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.

The Milwaukee Brewers win the NL Central

So, this prediction would have been a lot bolder at the beginning of the 2017 season. Nevertheless, it remains bold with two and a half months of the season to go.

Remember when everyone wanted to claim the Chicago Cubs a dynasty? Remember when everyone was so quick to say the Cubs had the Central locked up in 2017? Not so fast. The Milwaukee Brewers entered the All-Star break with the NL Central lead. Both the Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals sit 5.5 games back of the Brewers.

According to FanGraphs division projections, the Cubs hold the highest chances of winning the Central at 53.1 percent. Even the Cardinals have a higher chance according to FanGraphs at 21.3 percent, while the Brewers sit at 20.6 percent.

Despite the projections, the Brewers win the NL Central. Even though the Brewers don’t have many household name players, they continue to win ballgames.

One of the most underrated players in baseball right now, Travis Shaw continues to spark the Brewers lineup. Shaw’s hitting .299/.367/.570 with 19 home runs, 65 RBI and 50 runs scored. Eric Thames and Ryan Braun are also play big for the Brewers’ offense.

The Brewers’ rotation might be the weak point of the team, but Chase Anderson, Zach Davies and Jimmy Nelson continue to impress. In the pen, the Brewers possess one of the best closers so far in 2017 in Corey Knebel. The 25-year-old closer made the 2017 All-Star team. He has 14 saves with a 1.70 ERA and 75 strikeouts.

With the Cubs still suffering a World Series hangover, the Brewers can capitalize on that and walk away division champions.

Aaron Judge breaks the rookie home run record

With 30 home runs before the All-Star break, Aaron Judge already passed Joe DiMaggio for the New York Yankees’ rookie home run record. So what’s next in line for Judge to do? Break the MLB rookie home run record.

In 1987, Oakland Athletics’ rookie Mark McGwire hit an MLB rookie record 49 home runs. McGwire went on to win AL rookie of the year in 1987. Judge stands just 19 home runs away from tying that mark and 20 away from breaking the record.

Judge played in 27 games in 2016 and looked lost at the plate. He hit .179/.263/.345 with just four home runs and 10 RBI.

This season, Judge can do no wrong at the plate. The six-foot, seven-inch, 282-pound specimen continues to look like one of the best hitters in today’s game. Before the All-Star break, Judge hit .329/.448/.691 with the 30 home runs, 66 RBI and 75 runs scored. He leads all of MLB in bWAR at 5.3.

Judge aims for one of the best seasons ever by a rookie. Breaking McGwire’s rookie home run record could secure that achievement. He also looks like the AL MVP frontrunner, at the moment. What a difference a year can make.

The only caution about Judge is that the Home Run Derby can sometimes impact a player’s second half performance. Although for Judge, the Home Run Derby didn’t seem like much of a challenge. He breaks McGwire’s rookie record and hits 51 homers.

The Rays make the playoffs

Entering the 2017 season, the Tampa Bay Rays looked like a team that’d be in the cellar of the division. Flash forward to the All-Star break and the Rays are tied for second place in the AL East. Not just that, the Rays own the fifth-best record in the AL.

If the playoffs started today, the Rays would face the Yankees in the AL Wild Card game, something nobody expected from this team. The Rays looked ready to sell after they traded Matt Moore during the 2016 trade deadline and Drew Smyly and Logan Forsythe during the offseason.

Entering this season, the question seemed to be, who the Rays would trade next? Instead, the Rays could buy at the deadline with a shot at the playoffs.

Rays’ pitcher Chris Archer bounced back after a bad 2016 season and looks like one of the best pitchers in baseball again, making the 2017 All-Star team. In 2017, he owns a 3.95 ERA, a 7-5 record and 147 strikeouts.

They also have two great hitters this season, Corey Dickerson and Logan Morrison. Dickerson joined Archer in Miami for the 2017 All-Star game after hitting .312/.355/.548 with 17 home runs and 42 RBI.

Morrison didn’t make the All-Star team, but he had a great case to be there. In the first half, he hit .258/.330/.564 with 24 home runs and 57 RBI.

With a bunch of great performances so far in 2017, the Rays keep it up in the second half and sneak into the playoffs.