10 Things to Look for as Second Half of MLB Seasons Begins

The second half of the 2024 MLB season began on Friday, July 19, and the action was packed. All eyes of the MLB will be on what might happen down the line.

Right now, the primary attention is on the play and then the trade deadline. On Tuesday, July 30, GM’s will be busy on their cellphones behind the scenes while players may be playing their last game in their current uniforms.

10 Things to Look for

1. Tarik Skubal wins Cy Young Award

Skubal is no doubt having a great 2024 season with the Detroit Tigers. Like most Ford plants in the Motor City, Skubal had to build from the ground up. Since his debut in 2020, the star pitcher’s ERA has dropped from 5.38 in his first year to 2.41. While Paul Skenes boasts a 1.90 ERA, Skubal has shown the most improvement over five years, while Skenes has pitched one year. Therefore, the 2024 CY Young Award will most likely go to Skubal.

2. Dodgers trade for Mason Miller

Let’s explain this potential scenario. The Dodgers pitching rotation has been hampered by injuries galore. Additionally, their closers have been awful at finishing out games. Miller’s eye-popping 103 mph fastball in LA would be a great scene out of a Hollywood movie. Instead of Saving Private Ryan by Stephen Spielberg, we can call this Saving Dodgers Pitching starring Mason Miller.

Reds SS Elly De La Cruz – Jim Mclsaac/Getty Images

3. The Elly De La Cruz Show

No MLB player has reached 80 stolen bases in a season since Rickey Henderson and Vince Coleman in 1988. Don’t tell that to Elly De La Cruz. The Cincinnati Reds’ youngster is reviving the stolen base as a key part of the game. It’s all thanks to the return of the bigger bases used in 1988 that came back in 2023. The magic number for Cruz is 34.

4. Chicago White Sox trading their Entire Team

Don’t be fooled here, White Sox fans. While every other mid-team in the MLB might not be selling, the White Sox are. Do you want Luis Robert Jr? We got Luis Robert Jr? Do you want starting pitchers? We got Garrett Crochet and Erick Fedde. This is going to be Prospect City, folks. It will be the biggest firesale since Barrett Jackson’s Auction has been on TV.

5. Hasta la vista Oakland

What a historic run it was for the A’s in the Bay area. Baseball traditionalists will miss the heyday of the 1989 Oakland A’s World Series Championship run and even some memorable moments in the early 2000’s. Sacramento is a great temporary home in 2025 until they move to Grandaddy Las Vegas in 2028. RIP Oakland Athletics; we will never forget you.

6. Yankees look for Infield Help

With the Yankees still looking to contend, their World Series goal is within reach. While their roster is athletic and talented, with two of the best bats in baseball, additional help does not hurt. It is surmising that the Yankees must upgrade at first and third base. The Yankees have a blooming rookie 1st baseman in Ben Rice, who has been filling in for Anthony Rizzo. He can be the permanent replacement for the aging and worn-out Rizzo. Additionally, they have Oswaldo Cabrera, a young utility player who can play first, second, or third base if needed.

Yankees CF Aaron Judge – Greg Flume/Getty Images

7. Aaron Judge wins MVP

Three players are in a tough race for the AL MVP right now. You have the two Yankee wonderboys, Aaron Judge and teammate Juan Soto, who are thunder and lighting with their bats. The third representative is Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who has impressed so far at just 23 years old. Judge should have been MVP in the first half, but no such award exists. He has a decisive advantage in home runs, batting percentage, and OPS. His batting average is .303, which is way above the league average nowadays.

8. 2024 World Series Winner

The BetMGM World Series odds have the Dodgers as the favorites at +333, with the Phillies behind them at +450. The Yankees are +550, and right behind them are their AL East foe, the Orioles, at +600. With the current playoff format, let’s hope we don’t get another weird World Series matchup like the Twins vs. the Padres or something like that.

9. Shohei Ohtani Wins the Batting Title

Ohtani is one award short in his career: the Batting Title. He may only be 10 points behind Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich (.326), but the second half of the season is still young. With 29 HR’s, 69 RBI’s and an OPS of 1.036 just in the first part of the season, who knows what he will be able to do in the second?

Pirates Pitcher Paul Skenes – John Fisher/Getty Images

10. Paul Skenes Wins Rookie of the Year

This generation of baseball fans are witnessing history by watching a 100 mph fastball pitcher make the All-Star game and pitch like he’s Gerrit Cole of the Yankees only a year after being drafted number one in 2023 by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Skenes’ quick development saw a trend this year and changed how MLB teams view the Draft. It seems that players are coming to the Big leagues much quicker than ever before or at least making the minors and rising up the system really fast. Let’s hope this trend continues, and the MLB may be able to market these future stars at an early starting point in their careers.

With these 10 Things to Look for as the second half of the MLB Season begins, let’s hope that the second half is as exciting as the first.