Hottest races could get hotter

The intensely competitive rivalry between the Red Sox and Yankees makes the American League East race worth watching pretty much every year, and the unexpected success of the Rays only adds to the excitement as baseball steams into the second half.

For starters
• Hottest races could get hotter
• NL West not living up to expectations
• Schedules could be pivotal
• Possible second-half surprises

• Roundtable: Who gets traded?

• Roundtable: The NL Central

• Roundtable: The NL West

There's Eastern intrigue in the National League, too. The Marlins flirted with first place throughout the first half, but they're not alone in giving the front-running Phillies fits. The resurgent Mets moved back into the mix with a surge before the break, and the Braves, despite being under .500, are just 6 1/2 games behind Philly.

In fact, 17 of the game's 30 teams are either in first place or fewer than seven games back, and with 10 days remaining before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, balance-of-power-shifting deals remain a phone call away for contenders everywhere.

The Brewers, one of three teams with legitimate designs on the NL Central title, made what could be one such trade right before the break, adding CC Sabathia to a rotation topped by NL All-Star starter Ben Sheets. And the Phillies fortified their staff by scoring Joe Blanton two days after the Midsummer Classic in New York.

Might more blockbusters be on the way? Absolutely. The Dodgers are in a deadlock with the Diamondbacks atop the NL West, and both teams have enough young talent to be players before the deadline.

So do the Angels, who could very well decide to shed the stand-pat reputation they built under former general manager Bill Stoneham and turn new GM Tony Reagins loose in an effort to pad the most comfortable division lead in either league.

Regardless, the chases for one of the coveted eight postseason berths -- don't forget the Wild Card -- figure to be fantastic fights to the finish. So with apologies to the West, where the NL's contenders are all under .500 and the Halos are clearly the class of their division, let's take a quick look at the best of the best.

AL EAST
Coming out of Spring Training, the Red Sox were considered by many to be the most complete team in the Majors, and they had the best record in baseball for much of the first half.

But the Rays, by far the biggest first-half surprise, didn't exactly cower in the presence of the defending world champs, splitting their dozen head-to-head meetings.

"We've shown we can play with anyone," Rays All-Star rookie third baseman Evan Longoria said. "I know people expect us to fade as some point, but I don't see it."

What the Rays might see, however, is a bold stroke from Yankees GM Brian Cashman, whose club is without injured ace Chien-Ming Wang at least until September. The new boss, Hank Steinbrenner, is no more tolerant of mediocrity than the old Boss, and if he has to act to get out of third place, he'll try to do it.

AL CENTRAL
The White Sox endured an early-season offensive malaise that afflicted most of the middle of the lineup, but those days appear to be over, and the South Siders have a strong starting rotation backed by a deep and versatile bullpen. If closer Bobby Jenks, just off the disabled list, stays healthy, Chicago could cruise into October.

Yet the Twins, as they are wont to do, just keep hanging around. Nobody's ever quite sure how they do it, but a scout for a rival club has a theory.

"It starts with Gardy," he said of Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire. "He's prepared, he's respected, and he manages people as well as he manages the game. I think the Twins will tail off, but not dramatically. I've seen them do this too many times to discount them."

Plenty of people were writing off the Tigers after their awful start, but they steadily climbed back to .500 by the break, and any team with that much talent and Jim Leyland at the helm can't be ignored.

NL EAST
The addition of Blanton was big for the Phillies, who got a surprisingly strong first half from 23-year-old righty Kyle Kendrick (8-3) and will need some help from Adam Eaton (3-8) to hold off the Marlins, Mets and Braves.

"I'm torn on that division," said an NL scout who was asked to handicap the race. "The Phillies needed another arm and got one in Blanton, who is going to be a lot better now that he's on a team that scores some runs. But the Mets, from what I'm hearing, are burning up the phones, and if they can get a decent couple of months out of Pedro [Martinez], I like the psychological boost that'll give 'em.

"The Marlins have some nice young pitching -- nice young talent, period -- but probably not quite enough to hang in there through the dog days [of August] as-is, and you know they aren't going to be buyers.

"The Braves? I don't know, man. Something just doesn't feel right there. Look at the rotation. It's Tim Hudson and a bunch of 'hope' guys. I don't see it."

NL CENTRAL
The Cardinals were picked by Sports Illustrated to finish fifth in the six-team Central, but the legend of manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan grew with every day they spent within sight of the Cubs.

Now the Cards have company in the Brew Crew, whose explosive offense now has two Cy Young talents -- Sheets and Sabathia, who is 3-0 with Milwaukee -- to pick it up when the bats go silent.

The Cubs countered the Sabathia move by getting righties Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin from the A's, so they remain the team to beat, but if the Brewers go out and get a closer -- Oakland's Huston Street might be available -- as a counter to the counter, fasten your seat belts.

"The Cubs are a great team. So are we. And the Cardinals are tough as nails," said Milwaukee All-Star Ryan Braun. "It's going to be an incredible race."