MLB is back in full swing. Let’s take a last breath of the All-Star break and look at the most intriguing storylines of the home stretch in the National League.
Pennant Race to Watch: NL East
It’s a long shot, but although the Philadelphia Phillies have a bigger lead atop their division than any other team in baseball, the Atlanta Braves may still have a say. Sitting 8.5 games back entering Friday, the organization will likely be a buyer at the deadline and has been linked to many of the most coveted players available. The Braves still have seven games against the Phillies, and the first of those games does not come until mid-August when the post-deadline group should be settled. The Braves started the second half 29-16 last season.
Wild Card Fever
The NL wild-card race represents precisely what the league had in mind when it expanded the postseason. Nine of a possible 13 teams are either in a wild-card spot or no more than 3.5 games back. In addition to exciting baseball, this could create chaos at the trade deadline.
The Skenes Show
Paul Skenes has become must-see television. Fresh off an All-Star start, he will now look to become the first rookie since Fernando Valenzuela in 1981 to win the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season.
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