The first half of the MLB season has consisted of lots of things fans expected (like the Yankees, Dodgers, and Astros dominating the competition), as well as some head-scratchers (what happened to the Phillies offense?) Going into the All-Star game, here are five guys performing well above expectations, and five who are feeling the pressure from their hometown fans in the first half of the MLB season.
The Good
Ketel Marte
The 25-year-old seems to be finding his home in Arizona. He’s hitting .311, with a surprising 20 HRs and a wRC+ of 133. He’s also a great defender, leading to a first-half WAR of 3.8. Ketel Marte’s success will be pivotal as the DBacks fight for a wild card spot this year.
Josh Bell
Josh Bell has launched his way into the discussion of best power hitters in the MLB. He’s hit 27 HR’s in the first half of the season (with 5 of those measuring at over 450 ft), topping his career high of 26 in the entirety of the 2017 campaign. In addition, he has a wCR+ of 156, and a WAR of 2.9, despite below average defense.
Pete Alonso
Continuing the trend of power-hitting 1Bs, Pete Alonso has been a bright spot on an otherwise disappointing Mets season. He’s already set a Mets rookie record with 30 HR’s, helping generate a wCR+ of 161 and WAR of 3.6. With Alonso and the next guy on this list, maybe there’s finally something to look forward to in Queens.
Jeff McNeil
This guy just won’t get out. He’s leading the majors, hitting .349 and he’s also posting an OBP of .409. A wCR+ of 147 and WAR of 2.5 have been more than enough to satisfy Mets fans in the absence of Robinson Cano. If he can continue this pace, Jeff McNeil has a chance to be the first major leaguer to hit .350 in a season since Josh Hamilton in 2010.
Lance Lynn
The 32-year-old lefty is showing that it’s never too late to have a career year. He’s tied for the league lead in wins with 11 (the other being Lucas Giolito of the White Sox). A FIP of 2.98 is well below his career average of 3.60, and the lowest of his career. Lance Lynn has been at the forefront of the Rangers surprise contention in the AL Wild Card Race.
The Bad
Bryce Harper
There’s been a lot left to desire for fans in the City of Brotherly Love, as Bryce Harper has not been living up to his massive contract. By no means is he doing horrible, but when you’re getting paid $330 million, fans are expecting better than .253/.370/.470. Harper has always been a streaky player, and I have no doubts he’ll continue to have a successful career. There are some fans in Philly, though, that are already losing patience.
Matt Carpenter
At age 33, Matt Carpenter appears to be well past his prime. His line of .216/.325/.381 is nowhere near his career .270/.373/.464. He’s been bothered by a back injury as well. On the bright side, he bunted for a double, so that’s pretty cool.
Lorenzo Cain
An all-star last season, Lorenzo Cain has been very disappointing alongside superstar Christian Yelich in the Milwaukee outfield. He’s hitting .246, down a whopping 62 points from last year’s mark of .308. A wRC+ of 73 is less than desirable, and his speed continues to diminish. He only has 10 SB’s this year (not on pace to match the 30 he had last year) and has already hit into nearly as many double plays (9) as the entirety of last season (10).
Rougned Odor
Rougned Odor is hitting .193. What more needs to be said. To be fair, he has hit 13 HR’s in 74 games, but after the potential that was shown in 2016, hitting .271 with 33 HR’s and producing a wRC+ of 103. Odor hasn’t given Rangers fans much to cheer about since he punched Jose Bautista in the face in that 2016 season.
Kyle Freeland
In just over 59 innings, Kyle Freeland has allowed just 14 fewer runs and 1 less HR than he did in 202 innings last year. A FIP of 6.42 is bad, even in the high altitude of Coors Field. This has led to his disappointing 2-6 start. The 26-year-old has time to turn things around, and a cold Colorado team could use Freeland’s arm if they hope to make a splash this fall.
Who have you been most surprised/disappointed by this year MLB season? Drop a comment down below.
*All stats provided by Fangraphs
