There haven’t been too many surprises in the first half of the MLB season: The Phillies have the best pitching staff in baseball; the Red Sox and Yankees are battling atop the AL East; and the defending World Series champion Giants lead their division despite continuing to struggle to produce runs. But here’s three unusual storylines to keep an eye on after the All-Star break:
1. Out of the Pitts? » The Pirates (47-43) are above .500 and have three All-Stars — Andrew McCutchen, Kevin Correia and Joel Hanrahan. Despite being just one game back in the NL Central, winning the division may be setting the bar too high. But finishing the season with a winning record, something the Pirates haven’t done since 1992, seems like an attainable goal. Pittsburgh’s bullpen — led by Hanrahan (1.34 ERA, 26 saves) — has been the biggest surprise for the overachieving Pirates.
2. Digging the long ball » Jose Bautista hit 54 home runs last year, 12 more than anyone else in the majors. And the Blue Jays slugger is proving that it was no fluke. He once again leads all of baseball with 31 homers at the All-Star break. With the steroid era, fans have grown accustomed to seeing huge home run totals. But Bautista could become just the third player not linked to performing-enhancing drugs to have back-to-back 50 home run seasons — joining Babe Ruth and Ken Griffey Jr. How would Bautista be perceived if he reaches 61?
3. A crowning achievement » The pitching Triple Crown — leading the league in ERA, wins and strikeouts — has been done three times in the past 10 years, but it’s still an impressive accomplishment. The Tigers’ Justin Verlander (12-4, 2.15 ERA, 147 SO) has a chance to lead the AL in each of those categories this year. He leads the league in strikeouts, has one less win than CC Sabathia (13) and is second in ERA to Jered Weaver (1.86). Can Verlander be the first pitcher to win the Triple Crown since Jake Peavy in 2007?
