The 10 MLB storylines that have ruled 2025 so far - ESPN

The first half of the MLB season is in the books. Well actually, we've played nearly 60% of the schedule, but everyone still denotes the first and second halves of the season around the All-Star break.

So, now that the All-Star festivities are behind us, let's look back at the storylines that dominated the first half and how they might play out the rest of the season.

Before we begin, let's hand out some honorable mentions that didn't make our list of the top 10 storylines: the Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves' disappointing seasons; the Houston Astros rolling to a lead in the AL West despite Yordan Alvarez's injury, losing Alex Bregman and trading Kyle Tucker; Jacob Wilson's .332 average as a rookie; Matthew Boyd's incredible year for the Chicago Cubs; Jacob deGrom's comeback; Eugenio Suarez's four-homer game; and Denzel Clarke's dazzling catches in center field for the Athletics.

OK, now let's dig into the top 10 storylines of the 2025 season so far.

The AL East has gone through enough plot twists this season to fill a whole series of David Baldacci novels — and we haven't even reached August.

The New York Yankees looked as if they would run away with the division early, building a seven-game lead in late May, but they've gone 11-18 since June 13 and have dropped to second place, creating a panic among their fans. The Toronto Blue Jays, on the other hand, won 10 in a row in late June and early July to surge into first. The Tampa Bay Rays, playing in a spring training facility, went 33-22 in May and June — a period in which they were second in the majors in runs scored — but have gone 3-9 in July to fall into fourth place. The Baltimore Orioles? They fired their manager and might trade half the team at the trade