SAN DIEGO _ Now that we've arrived at the official, if not mathematically accurate, midpoint of the Major League Baseball season, it's as good a time as any to revisit our pre-Opening Day picks for the sport's top four awards. And in the process, maybe make a few corrections, where applicable.
Did we figure David Ortiz to be on pace for 40 home runs this season, at age 40, in the bell lap before retirement? Um, no. Daniel Murphy to rival Bryce Harper for slugger-in-chief down in D.C.? Nope. Jose Reyes to wind up as the Mets' starting third baseman? Not in April, we didn't.
Or how about Johnny Cueto at 13-1 with a 2.47 ERA and Matt Harvey at 4-10 with a 4.86? A Reds rookie, Adam Duvall, out-homering (22) Joey Votto (14)? A knuckleballer named Steven Wright (10-5, 2.68 ERA) outpitching $217 million man David Price (8-6, 4.64) to be the Red Sox's ace? All impossible to forecast.
As the playoff races go, seeing the Orioles, Indians and Rangers atop their respective divisions isn't necessarily a shocking development, but it's certainly a changeup from last year's trends, other than Texas two-stepping past the Astros in 2015 for the AL West title. The NL, however, is lining up in familiar fashion, with the Nationals and Cubs leading, and in an even-numbered year, the Giants apparently are right where they're supposed to be.
Anyway, on to the adjusted picks:
