York Yankees (-310) - Quite simply, Judge is putting up Barry Bonds-level numbers and is a lock for MVP barring injury. He is first in WAR, first in home runs, first in OPS, first in slugging and first in RBI. Oh, and he’s hitting over .300.
Gunnar Henderson, SS Baltimore Orioles (+250) - If only Aaron Judge had signed with the Giants last year, Henderson would be staring down his first MVP award. In the American League, he is second in WAR, second in OPS, second in slugging, second in home runs, and he has 14 steals. If you are banking on Judge missing a significant time due to injury, Henderson is your guy.
Jose Ramirez, 3B Cleveland Guardians (+3000) - Ramirez gets the nod for me over Juan Soto simply because Soto gets completely trumped by his own teammate. Ramirez is the best player on the team with the best record in the AL. He is 2nd in RBI, 4th in home runs, 4th in total bases and has 18 steals.
National League
Shohei Ohtani, DH LA Dodgers (-290) - Ohtani is slightly less a favorite in the NL than Judge is in the AL partially due to his being exclusively a DH. He also has far less competition than Judge in terms of breakout seasons. In the NL, Ohtani is first in WAR, first in HRs, first in total bases, first in slugging, and first in OPS. If Betts had stayed healthy, this could have been an interesting race.
Bryce Harper, 1B/DH Philadelphia Phillies (+600) - A perennial MVP candidate, Harper also plays a lot of DH which hurts his candidacy a bit. The NL field is weak, however, and Harper looks to be the second clear-cut choice as the top player on the top team in the NL. In the National League, he is fourth in home runs, fifth in slugging, fifth in WAR and fifth in RBI. His numbers aren’t jaw-dropping but Harper can get on a hot streak in the second half to change the landscape.
Ketel Marte, 2B Arizona Diamondbacks (+2500) - The field is top-heavy in the NL for MVP and Marte represents a significant drop as my third pick. That doesn’t take away from what has been a stellar season Marte after his breakout playoff performance in 2023. He is second in WAR, fourth in total bases, fifth in slugging, and 7th in OPS in the National League.
*All odds courtesy of Draftkings.com
By Mark Ruelle
