Five teams to watch in MLB’s second half

Jul 11, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen (center facing) is mobbed at home after hitting a game winning two run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fourteenth inning at PNC Park. The Pirates won 6-5 in fourteen innings. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Though over half the season is already in the books, that doesn’t mean every division race is decided and each playoff berth already claimed. Plenty of teams’ postseason bids are still in adequate shape heading into the latter part of July.

With the All-Star Game behind us, it’s time to start thinking about what the second act of the 2015 MLB season could have in store. The first three and a half months offered a plethora of action, intrigue and storylines for fans, and the second half looks like it will have more of the same down the stretch.

Since MLB added a second Wild Card spot in the each league, it has become much less common for teams to fall hopelessly out of the playoff picture by the midseason break. At the moment, only eight of the league’s 30 clubs are more than six games off the pace in the Wild Card hunt. We appear once again poised for a wild finish in September.

Before the season resumes on Friday, here are five teams in particular (in no specific order) to keep an eye on as we near the dog days of summer.

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