Quick Pitch: Tom Verducci previews second half for all 30 MLB teams

Tom Verducci previews the upcoming second half of the season for all 30 MLB teams, including his picks for the playoffs.

Tom Verducci | Jul 17, 2014

Quick Pitch: Tom Verducci previews second half for all 30 MLB teams /

With the All-Star break at an end, it's time to begin the unofficial second half of the 2014 major league season. In one of the tightest playoff races in recent memory, only one team enters play on Friday with a division lead of more than four games, and there are 19 clubs -- 11 in the American League and eight in the National League -- that are within seven games of a playoff spot. How will your favorite team fare in the second half? Tom Verducci previews the rest of the season for every squad, and makes his picks for which clubs will to advance to the postseason.

Videos are displayed in alphabetical order by team.

Arizona Diamondbacks

First-half record: 40-56, last place in NL West (13 1/2 games back)

Atlanta Braves

First-half record: 52-43, tied for first place in NL East and NL Wild Card

Baltimore Orioles

First-half record: 52-42, first place in AL East (4 games ahead)

Boston Red Sox

First-half record: 43-52, fifth place in AL East (9 1/2 GB)

Chicago Cubs

First-half record: 40-54, fifth place in NL Central (12 GB)

Chicago White Sox

First-half record: 45-51, fourth place in AL Central (10 1/2 GB)

Cincinnati Reds

First-half record: 51-44, third place in NL Central (1 1/2 GB)

Cleveland Indians

First-half record: 47-47, third place in AL Central (7 1/2 GB)

Colorado Rockies

First-half record: 40-55, fourth place in NL West (13 GB)

Detroit Tigers

First-half record: 53-38, first place in AL Central (6 1/2 GA)

Houston Astros

First-half record: 40-56, fourth place in AL West (19 1/2 GB)

Kansas City Royals

First-half record: 48-46, second place in AL Central (6 1/2 GB)

Los Angeles Angels

First-half record: 57-37, second place in AL West (1 1/2 GB); leading AL Wild Card

Los Angeles Dodgers

First-half record: 54-43, first place in NL West (1 GA)

Miami Marlins

First-half record: 44-50, fourth place in NL East (7 1/2 GB)

Milwaukee Brewers

First-half record: 53-43, first place in NL Central (1 GA)

Minnesota Twins

First-half record: 44-50, fifth place in AL Central (10 1/2 GB)

New York Mets

First-half record: 45-50, third place in NL East (7 1/2 GB)

New York Yankees

First-half record: 47-47, third place in AL East (5 GB)

Oakland Athletics

First-half record: 59-36, first place in AL West (1 1/2 GA)

Philadelphia Phillies

First-half record: 42-53, fifth place in NL East (10 GB)

Pittsburgh Pirates

First-half record: 49-46, fourth place in NL Central (3 1/2 GB)

San Diego Padres

First-half record: 41-54, third place in NL West (12 GB)

San Francisco Giants

First-half record: 52-43, second place in NL West (1 GB); second place in NL Wild Card

Seattle Mariners

First-half record: 51-44, third place in AL West (8 GB); second place in AL Wild Card

St. Louis Cardinals

First-half record: 52-44, second place in NL Central (1 GB)

Tampa Bay Rays

First-half record: 44-53, fourth place in AL East (9 1/2 GB)

Texas Rangers

First-half record: 38-57, fifth place in AL West (21 GB)

Toronto Blue Jays

First-half record: 49-47, second place in AL East (4 GB)

Washington Nationals

First-half record: 51-42, tied for first place in NL East and NL Wild Card

Published Jul 17, 2014

TOM VERDUCCI

Tom Verducci is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated who has covered Major League Baseball since 1981. He also serves as an analyst for FOX Sports and the MLB Network; is a New York Times best-selling author; and cohosts The Book of Joe podcast with Joe Maddon. A five-time Emmy Award winner across three categories (studio analyst, reporter, short form writing) and nominated in a fourth (game analyst), he is a three-time National Sportswriter of the Year winner, two-time National Magazine Award finalist, and a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient. Verducci is a member of the National Sports Media Hall of Fame, Baseball Writers Association of America (including past New York chapter chairman) and a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 1993. He also is the only writer to be a game analyst for World Series telecasts. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, with whom he has two children.