Small Brown Paper Bags

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.

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.

Win average: 99.2 (Last: 103.4, 6th) In the playoffs: 99.5% (Last: 99.8%) Champions: 14.3% (Last: 19.7%)

First-half MVP: Aaron Judge (157 AXE). Stop us if you've heard this before, but Judge is having (another) season for the ages. Only a performance like this could keep us from declaring Gunnar Henderson a unanimous MVP pick before the All-Star break. Judge is on pace for 60 homers and 155 RBIs, numbers that just don't seem real. Keep in mind that offense is down this season across the majors. If he gets to that RBI count, it'd be the most for a Yankee since Alex Rodriguez drove in 156 in 2007. Before that, you have to go back to 1937, when Joe DiMaggio (167) and Lou Gehrig (158) both topped that total. In his ninth season, Judge now carries a career average of 51 homers per 162 games played.

Win average: 99.1 (Last: 101.0, 1st) In the playoffs: 99.8% (Last: 99.8%) Champions: 20.8% (Last: 26.8%)

First-half MVP: Shohei Ohtani (145 AXE). Guess the early returns on the Dodgers' massive investment in Ohtani are fairly positive. To keep it Hollywood, imagine Yul Brynner's voice saying, "The Dodgers' MVP is the MVP." Ohtani, if you haven't heard, also pitches when he can, and is still working his way back to doing that. Meanwhile, he's has been everything L.A. could have asked for -- and more. Dodgers games were already a SoCal event, but now those games in Chavez Ravine seem particularly electric, all thanks to an expensive DH. For all their success through the ages, the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Superbas/Robins/Dodgers have never had a hitting Triple Crown winner or a 50-homer player. Ohtani might change both of those things this season.

Win average: 98.0 (Last: 97.0, 4th) In the playoffs: 99.0% (Last: 96.7%) Champions: 10.4% (Last: 8.3%)

First-half MVP: Gunnar Henderson (155 AXE). My goodness. Henderson was a recent owner of the "top overall prospect" title and backed up the hype with a Rookie of the Year performance last season. Now, at 23, he's simply putting up one of the best seasons of all time. Last season, Henderson mashed 28 homers in 150 games. At the outset of July this time around, he's already at 26. His bWAR total last year was 6.2. That's precisely what his follow-up bWAR is right now with nearly half the season left to go. He's on pace for right about 12.0 bWAR, which is a monstrous pace. Only three position players have ever gotten there: Babe Ruth (1921, 1923 and 1927), Rogers Hornsby (1924) and Carl Yastrzemski (1967). It's been stunning to witness.

Win average: 95.1 (Last: 93.0, 13th) In the playoffs: 96.5% (Last: 88.1%) Champions: 6.5% (Last: 4.2%)

First-half MVP: Jose Ramirez (AXE 132). This is very close, as Steven Kwan clocks in right behind Ramirez at 131. Thus the decider is Ramirez's edge in playing time, as Kwan missed more than three weeks with a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, Ramirez has been his metronomic self, adding yet another stellar campaign to his almost-there Hall of Fame résumé. The one spike on Ramirez's stat line is in the RBI category, where he's already within four of his 2023 total of 80. That puts him on pace for 148 on the season. In the history of the Blues/Naps/Indians/Guardians, that's rarefied territory. Only Manny Ramirez (1999) and Hal Trosky (1936) have topped that figure. Among non-corner players, if Ramirez were to reach that level, it would harken back to third baseman Al Rosen's 1953 campaign, when he drove in 145 runs and won AL MVP honors.

Win average: 92.0 (Last: 92.4, 2nd) In the playoffs: 94.2% (Last: 94.3%) Champions: 7.7% (Last: 7.8%)

First-half MVP: Marcell Ozuna (127 AXE). The Braves rank 17th in park-adjusted run scoring, a rate that makes their offense one of the most disappointing units in baseball. Don't blame Ozuna. At 33, Ozuna has been an RBI machine, and well on his way to cracking the 100-ribbie barrier for the third time in his career. He also has a shot at beating the career-best homer total (40) he established last season. Ozuna's hard-hit rate (54.9%) is another career peak and is 16.1% better than the MLB average. In what was supposed to be a stacked Braves attack, Ozuna's 67 runs created are 24 more than any other Atlanta hitter. Without Ozuna, Atlanta might be stuck in the NL's messy wild-card chase as opposed to owning a fairly secure No. 4 slot in the league's pecking order.

Win average: 91.8 (Last: 90.3, 23rd) In the playoffs: 94.7% (Last: 89.3%) Champions: 4.2% (Last: 3.4%)

First-half MVP: Brice Turang (124 AXE). Turang is in a virtual tie for the Milwaukee lead in AXE with William Contreras, but we're giving the nod to Turang, who more typifies what's kept the Brewers in control of the NL Central during what many thought would be a season of retrenchment. Turang is one of a gaggle of homegrown players who Milwaukee successfully worked through the minors, transitioned to the majors and continued to develop even after reaching the show. It's what they do: Milwaukee develops players as well as anyone. Turang remains a wizard with the glove and a potent threat on the basepaths. But he's tacked on 178 points of OPS to his rookie-season total, completing the puzzle. The kid can play.

Win average: 90.9 (Last: 87.0, 10th) In the playoffs: 85.3% (Last: 59.6%) Champions: 5.2% (Last: 2.3%)

First-half MVP: Carlos Correa (127 AXE). If we told you before the season that Correa would land this nod, you would have shrugged your shoulders and said something like, "Yeah, and the sky is blue. What else you got?" If we had told you this a month ago, you might have scoffed. Correa ranked 113th in the majors with a 112 AXE through the games of June 5. That 127 figure you see above ranks 22nd. Suffice to say, Correa has been hot as blazes. Since that date, he's improved his average from .247 to .310, joining the AL batting race, and has added 123 points of OPS. This is the guy the Twins thought they were signing both times they signed him, and is the guy both the Mets and Giants could have had if they had followed through on their near-acquisitions of Correa before last season.

Win average: 86.8 (Last: 87.7, 3rd) In the playoffs: 65.6% (Last: 68.9%) Champions: 5.1% (Last: 4.7%)

First-half MVP: Yordan Alvarez (122 AXE). The Astros' leader in AXE is Kyle Tucker (130) but he hasn't played in nearly a month because of a shin injury. Since he's been gone, the Astros caught fire and reestablished their favorite's status in the AL West. During the hot streak, Alvarez was mashing everything, and so he gets the nod. He's second in AXE and leads Houston in championship probability added -- a reflection of his performance during the games that propelled the Astros' playoff probabilities upward. Tucker will hopefully return sooner than later, and when he does, he'll rejoin a lineup that has been putting up Houston-like numbers for the first time in 2024.

Win average: 86.2 (Last: 86.7, 11th) In the playoffs: 57.1% (Last: 59.0%) Champions: 1.8% (Last: 1.9%)

First-half MVP: Logan Gilbert (120 AXE). Of the five starting pitchers who have provided the foundation of the Mariners' front-runner status in the AL West -- a teetering status, but still intact for now -- Gilbert nudges George Kirby for Seattle's AXE leadership. You can't go wrong either way. In terms of average game score and quality start percentage, Gilbert has easily paced the Mariners' rotation. In fact, he leads the AL in quality start percentage (82%) and is second in average game score (62.0). That Gilbert has just five wins in 17 starts to show for that work is, unfortunately, emblematic for a division leader that has not provided its elite rotation with any run support.

Win average: 84.7 (Last: 79.4, 16th) In the playoffs: 41.8% (Last: 12.3%) Champions: 1.2% (Last: 0.2%)

First-half MVP: Jarren Duran (138 AXE). The career season Duran is putting up has been the product of a full-service approach to filling up the stat line. He has developed into a premier power-speed guy despite not being an elite home run threat. In the speed category, Duran is tied for fourth in the AL in steals, ranks sixth in runs and has excellent numbers across two outfield spots. In the power category, he's fifth in total bases, slotting right between Jose Ramirez and Yordan Alvarez. In the "both power and speed" category, Duran leads the AL in doubles and triples. He's also established a new career best with 10 homers, matching his triples total. He's the first Red Sox player to hit double-digits in doubles, triples and homers since Nomar Garciaparra in 2003.

Win average: 84.6 (Last: 77.1, 19th) In the playoffs: 56.4% (Last: 12.9%) Champions: 1.3% (Last: 0.1%)

First-half MVP: Brandon Nimmo (125 AXE). Nimmo has been a central part of the Mets' charge back into the thick of the crowded NL wild-card race. During New York's 18-6 spree through July 2, Nimmo hit .341/.431/.625 with 24 runs and 21 RBIs in the 22 games in which he played. He also posted a 1.371 win probability added during that span, lifting him into the NL lead in that contextual measure. In other words, Nimmo hasn't just been putting up numbers -- he's been mashing in spots that have won games. In doing so, Nimmo has erased what was shaping up to be an abysmal season both for him and the team around him.

Win average: 84.1 (Last: 83.0, 17th) In the playoffs: 51.4% (Last: 49.6%) Champions: 1.2% (Last: 0.9%)

First-half MVP: Jurickson Profar (127 AXE). Given the quick rise of second-year players like Gunnar Henderson and Elly De La Cruz and other young breakout performers like Bobby Witt Jr., Tarik Skubal and Riley Greene, Profar probably can't be called MLB's most improved player. Still, there ought to be a category for someone like him, a late bloomer who found a new level at a stage when you figured he was as good (or not) as he ever would be. Profar has always been a patient hitter but he has never posted hard-hit percentages or line drive rates like this, driving up his average (.311), BABIP (.343) and OBP (.404). The bottom line: Profar's 151 OPS+ is 37 points higher than any other season of a big league career that began in 2012.

Win average: 83.8 (Last: 87.8, 24th) In the playoffs: 29.0% (Last: 60.6%) Champions: 0.4% (Last: 1.3%)

First-half MVP: Bobby Witt Jr. (142 AXE). According to AXE, the Royals have had top-five candidates in the AL MVP race (Witt) and Cy Young race (Seth Lugo) all season. Others have bobbed up and down as well, but those two have been the fixtures. Witt has been tremendous by creating elite value in every facet to which a position player can contribute. Witt's glovework has him in the Gold Glove mix only a couple of years after many were questioning whether he could stick at shortstop. And at the plate, Witt has become the perfect mix of disciplined and aggressive. He's on pace to top 200 hits and if Witt gets there at 24, he'd be the youngest Royal to do it since Willie Wilson in 1980.

Win average: 82.8 (Last: 80.0, 15th) In the playoffs: 39.5% (Last: 28.8%) Champions: 0.7% (Last: 0.4%)

First-half MVP: Sonny Gray (117 AXE). The Cardinals have returned to the ranks of contention even if it continues to be pretty hard to figure out how they've made that happen. Gray has been very good, justifying St. Louis' aggression in signing him last fall early in the free agent process. In many categories, he has maintained or improved what he did last season for Minnesota, when he finished second in AL Cy Young balloting. Still, 117 is a low AXE for a team leader, especially a team that is over .500. Which brings us back around to the fact that despite standing second in the NL Central, the Cardinals have been outscored by nearly 40 runs.

Win average: 80.1 (Last: 79.1, 18th) In the playoffs: 18.7% (Last: 21.2%) Champions: 0.2% (Last: 0.2%)

First-half MVP: Logan Webb (123 AXE). Webb continues to be the rarest of 2024 baseball birds: a durable rotation stalwart. Once again he's on track to top 200 innings after last year's league-leading 216 frames. It's not just bulk but quality bulk: Webb has put up an ERA+ between 123 and 136 in each of the past four seasons, so far. He's also once again a key character in the NL's Cy Young drama, though that's a crowded cast and we won't figure out that story until late in the season. Webb's arsenal continues to allow him to excel with a retro approach that doesn't lean on elite strikeout rates. He fills the strike zone without yielding a surplus of home run balls and if you can do that, you don't have to strike every one out. You can also pile up the innings -- even in 2024.

Win average: 79.8 (Last: 80.5, 5th) In the playoffs: 18.8% (Last: 31.1%) Champions: 0.3% (Last: 0.6%)

First-half MVP: Ketel Marte (138 AXE). Arizona has mounted a tepid defense of its National League pennant. The pitching has been lousy, particularly the relievers, and reigning NL Rookie of the Year Corbin Carroll has been mired in a season-long sophomore slump. All of this might be dimming what should be a bright spotlight on Marte, who might be mounting the strongest MVP case no one seems to be talking about. Marte doesn't run like he used to, but he has never hit the ball this hard, this consistently. His average exit velocity (93.2 mph, per baseball-reference) is nearly four ticks above his career norm and underpins a spike in the homer column that has Marte on track to challenge his career-best total of 32, set in 2019.

Win average: 79.7 (Last: 80.8, 9th) In the playoffs: 12.2% (Last: 20.3%) Champions: 0.2% (Last: 0.7%)

First-half MVP: Josh Smith (124 AXE). Given an everyday opportunity because of Josh Jung's injury, Smith has thrived at the hot corner. Normally a utility guy, Smith entered this season with a career slash line of .191/.306/.272 over 163 games. This season, he's at .290/.384/.451 and leads the Rangers in runs created. Talk about a breakout. When Jung returns, Smith will go back to moving around the field, but even if he does little from here, he has had a huge impact on Texas' injury-riddled season. Disappointing as it's been, imagine where the Rangers might be without him.

Win average: 79.4 (Last: 76.5, 8th) In the playoffs: 9.2% (Last: 5.1%) Champions: 0.2% (Last: 0.1%)

First-half MVP: Isaac Paredes (118 AXE). The Rays' top four players on the AXE leaderboard are all position players the Rays picked up over the past couple of seasons from teams that viewed them as expendable. This, of course, is kind of Tampa Bay's thing, but without flexing that organizational muscle this season, the Rays' record might be disastrous. Topping that quartet is Paredes, who has become a fixture for the Rays at third base. He's neither a great defender nor baserunner, but Paredes can hit. He's basically replicating his 2023 season, albeit with an OBP a little more comprised of batting average, but this year, his numbers are the best the Rays have to offer. So far.

Win average: 78.6 (Last: 79.9, 21st) In the playoffs: 12.4% (Last: 26.1%) Champions: 0.2% (Last: 0.4%)

First-half MVP: Elly De La Cruz (125 AXE). There have been 19 occasions in which a player has struck out at least 200 times, all since Mark Reynolds became the first to do it in 2008, and, right now, De La Cruz has a shot of setting a record. He'd have to accelerate his league-leading pace (111 whiffs in 84 games) but it's possible. Either way, he's a good bet to join the 200-whiff club. And yet ... this guy is fantastic. he has already surpassed his rookie totals in homers, has tacked on 100 points of OPS and leads the majors with steals. He's on pace for 76 thefts, a figure that harkens back to the days of Willie Wilson and Vince Coleman. De La Cruz has also become more consistent in the field. All this and he's still just 22. Imagine what might happen if he ever develops better plate discipline.

Win average: 77.3 (Last: 81.3, 14th) In the playoffs: 8.0% (Last: 36.3%) Champions: 0.1% (Last: 0.6%)

First-half MVP: Shota Imanaga (115 AXE). The real answer for the Cubs might be no one, but we'll give it to Imanaga for his early success. Chicago's pitching has been better than its hitting, which isn't saying much, and it was the Japanese lefty who played a major role in keeping the staff afloat while Justin Steele was injured and Kyle Hendricks was struggling, which of course is still happening. Still, Imanaga's trend is not great. He started 5-0 with a 0.84 ERA over his first nine outings. He wasn't going to keep that up and proceeded to post a 6.89 ERA over his next six starts. Two duds were largely responsible for that, though, and there remains plenty of reasons for Chicago to feel good about its offseason decision to sign Imanaga. Fellow rookie Michael Busch (116) is Chicago's AXE leader.

Win average: 76.5 (Last: 80.8, 12th) In the playoffs: 2.9% (Last: 17.7%) Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.5%)

First-half MVP: Isiah Kiner-Falefa (120 AXE). The Blue Jays' AXE leader for much of the first three months was outfielder Daulton Varsho. His numbers have been on the wane and now I.K.F. tops the leaderboard, just ahead of hard-charging Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Kiner-Falefa, who just hit the IL with a knee injury, is having his typical good season in the field but he has paired the glovework with a career season at the plate. Always a good bat-to-ball guy, Kiner-Falefa is combining that strength with a little more pop than usual and, for the first time, has pushed his slugging percentage over .400. A week from now, or even by the weekend, the right answer here might be Vladdy, but we'll recognize Kiner-Falefa while we can.

Win average: 76.1 (Last: 75.6, 25th) In the playoffs: 5.6% (Last: 9.3%) Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.1%)

First-half MVP: Paul Skenes (117 AXE). Yeah, he's been that good. This isn't just awarding Skenes this slot for some intangible reason -- he is Pittsburgh's AXE leader despite not making his big league debut until May 11. Since then, there has not been one dud on the ledger. If anything, Skenes keeps making it look easier. His first five outings were terrific -- 3-0, with a 3.00 ERA and 12.7 whiffs per nine. Great stuff. Since then: 1-0 (only one decision -- certainly not Skenes' fault), a 1.07 ERA and 11.4 whiffs per nine. He has issued just four walks during that span. Electric power pitchers can generate false hype. If anything, we did not hype Skenes enough.

Win average: 74.7 (Last: 79.5, 20th) In the playoffs: 1.5% (Last: 11.8%) Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.2%)

First-half MVP: Tarik Skubal (130 AXE). Skubal was roughed up a bit in recent outings in Atlanta and Houston, but he's far from the first hurler to have that happen. He bounced back with a gem against the front-running Phillies, offering a reminder that he is likely to remain a factor in the AL Cy Young chase all season. This isn't a breakout campaign exactly, as Skubal has been pitching at this level ever since he returned from an elbow injury with four no-hit innings against Oakland a year ago today. Beginning with that outing, he has since gone 16-6 for a losing team with a 2.54 ERA and 10.6 whiffs per nine innings over 31 starts. Simply put, Skubal has become one of baseball's best pitchers.

Win average: 71.4 (Last: 68.5, 26th) In the playoffs: 0.6% (Last: 0.3%) Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)

First-half MVP: Tyler Anderson (118 AXE). Anderson has pitched well, but perhaps more than any other team, his presence in this slot kind of makes you want to hang your head in sadness. That's not because of Anderson but because of the names that aren't here. No Ohtani, who is as good as ever but just not for the Angels. No Mike Trout, the greatest Angel, who once again has fallen prey to injury. No Anthony Rendon, who, believe or not, is this season's highest-paid Angel. And even Anderson, who has a 139 ERA+ over 17 starts, might only be a future ex-Angel given his status as a prime trade target with the deadline looming.

Win average: 71.1 (Last: 70.3, 29th) In the playoffs: 0.6% (Last: 1.5%) Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)

First-half MVP: CJ Abrams (123 AXE). With phenom James Wood just reaching the majors for the first time, the Nationals continue to reap the rewards for their decision to ship Juan Soto to the Padres. Wood was lighting up the minors, MacKenzie Gore has established himself as a quality big league starter and Abrams is a budding star. The metrics still aren't a fan of Abrams' glovework and he needs to shore that up to truly reach his ceiling. At the plate, though, Abrams has become a legit power-speed threat and is on pace to top both 25 homers and 25 steals. Abrams still has a number of rough edges to smooth out, but that's exciting, because he's already very good.

Win average: 59.2 (Last: 60.1, 22nd) In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%) Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)

First-half MVP: Tanner Scott (110 AXE). When your best player has been a short reliever and even he hasn't been all that outstanding, you're not having a great season. Scott has a sparking 1.50 ERA and 12 saves. Under the hood, though, there is some fluff in those numbers. Scott's problematic walk rate, which improved so much in 2023, has leaped back up to nearly six per nine innings and his whiff rate has dropped to a career low. But Scott has been hard to barrel up and that's allowed him to work around a lot of potential damage. He's certainly a pitcher a number of contending teams would love to nab as the deadline approaches.

Win average: 59.1 (Last: 62.8, 28th) In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%) Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)

First-half MVP: Mason Miller (116 AXE). A closer isn't really supposed to lead a team in a measure like AXE, simply because short relievers don't accumulate enough playing time to reach elite status in the value metrics. That Miller has led the A's in AXE pretty much all season is a testament to how good he's been and how little Oakland has in terms of impact producers. Miller has kept his ERA under 2.00 all season while lighting up the strikeout rate category (15.7 K/9) and the velocity readings. Developed as a starter, he comes out of the bullpen ready to mow down hitters. This season, first batters are 1-for-17 against him with a .217 OPS.

Win average: 56.6 (Last: 58.3, 30th) In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%) Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)

First-half MVP: Ezequiel Tovar (121 AXE). Tovar's play has been the highlight of another bad season for the Rockies. At 22, Tovar has pushed his Coors-adjusted OPS+ to 108, up from 79, giving him a better-than-average bat to go with his plus defense at shortstop. In the always-a-good-sign category: Tovar is actually hitting better on the road (.781 OPS) than home (.745), meaning his improvement is not a high-altitude mirage, though his .362 BABIP might be a bit of an apparition. Still, Tovar is just 22 and has joined the unusually crowded ranks of quality young MLB shortstops. With a walk rate that has dropped under 4%, there is still a ceiling up there to be reached.

Win average: 50.6 (Last: 49.3, 27th) In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%) Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)

First-half MVP: Garrett Crochet (134 AXE). Unless the White Sox cash in on Crochet's breakout by dealing him for a haul before the trade deadline, he has a chance to post a singular campaign. Chicago remains on track to challenge the all-time loss record which, by definition, makes the White Sox a candidate to finish below replacement level as a team. But Crochet isn't just the best of a bad bunch, he has been as good as any pitcher in the American League and is on pace for 7.5 bWAR. It's the 2024 version of Steve Carlton's 1972 season, when the Hall of Fame southpaw won 27 games for a Phillies team that went 59-97. The White Sox haven't done much right in 2024, but the decision to shift Crochet from the bullpen to the rotation has proved to be a stroke of genius.