With The MLB All-Star Break Upon Us, It's Time To Hand Out Some Midseason Awards
They say you can’t win anything meaningful after completing the first half of the season. I beg to differ.
The MLB All-Star Break is upon us, and we’ve seen some pretty wild and amazing things already happen. Sure, it's been nothing as consequential as winning in the playoffs. But the Philadelphia Phillies have basically ravaged the whole league, Paul Skenes has shown he’s going to give opposing hitters nightmares for the next 10 years, and Alex Verdugo has injected some new life into the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry.
Read: Touch 'Em All: Paul Skenes Will Start The ASG, Pat Kelly Gets 2,000th W & David Wells Almost Punched His Owner
However, none of those things are award-worthy, not to me anyway (if you beg to differ, email me: john.simmons@outkick.com). I’m handing out four awards in a variety of categories to the teams, players, and mascots (more on that in a bit) who have truly made these first four months remarkable.
Let’s dish out some hardware.
MVP - Grimace
Right off the bat (no pun intended), we’ve got two problems here. The first is that this guy isn’t a player, he’s an anthropomorphic (whatever that means) tastebud character from McDonald’s. Therefore, that acronym doesn’t make sense.
But hey, what do you want me to do? Change the engraving on the trophy I’ve already made for the guy? I’ll talk to my competition committee to see if I can get this changed to "MVTB" - Most Valuable Taste Bud.
Update: After an extensive conversation, my ever-trustworthy competition committee has decided to just through many hoops and appease the acronym police by sending Grimace a new trophy. It will be in his P.O. Box tomorrow.
The second and more legitimate problem is that Grimace can’t have really done anything to help the Mets. I mean, he’s at best a guy that looks like a blob, could he have really helped out New York?
Well, let me tell you.
Since June 12th - the night he threw out the first pitch against the Miami Marlins - the Mets have turned around a nightmarish start to the season to vault themselves into the final Wild Card spot heading into the break.
Still think that’s just a coincidence? Take a look at this graphic from Citi Field on July 12th, which shows where the Mets ranks in many important categories in the National League.
Yeah, I’m not going to doubt my selection. Give this man (taste bud?) the MVP…excuse me, MVTB…award right now.
Best Catch - Tie Between This Orioles Fan and Astros Right Fielder Joey Loperfido
I promise, I will hand out awards to actual players. But I would be remiss if I didn’t give this Orioles fan some props for this foul ball catch.
In a game against the Cleveland Guardians, this guy was standing all alone in the nosebleeds when Josh Naylor roped a moonshot into foul territory. With a beer in one hand and showing no regard for his personal safety, he reached out and snagged the ball with his bare hand for the souvenir of a lifetime.
That would get an award by itself if not for the ninja-like skills of the Houston Astros’ Joey Loperfido.
In the eighth inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins earlier this month, Loperfido tracked a fly ball onto the warning track of Target Field. He was able to leap up against the wall and get the ball in his glove.
But then he thought to himself, "Ya know what? That wasn’t dramatic enough" (there’s no way to be sure of this, but that’s what I’m guessing). The ball then squeaked out of his glove and came dangerously close to falling to the ground.
But Loperfido remembered that God gave him a second hand, and he snagged the ball just before it fell for a hit.
Forget the catch of the first half. Barring something ridiculous, this will go down as the catch of the year in all the MLB.
Man, what a play!
Wildest Statistic - San Diego Padres Walk-Off Home Run Streak
Don’t you just love walk-off home runs? I certainly do.
They’re so satisfying. No matter what, these dingers immediately help your team avoid disaster, whether that’s losing or preventing blowing a big lead (isn;t instant gratification awesome - in moderation?). There’s simply no more relieving and thrilling feeling to experience than watching your favorite team jack a missile over the fence to secure a dub.
Unfortunately, I’ve never seen one in person. I’ve been to over 50 games in my life, and I’ve never seen one at the pro level (I did see one in college, shout out to my Liberty Flames). But if you’re a San Diego Padres fan, you had three different chances to see one.
In three consecutive home games.
Yes, they weren’t on consecutive nights (June 11 and 12 against the Athletics, and June 20 against the Brewers). But still, can you imagine how much has to go into this to make it happen?
First, you’ve got to have tight games, which aren’t always a guarantee. Next, you’ve gotta have guys get hits, which isn’t a gimme - the best hitters in the game only get hits three out of 10 times. Finally, you’ve got to have those hits be home runs, which further lessens the odds of it actually happening.
But by golly, the Padres did it, tying a major league record in the process.
This is one of the many reasons I love baseball. Without fail, you see some statistical anomaly happen for the first time, or have a record matched or broken. Baseball is a stats nerd’s dream, and the Padres gave that demographic (which includes me) something to cheer about.
Best Surprise Team (So Far) - Cleveland Guardians
The Philadelphia Phillies lead the MLB with 62 wins. Several teams are behind them at 58, and Cleveland is one of them.
To be completely honest, I didn’t think I’d be saying that about the Guardians at this point in the season. I thought they’d be second behind Minnesota, flirting with a Wild Card spot but not really posing a huge threat to be a top contender in the American League.
Boy, was I wrong.
CLEVELAND, OH - JULY 07: Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor (23) celebrates after hitting a pinch-hit 3-run home run during the sixth inning of the Major League Baseball Interleague game between the San Francisco Giants and Cleveland Guardians on July 7, 2024, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Josh Naylor is an absolute tank at the plate. Steven Kwon leads the majors in batting average after missing nearly a month with a hamstring injury. They’ve got a four-headed monster in the bullpen in the form of Nick Sandlin, Hunter Gaddis, Tim Herrin and Cade Smith. They are tied with the Orioles for the most guys at the Midsummer Classic with five.
Some reporters have stated that they need help with their starting rotation and could use another legitimate threat in their lineup. But even so, they’ve found a way to finish tied for the best record in the American League. If they can stay healthy and add a few pieces at the trade deadline, they will be a team you don't want to face in October.
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Did I snub anyone? What other categories should I consider? What are you doing for the All-Star Game? Send me your thoughts: john.simmons@outkick.com.