Fansided

MLB All-Star break: 10 biggest storylines of 2017

By Joshua Sadlock

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 05: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees in action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on July 5, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The Blue Jays defeated the Yankees 7-6. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 05: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees in action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on July 5, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The Blue Jays defeated the Yankees 7-6. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 06: Fernando Rodney #56 of the Arizona Diamondbacks receives instruction from pitching coach Mike Butcher #23 during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on July 6, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 06: Fernando Rodney #56 of the Arizona Diamondbacks receives instruction from pitching coach Mike Butcher #23 during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on July 6, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

4. Surprise contenders

Barring a total collapse, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies will make the National League playoffs. The Milwaukee Brewers hit the break with a 5.5-game lead over the defending World Champions in the NL Central. Over on the American League side of things, the Minnesota Twins have a winning record and have spent long stretches of the season in first place. Multiple teams that were expected to finish well below .500 are holding onto playoff spots.

Some of the teams are more surprising than others. The Rockies and Diamondbacks, for example, do not feel overwhelmingly out of left field as contenders. Both teams have elite offenses that can hit for power while also spraying line drives all over the field. Pitching was expected to be their biggest problem, but Arizona has one of the best rotations in baseball led by Zack Greinke and Robbie Ray, while Colorado has a staff full of rookies pitching very well. Rookie Kyle Freeland very nearly ended the first half with a no-hitter for the Rox.

The Brewers and the Twins feel like much bigger surprises as playoff contenders, as both seemed to be more than a year away from coming out of their rebuild. The Brew Crew has one of the more dynamic lineups in the National Leauge with Orlando Arcia, Keon Broxton and Domingo Santana lighting a fire. Eric Thames has also been an incredible find for the front office. The Twins, meanwhile, feel like this year’s version of the Orioles. Nothing they have done so far seems to point to sustainable success, but here they are.

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