The Best Teams So Far

The Dodgers -- represented above by Justin Turner -- and the Astros -- with Jose Altuve -- were baseball's best performing clubs in the first half. And the only ones with 60 or more victories. With action finally resuming tonight, it's a chance to zoom in two of the standouts who clubs, right now, look like the best bets to make the World Series. But with 70 games to go, so much can happen -- a breakout rookie, a crippling injury, an unexpected hot or cold streak. No one's crystal ball is perfectly clear.
And a request to Commissioner Manfred: since you're implementing schedule changes for 2018, including additional days off, PLEASE cut the All Star Break back to three days. The season -- and interest in the game -- loses momentum when you wait three days after the All Star Game to see meaningful action. What's taken over sports-talk radio and the newspapers? The NBA, NFL, Mayweather/McGregor... too many opportunities to draw attention away from what's been a fun season with several breakout stars, such as Judge and Bellinger. The old pattern was better: Home Run Derby on Monday, the Game on Tuesday and for P1s like me, the Triple A All Stars on Wednesday. Last night belonged to??? The Mike and the Mad Dog Documentary.

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