Two-thirds of the baseball season is complete, so we look back at Major League Baseball's best and worst. After four months of slugging and striking, we've now reached the boiling point, where postseason races intensify and the race for October heightens.
Most Surprising Teams: AL
Forget their early season slip-up. The New York Yankees are playing like the Yankees of old, a seemingly invincible monster with 27 World Series championships bagged. And they got better with a former AL batting champion in Ichiro Suzuki. The Yankees, however, would have to deal without Brett Gardner and Mariano Rivera, their two supporting stars lost to injury for an extended period. Still, it is exciting to see Derek Jeter climb the hitting charts, Alex Rodriguez climb the home run charts, and CC Sabathia climb the wins and strikeouts charts, as their legacies continue to be enhanced in the Bronx. Honorable mention goes to the Chicago White Sox, thanks to the resurgent bat of Adam Dunn, and reliables such as Paul Konerko, A.J. Pierzynski and new White Sox addition Kevin Youkilis.
Most Surprising Teams: NL
While Washington kept winning despite the rash of injuries, June and July belonged to the Cincinnati Reds. They proved their dominance by winning ten straight games to end July, all without All-Star first baseman Joey Votto on the lineup. Johnny Cueto, Bronson Arroyo and Mat Latos supplied strong pitching, while Aroldis Chapman excelled in the closer's role. Brandon Philips, Jay Bruce and rookie Zack Cozart providing superb offensive support. Honorable mention goes to the San Francisco Giants, who enjoyed a superb June and July to go from the middle of pack to at least the top of the NL West. The All-Star Game saw Giants Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey, Matt Cain and MVP Melky Cabrera orchestrate the NL's shutout of the AL, and the momentum continued the rest of the month, as San Francisco locked themselves in a power struggle with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Most Disappointing Teams: AL
Obviously, Boston continues to be the biggest AL disappointment, but Seattle appears to be the team that is on a new direction. Ichiro Suzuki is aging fast, and the Mariners, after a 116-win 2001 season and years of excellent hitting from Ichiro, has hit a roadblock. And just before a mid-July series with the Yankees, they decided to trade Ichiro to the Bronx. And while Ichiro stayed in Safeco for the series, he did go to the Yankee clubhouse and wear the iconic interlocking 'NY' cap for the first time. It was a sad departure, but for Seattle fans, they are happy to start over. Honorable mention goes to the Minnesota Twins, who found themselves struggling despite the on-field returns of Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer, their key components during their runs to the AL Central title.
Most Disappointing Teams: NL
Also going nowhere are the Philadelphia Phillies. After five straight win-loss improvements, they basically went from a top contender to a bottom feeder in the NL East. Injuries to Chase Utley and Ryan Howard were the primary culprits to their sudden fall from grace, but it also had to do with subpar pitching from Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay and Jonathan Papelbon, the lack of capable offensive power, and poor defense. They decided to start over as they traded Hunter Pence to San Francisco, Shane Victorino to the Dodgers, and Jim Thome to Baltimore. It is clear that Philly's NL East dominance is fading, and a new identity is needed. Honorable mention goes to Miami, as the Marlins' struggles continue on the field, and following trades of Omar Infante and Anibal Sanchez to Detroit, Hanley Ramirez to the Dodgers, and Gaby Sanchez to Pittsburgh, the Marlins, like the Phillies, are looking to rebuild for 2013.
Most Valuable Player: AL
The Angels, despite their high-profile signings of Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson, caught a big fish through its minor league system. Mike Trout debuted with the Angels last year, but in 2012 he was undoubtedly a rookie of the year candidate, thus we name him too as the AL Best Rookie for June and July. In June he batted .372 with three homers, 42 hits and 16 RBI, and in July he improved to .392 with 10 homers, 38 hits and 23 RBI. Trout's overall season numbers of .348 led the majors at the end of July, and he was the reason why the Angels leaped back into contention in the AL West.
Most Valuable Player: NL
The Pittsburgh Pirates are in the same position as they were a year ago, posting a winning record at the end of July. Andrew McCutchen was the key during those periods. In June, McCutchen had a .370 batting average, and posted seven homers, 26 RBI and 40 hits. In July he continued his torrid stretch by norming seven homers, 15 RBI and 41 hits for a .446 average. That stretch raised his season batting average to .373, leading the NL in the category. They failed to end the futility record last year with McCutchen struggling towards the end, so his bat will be the key for the Pirates as they look to end a streak of 19 straight losing seasons.
Best Rookie: AL
(see AL Best Player Mike Trout)
Best Rookie: NL
Once again, Bryce Harper takes the nod in the NL. The wonder kid continued his hot hitting spree by norming a .274 batting average, though he struggled in July norming just .222. Still, his bat contributed to his elevation to the top of the batting order, and with it, the Nationals kept winning despite a rash of injuries that come along with it. Harper made history as the youngest All-Star position player ever at age 19, although his night in Kansas City was forgettable as he bobbled a routine fly ball from Mike Napoli in the game, and finished 0-1 with a strikeout and a walk. The NL Rookie of the Year should be a runaway for Harper, provided he stayed out of the injury list and perform excellently.
Best Pitcher: AL
Jered Weaver had his stuff going during the no-hitter against Minnesota in May, but in June and July, he was as devastating as ever. He went undefeated through eight games, posting ERAs of 0.71 and 2.23 respectively, all towards lowering his season ERA to an AL-leading 2.29. Weaver's pitching is also the key reason why the Angels surged back to contention in the AL West, and if all goes right for Weaver and the Angels, they may as well break the two-year stranglehold of the Texas Rangers in the AL West.
Best Pitcher: NL
R.A. Dickey made the All-Star team this year because of his success in the month of June, going 5-0 with a no-decision and a 0.93 ERA. Perhaps it's the mystique of the knuckleball that baffled opposing batters, or because Dickey's ammunition seems to be working to perfection. Whatever the reason, Dickey is enjoying a breakout year at age 37, an age where players are entering the twilight zone. Although his ERA went up to 5.13 and had a 2-1 record with three NDs, Dickey's 14-2 mark continues to lead the NL, and the Mets will need his arms more in an effort to make it back to the postseason.
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