Arizona Diamond Backs at the All-Star Break

This post was contributed to FanSided.com from Jeff Wiser of FanSided’s very own Arizona Diamondbacks site, Venom Strikes. For more Arizona Diamondbacks news, check out VenomStrikes.com.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have just wrapped up the first “half” of the season. It’s actually 58.6% of the season, but who’s counting? I am, but that is beside the point, because after 95 games, the team’s in first place in the lackluster NL West with a 50-45 record. The Dodgers (47-47) are presumably the toughest competition for the division crown but it would be foolish to count the Giants (43-51) and Rockies (46-50) completely out of the picture. San Diego, on the other hand, doesn’t stand a chance but will try to play spoiler and be a thorn in everyone’s side throughout the second half.

But enough about the first half of the season! This is about what is going to transpire in the next couple of months as the Diamondbacks try to hold onto the division and make a push into the postseason. To make that a reality, the team is going to have to answer a number of questions, which include but are not limited to, the following:

• Will the bullpen become stable enough to turn leads into victories with regularity?
• Can the “core” of the lineup start producing runs?
• Can we expect more quality starts from the rotation?
• The Young Guns: will Paul Goldschmidt continue to mash? Does Patrick Corbin stay in the groove? Will Tyler Skaggs become a permanent part of the rotation and will he become more consistent?
• What moves should the team make at the deadline?
• Ultimately, will the team win the division?

You can check out the complete review of the Diamondbacks first half of the season over at VenomStrikes.com.