Baseball in Review: June-July

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. 

MLB Opening Day

It's that time of the year again. Major League Baseball opens another new season full of drama, tension, excitement and pure adrenaline. This season looks to be as exciting as ever, as well-renowned free agents change teams, a team was renamed, new managers were hired, and highly touted rookies look to make an immediate impact.

Perhaps the pressure is on the St. Louis Cardinals to defend their World Series title. However, their title defense won't involve Albert Pujols and Tony La Russa, as Pujols moved to the Los Angeles Angels, while La Russa retired. After losing two straight World Series, the Texas Rangers now look to make it three in a row and hope to go all the way, as they added young Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish to fill CJ Wilson's void. Their road to the AL West title won't be easy, as the Angels acquired Pujols and Wilson in a serious bid to reclaim the division.

The Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees, teams whose impressive regular seasons went for naught in the post-season, now try to maintain their stranglehold in the NL and AL East respectively, even as the Washington Nationals, Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays have reloaded in hopes of toppling the Phillies and Yankees. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox are seeking redemption after blowing post-season aspirations on the last day of 2011. 

Prince Fielder takes his big bat to Comerica Park in hopes of leading the Detroit Tigers to another AL Central title. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers look to defend their NL Central title with Ryan Braun now the lead offensive star. However, the Cincinnati Reds pose a big challenge with Joey Votto on board. Chicago's Cubs and White Sox usher in a new era with Dale Sveum and Robin Ventura taking over the dugout. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles search for answers in ending their lengthy postseason droughts. And there's no way to go but up for rebuilding teams in Kansas City, Houston, Seattle, Oakland and Cleveland.

In the NL West, the Los Angeles Dodgers have the best pitcher in the NL in Clayton Kershaw, and the prolific star hitter Matt Kemp, but is it enough to claim the NL West title? The Arizona Diamondbacks overachieved last season, now what to do for an encore? The San Francisco Giants look poised to return to the postseason and reclaim the World Series title with strong pitching from Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, but will the offense deliver? Is the Colorado Rockies' duo of Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki enough to tow them to the postseason? And what role will the San Diego Padres play in the season, spoiler or contender?

The first pitch gets underway tonight as the defending World Series champions St. Louis Cardinals visit Marlins Park and the Miami Marlins at 7:10 EDT.

Meanwhile, PopCornTure will take a brief break in observance of Holy Week. We'll return on Easter Sunday as we wrap up the NHL season and begin the Stanley Cup playoffs.

MLB 2012 Season Preview: NL East

The Major League Baseball season gets underway on April 4. But before all the fireworks, the seventh-inning stretches, the awe-strucking homers, the captivating steals, hustle plays, and pitching performances commence, we preview all 30 teams by division. Lastly, we look at the National League East. 

Atlanta Braves

Record: 89-73 (2nd in NL East)

Missed Postseason

When they fell to the Phillies 4-3 on the final day of the 2011 season, it was a bitter pill to swallow for Braves fans. The loss, along with the Cardinals' demolition of the Astros 8-0, allowed the Cardinals to win the Wildcard and forced the Braves to an earlier than expected vacation. The Braves have a lot of questions to answer. Are they well-equipped to be in the post-season, or ill-equipped for another early vacation?

Chipper Jones announced that the season will be his last, and the Braves hope that a healthy Chipper will be a huge plus for the team's offense. Jones will only hope that he'll exit with a bang rather than a whimper, if his knees will hold up. The Braves also hope that bounce-back seasons by Jason Heyward and Brian McCann will be keys to their playoff chances. Dan Uggla, Freddie Freeman, Martin Prado and Michael Bourn will be the other main offensive weapons for the Braves.

Jair Jurrjens became a breakout star in 2011, leading the NL in wins at one point. Jurrjens, Tim Hudson, Tommy Hanson and Brandon Beachy will lead the Braves rotation, while setup man and closer tandem of Jonny Venters and NL ROY Craig Kimbrel will lead the Braves bullpen. The Braves only hope that their pitching staff will be healthy and sharp in hopes of returning to the playoffs.

Miami Marlins

Record: 72-90 (5th in NL East)

Missed Postseason

New season, new ballpark, new identity, new attitude. Exactly what the Miami Marlins are looking for. They decided that spending less won't help them win games and fill stadiums. Instead, an aggressive pursuit of highly touted free agents assured the Marlins that things will be a lot more different this season and beyond.

The offense was reloaded with the addition of NL batting champion Jose Reyes, who had been a standout for the Mets the past few seasons. Along with holdovers Hanley Ramirez, Gaby Sanchez and Logan Morrison, they form a 1-2-3 punch in the Marlins lineup. It remains to be seen whether Reyes will be a good fit for new manager Ozzie Guillen in the lineup.

The Marlins' pitching remains a question mark, despite adding starter Mark Buerhle and closer Heath Bell. Josh Johnson's health remains a concern, after missing much of 2011 with an injury. Newly-added Carlos Zambrano's outbursts led to his expulsion in Chicago, but Ozzie Guillen hopes a new scenery will benefit the pitcher. However, will it bring a positive or a negative result? Among incumbent pitchers, only Ricky Nolasco shone bright last season. The Marlins are a few pieces away from contending, so fans can only hope that the rebuilding process goes right.

New York Mets

Record: 77-85 (4th in NL East)

Missed Postseason

The Mets are starting over. It's been a common theme since they last made the postseason in 2006, and there have been many negative episodes along the way, most recent of which is the Bernie Madoff scandal. The Mets only hope that the future is bright, and that any negatives will be forgotten. 

With the departure of Jose Reyes, David Wright, Jason Bay, and Ike Davis will assume the offensive load. Davis looks to bounce back from an injury-riddled 2011, after recovering from an ankle surgery. The Mets also have a young core of Josh Thole, Justin Turner, and Lucas Duda, who hope to capitalize on additional at bats. The Mets also added Andres Torres who hopes to rebound from a so-so 2011.

Among the Mets starters, Dillon Gee performed well in the absence of ace Johan Santana. The Mets only hope that Gee, who will slide down to No. 2, will avoid a sophomore slump. Other possible starters include Jon Niese, Mike Pelfrey and R.A. Dickey, with the probable closers include Frank Francisco and Jon Rauch. The Mets only hope that Santana's health will be key if their rebuilding process were to head in the right direction.

Washington Nationals

Record: 80-81 (3rd in NL East)

Missed Postseason

The future appears bright in D.C. The Nats boast two up and coming superstars hoping to make an impact in the future. With that in mind, the Nats are poised to crash the postseason party with a team that is mixed with veterans and young talent looking to become contenders in the AL East.

With a little more seasoning in the minors, Bryce Harper is a future star in waiting. Perhaps AAA will help him hone his skills to start the season, but by mid-season Harper will be all prepared to help the Nats contend. The future isn't just entrusted to Harper, they had rising stars Steve Lombardozzi and Chris Marrero, who hope to mesh well with veterans such as Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth, and Michael Morse.

Stephen Strasburg is finally healthy after missing most of 2011 due to Tommy John surgery. And Davey Johnson wasted little time in naming Strasburg as his opening day starter, as his breakout 2010 remains fresh in the fans' mind. Aside from Strasburg, Chien-Ming Wang, Gio Gonzalez and Edwin Jackson will be the other starters. The closer's role remains in Drew Storen's hands, and he'll be backed up by Brad Lidge in a setup role. The Nats hope that a healthy, developing roster will pay dividends as they continue to rise above the NL echelon.

Philadelphia Phillies

Record: 102-60 (NL East Champions)

Lost 3-2 to the Cardinals in the Division Series

The sight of Ryan Howard limping on the grass in pain after the Phillies lost in Game 5 of the NLDS was still in the minds of Phillies fans. After all the Phillies had a trend that's going in opposite directions: increasing regular season wins, but slumping postseason performances. If not for the Cardinals' intervention, the Phillies would've been the one who beat the Texas Rangers in the World Series. But now it's a new season and the Phillies had no choice but to move on.

Ryan Howard remains on the mend after rupturing his Achilles in the NLDS, so for now the Phillies' first base will be rotated among veterans Ty Wigginton and Jim Thome. Howard had a largely successful 2011, but the question is, can Howard be the same player that he was prior to the injury? The core of the Phillies lineup remain basically unchanged, with Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco, Shane Victorino and Chase Utley leading the way. Hunter Pence became a key offensive weapon for the Phillies upon his arrival midseason, and now hopes he can keep that up for a full season. While the Phillies offense will be as potent as ever, it is their pitching that is leading the way.

The Phillies not only have four aces in Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt, but their bullpen got stronger with the addition of an elite closer in Jonathan Papelbon. And with a future star pitcher in Vance Worley, the Phillies now have five good starters to lead the way, plus a closer who has over 200 saves in his career. Papelbon should be a huge upgrade for Ryan Madson, while Antonio Bastardo will now take over the setup role vacated by Brad Lidge. The Phillies' road to the World Series will depend on the health and performance of the pitching staff, which will be crucial as they look to rebound from a dismal postseason performance.