MLB Mid-Season Report: as I see it

We have come to the All-Star break in the Major Leagues and there is only one thing I can say: ‘What the ….?’ There are upstart teams dominating powerhouse divisions; there are no-name pitchers becoming Cy Young candidates; breakout players battling drug addictions and baseball infamy; teams with the biggest salaries slumming it in the basement; and, who could forget, Hall of Fame careers ending on bittersweet notes.
The story of this season has been the arrival of tiny-market teams with no expectations at the top of the pennant race. Arguably the biggest surprise has been the Tampa Bay Rays. Apparently when the ‘Devil’ was dropped this team decided that it would become even more fiendish. Led by All-Star performances from catcher Dioner Navarro, third baseman Evan Longoria (no, not Eva) and Pitcher Scott Kazmir, this team has been blowing the minds of big-budget ball-clubs in the AL East. The Rays have also seen drastic improvements in young position players B.J. Upton (batting .276) and Carl Crawford (62 runs). The air does seem to be coming out of the young club’s sail, however, with a seven game losing streak heading into the break.
Another surprising start has come from the boys in old’ St. Lou. The Cardinals are only five games back of the red-hot Cubs in the NL Central. With all of the injuries this team has suffered, the horizon is ever brighter with the imminent returns of pitchers Chris Carpenter and Mark Mulder (Mulder already made one start, but quickly returned to the DL). Albert Pujols (BA .353) and the surprising Ryan Ludwick (20 HR, 64 RBI) have kept this team afloat while breakout starter Kyle Lohse has held down the fort on the hill with 11 wins. The Cubs better watch out in the second half as manager Tony LaRussa and the rest of the Cards’ players are known for their second half streaks (i.e. 2006).
The other terrific subplot early this season has been the emergence, nay rebirth, of several big leaguers. The most intriguing individual story of the ’08 campaign has to be the return of Josh Hamilton. Drafted No.1 overall four years ago, Hamilton faced drug addiction and alcoholism before an intervention from his grandmother turned his life around late in ‘06. Now he is among the league leaders in all of the Triple Crown categories and headed to Yankee Stadium for his first All-Star Game.
Cliff Lee is another notable resurgence this season. The last two seasons Lee was unable to find the strike zone at the major league level and found himself floundering in AA and AAA ball. A concerted effort to tighten up his mechanics and refocus himself has given Lee an AL leading 12 wins at the break, the sole bright spot for the struggling Indians. These re-emergent stars have been joined by a few young pups that are also starting to make a name for themselves in the show.
Among these rookie sensations is the Cincinnati Reds’ Edinson Volquez, a brilliant young right-hander who is leading the NL with a 2.29 ERA. The Reds have also found a young gem in outfielder Jay Bruce, a 21 year old with a sweet swing and five-tools to work with. The only good thing going in K.C. is rookie closer Joakim Soria, a hard throwing right-hander with electric breaking stuff. If only the Royals could get him a lead, his stats would be exponentially better.
A third element of this all-too-unique season is the submergence of MLB’s highest salary teams. With the exception of Boston, the major-market teams with large payrolls seem to be weighed down by all of that capital. The Detroit Tigers, a preseason pick to win the World Series by many, have proven that money can’t buy chemistry. The Tigers key off-season acquisitions have been proven flops, and have recently inserted Marcus Thames back into the regular rotation for, get this, consistency (Thames was among the league leaders in strikeouts last season). Miguel Cabrera has decent numbers but nothing like his last two seasons in Florida and Dontrelle Willis has been absolutely embarrassing to watch. After a stint in the minors, Willis is now day-to-day on the injured reserve and he might as well stay there. He is the proud owner of an ERA over 10 and 2.47 whip (walks/hits per inning pitched), terrifically terrible stats for a guy who signed a mega-deal with Detroit.
The popular preseason pick to come out of the NL has also been a portrait of disaster in the early going. The Mets, a team that has recently pulled to within one game of the Phillies in the NL East, started the season with more turbulence than the ‘Perfect Storm.’ After finally canning Willie Randolph, the Mets are now on a roll getting contributions from Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado as well as newbie Ryan Church. Fortunately for the kings of Queens, Philadelphia didn’t do a good job pulling a way when it had the chance.
The third team with a grossly overpaying salary that is underachieving to the max is the New York Yankees. It seems as though this team refuses to turn it on until right around the break and, in perfect timing, the Pinstripes seems to finally be rolling. Although the Bombers will be without ace Chien-Ming Wang until September, the consensus is that the AL East is never safe with the Yanks in the chase. Mike Mussina has been a pleasant surprise (11 wins, 3.61 ERA) and Andy Pettite has been consistent as usual, but until recently the bats have been cold as ice. Watch for the Yankees offense to explode in the second half.
And finally we come to the sad part of the column, the early-season goodbyes. John Smoltz, the 41 year old engine that could for the Atlanta Braves, is out for the season and most likely done for his career after having surgery on his right shoulder. The Renaissance man who went from starting rotation to bullpen and back again will be sorely missed by the Braves; Smoltz was one of the team’s most consistent performers. Another veteran pitcher who declared he won’t be back after his season ending bicep injury, Curt Schilling, will be remembered for his brash commentary as well as his performances in big games. Nobody down by the harbor will ever forget that bloody sock in 2004 (neither will any Yankees fans by the way). Both pitchers will be missed for the gamesmanship and their bravado on and off the field.
As the teams get back to business after the All-Star break, keep a watchful eye for the Yankees, Tigers, and Mets but don’t hold your breath. There’s a new generation of talented players who aren’t intimidated by the Pinstripes, the Green Monster or the immense salary gap. It should be an exciting finale to an already exasperating start.