Now that the first half of the 2015 season is in the books, what storylines caught our attention the most? There were plenty of interesting talking points throughout the first three months of the year, but these are what we were compelled to watch the most.
The revitalization of Alex Rodriguez. No one know what to expect from A-Rod in 2015 after missing all of 2014 and playing sparingly in 2013. But A-Rod is fully healthy, and has hit the crap out of the ball as the Yankees’ every day DH, smashing his way to a .278/.382/.515 line with 18 homers. The 18 homers are his highest in a season since he launched 30 round trippers in 2010, and his .897 OPS is his best in a season since he posted a .936 mark in 2009. Rodriguez’s performance has also taken him into hallowed ground, passing Willie Mays for fourth place on the all-time home run list and reaching the 3,000 hit plateau. There was even talk last week about Rodriguez being a legitimate All-Star snub, and we didn’t even know if he was going to be worth playing back in April! Like him or not, the renaissance has been incredible.
BOSTON, MA – JULY 3: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros and Carlos Correa #1 celebrate a 12-8 win in ten innings against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on July 3, 2015 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
The rise of the Houston Astros. Last season, Houston won just 70 games….but that was still their highest total since 2010. This season, they’ve already racked up 49, just two shy of their total during the entire 2013 season. The Astros ended the first half on a 1-8 stretch to fall out of the pole position in the AL West for the first time since April 18th, but they still spent a total of 88 days in first place before the All-Star Break. With exciting young talents like Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, and the injured George Springer on offensive, and dynamic young starters like Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers on the hill, Houston’s quest for their first .500 season since 2008 and first playoff berth since 2005 will be enthralling to watch in the second half.
NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 24: Cole Hamels #35 of the Philadelphia Phillies stands on the mound in the second inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 24, 2015 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
The continued decline of the Philadelphia Phillies. For as awesome and inspiring as the Astros’ rise has been, that’s how depressing the fall of the Phillies has been. In 2011, the Phillies won a franchise record 102 games and lost just 60. Just four seasons later, they’ve already lost 62 games…and today is only July 13th. The team that was the class of the NL East for five straight seasons has turned into a disastrous laughingstock, the worst team in all of baseball. Only one Phillies team since World War II has a worse winning percentage than the 2015 club’s .319 mark. And somehow, some way, the Phillies might not be that active at the trade deadline because there are rumors circling that their GM Ruben Amaro is a lame duck and will have his hands tied by incoming team president Andy MacPhail and outgoing interim team president Pat Gillick. How bad can things get? We may soon find out.
MILWAUKEE, WI – APRIL 12: Manager Ron Roenicke #10 of the Milwaukee Brewers walks to the mound during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Miller Park on April 12, 2015 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Jeffrey Phelps/Getty Images)
The managerial quick hook. Four managers were replaced in the first half – three were fired, while one resigned. Only three managers were replaced during the 2014 season (two firings, one resignation), and another three were replaced after the season ended (again, two firings and one resignation). In 2013, just one manager was fired during the season and five were replaced after the season (two firings, two retirements, and one resignation). After what we’ve seen so far this season, I wouldn’t be shocked if even more managers fell victim to the chopping block before the 2015 season came to a close – Lloyd McClendon? Fredi Gonzalez? Robin Ventura? John Farrell? John Gibbons? Walt Weiss? I don’t think the winds of change have stopped blowing quite yet, even with several very tight playoff races.
LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 18: Zack Greinke #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws a pitch against the Texas Rangers at Dodger Stadium on June 18, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
The continued dominance of starting pitching. The league-wide ERA for starting pitchers is actually up from 2014 – 3.97 this year compared to 3.82 last year. Of course, only 1992 and 2014 are lower overall during the last 25 seasons, so let’s not exactly start damning starting pitching quite yet. But the overall dominance of the best pitchers in baseball this year is staggering. 23 starters with at least 60 innings pitched have struck out at least a batter per inning. 32 starters with at least 60 innings have an ERA under 3.00, and 14 of those 32 are under 2.50. 27 starters (again, using the 60 inning threshold) have a strikeout to walk ratio of four to one or better. It’s obscene how well the best pitchers in the league are pitching this season. Jon Lester got $155 million this offseason from the Cubs, and his 3.59 ERA is fourth on the team’s starting staff. Absurd.
DETROIT, MI – JUNE 30: Justin Verlander #35 of the Detroit Tigers walks to the dugout after being replaced in the seventh inning of the interleague game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 30, 2015 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
The breakdown of the Detroit Tigers. Well, we could see this coming for awhile…and it looks like the Tigers are finally off their perch for good at the top of the AL Central. At the All-Star Break, the Tigers are 44-44, nine games back of the Royals. They’re just two games up on the Indians and White Sox for last place in the division. David Price, who will be a free agent after the season, is their only starter with an ERA under 4.50. Miguel Cabrera is on the DL for the first time in his career, months after Justin Verlander went on the DL for the first time in *his* career. Victor Martinez looks every bit of his 36-years old, just one season after finishing as the runner-up in the AL MVP race. After starting the year 11-2, the Tigers are an AL-worst 33-42 in the 75 games since. That’s just stunning.
WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 21: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals hits against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Nationals Park on June 21, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Bryce Harper’s incredible breakout. Despite not turning 22 until last October, some people thought of Bryce Harper as a bust because he hadn’t dominated the National League like Mike Trout has dominated the American League. But this season, Harper has been the player everyone expected. His 26 homers in 81 games are a career-high. He’s hitting .339/.464/.704, and running roughshod over the NL despite most his fellow Nationals hitters being injured or unproductive. The only player aged 22 or younger that has had a higher OPS than Harper in a season was some guy named Ted Williams. This is a truly historic year in the making for Harper if he stays healthy and doesn’t experience a huge decline in his performance in the second half.
SEATTLE, WA – JULY 11: Albert Pujols #5 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim reacts after striking out in the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on July 11, 2015 in Seattle, Washington. The Mariners defeated the Angels 5-0. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
The complete and utter insanity of the Angels. Here’s a brief timeline of the Angels’ season – Josh Hamilton has shoulder surgery, Josh Hamilton relapses, Josh Hamilton gets slandered by the Angels, Josh Hamilton is essentially given to the Rangers, Albert Pujols discovers the Fountain of Youth and starts hitting like he’s 26 again, Mike Trout continues playing like the all-world player he is, Jerry Dipoto and Mike Scioscia clash, Jerry Dipoto resigns as GM, Angels somehow end the first half in first place. Talk about eventful – and I didn’t even detail the continued decline of Jered Weaver, the disappointment of the bullpen past Huston Street and Joe Smith, Matt Joyce being one of the worst players in all of baseball, and the team getting no production from about half of the positions on the diamond.
NEW YORK, NY – JULY 10: Pitcher Noah Syndergaard #34 of the New York Mets delivers a pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning on July 10, 2015 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
The downright fun to watch New York Mets rotation. Reigning NL Rookie of the Year (and NL All-Star) Jacob deGrom has a 2.14 ERA in 113 2/3 innings. Rookie Noah Syndergaard is at 3.11. In his first year back from Tommy John surgery, Matt Harvey is at 3.07. Steven Matz is holding the fort down with a 1.32 mark in two starts. Those four pitchers represent the future of the New York Mets, and they’re more than holding their own so far. In addition to their sparking ERAs, each pitcher is striking out hitters by the truckload (Harvey as the lowest K-rate of the foursome…at 8.81 batters per nine), and limiting their walks. And hell, Harvey and Syndergaard each have one homer as hitters this season – that’s as many as David Wright! The Mets are still alive in the playoff race, and that exciting pitching staff will give fans a reason to watch deep into September.
KANSAS CITY, MO – JULY 12: Kendrys Morales #25 of the Kansas City Royals is congratulated by Eric Hosmer #35 and Lorenzo Cain #6 after hitting a three-run home run during the 1st inning of the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium on July 12, 2015 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The continued success of small market clubs. Following their magical run to the 2014 World Series, many wondered if the Kansas City Royals would be able to maintain their success in 2015. The answer? A resounding “YUP”. The Royals have the best record in the American League and are 4.5 games up in the division on another surprising small market team – the Minnesota Twins, who next to no one expected to succeed in 2015. The Houston Astros, as mentioned earlier, are also thriving this season, though Houston isn’t exactly a small market. The Tampa Bay Rays are also playing well this year and are 3.5 games out in the AL East, despite a brutal 2-13 stretch in late-June/early-July that knocked them below .500 for a brief period. Over in the National League, the Pittsburgh Pirates are on track for their third straight playoff berth, and possess the third-best record in baseball after they took three out of four from the reigning NL Central champion Cardinals this weekend. If the season ended today, four of the ten playoff teams from a year ago would be watching from home, including the defending champion Giants.
Buckle up, and prepare for one hell of a second half.
