Second Half Preview: Yankees and Mets Are Both Contenders — and a Cut Below Elite

The New York Yankees and New York Mets begin their post-All-Star Game schedule on Friday with both teams in contention for a postseason berth, but likely needing help to avoid disappointing denouements.A potent bat, a reliable reliever, and a durable starting pitcher could all be on the market before the July 30 trade deadline as several quality players around the major leagues are rumored to be available.First things first. The Mets open a four-game series in Florida on Friday with a 49-46 record after a dismal stretch earlier in the year when it looked like their season was going nowhere. They have stopped the swoon, though, and only Atlanta (53-42) and St. Louis Cardinals (50-46) are ahead of them in the wild-card race. Mets first baseman Pete Alonso told reporters during the 2024 All-Star Game festivities that his team has “done such a great job and been super resilient. We have a really important next two weeks.” Later he added, “Now the real season starts.”The Yankees, at 58-40, find themselves in a similar situation. They open a four-game series at the Stadium against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday. The Yankees are in pole position for a wild card spot, ahead of the Minnesota Twins (54-42) and the Boston Red Sox (53-42) despite losing 15 of 20 games before the All-Star break. Despite cratering after an impressive 42-19 start, Yankees manager Aaron Boone remains optimistic about his club’s chances of playing baseball in October.Mr. Boone told reporters before the break that the “reality is we’re in a great spot. We’re 100ish games in and because of the first half of the season even through some rough, rough stretches, which we acknowledge, it’s all right there in front of us. We get to write this amazing script and that’s because we put ourselves in that position.”This is when baseball gets interesting. Even teams leading their respective divisions will look to strengthen their rosters for the stretch run. The Milwaukee Brewers (55-42) lead the NL Central, while the Philadelphia Phillies (62-34) are atop the East and the Los Angeles Dodgers (56-41) lead the NL West.The Baltimore Orioles (58-38) and the Cleveland Guardians (58-37) are front-runners in their divisions while the Seattle Mariners (52-46) are the top team in the AL West.Organizations looking to add new pieces must make some hard and potentially expensive decisions before 6:00 P.M. EST on July 30, the last day players on the 40-man rosters can be traded from one team to another.Expect the Toronto Blue Jays to get plenty of telephone calls looking to see if they’re willing to trade slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 25, and/or shortstop Bo Bichette, 26. Both are scheduled to become free agents after the 2025 season, though Mr. Bichette has struggled this year. Left-handed pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, in the final year of a three-year deal, is also a name that is being bandied about.The Blue Jays (44-52) begin the second half in last place in the AL East and nine and a half games out of a wild-card spot, making them possible sellers. Other starting pitchers discussed in trade rumors include a Cy Young candidate, Tarik Skubal (Detroit), Tyler Anderson (LA Angels), Cal Quantrill (Colorado), Garrett Crochet (Chicago White Sox), Jack Flaherty (Detroit), and Zach Eflin (Tampa Bay).In addition to Messrs. Guerrero and Bichette, position players who may be headed elsewhere include Jazz Chisholm, Jr. (Florida), Jesse Winker (Washington), Danny Jansen (Blue Jays), Isaac Paredes (Tampa Bay), Taylor Ward (LA Angels), Brent Rooker (Oakland), and Paul DeJong (Chicago White Sox).With the Mets in contention, it’s unlikely they’ll consider trading Mr. Alonso, who becomes a free agent at the end of the season. Mr. Alonso made the NL All-Star team for a fourth time after hitting 19 homers and driving in 51 runs in 95 games.“There’s a lot of games left and we’ve got to earn (the right) to be buyers,” Mr. Alonso said. “It’s a critical point and I’d love for us to come back and absolutely kill it because we have such a great group.”Mr. Alonso reiterated his desire to remain a Met. “Whatever ownership decides to do it is their prerogative,” he said. “My job is to do whatever I can to help win ball games every single day.”Meanwhile, an amazing season continues for Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes. The hard-throwing right-hander, who won a national championship at LSU and was the first overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft, only added to the hype with his performance in the Mid-Summer Classic.Mr. Skenes, the first rookie to start an All-Star Game since 1995, pitched a scoreless first-inning, allowing only a walk to Yankees slugger Juan Soto. The 6-foot-6 boyfriend of LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne takes a 6-0 record with a 1.90 ERA into his next start. Every time he takes the mound is a must-see event as the Pirates (48-48) try to close ground on the Brewers and Cardinals. Mr. Skenes, after his performance in the All-Star Game, said that his goals are to “keep executing the way I have been and keep learning the league, learning every single outing, and keep putting us in a position to win.”

Second Half Preview: Yankees and Mets Are Both Contenders — and a Cut Below Elite

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