10 MLB Players Who Can Lead Second Half Surge

Breitbart Sports calculated which players will help their teams the most if they get in a full second half.

Breitbart Sports calculates which players will help their teams the most if they get in a full second half. If Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez are the left side of the Yankees infield, Chris Carpenters’ minor league start Monday leads to him being back with the Cardinals, and Yasiel Puig and Hanley Ramirez play anywhere near their first-half level for the rest of the season, then all three teams will be contenders. Here are the 10 players who would have improved their team the most if they could have played the entire first half.

Additional posts will provide the projection for how each Major League Division could finish based on players that may return to play a full second half after playing part or none of the first half due to being injured, called up from the minors, or simply having managers that used them sparingly.

The projections are based on a player’s WAR (Wins Above Replacement), as calculated by Baseball Reference during the first half, and how many additional wins his team would have been projected to win if he had played at that rate for the full season (75 games for a position player, 30 games for a reliever or 15 games for a starter). For purposes of calculations, games started by a pitcher are counted as two games pitched, so a pitcher with 10 starts would have been listed as 20 games played in these calculations.

10 (tie), Jose Reyes, Tor, (0.8 WAR, 27 Game Played, if he had played 75 game projected WAR would be 1.4), After missing most of the first half after the ankle injury, Reyes has looks strong again.

10 (tie), Chris Carpenter (2011), St.L, (just 40 percent of his 3.5 WAR in 2011 would be a 1.4 WAR), The 2011 ace was expected to miss a second straight season, but threw three simulated innings last week and is scheduled to make a Double A start Monday.

10 (tie), Brad Miller, Sea, (0.8, 15, 75, 1.4 see Reyes for what figures mean for the rest of the players on this list), Since a surprise call-up from Tacoma June 27 he has established himself as a legit shortstop and leadoff hitter.

10 (tie), Francisco Cervelli, NYY, (0.8, 17, 75, 1.4), Should be back behind the plate after healing from a hand fracture that occurred in late April.

9, Ed Lucas, Mia, (1.2, 33, 75, 1.5), The 10-year minor leaguer has made the most of his call-up last month.

8, Wilson Ramos, Was, (0.9, 22, 75, 1.6), The surgically repaired knee and two hamstrings seem to be behind him, as the catcher with the hot bat made his third straight start Sunday for the first time this season.

7, Carlos Torres, NYM, (1.1, 12, 30, 1.7), A strong long relief man, he also stepped in as an emergency starter for pitcher Matt Harvey and allowed only 1 run in 5 innings against the Pirates.

6, Cody Ransom, ChC, (1.3, 33, 75, 1.7), The veteran who had been with four teams in two years is slugging .574 due to nine homers in just 109 at bats, so if the Cubs can find him more at bats in the infield and he has developed the additional power late in his career (still to prove) he could help the Cubs in the brutal NL Central.

5, Nathan Eovaldi, Mia, (1.0, 10, 30, 1.7), The Marlins got his 97 mph four-seamer in the Hanley Ramirez trade last year. 

4, Jacob Turner, Mia, (2.0, 16, 30, 1.8), Turner has been so good he will start the second half opener against Milwaukee. Note that “16” games pitched for a starter really means 8 games started.

3, John Satin, NYM, (1.1, 21, 75, 1.9), The Mets may want to leave Ike Davis in Las Vegas with Satin coming up and hitting .444 for a week, including consecutive three-hit games as part of a great start over 21 games.

2, Hanley Ramirez, LAD, (2.5, 38, 75, 2.4), The Dodgers were the biggest winner in the Marlins fire-sale almost a year ago, as Ramirez has been a brilliant shortstop/clean-up hitter since missing most of the first-half to injury.

1, Yasiel Puig, LAD, (2.7, 37, 75, 2.8), This season the most hyped new player has actually been the best, as Puig has been the best player in baseball since his June 2 call-up, and has already moved into the top 10 in jersey sales for the season.