11. Seattle Mariners (51-44) (LW 9) – Can the Mariners offense hold out to complement their pitching? The Mariners have the best pitching staff in baseball, but, as has been the case so often in recent years, the offense remains a question mark. The M’s have the lowest-scoring lineup in the A.L. since July began.
12. Washington Nationals (51-42) (LW 13) – Will Bryce Harper break out of his slump? Of course it didn’t help that he missed more than two months, but since returning to the Nats’ lineup at the end of last month, Harper has seen his batting average drop from .291 to .244, and his power is absent with just two home runs in 123 at bats.
13. Pittsburgh Pirates (49-46) (LW 11) – Can Francisco Liriano return to 2013 form? Liriano got his career back on track last year, when he was 16-8 with a 3.02 ERA. But this season, he is 1-7 with a 4.72 ERA. They’ll need him in the second half.
14. Cleveland Indians (47-47) (LW 16) – Will Justin Masterson fix his problems? Masterson has been plagued by inconsistencies and mechanical issues throughout the year, leading to his 4-6 record and 5.51 ERA. That’s following his 2013 in which he was 14-10, 3.45.
15. Toronto Blue Jays (49-47) (LW 14) – Can they get healthy and get their bats going again? The Blue Jays were leading the A.L. East not long ago until injuries derailed them. Edwin Encarnacion, Brett Lawrie, and Adam Lind have all been on the disabled list, and the team’s lineup has averaged barely three runs per game this month.
