Taylor Bicht
2 min read • June 29, 2023
Posted in
Another grueling MLB season is reaching the midway mark meaning a need for a check-in is in order. After 81 games the path to a winning or losing season is more clear for teams while many with futures tickets can start to see if they made the right decision.
There will be nail-biting finishes to some totals while others are already headed for a particular side, below are thoughts on each teams trajectory going forward and how injuries have affected them to this point:
The Dodgers started the year off hot but have cooled off of late winning just 10 of their last 21 games. To begin the year we at sicscore.com were down on the Dodgers due to their injury concerns and lack of depth. Injuries have continued to plague Los Angeles with SPs Julio Urias and Dustin May added to the injury list. The Dodgers' current path is to go under the win total which was always in the cards when the season began but surprise performances from newcomer J.D. Martinez hasn't ruled out Dodger blue and a trade deadline acquisition is never far away.
The reigning champs have scuttled in the month of June winning just under 42% of their games. Star second baseman Jose Altuve began the year on IL and has since returned but playing poorly hitting just .263 in 26 games. The big man in the lineup Yordan Alvarez has played exceptional when in the lineup driving 55 RBIs in 57 games but has now missed the last 20 games which is a vital reason why the Astros are skidding. Added pitching issues have also been a concern with Lance McCullers and Luis Garcia out for season and Jose Urquidy missing 55+ games which have pushed Houston to go under their total as we reach the midpoint.
The team from Atlanta carry the best record in the NL and have played through slight pitching injuries all season. SPs Kyle Wright and Max Fried have each required two IL stints missing over 65+ games and remain out but the offense has largely been unaffected by injury which is reflected in their record. Expect the Braves to shoot clear of their win total in 2023.
With a projected 250 million payroll this season, the Padres have turned into one of the bigger disappointments to start the year with the squad trending towards a 74 win season which is almost 20 wins different from their projected win total. Stars Joe Musgrove (23 games) and Manny Machado (17 games) have each missed time and big signing Xander Bogaerts has dealt with a chronic wrist issue but poor play is more to blame than injuries leading to an easy under at the moment.
The bad luck for the Mets began with the traumatic injury of closer Edwin Diaz at the World Baseball Classic and has seeped into the regular season. The big spenders are on the hook for over 375 million dollars against the luxury tax and have just 36 wins in 79 games to show for it good for fourth in the NL East. Offensively they have escaped major injury with 1B Pete Alonso missing just ten games but SP depth has been an issue on top of the poor bullpen play. New signing Justin Verlander missed 35 games early on and Jose Quintana has yet to pitch an inning as a Met. The Mets can still go on a run due to their healthy offense but will likely stay under their projected win total.
The big man on campus, Aaron Judge, has missed 35+ games this year in two separate IL stints with the current trip extending likely into the All-star break. The offense has sputtered with Judge out but has not been 100% for most of the season with Giancarlo Stanton, Harrison Bader and Josh Donaldson all missing 45+ games. The pitching corps went into year down two starters in Carlos Rodon and Frankie Montas with neither yet to return. With a late winning run and the return of Judge there is a chance the Yankees can go over their win total but
the AL East competition has tightened with the emergence of the Baltimore Orioles.
The Blue Jays belong to the highly competitive AL East talked about above but have fought well due to a healthy offense that hasn't endured a major injury all season. On the pitching side former Dodger Hyun-jin Ryu is the only issue but has not be a factor all season. If the Blue Jays can continue their top 5 offense (team batting average .263) they can sneak onto the over but for now the tough division likely will keep them just under.
The #1 surprise team of the first half is arguably the Tampa Rays who hold the leagues best record while ranking 28th in overall payroll. They have had their share of injury hiccups with to starting pitchers out for the season in Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen. Starter Tyler Glasnow has returned after missing the teams first 58 games but has yet to show his 2019 form. On offense Brandon Lowe is currently on IL due to a lingering back issue that has cost him 24+ games and his run producing has been missed put players like Isaac Paredes and Taylor Walls have covered. Expect the Rays to easily cover the over.
Like the Padres, the St. Louis Cardinals could be argued as the biggest disappointment if the first half with the squad likely to finish way under their projected win total of 88.5. Poor play can be judged the culprit over injury with the only major injury being OF Tyler O'Neill who has missed over 50 games due to a back injury. Veteran pitcher Adam Wainwright missed the first 37 games of the year and has since returned amassing a dreadful 6.56 ERA in 46.2 innings.
The Phillies were dealt a black eye before the year began when they lost 1B Rhys Hoskins for the season due to a torn ACL in spring training. Depth at the position has been tested with Darick Hall tearing his thumb ligament and even Alec Bohm missed 11 games as the Phillies have played musical chairs at first base all year. Good news as we said all along at sicscore.com, Bryce Harper did in fact return sooner than later missing just 33 games to start the year and playing well hitting just over .280. Pitching has been free of injury outside of Ranger Suarez who has played well since returning from the list. It will be a race for the Phillies to reach the over but showing signs of confidence winning 16 of 23 games in June.
Written by Taylor Bicht
