The following story is a collaboration between MLB.com and Yahoo Sports writers working together to cover baseball topics this season.
Which MLB players will be the X-factors in the second half of the season?
With the All-Star break over and the playoff races heating up, we posed this question to six reporters (three from MLB.com and three from Yahoo Sports) whose assignment was to identify players who have a chance to thrive with just over two months left in the 2024 season — players who will not only play well, but who can help their team reach the postseason, win their division or better.
Here are six players who could make the biggest impact with their late-game performances. (All stats below are through Monday’s game.)
The Mariners were 10 games up in the AL West at the start of play on June 19, but are now locked in a tight battle with the Astros, who are looking to win their seventh division title in the past eight seasons. The Mariners are one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league and are in desperate need of hitters, which is likely to be acquired at the trade deadline. That said, getting a big finish from J. Rod, who is coming off a right ankle sprain, could be more impactful than any trade.
Rodriguez had 10 homers and a .690 OPS in 97 games before the All-Star break, but we all know how good he can be when he’s in good form. The young man was one of the best players in baseball last year, finishing fourth in AL MVP voting with 32 homers, 37 stolen bases and an .818 OPS in his age-22 season. He’s starting to get back to his pre-injury form, batting .439/.500/.805 with four homers in 13 games from July 3 to July 20. A resurgent Rodriguez could give Seattle the offensive firepower they need to win their first AL West title since 2001, assuming he doesn’t spend an extended period on the disabled list.
— Thomas Harrigan (MLB.com)
Of course, this is assuming the White Sox, who have the worst record in MLB, choose to trade Crochette, who won’t become a free agent until 2026 or later. Given the state of their organization, it’s reasonable to assume the White Sox won’t compete within that time frame. That means there’s a relatively strong chance the 25-year-old All-Star left-hander will be traded before the upcoming deadline. While there are concerns about Crochette’s production numbers (he’s already logged double his career high innings), he’s an impactful, game-changing pitcher no matter how he’s used.
Entering Tuesday’s start against the Rangers, Crochette had a 3.02 ERA in 107 1/3 innings so far this season at the break. His projected stats behind him are even more favorable: He’s one of the most hard-to-hit pitchers in the league right now. Whichever team acquires the gas-spewing lefty will instantly add to the league’s strikeout leader. He’s the guy you’d expect to start Game 1 of a playoff series for many championship-contending teams. Now that’s what I call the X-factor.
— Jake Mintz (Yahoo Sports)
When healthy, Lewis is one of the best baseball players on the planet. He has 27 home runs in his first 94 games, batting .303/.361/.584 with a 158 OPS+ since his debut season in 2022, third behind Aaron Judge, Yordan Alvarez, Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto (minimum 350 plate appearances).
That will depend on him staying healthy. Lewis tore his right anterior cruciate ligament in the 12th game of his major league career, his second in professional baseball, and has been plagued by a variety of ailments since returning to the majors last May. He is currently on the disabled list with a right adductor injury, but is expected to return by the end of this month.
If Lewis can stay healthy for the rest of the season, it would bode well for the Twins, who are in a tight race for the AL Wild Card spot, and with the Twins trailing the Guardians by four games as of Tuesday compared to nine games on June 25, a healthy Lewis could give the Twins a boost in their bid to win the AL Central Division.
— Brent McGwire (MLB.com)
Few playoff teams have more questions about their starting rotation than the Dodgers, which makes Glasnow as valuable as any starting pitcher in baseball. Before his recent trip to the disabled list with a back injury, Glasnow was exactly what the Dodgers expected in his first season in Los Angeles, dominating at the top of the rotation.
The problem is, his resume is so uncertain. Gavin Stone has played well, but he and Glasnow are the only sure things for the Dodgers at this point. The rotation isn’t complete, with it unclear if or when Yoshinobu Yamamoto will return, Bobby Miller recently demoted to Triple-A and Clayton Kershaw making his season debut this week after rehabbing from shoulder surgery.
Glasnow is scheduled to return from the injured list on Wednesday against the Giants, and his ability to stay healthy in the second half of the season will be essential if the Dodgers want to be the team they expect to be in October.
— Russ Dorsey (Yahoo Sports)
The Mets have been waiting for Senga all season, and now he’s here, just in time for a playoff push. (The right-hander could make his 2024 debut as early as Friday.) The Mets managed to get into playoff contention and finished the first half of the season without Senga. Grimas and Jose Iglasias have already emerged. If there’s one thing that could give them a postseason push now, it’s bringing back their ace for the final stretch.
Let’s not forget that Senga is a pitcher with a Cy Young-caliber arm. Let’s also not forget that his “ghost fork” is one of the hardest pitches to hit in baseball. Senga went 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA and 208 strikeouts in his first season facing major league hitters, finishing the season with a 6-2 record with a 2.44 ERA, 101 strikeouts and a 10.7/9 strikeout ratio in 14 starts. This is a classic “best additions come from within” situation for the Mets. With the National League Wild Card race in a tight spot, Senga is the type of player who could be the difference between the Mets making the playoffs or not.
— David Adler (MLB.com)
It was just two years ago that Machado finished second in the National League MVP voting and led the Padres to within two wins of the World Series, but since then he’s played through a few injuries and his overall performance has slipped from elite to merely very good, showing only occasional glimpses of the Machado MVP candidate along the way.
Currently in the middle of a National League Wild Card race, the Padres have been bolstered by a surprisingly talented outfield thanks to the resurgence of Fernando Tatis Jr., the immediate impact of 21-year-old rookie Jackson Merrill and the phenomenal breakout performance of veteran Jurickson Profar. The infield, meanwhile, has been a disappointment, with Xander Bogaerts hampered by injuries and Kim Ha-seong not performing as well at the plate as he did a year ago.
Meanwhile, Machado has begun to find his groove as of late, raising the possibility that the final few months could be crucial for the veteran third baseman if San Diego wants to return to action in October. Since his OPS dropped to .662 on June 18, Machado has posted a .293/.336/.535 slugging average with seven home runs in 25 games, far more reflective of the type of hitter we saw from 2020 through 2022. If Machado can maintain his stellar form down the stretch, it could go a long way to helping San Diego cement itself in the National League postseason race.
— Jordan Shusterman (Yahoo Sports)
