With the 2024 regular season winding down and the races for postseason berths reaching peak intensity, let’s take a moment to dishonor those clubs who have methodically worsened their lot over the recent weeks and months. Yes, it’s time to do the grim but necessary work of talking about second-half disappointments.
Some of the clubs to follow will be a part of the postseason fray despite the fact that we’re about to classify them as a second-half disappointment. Others, though, have squandered whatever chances they had by struggling since the All-Star break — by, yes, positioning themselves as second-half disappointments.
In particular, let’s have a look at five clubs that have anti-distinguished themselves since the break. Since ranking things causes emotional unrest for both writer and reader, we’re not going to rank things. Instead, we’ll proceed in alphabetical order in the name of peace and quiet.
No, we’re not counting the White Sox.
Second-half disappointments, forthwith …
The O’s are almost certainly still headed to the playoffs for a second-straight year. However, they’re second-half struggles have put them in a bad spot in the American League East and likely relegated them to a wild-card spot (and thus having to play a first-round Wild Card Series). That’s a disappointing likelihood for a team that won 101 games and the flag a season ago, returned the most impressive young core of hitters in the game, and added ace Corbin Burnes via trade over the winter.
Coming out of June, the Orioles were 53-31, which was in line with expectations and good enough for first place. Since then, however, they’ve gone 32-37, including a 27-30 mark since the break. Bullpen issues and a couple of key lineup injuries have been the drivers in those struggles. The reality is that the O’s have played themselves into longshot territory when it comes to catching the Yankees in the East. They can flip the script by going on a deep playoff run even as a wild-card entrant, but this has been a struggling squad for some time.
The Red Sox have been pretty much a disaster since the All-Star Game. They once looked firmly in the mix for a wild-card berth and with a puncher’s chance in the division. In the second half, though, they’ve cratered with a 23-34 record. Thursday night’s loss to the Rays dropped them to below .500 for the season, and now they have less than a 2% chance of making the postseason, per SportsLine. Since the break, Boston’s run differential of minus-43 ranks near the bottom of the AL, so it’s not as though their struggles are the result of mere bad luck. They’re at risk of enduring three straight losing seasons for the first time since 1992-94.
Will the Twins tumble from division champs in 2023 to missing the playoffs this year? That’s the reality with which they’re presently threatened, thanks in part to their recent stumbles. Minny is 26-31 in the second half, which stands in contrast to their 42-33 record in the first half. The Twins ERA of 4.19 since the break ranks 21st in MLB over that span, which has raised the bar for an offense that was dealing with some key injuries until very recently. The down-cycle in Minnesota coincided with a surge in Detroit, and the Twins now find themselves tied with the Tigers for the third and final wild-card spot in the AL. Not so long ago, it seemed like the Twins might run down Cleveland and win the Central once again.
At the close of play on June 18, the Mariners were 13 games over .500 and had a 10-game lead in the AL West. Since that high point, though, things have changed drastically. In large measure, that’s because of the Astros‘ vastly improved play, but it also reflects Seattle’s listlessness. The M’s are 26-29 in the second half, and the prospect of missing the playoffs for a second straight year not long ago cost Scott Servais his job. Seattle is still above .500 and alive for the final wild-card spot, but the second half cost the club a much better fate.
A return to relevance after the depths of 2023? It’s not going to happen for the Cardinals. They were 50-46 at the break, and lead decision-maker John Mozeliak had a strong trade deadline. However, none of that prevented some back-sliding in the second half. The Cardinals are 27-30 since the All-Star break ended with a minus-19 run differential, and they’ve drifted out of range of a playoff berth. They haven’t logged consecutive full losing seasons since the 1950s, but the Cardinals are now at risk of breaking that streak. Among NL teams, only the Giants have scored fewer runs in the second half of this season.
