We have reached and passed the halfway point of the 2024 MLB season. Has it gone fast or slow? Guess that kind of depends on who you're rooting for.
As we take our monthly snapshot of where teams reside in the general pecking order, we'll use the occasion to recognize every club's first-half MVP.
And, yes, we're giving one to all 30 teams -- even if it feels like a couple of them don't deserve one.
1. Philadelphia Phillies
Win average: 100.7 (Last: 100.6, 7th)
In the playoffs: 99.9% (Last: 99.8%)
Champions: 18.0% (Last: 14.8%)
First-half MVP: Bryce Harper (131 AXE). Harper is currently on the shelf with a hamstring injury, but he's still safely out in front on the Phillies' AXE leaderboard. That's no small feat considering that Philadelphia has an MLB-high five players with AXE ratings of 120 or better: Harper, Ranger Suarez (127), Alec Bohm (123), Cristopher Sanchez (123) and Zack Wheeler (123). There's a reason Philly clocks in at the top spot in our midseason Stock Watch. Harper remains on precisely the same lofty plateau he's been on for a very long time now, and he shows zero signs of slippage. If Harper can remain relatively healthy, some epic career totals will begin to come into focus in two or three years as he puts a headlock on any straggling doubters regarding his Cooperstown destiny.