SAN FRANCISCO — A series at Petco Park last weekend showed just how much can change for an MLB organization over the span of a few months.
The New York Mets vs. San Diego Padres series was supposed to be a potential NLCS preview, but when they met in San Diego to close out the first half, the National League’s two biggest spenders were simply trying to avoid falling further out of the race. They lead a list of teams that have disappointed, with the St. Louis Cardinals not far behind.
At the other end, the Cincinnati Reds, Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks and Giants would all be in the postseason if it started today. So would Bruce Bochy’s Texas Rangers, and a Baltimore Orioles team that’s quickly become fully formed.
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There's a long way to go for the first-half surprises, but for the teams that have fallen well short of expectations, time might be running short. The trade deadline is in less than three weeks, and some should probably opt to sell sooner than later.
RELATED: Report: Angels will ‘consider' trade offers for Ohtani
As rumors start to fly and the second half gets underway, here’s a rundown of where all 30 currently stand:
30. A's (25-67): It's been an incredibly depressing season for a good fan base, but they'll at least get some new young players to cheer for as Las Vegas stories continue to swirl. Top prospects Tyler Soderstrom and Zack Gelof are reportedly being called up.
29. Royals (26-65): They're historically awful without much hope in the near future, but they want a new stadium, and of course, they'd like a lot of public funding for it. They're the A's, except they'll actually get to stay in the city they currently play in.
28. Rockies (34-57): Most of America probably was rooting for the All-Star Game to go into an extra-innings home run derby, but not fans of the Rockies. Their catcher, Elias Diaz, ended up being named MVP after a game-changing homer.
27. Nationals (36-54): The teardown was painful, but they're at least starting to see signs of light. Josiah Gray made the All-Star team and James Wood -- a centerpiece of the Juan Soto deal -- already has reached Double-A as a 20-year-old. He'll face the Giants' Richmond affiliate this weekend.
26. Tigers (39-50): The Scott Harris Era already includes one hell of a highlight: The Tigers threw a combined no-hitter last week. They're also just 5 1/2 games out in the division.
25. White Sox (38-54): Rumor Season kicked off Thursday when Jon Morosi reported that the Dodgers have interest in Lucas Giolito. A lot of teams will be after the White Sox right-hander, along with others on the roster.
24. Cardinals (38-52): They've already announced that they're ready to sell, at least a little. The trade deadline could really be shaken up if Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado become part of that mix.
23. Pirates (41-49): Andrew McCutchen's return has been about all he could have asked for, but he'll likely miss this weekend's series against the team that traded for him. McCutchen went on the IL late in the first half with right elbow soreness and isn't eligible to return until Sunday.
22. Guardians (45-45): The leader in the awful AL Central has been outscored by seven runs. The other two division leaders in the AL have outscored their opponents by a combined 297 runs.
21. Angels (45-46): They should trade Shohei Ohtani. They probably won't trade Shohei Ohtani. It'll all make for a lot of juicy headlines, either way.
20. Cubs (42-47): Marcus Stroman would cost a lot, but he would be a pretty perfect fit for the Giants if he's made available. They went hard after Stroman when he was a free agent and he has said plenty of nice things about the organization in the years since. A Webb-Stroman-Cobb trio would keep the infield defense busy and could be imposing in October.
19. Mets (42-48): The Mets entered the break 18 1/2 games out in the NL East. Steve Cohen, the richest owner in the sport, has been publicly patient so far, but that can't last too much longer.
18. Mariners (45-44): The smartest move of the All-Star break was Mariners fans chanting "Come to Seattle!" at Ohtani. If they're willing to dive into deep financial waters, they could be a dark horse this offseason.
17. Brewers (49-42): They would be a fascinating seller if they hit that point, but it's a very winnable division, and last year's trade of Josh Hader proved that sometimes when you think too many years down the line, all you end up doing is tanking the current season.
16. Twins (45-46): The Giants were worried about the back half of Carlos Correa's contract, but his first year back in Minneapolis hasn't been pretty. Correa hit the break with a .225 average, 11 homers and an OPS+ that puts him eight points below league average as a hitter.
15. Padres (43-47): At some point, the team with Tatis and Machado and Soto and Bogaerts has to go on a run, right? They had a wildly disappointing first half, but they're third in the NL in run differential and a good week would get them back in the NL West race. They'll open the second half with a tough trip, though, visiting the Phillies and Blue Jays.
14. Marlins (53-39): One of the league's surprise teams got a lot more fun over the break. Johnny Cueto missed most of the first half with a biceps injury, but he was reinstated off the 60-day IL on Monday.
13. Red Sox (48-43): A few writers leaned on quotes from anonymous scouts to make it seem like the Red Sox had done something insane in giving Masataka Yoshida a huge contract, but the rookie from Japan is hitting .316 with 10 homers.
12. Reds (50-41): One of the best matchups of the Giants season comes on Monday in Cincinnati. It'll be Elly De La Cruz's legs (16-for-18 on the bases in 30 games) against Patrick Bailey's arm.
11. Phillies (48-41): They reeled off 13 straight road wins to climb back into the race late in the first half. If Bryce Harper (three homers) and Trea Turner (.687) OPS ever look like Bryce Harper and Trea Turner, they could pretty quickly become the NL's most dangerous Wild Card team. Again.
10. Giants (49-41): An inconsistent first half ended with the lineup going in a funk, but Logan Webb's shutout on Sunday moved them back into the third Wild Card spot. They'll go with Ross Stripling, Alex Cobb and TBA (Ryan Walker/Alex Wood?) this weekend in Pittsburgh, with Webb getting a little extra rest after leading MLB in innings in the first half.
9. Yankees (49-42): They shocked the industry by choosing Sean Casey (a former player who was broadcasting) to take over as hitting coach at the break, but the bigger impact in the second half might come from a former Giant. Carlos Rodón missed most of the first half with injuries, but he returned last week and looked like his old self in 5 1/3 innings.
8. Blue Jays (50-41): Brandon Belt didn't get his homer against Webb, but he had a two-homer night a few days after the Giants left town. Belt finished the first half with a .365 on-base percentage and six homers.
7. Astros (50-41): Mauricio Dubon was worth 2.2 bWAR in parts of four seasons in San Francisco. He's at 2.0 already this season and continues to get plenty of playing time because of injuries to Jose Altuve.
6. Diamondbacks (52-39): They're young, athletic, and might have the best player in the division in rookie outfielder Corbin Carroll. But they would be wise to buy some pitching before the deadline if they want to keep up in a tough NL West.
5. Dodgers (51-38): Their entire rotation spent time on the IL in the first half, Dustin May is lost for the season, and the bullpen has been a mess. And yet, the Dodgers ripped off four straight before the break to slide back into first. They remain the team to beat in the NL West.
4. Orioles (54-35): It didn't get much attention because he didn't advance to the next round, but Adley Rutschman switch-hitting in the Home Run Derby -- and homering with just about every swing after he opted to go right-handed for his final round -- was an awesome moment.
3. Rangers (52-39): Will Smith was looking for a job in early March and ended up getting reunited with his former manager. It's worked out beautifully for both sides. When some of Bochy's younger relievers had trouble finding the zone in April, he turned to a guy who closed for him in San Francisco. Smith is 15-for-17 in save opportunities for the AL West frontrunner.
2. Rays (58-35): Hello, Giants fans who hate openers and bullpen games. The American League's best team has used 14 different starters. The Rays are doing Rays things, and for the first time in franchise history, they entered the All-Star break atop the AL East.
1. Braves (60-29): Their entire infield made the All-Star team and outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. is the clear frontrunner in the NL MVP race, so obviously they're a nightmare to pitch to in any situation, but they're particularly dangerous in the first. Through 89 games, the Braves have scored 91 runs in the first inning, 20 more than the next-closest team. A lot of that has to do with Acuña, who has a .494 on-base percentage when leading off a game.
