Rundown: All-Star Break

Big Three Storylines:


1) Toronto's Zeke Devoss must be wearing a firesuit under his uniform, because he started hot, and has stayed hot. The veteran second baseman is eons ahead of the entire league offensively, with 94 RBI, 33 doubles, 33 home runs, a .318 average, and a .740 slugging percentage to go along with a 1.129 OPS. No, you aren't seeing things. He holds the RBI crown by 18 at the break, and his home run and double numbers also top the charts. His slugging and on base plus slugging percentages are, you guessed it, a league best. A younger approach for the defending champions is being heralded by a veteran who is coming off 3 straight 1.000+ OPS seasons. Not too shabby.


2) Where did Bobby Bronze come from? The Baltimore third baseman did appear in his first All-Star Game last season, but cooled off towards the end of the year. This season, he has quickly become the surging Orioles' answer to their division rival's offensive juggernaut (Toronto is once again toting several high output offensive stars). Bronze, 27, sits third in the league in batting average at  an eye-popping .352, is second to only Zeke Devoss in RBIs (76), and sits fourth in the league in walks (37). Last year, he posted 39 home runs and 99 RBIs, his best marks yet, and his highest batting average was .284, two seasons ago. Yet, somehow, the budding superstar is on pace for 58 homers and 152 RBIs. Boston, New York, good luck. The AL East is dangerous once more.


3) The fall of the NL West has come swiftly. The San Francisco Giants sit atop the division with a GM who has gone MIA (seriously, any word from our fearless leader?), but with a 44-37 record, and only a +2 run differential. Tokyo, who sits second, three games back, only has a +12 run differential, and third place Seoul is at a -10. The perrenially contending Dodgers are so far into the negative that it isn't worth putting a number to it. One can only wonder: is it possible to be truly successful for a long period of time as a major market in a division of major markets? Toronto and Baltimore sit atop the AL East with minimal payrolls, while the Yankees and Red Sox remain mired in the basement with their pockets stuffed with cash. Will the NL West ever be the same?





3 Players to Watch after the All-Star Break:


1) Xin Su, Reliever, Seattle (14-2, 2.45 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 3-6 in Saves)

The Seattle reliever has been dominant for a team whose rotation was expected to struggle. In a contract year, he has launched himself into consideration for the Cy Young with a league leading 14 wins, a mark that has him on pace to at least equal the All-Time wins record for both a reliever and a pitcher in general (28, done 4 times, twice by a reliever, and most recently last year by Randy Inrig). Can he do it?


2) Leo Diego Villa, Outfielder, Detroit (.337/.390/.425/.815, 15 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 84-123 in steal attempts)

Detroit may occasionally struggle offensively (OK, quite a bit, but they're rebuilding! again...), but the former AL Rookie of the Year is going to shatter the All-Time Steals record of 95 (Noah Mullins, 2012). It seams almost absurd to think that a player could steal over 100 bases, but the real question is whether or not Diego Villa could reach 200 attempts. Stay tuned...


3) Tino Arruebarruena, Reliever, Toronto (7-0, 0.94 ERA, 0.51 WHIP, 10-10 in Saves)

Perhaps the only other reliever in the league to come close to challenging Xin Su for the Reliever of the Year, Arruebarruena is finally finding his stride in Toronto. While it helps to be on a juggernaut team, and therefore rarely having to come into a game behind as a reliever, his numbers are still absurd. At 26, the kid has nowhere to go but up, and is yet further proof of the success found through grooming a young bullpen. The top teams have subscribed, and now the question is how long will it take for others to take notice, and finally begin to value young relievers as Top 10 picks?