They call the portion of the season after the All-Star break the second half. But it’s really 40 percent. At 49-47, the Rangers have played 60 percent of their games. ‘

Now it’s a sprint until August 3, which is when the trade deadline is. That’s just 18 days away. Hard to believe as it is, the Rangers have a legitimate shot at winning the West. Well, more aptly, not losing it. There isn’t a good team in the American League West. Nobody deserves to win it, but somebody has to. Well, somebody other than the Angels, whose owner is the Jerry Jones of baseball.

The Athletics seem to be falling off the radar. That leaves just the Astros, Mariners, and Rangers. It’s a three-team race to the top of a very small hill. The Mariners were supposed to run away with it, but Cal Raleigh is following up his historically monumental season with a monumentally horrible season. He has had only three days where his batting average was over .200. It’s been hovering in the .160s most of the year. They guy who hit 60 homeruns last year and drove in 125 runs is on pace for 15 and 48. About what Corey Seager could hope for if he came back today, which he won’t.

The Mariners have great pitching, though. But nobody is stepping up to make up for the offense Cal Raleigh is leaving on the table. 

The Astros have the best offensive threat in the American League in Yordan Alverez. Then, really, not much else. Including pitching.

So, the American League West comes down to three teams with such huge flaws, it’s hard to consider any of them division winners. 

Each team has 18 days to try to figure out how to get better. And a lot of areas they need to improve upon. 

Let the second less-than-half begin.

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