Yankees, Orioles, Braves, Reds: 5 bold post-All-Star Break predictions

The unofficial first half of the 2023 season is in the books and the All-Star Game in Seattle is in the books as well. It’s time for all teams to turn their attention to the second half of the season.

The trade deadline is three weeks away and in the next couple of weeks, several teams are going to have to decide if they are going to be buyers, or sellers or just stay in the middle and do nothing.

That decision has been made for some teams who are going to all-in to win the World Series and service the gauntlet that is the postseason. Some teams stuck in the middle will have their next two weeks help them decide. It’s not as easy a decision for some as you would think.

The San Diego Padres and New York Mets have been two of the biggest disappointments of the first half and both need a strong second half, as well as some of the teams ahead of them in the standings to take a step back. It feels like a lot has to happen in a short amount of time.

There have been some pleasant surprises as it looks like a two-team race in the National League Central between the upstart Cincinnati Reds and young star Elly De La Cruz and the Milwaukee Brewers. The American League Central could very well come down to whichever team finishes .500 or better.

As the second half of the season kicks off Friday night, here are five bold predictions for the rest of the 2023 MLB regular season.

First bold prediction: Cincinnati Reds win NL Central

You might be thinking, “How is this a bold prediction?” Fair, but who saw the June streak coming that got them on top in the division and lead the Brewers by a game at the break? Not many.

Cincinnati has been jump-started by De La Cruz, who has put on a show since being inserted into the lineup. He already hit for the cycle against the Atlanta Braves and then last weekend, continued to show his generational talent by stealing three bases in one inning, including a clean steal of home against Milwaukee.

There have been teams that have played well out of nowhere in the first half before and fallen off in the second half of the season. This Reds team feels different. They have been getting good pitching from both their starters and relievers, as well as production from their entire lineup. When they get on base, they are making things happen and forcing the defense to make mistakes.

They are likely to be buyers at the trade deadline in an effort to stay ahead of the Brewers and the rest of the division. With traditional division contenders Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals struggling, this is a huge opportunity for the Reds to steal a division title and playoff berth in 2023.

Second bold prediction: Baltimore Orioles win AL East

The Tampa Bay Rays have led the American League East for nearly the entire first half of the season. They build a huge lead and separated themselves from the other four teams. One team that has hung around is the Baltimore Orioles and they are ready to make the move and win the division with another good second half of the season.

The Rays dropped seven of their last eight before the break and the Orioles took full advantage winning their last five and picking up four games in the standings. They took two of the final four games against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium, before sweeping the Minnesota Twins. They are currently two games behind Tampa Bay with four games in hand.

Just how dominant were the Orioles in the final five games before the break? They outscored the Yankees and Twins by a combined 44-9 margin, including a 24-5 advantage over Minnesota.

Baltimore’s offense is beginning to take off with Gunnar Henderson setting the pace at the top of the order and catcher Adley Rutschman has 12 home runs and 39 RBI from the second spot. Aaron Hicks, who was signed after being designated for assignment by the Yankees, has been a nice addition to the lineup and their pitching has been consistent.

There are just too many questions surrounding the Rays to think they can keep the Orioles at bay and hold on to their division lead. BAltimore’s time is coming quicker than originally thought.

Third bold prediction: New York Yankees will miss the playoffs

Since Aaron Judge went down with an injury in early June against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Yankees’ offense has been hit or miss. In most cases, it’s been more a miss than a hit.

New York has a roster filled with players who are older and not producing like they have in the past. Giancarlo Stanton is not at a stage in his career where he can make up for the absence of Judge by himself as it’s generally all or nothing and lately, it’s been a lot of nothing. Josh Donaldson’s struggles have been met with a lot of boos at Yankee Stadium despite a recent power surge. Anthony Volpe has been slumping and Anthony Rizzo went through a bad streak following an injury earlier in the season against the Padres. Sunday, GM Brian Cashman fired hitting coach Dillon Lawson and replaced him with MLB Network analyst Sean Casey.

Gerrit Cole has pitched like an ace and Domingo German tossed a perfect game against the Oakland Athletics on June 28, but he has been inconsistent. He pitched well last Sunday against the Cubs before the break and had stuff that was as good as his stuff against the A’s. However, the bullpen blew a 4-1 lead and resulted in a 7-4 loss. Carlos Rodon pitched well in his first outing of the season on July 7 against the Cubs and can be a big addition in the second half.

There are just too many things stacked up against the Yankees this season. Injuries, inconsistency on the mound and at the plate, as well as a loaded division where the teams ahead of them are better, the Rays, Orioles, and Toronto Blue Jays. The Boston Red Sox are just one game behind them at the break. Do you want a bonus prediction with the Yankees? They will finish in the basement of the AL East. It just feels like one of those seasons in the Bronx.

Fourth bold prediction: Atlanta Braves win 110-plus games

The Atlanta Braves have been at the top of the power rankings for the last couple of weeks and there is no evidence that it is going to change anytime soon. They ended the first half strongly by winning two out of three over the Rays at Tropicana Field to enter the mid-season break at 60-29.

With 73 games remaining in the regular season, it’s not out of the question that they can go at least 50-23 to get 110-plus victories. They certainly have the lineup and pitching to do it.

So far this season, they broke the Reds’ winning streak at 12 games on June 24, which kickstarted a streak of winning 12 of their final 14 games before the break. Ronald Acuña, Jr. is the run-away favorite through the first half of the season for National League MVP, while Spencer Strider is a strikeout machine on the mound with 166 in 18 starts so far this season. He also sports an 11-2 record.

Unless something unforeseen happens, they have all but locked up the NL East and are running away with the best record. They have been a team on a mission all season long and don’t expect them to take their foot off the gas after the break. They are going to win 100 games and 110 is not out of the question.