MLB: Bold predictions for the second half of the season

We’ve hit the All-Star break in the 2017 MLB season, which means we are at roughly the halfway point of the season. After an incredible first half of action, what can we expect from the second half?

The first half of 2017 did not disappoint. From unexpected players going off, to rookies hitting uncanny amounts of home runs, to surprising contenders still in the hunt for October baseball, the first half has MLB fans excited for what’s in store in the second half.

Call to the Pen’s own Jason Burke ranked the top storylines in the first half of the season.

So far in 2017, the two best teams in baseball are the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros. Both teams won 60 games before the All-Star break, something that hasn’t happened since 1969 when the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs did so, according to MLB Stat of the Day.

Along with the Dodgers and Astros leading their respective divisions, the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Washington Nationals and Milwaukee Brewers are also division leaders.

Yes, the Milwaukee Brewers lead the NL Central. Probably the most surprising occurrence in the first half of the season. An intriguing storyline in the second half: Can they hold onto the division lead?

The American League holds a close gap for the two Wild Card spots. The Chicago White Sox and Oakland Athletics, tied for the worst record in the AL, are just 7.5 games out of the Wild Card. Teams like the Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins continue to outplay expectations.

Rookies Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger continue to light the baseball world on fire with their home run hitting talents. Judge leads the league in home runs with 30, while Bellinger has 25 home runs after spending most of April in the minors, and sits one home run shy of the NL lead.

After a stellar first half, let’s look at some bold predictions for the second half of the season.