MLB Review on Winners, Surprises & Disappointments

The 2015 Midsummer All-Star celebrations are in the books, meaning all the focus is now back on the regular-season MLB betting odds and how to wade through the second half of the season successfully, with possible qualifications for the eight slots in the 2015 playoffs. But before we embark on the second half of the season and its usual surprises, let’s take a rearview look at the season thus far. Who were the biggest positive surprises? Who were the most impressive players? Which teams were most underwhelming? Follow us, as we take you to a short trip down that memory lane…

Take a Look at the MLB Betting Review on Winners, Surprises & Disappointments

Honored 2 be in the @RedSox #FranchiseFour w/ these legend @45PedroMartinez ted williams and yaz! Thx #RedSoxNation!! pic.twitter.com/lxFmgqCUOo

— David Ortiz (@davidortiz) July 15, 2015

The Unexpected Rise of Houston Astros in the MLB Betting Odds

I must admit that, of all the teams in the AL West, it never occurred to me that the Astros would be good enough to lead the division halfway through the 2015 season. But as it turned out, I thought wrong. Starting their season hot by going on a 14 of 15 winning run in the opening month, the Astros announced their unexpected bounce-back season in magnificent style. Mid-way into the season, they are still atop the division, Dallas Keuchel is a pitching superstar worthy of the 2015 AL CY Young Award, Carlos Correa and George Springer are on the come-up, and 2014 AL batting champ Jose Altuve is still hot as hell with a bat. At this rate, all I can say is to watch out for the Astros in the race for the odds for the 2015 MLB playoff, but you probably know that already, right?

The Calamitous Nosedive of the Boston Red Sox

Everything that could have gone wrong for the Red Sox in a span of around 5 years has decided to happen all at the same time in 2015. Pablo Sandoval, who was supposed to see a decline in his numbers over the next couple of years, has gone from a celebrated World Series hero with the Giants in 2014 to a criticized zero with Red Sox in half a season. Outfielder Hanley Ramirez, the other big-money signing in Boston besides Sandoval, hasn’t been doing any better, with his numbers seemingly dipping with every passing game since hitting 10 home runs in the first month. Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox pitching has been a no-show, performing worse than we anticipated at the start of the season. Looking for a team to wager on for a rebound in the second half? Good! Read on because Boston is not one of them.

The Minnesota Twins Are Double Trouble

All those talks about Minnesota becoming a non-factor in the AL Central title race are faded far away, thanks to surprisingly good and consistent first-half season run by the Twins. And from the look of things, it could all be getting better for the Twins (49-40, 2nd in AL Central), as they have Ervin Santana back from suspension and Miguel Sano has a lot of star potential. Having not posted more than 70 wins since 2010, Minnesota fans can be all but sure that breaking the 70-win barrier will happen this year, possibly with a solid contention for a wild-card spot in the AL.

The Yankees are Back!!!

Currently sitting 3.5 ahead of the Rays atop the AL East, the Yankees (48-40) are looking like the venerated unit that bossed over its opponents in the rich New York past. There’s still a long way to go in the competitive AL East division, where the last-placed Red Sox are just 6.5 games behind the division-leading New Yorkers. Nonetheless, all is well so far, while Mark Teixeira playing like a superstar, Masahiro Tanaka is looking poised for a great season and Michael Pineda gets my vote for the most improved player in the team.

A-Rod is MLB Comeback Player of the Year Favorite

Since making his return from suspension, Alex Rodriguez has been nothing but impressive as a slugger for the Yankees on the field. In the 82 games he’s played this season, his numbers are staggeringly good, including 81 hits, 73 strikeouts, 51 RBI, 48 runs, 46 Walks, 13 doubles, 1 triple, a batting average of .278, .382 OBP, a remarkable 515 slugging percentage and a .898 OPS. Yet even with such a decorated stat line, one that was enough to earn him a nomination for the 2015 Best Comeback Athlete Award, A-Rod was snubbed from the recent All-Star teams. Let’s just hope whoever is monitoring the 2015 MLB Comeback Player of the Year awards is paying attention and taking notes.