This year, he's proving his rookie season wasn't a fluke with a. 314 with 16 homers, 23 doubles and 16 stolen bases while also anchoring center field.īryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates, OF: The 26-year-old was one of the National League's best rookies in 2019 before regressing badly during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season. Ballparks are slowly filling back up with the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions throughout the country.Ĭedric Mullins, Baltimore Orioles, OF: A classic case of a great player on a bad team, Mullins is batting. The sport moves into its All-Star break with tight races in nearly every division. The Seattle Mariners were on the losing end of no-hitters two times in less than two weeks - and still finished the first half with an encouraging 48-43 record.īaseball in 2021 may have its issues, but storylines are not among them. Seven no-hitters have been thrown (nine if you count Madison Bumgarner's 7-inning gem against the Atlanta Braves, and combo effort by the Rays. The Arizona Diamondbacks went two months and an MLB-record 24 games without winning a road contest. Jacob deGrom has a 1.08 ERA, which could threaten the modern-era season record of 1.12 set in 1968 by Bob Gibson.Ī substance called Spider Tack became the hottest subject in the game for a few weeks. have continued their evolution into baseball-bashing superstars. Shohei Ohtani has turned into the best two-way player since the Babe.
The Washington Nationals and Minnesota Twins have unexpectedly struggled.
The Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants are better than just about anyone expected.