On Deck Circle 7/17/17: 5 Bold Predictions For The MLB's Second Half

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta


Baseball season is now past the unofficial midway point now that the All-Star game and festivities are complete. As the MLB season is back underway, we can look at what’s ahead for the 2nd half of the season and make some predictions on what’s to come. So let’s not only make some predictions, but let’s go out on a limb and make some real bold ones here. These predictions may not seem likely but there’s no telling what could happen with this many games left to play still, so let’s jump right into it here with 5 bold predictions for the 2nd half of the MLB season.

1. The Yankees will not make the playoffs – So I’ll get started with a bold-lite prediction here and call the Yankees and non-playoff team. The Yankees got off to a hot start in April and lead the division through May and are now in the playoffs as a wildcard team so they’ve been a playoff team since the beginning of the season. They are just 6-18 since June 13th though and are tapering off rapidly, Boston has not only surpassed them for the division lead but the Tampa Bay Rays have also caught up to them and went into the All-Star break tied for the top wildcard spot. With the Twins, Royals, Angels and Rangers all within 3 games of the wildcard spot, it’s completely feasible that the Yankees miss out on the playoffs this season if they continue this type of play.

2. Carlos Correa or Jose Altuve will win AL MVP – This bold prediction is based off the previous prediction. Right now, Aaron Judge is the AL MVP and it’s not close, he has this all locked up right now. If the Yankees do miss the playoffs though and Aaron Judge hits a rookie wall, then that leaves the MVP up for debate. The Astros were an impressive 60-29 at All-Star break and on pace for roughly 110 wins this season, if they can win that many games then someone on the Astros will get big time consideration. Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve are the top 2 candidates and very similar in production, it will be a close call in which they will split votes and one will end up as the AL MVP.

3. The St. Louis Cardinals will win the NL Central – A 3rd place team that is 2 games under .500 and 5.5 games out of 1st place at all-star break, it would seem unlikely that any team under those circumstances would make a run at the division. But the Cardinals though have the benefit of playing a division that is still up for grabs, not sold on the Brewers yet and the Cubs are still a mess even with the acquisition of Jose Quintana(which the White Sox fleeced them in, btw.) The Cardinals’ bats need to wake up a bit and they can make up ground in no time, their pitching is amongst the best in the league and any team that has good pitching will have a shot at the postseason. Pitching stays where it is and bats heat up a bit, and the division is all theirs to win.

4. Pittsburgh Pirates will be biggest sellers as trade deadline approaches – Everyone right now is assuming that the Oakland A’s will be the biggest sellers, but let’s not be too sure about that. The A’s have Sonny Gray that will almost certainly be dealt and they will have other available assets such as Yonder Alonso and Khris Davis to deal as well. But the Pirates have more players that are worth trading for and being 7 games out of the division, it’s time to start dealing them. While I do not think Andrew McCutcheon will be traded, players like Gerrit Cole, Ivan Nova, Josh Harrison and Francisco Cervelli could all be on the move. Cole and Nova especially now that the market for starting pitching has been set with the trade of Jose Quintana to the Cubs, pitching will cost buyers a lot in order to deal so Pittsburgh can get younger real quick by trading either or both pitchers.

5. Bryce Harper and Clayton Kershaw will win the NL triple crown - In batting, the triple crown is when a batter leads the league in batting average, RBI's and home runs. This is one of the rarest feats in baseball, Miguel Cabrera accomplished it in 2012 but before then it was Carl Yastrzemski in 1967 and to stack the deck even more against Bryce Harper, there hasn't been a triple crown winner in the NL since 1937. That ends this year, Harper is currently 2nd in the NL in batting average, tied for 3rd in RBI's and tied for 7th in home runs(only 4 back of the current leader.) He is within striking distance of them all and will end up leading the National League in all 3 come season's end. The triple crown in pitching is a bit more common, when a pitcher leads the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts. Clayton Kershaw accomplished this once before, back in 2011 and he is primed to do it again this season.

He leads the league in wins and is 2nd in both ERA and strikeouts and is extremely close to being 1st in all 3. Max Scherzer has a 2.10 ERA while Kershaw has a 2.18 and Scherzer has 173 K's while Kershaw has 159, that slim margin is what is keeping Kershaw from currently leading in all 3. A batter and pitcher winning the triple crown in the same league in the same year has not happened since 1934 and has only happened once in the National League(back in 1884, I'm sure we all remember that), but this year we will get to witness a rare phenomenon as both Bryce Harper and Clayton Kershaw will be triple crown winners.

TV Tonight 6.26

By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

MLB
Dodgers @ Pirates (ESPN, 8pm)

SOCCER
MLS: Houston Dynamo @ Portland Timbers (ESPN 2, 6pm)
2016 Copa America Centenario Final: Argentina vs. Chile (FOX Sports 1, 8pm)

OTHER SPORTS
U.S. Olympic Trials: Diving (NBC, 5pm)
U.S. Olympic Trials: Diving (NBC, 7pm)
U.S. Olympic Trials: Swimming Finals (NBC, 8pm)
Gymnastics: P&G Championships (NBC, 9pm)

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2016 BET Awards Live Red & Ready! (BET, 6pm)

2016 BET Awards; hosted by Anthony Anderson & Tracee Ellis Ross (BET/Multiple Channels, 8pm)
Celebrity Family Feud; Kellie Pickler vs. Lance Bass/ Ernie Hudson vs. Nene Leakes (ABC, 8pm)

The $100,00 Pyramid; Sherri Shepherd vs. Anthony Anderson/ Rosie O'Donnell vs. Kathy Najimy (ABC, 9pm)
Game Of Thrones SEASON FINALE (HBO, 9pm)
Preacher (AMC, 9pm)
Ray Donovan (Showtime, 9pm)
The Last Ship (TNT, 9pm)

Match Game (ABC, 10pm)
Ride With Norman Reedus (AMC, 10pm)
Roadies (Showtime, 10pm)
Silicon Valley SEASON FINALE (HBO, 10pm)
Murder In The First (TNT, 10pm)
Veep SEASON FINALE (HBO, 10:30pm)

Last Week Tonight (HBO, 11pm)

TV Tonight 5.2

By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

MLB
Cubs @ Pirates (ESPN, 7pm)

NBA PLAYOFFS
Hawks @ Cavaliers, Game 1 (TNT, 7pm)
Thunder @ Spurs, Game 2 (TNT, 9:30pm)

NHL PLAYOFFS
Capitals @ Penguins, Game 3 (NBC Sports, 8pm)

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WWE Raw (USA, 8pm)
The Voice (NBC, 8pm)
Dancing With The Stars (ABC, 8pm)
Gotham (FOX, 8pm)
Mike & Molly (CBS, 8pm & 8:30pm)
Reign (The CW, 8pm)
American Dad (TBS, 8:30pm)

12 Monkeys (Syfy, 9pm)
Bates Motel (A&E, 9pm)
Houdini & Doyle (FOX, 9pm)
The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 9pm)
Jane The Virgin (The CW, 9pm)
The Detour (TBS, 9pm)
The Odd Couple (CBS, 9:30pm)

TURN: Washington's Spies (AMC, 10pm)
Damien (A&E, 10pm)
Blindspot (NBC, 10pm)
Castle (ABC, 10pm)
NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS, 10pm)

TV Tonight 9.27

By @nevaRWilliams

NFL
Football Night In America (NBC, 7pm)
Broncos @ Lions (NBC, 8:20pm)

MLB
Pirates @ Cubs (ESPN, 8pm)

MLS SOCCER
Real Salt Lake @ San Jose Earthquakes (FOX Sports 1, 7pm)
FC Dallas @ Los Angeles Galaxy (FOX Sports 1, 9:30pm)

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Bob's Burgers SEASON PREMIERE (FOX, 7:30pm)
60 Minutes (CBS, 7:30pm)

Once Upon A Time SEASON PREMIERE (ABC, 8pm)
The Simpsons SEASON PREMIERE (FOX, 8pm)
Keeping Up With The Kardashians (E!, 8pm)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine SEASON PREMIERE (FOX, 8:30pm)

Fear The Walking Dead (AMC, 9pm)
Ray Donovan (Showtime, 9pm)
Blood & Oil SERIES PREMIERE (ABC, 9pm)
Family Guy SEASON PREMIERE (FOX, 9pm)
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation SERIES FINALE (CBS, 9pm)
The Last Man On Earth SEASON PREMIERE (FOX, 9:30pm)

Quantico SERIES PREMIERE (ABC, 10pm)
Project Greenlight (HBO, 10:10pm)
Masters Of Sex (Showtime, 10pm)
The Strain (FX, 10pm)
Doll & Em (HBO, 10:41pm)

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO, 11:07pm)

Leadoff with Lee 9.25.15 #TristanThompson #Cavs #MWP #Lakers

By @cleeverizon

- What's the latest Tristan Thompson news? NOTHING!

Here's the story. This time last summer, Tristan Thompson turned down the Cavaliers offer of four years, $52M. Thompson chose to gamble on himself and it paid off by the Cavs reportedly offering him five years and $80M at the end of last season. Now, knowing that the NBA salary cap will increase and additional TV money given to teams, Thompson's new demands turned into five years and $94M.

ESPN's Chris Broussard reported that Thompson's new proposal is three years $54M which will coincide with LeBron's contract ending once he extends. Akron Beacon Journal's Jason Lloyd quickly reported via Twitter:

I've been told reports of extension for Tristan Thompson inaccurate. No deal struck, nor do #Cavs seem interested in reported 3/$53 million

— Jason Lloyd (@JasonLloydABJ) September 24, 2015

So as of now, there is no deal that looks imminent. Since lowering the demand of the contract length and years this maybe a deal that will be complete before training camp starts. Of course, Thompson can sign the qualifying offer, but why would he not want more than double his salary and leave the money on the table this year? Thompson is putting himself at risk of injury or a drop in production if he does not take the deal. This is going to go down to the wire with a deal being struck at midnight in my opinion. This story is far from over. Make sure to follow @TripleThreatCLE On Twitter for all the latest updates.                                                    

- Forward Metta World Peace will be returning to Los Angeles next season to play for the Lakers. The one year, $1.5M non guaranteed contract was signed on Thursday and World Peace is scheduled to take his physical and formalize the contract today. Last season, he played in Italy and China. In his 15 NBA seasons, the formerly named Ron Artest has averaged 13.7 points and 4.7 rebounds. He had stops with the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets and the Lakers.

- Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh says he has been taken off blood thinners and is cleared for contact. He does not have the gene that makes it more likely for blood clots to recur. Bosh said he added a little weight to be stronger and sustain contact but hopes to lose the weight and keep the strength.                                    

- After spending 14 seasons in the NBA, Jason Richardson announced his retirement via Instagram. Richardson had right knee pain 4-5 days ago and an MRI revealed he had bone spurs. He feared his knee would become as bad as his left, which caused him to make the decision to retire. Most notably known for winning back to back NBA slam dunk titles (2002&2003), Richardson averaged 17.1 points per game and finishes scoring 14,644 career points. After being drafted in the first round out of Michigan State in 2001 by the Golden State Warriors, he also played for the Charlotte Bobcats, Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic and the Philadelphia 76ers.

- The Pittsburgh Pirates clinch a playoff birth and are in the postseason for the third straight year. The Pirates are the second team to qualify for postseason this season play after the St.Louis Cardinals.

- The Boston Red Sox promote Mike Hazen to senior vice president and general manager yesterday. Hazen 39 in his previous role as senior vice president/assistant GM, Hazen assisted Ben Cherington (who resigned upon Dave Dombrowski’s hiring) in player acquisitions, player evaluation, contract negotiations, and scouting.

TV Tonight 9.6

By @nevaRWilliams

MLB
Pirates @ Cardinals (ESPN, 8pm)

NASCAR & RACING
Sprint Cup Series: Bojangles’ Southern 500 (NBC, 7pm)

TENNIS
2015 US Open, Round of 16 (ESPN 2, 7pm)

SOCCER
MLS: FC Dallas @ Columbus Crew SC (FOX Sports 1, 7pm)

WNBA
Tulsa Shock @ Los Angeles Sparks (NBA TV, 5pm)
New York Liberty @ Minnesota Lynx (NBA TV, 7pm)

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Bachelor In Paradise (ABC, 8pm)
Big Brother (CBS, 8pm)

Ray Donovan (Showtime, 9pm)
The Last Ship SEASON FINALE (TNT, 9pm)

Masters Of Sex (Showtime, 10pm)
The Strain (FX, 10pm)

TV Tonight 8.23

By @nevaRWilliams

NFL
Preseason: Rams @ Titans (FOX, 8pm)

MLB
Giants @ Pirates (ESPN, 8pm)

MMA & BOXING
UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Oliveira - Prelims (FOX Sports 1, 7pm)
UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Oliveira (FOX Sports 1, 9pm)

LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL
World Series, Double Elimination: TBA (ESPN 2, 7pm)

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Talking Dead, Season 6 Preview Special (AMC, 8pm)
Show Me A Hero, Parts Three & Four (HBO, 8pm)
Hollywood Game Night (NBC, 8pm)
Bachelor In Paradise (ABC, 8pm)
Big Brother (CBS, 8pm)

Fear The Walking Dead SERIES PREMIERE (AMC, 9pm)
American Ninja Warrior (NBC, 9pm)
Ray Donovan (Showtime, 9pm)
Bar Rescue (SPIKE, 9pm)
The Last Ship (TNT, 9pm)

Katrina: 10 Years After The Storm, With Robin Roberts (ABC, 10pm)
Ballers SEASON FINALE (HBO, 10pm)
Masters Of Sex (Showtime, 10pm)
The Strain (FX, 10pm)
Falling Skies (TNT, 10pm)
The Brink (HBO, 10:30pm)
Last Week Tonight (HBO, 11pm)

TV Tonight 8.9

By @nevaRWilliams

NFL
PRESEASON: Steelers @ Vikings (NBC, 8pm)

MLB
Dodgers @ Pirates (ESPN, 8pm)

SOCCER
New York City FC @ New York Red Bulls (FOX Sports 1, 7pm)

NASCAR & RACING
NHRA: Northwest Nationals (ESPN 2, 9pm)

CFL FOOTBALL
Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats (ESPNews, 5pm)

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Bachelor In Paradise (ABC, 8pm)
Big Brother (CBS, 8pm)

True Detective SEASON FINALE (HBO, 9pm)
Ray Donovan (Showtime, 9pm)
Humans (AMC, 9pm)
Bar Rescue (SPIKE, 9pm)
The Last Ship (TNT, 9pm)

Masters Of Sex (Showtime, 10pm)
The Strain (FX, 10pm)
Falling Skies (TNT, 10pm)
Ballers (HBO, 10:30pm)
The Brink (HBO, 11pm)
Last Week Tonight (HBO, 11:30pm)

TV Weekend 7.3 - 7.4

By @nevaRWilliams

Undercover Boss (FRI, CBS, 8pm)
Defiance (FRI, SyFy, 8pm)
New Japan Pro Wrestling (FRI, AXSTV, 8pm)

Killjoys (FRI, SyFy, 9pm)
What Would You Do? (FRI, ABC, 9pm)
New Japan Pro Wrestling (FRI, AXSTV, 9pm)

Dark Matter (FRI, SyFy, 10pm)
------
Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular (SAT, NBC, 8pm)
Power (SAT, STARZ, 9pm)

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MLB
Giants @ Nationals (FRI, ESPN, 6pm)
Indians @ Pirates (FRI, STO, 7pm)
Blue Jays @ Tigers OR Rays @ Yankees (FRI, MLB Network, 7pm)
Mets @ Dodgers (FRI, ESPN, 10pm)

Giants @ Nationals (SAT, MLB Network, 11am)
Rays @ Yankees (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 1pm)
Indians @ Pirates (SAT, STO, 4pm)
Mariners @ Athletics (SAT, MLB Network, 4pm)
Twins @ Royals (SAT, FOX, 7pm)
Angels @ Rangers OR Rockies @ Diamondbacks (SAT, MLB Network, 10pm)

2015 WIMBLEDON CHAMPIONSHIPS
Early Round, Day 6 (SAT, ESPN, 8am)

SOCCER
International Friendly: United States vs. Guatemala (FRI, FOX Sports 1, 7pm)

NBA SUMMER LEAGUE
Heat vs. Pacers (SAT, NBA TV, 9am)
Pistons vs. Magic (SAT, NBA TV, 11am)
Magic vs. Clippers (SAT, NBA TV, 1pm)
Hornets vs. Thunder (SAT, NBA TV, 3pm)
Grizzlies vs. Nets (SAT, NBA TV, 5pm)

FOOTBALL
CFL Football: Calgary Stampeders @ Montreal Alouettes (FRI, ESPN 2, 7:30pm)

GOLF
Greenbrier Classic, Third Round (SAT, CBS, 3pm)

NASCAR & RACING
Motorcycle Racing: Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Series: Red Bud National (SAT, NBC, 4pm)
XFINITY Series: Subway Firecracker 250 (SAT, NBC Sports, 7:30pm)
NHRA Drag Racing: Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, Qualifying (SAT, ESPN 2, 10pm)

OTHER SPORTS
2015 Hot Dog Eating Contest (SAT, ESPN 2, 12pm)
2015 Tour de France, Stage 1 (SAT, NBC, 3pm)
Horse Racing: Belmont Oaks & Suburban Handicap (SAT, NBC, 5pm)

TV Tonight 10.1

By @neveRWilliams

MLB PLAYOFFS
Giants @ Pirates (ESPN, 8 PM)

NHL PRESEASON
Pittsburgh Penguins @ Detroit Red Wings (NHL Network, 7:30 PM)

MMA
The Ultimate Fighter (FOX Sports 1, 10 PM)

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The Mysteries of Laura (NBC, 8 PM)
The Middle (ABC, 8 PM)
Hell's Kitchen (FOX, 8 PM)
Survivor (CBS, 8 PM)
The Goldbergs (ABC, 8:30 PM)

TNA Impact Wrestling (SPIKE, 9 PM)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC, 9 PM)
Modern Family (ABC, 9 PM)
Red Band Society (FOX, 9 PM)
Legends (TNT, 9 PM)
black-ish (ABC, 9:30 PM)
Big Brother (CBS, 9:30 PM)

Chicago PD (NBC, 10 PM)
Nashville (ABC, 10 PM)
Stalker (CBS, 10 PM)
South Park (Comedy Central, 10 PM)
The League (FXX, 10 PM)
The Bridge, SEASON FINALE (FX, 10 PM)
Franklin & Bash (TNT, 10 PM)
Key & Peele (Comedy Central, 10:30 PM)
Ali G: Rezurection (FXX, 10:30 PM)

TV Tonight 9.11.14

By @neveRWilliams

NFL
Thursday Night Kickoff (CBS/NFL Network, 7:30 PM)
Steelers @ Ravens (CBS/NFL Network, 8:25 PM)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Louisiana Tech @ North Texas (CBS SportsNet, 8 PM)
Houston @ BYU (ESPN, 9 PM)

MLB
Rays @ Yankees OR Pirates @ Phillies (MLB Network, 7 PM)

WOMEN's BASKETBALL
U.S. National Team Scrimmage: Red vs. White (ESPN 2, 7 PM)

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The Biggest Loser, SEASON PREMIERE (NBC, 8 PM)
The Quest (ABC, 8 PM)
Haven, SEASON PREMIERE (SyFy, 8 PM)

Rush (USA, 9 PM)
Dating Naked (VH1, 9 PM)

Married (FX, 10 PM)
Ridiculousness (MTV, 10 PM)
Satisfaction (USA, 10 PM)
You're The Worst (FX, 10:30 PM)
Snack-Off (MTV, 10:30 PM)

Black Jesus (Cartoon Network, 11 PM)

TV Tonight 6.1.14

MLB
Pirates @ Dodgers (ESPN 2, 8 PM)

NHL
Kings @ Blackhawks, Game 7, tied 3-3 (NBC Sports, 8 PM)

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Enlisted (FOX, 7 PM)

The Bachelorette (ABC, 8 PM)

Game of Thrones (HBO, 9 PM)
Nurse Jackie (Showtime, 9 PM)
Believe (NBC, 9 PM)
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (FOX, 9 PM)
TURN (AMC, 9 PM)
Total Divas, SEASON FINALE (E!, 9 PM)
Californication (Showtime, 9:30 PM)

Crisis (NBC, 10 PM)
Salem (WGN, 10 PM)
Halt And Catch Fire, SERIES PREMIERE (AMC, 10 PM)
Silicon Valley (HBO, 10 PM)
Penny Dreadful (Showtime, 10 PM)
Veep (HBO, 10:30 PM)

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO, 11 PM)

TV Tonight 5.22.14

MLB
Indians @ Orioles (STO, 7 PM)
Nationals @ Pirates (MLB Network, 7 PM)

NHL
Canadians @ Rangers, Game 3, Rangers lead 2-0 (NBC Sports, 8 PM)

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Hollywood Game Night (NBC, 8 PM)
The Bachelorette (ABC, 8 PM)
Hell's Kitchen (FOX, 8 PM)
Labyrinth, SERIES PREMIERE (The CW, 8 PM)

TNA iMPACT Wrestling (SPIKE, 9 PM)
Gang Related, SERIES PREMIERE (FOX, 9 PM)
Last Comic Standing, SEASON PREMIERE (NBC, 9 PM)
Bad Teacher (CBS, 9:30 PM)

The Challenge: Free Agents (MTV, 10 PM)
Black Box (ABC, 10 PM)

TV Tonight 5.11.14

MLB
Cardinals @ Pirates (ESPN, 8 PM)

NBA
Pacers @ Wizards, Game 4, Pacers lead 2-1 (TNT, 8 PM)

NHL
Penguins @ Rangers, Game 6, Penguins lead 3-2 (NBC Sports, 7 PM)
Wild @ Blackhawks, Game 5, tied 2-2 (CNBC, 9 PM)

----
Once Upon A Time (ABC, 8 PM)

Game of Thrones (HBO, 9 PM)
Rosemary's Baby (NBC, 9 PM)
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (FOX, 9 PM)
The Good Wife (CBS, 9 PM)
TURN (AMC, 9 PM)

Revenge (ABC, 10 PM)
Salem (WGN, 10 PM)
Mad Men (AMC, 10 PM)
Silicon Valley (HBO, 10 PM)
Penny Dreadful, SEASON PREMIERE (Showtime, 10 PM)
Veep (HBO, 10:30 PM)

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO, 11 PM)