MLB Hits the Halfway Point: Award Races, Best Deals, and Big Drama

Major League Baseball reached the halfway point of its season, and things looked very different from what most fans expected. Teams like the Athletics, Cardinals, Marlins, Nationals, Pirates, and White Sox were all in the mix for the playoffs, even though few people thought they would be. The first half was full of surprises, close races, and some big stories off the field, too.

Outside of the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays, almost every team in the American League was hard to predict. The National League had more strong teams, but most experts still expected the Los Angeles Dodgers to reach the World Series for the third year in a row. The season had a feel similar to the NFL, where any team can beat any other on a given day. That kind of balance made the first half very exciting for fans.

The Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani is on track to win his third straight National League Most Valuable Player award. He has been dominant both as a pitcher and a hitter, posting a 1.58 ERA on the mound and a .963 OPS at the plate with 46 RBI. That means he has been nearly unhittable as a pitcher and one of the best hitters in the league at the same time. There is simply no one close to him in the NL MVP race.

In the American League, the race is much more wide open. Aaron Judge, who won the AL MVP in both 2024 and 2025, has been hurt since early June and may not return until August. That leaves players like Kansas City's Bobby Witt Jr., Houston's Yordan Alvarez, the Yankees' Cody Bellinger, and Oakland's Nick Kurtz all in the running. Fans should also watch Pete Alonso of the Orioles and Yankees first baseman Ben Rice, who has driven in a lot of runs.

For the Cy Young Award, which goes to the best pitcher in each league, two names stand out. Cam Schlittler of the Yankees has already thrown 100 innings, which is 27 more than he threw all of last season. The Yankees will need to be careful not to wear out his arm in the second half, which could give other pitchers a chance to catch up. In the National League, Jacob Misiorowski of Milwaukee has been impressive with 138 strikeouts in just 93 innings.

One of the most interesting rookie stories belongs to Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox. He is 26 years old and was already a star in Japan, so many people feel it is strange that he counts as a rookie in Major League Baseball. Still, he has been one of the best new players in the game, hitting 20 home runs and driving in 41 runs in just 57 games. He has helped turn the White Sox into a team that is actually competing.

The best deal of the offseason may have been the White Sox signing Murakami for just two years and $34 million. That looked like a bargain right away, as Murakami became one of the most dangerous hitters in the league. The worst deal may have been the Dodgers signing outfielder Kyle Tucker for nearly $115 million. Tucker has struggled badly, dropping from second to sixth in the batting order and hitting far below expectations.

Former first baseman Anthony Rizzo was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2007 out of a high school in Parkland, Florida. He went on to become an All-Star and a World Series champion with the 2016 Chicago Cubs, but he always had a soft spot for Boston. After being traded to the Yankees in 2021, Rizzo actually called the Red Sox and asked them to sign him back. The team passed, and Rizzo finished his career in New York before retiring.

One of the biggest stories of the first half involved Rafael Devers, who was traded from the Red Sox to the San Francisco Giants in June. During a game against the Miami Marlins, Giants manager Tony Vitello sent in a pinch runner for Devers after he drew a walk. Devers refused to leave the field, wagged his finger at the manager, and had to be forced off the field by an umpire. It was a very unprofessional moment, and it put the Giants in a tough spot since Devers is still owed $225 million through 2033.

Former Red Sox manager Alex Cora has been enjoying his time away from baseball, traveling with his family and coaching his sons. Now that the New York Mets have fired their manager, Cora could be a candidate for that job. He has experience managing in big markets and helped lead the Red Sox to a World Series title. His return to baseball could come sooner than many people expected.