What’s their deal?: They’ve once again outkicked expectations, with manager Pat Murphy guiding a wild mix of youth and veterans and All-Star pitcher Freddy Peralta helming a rotation that has unleashed touted rookie Jacob Misiorowski for five starts – with the baseball world suddenly captivated by what may come next.

The 2025 MLB season has rounded the All-Star break turn and is headed for the home stretch. There is a glut of teams still in contention for playoff spots, which means the July 31 trade deadline could get hectic.

On Father’s Day, the Giants shocked the baseball world by acquiring Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox. As the July 31 deadline approaches, there are still moves for San Francisco to make.

Tampa Bay has been playing at Steinbrenner Field as Tropicana Field undergoes major repairs after Hurricane Milton

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and players’ union head Tony Clark say plans are moving ahead exploring the possibility of using major leaguers in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, a tournament that could be played on an extended All-Star break.

The first half of the MLB season did not disappoint thanks to Cal Raleigh, Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani and others. But this is where the real fun begins.

Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes, who has just four wins this season despite leading MLB with a 2.01 ERA, will start for the National League. Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal starts for the American League, and he ranks top-five in pitching wins (10), ERA (2.23) and strikeouts (153).

Major League Baseball Tarik Skubal Paul Skenes MLB - AL American League vs. NL National League - 07/16/2025 Tom Rinaldi