Oliver Giersch’s First Half Review (MLB)
As the 2018 All Star Weekend comes to a close, the baseball world awaits a marvelous finish to this season. This season has brought a lot of things to the table for baseball fans. The ups, the downs, the breakout players, the trade rumors, the bat flips, this is all what blends together to make this sport the best sport on this earth.
Before we dive into the second half of the MLB season, I thought it would be a good idea to look back on what we have witnessed in these last 3 ½ months. Let’s take a look at the most exciting teams, the biggest story of the first half, and my picks for MVP in both leagues.
The Most Exciting Teams of 2018:
This season has brought many different exciting teams to the table. There has been many surprises in this half season, but there has also been teams that have been exciting-yet expected. Let’s start off with talking about three teams of that have fit this description in 2018.
I think that we can all agree that the Boston Red Sox have emerged as one of most exciting teams in the league. Sporting the best record in the big leagues with an astonishing (68-30) record, the Sox look like the team right now. Not only do 
they play the game right fundamentally, but they seem to have fun doing it. They lead the league in Batting Average, Hits, and OPS. With this star-studded offense being lead by the unstoppable Mookie Betts-JD Martinez duo, along with an improved pitching performance from last year, it sure looks like they are forming a World Series caliber team. They are easily my favorites for coming out of the AL East.
Another team that has caught the eye of many baseball fans is the Seattle Mariners. Last year, the Mariners finished on the bottom. They were fourth in their division, and were ultimately in the bottom half (If they were to be ranked) of 
all AL teams. This season has been a completely different story. Although their play in the last 10 games before the All Star Break was definitely subpar, their play leading up to this time was great. Their lineup has been lead by Nelson Cruz and Mitch Haniger who both received all star nods. Along with them, you mix in one of the fastest guys in the game Dee Gordon. With all of the offensive firepower, they have one of the best closers in the game, Edwin Diaz. He is always locked in, and is ready to shut down any game he enters. This all seems to add up to a late season playoff push (WildCard) in the AL West to me.
The last most exciting team, the one that has caught my eye the most this season (Since they are always relevant to me) is the Cincinnati Reds. Where do I even begin? We all 
know how awful the Reds have been in the past (at least) three years. In the last three seasons, the Reds have not been able to break over 70 wins. Their obvious rebuild has been a long, painful process for the fans in Cincinnati, but I believe that this season has been a bit of a sigh of relief for them. It seems that the team is coming around, and the current 5th place spot (43-53 record) shouldn’t have fans worried one bit. In the latter part of the first half of the season, the Reds seemed to really kick it into gear. They went on a tear, winning series against the Cubs, Braves, Indians, Cardinals towards the end of June into early July. The offense has been lead by Eugenio Suarez, Scooter Gennett, and Joey Votto. They have all received all star spots, and they’re not looking like they’re gonna slow down any time soon. Be on the lookout for the Reds.
The Manny Machado Story:
Manny Machado has been the center of many different rumors throughout the season. The Orioles, who have been one of the two worst teams in the league this year, have made it clear that they are open to dealing Machado to another team. But only for the right price. It has been announced throughout the past week or so that the Dodgers, Brewers, and 
Phillies have been the favorite front runners to land Machado. I believe that Machado will head to the Dodgers for one main reason. He is the perfect fit for what the Dodgers are planning on doing. Their all star caliber shortstop, Corey Seager went down early in the season with a season-ending injury. With the addition of Machado (also a shortstop), the Dodgers could fill that middle infield spot, as well as add the pop they needed in the lineup. Manny would help the team push and make the playoffs as the #1 seed in the NL West. He would get his postseason experience that he would need before packing his bags once again, and going to New York in free agency for the 2019 season.
My Picks for AL, NL MVP.
With many individuals performing at such high levels, it was tough to choose my picks for MVP’s. I did my research, and without bias, I am pretty confident that I got these two picks right. Along with my picks, I thought it would be a good idea to include a runner up because these guys need their recognition too.
First Half NL MVP: Nolan Arenado (Colorado Rockies)
Nolan has been by far the best all around ballplayer in the National League this season. Arenado is raking at the plate this year with 23 homers along with a .312 Batting
Average. Along with his great offensive stats, he remains the favorite for Gold Glove in his position. Without Nolan’s valuable leadership, the Colorado Rockies would be bottom half in their division.
First Half NL MVP (Runner-Up): Javier Baez (Chicago Cubs)
First Half AL MVP: Mookie Betts (Boston Red Sox)
As much as many people want to call Mike Trout the automatic AL MVP for years to come, I believe that Mookie Betts has been the most valuable player in the entire MLB this year. Mookie Betts has had one of the best starts to a season that we have seen. Mook is leading the entire MLB in Batting Average, Slugging %, and OPS. All while having a stellar year defensively. I think it should be unanimous. Mookie Betts, the first half AL MVP.
First Half AL MVP (Runner-Up): Mike Trout (LA Angels)
Baseball fans have something to be excited about with the second half coming up. Get ready for the dogfights amongst the top of divisions, the last minute attempts of trades, and the emotional rivalry games. Let’s sit down, buckle our seatbelts, and enjoy the beautiful game for the time we have left with it.