One half down, one half to go.
The All-Star Game and its thrilling tiebreaker swing-off officially marked the midway point of the baseball season. While some players used the first half to build a surprising MVP resume (we're looking at you, Cal Raleigh), others didn't quite live up to expectations.
Here's a look at six players who are hoping to turn things around in the second half:
Anthony Volpe, SS, Yankees
Over two-and-a-half seasons to start his career, Volpe has never really gotten his bat going. He owns a career 84 OPS+ (the league average is 100) and a .224 batting average. This year, Volpe is hitting .214/.287/.384 with 10 homers and 10 stolen bases.
In the past, Volpe has made up for his offensive shortcomings with an elite glove. That hasn't been the case in 2025. Volpe, who won a Gold Glove as a rookie in 2023, has struggled at shortstop. He has made 11 errors—the fourth-most in baseball and the most among AL shortstops—and has just two defensive runs saved at the break, compared to 15 DRS in '23. Volpe appears to be in his head, too, making mental mistakes like this one:
There's still plenty of baseball left to play this summer. But if Volpe can't figure it out, perhaps the Yankees will be shopping for a new shortstop this offseason.
Ozzie Albies, 2B, Braves
Albies was a key piece of the Braves' run of six straight NL East titles from 2018 to '23, but his best days appear to be behind him.
Among the 16 qualified second basemen across MLB, Albies ranks 15th in OPS (.606), batting average (.220) and wRC+ (72). He has yet to rediscover the power that helped him hit 33 homers in 2023, socking just seven long balls over the first half.
Albies still has his everyday job at second base. But his future in Atlanta is in doubt with a $7 million club option looming in 2026.
Willy Adames, SS, Giants
Still searching for a new franchise shortstop after they rescinded a lucrative offer to Carlos Correa in in 2022, the Giants signed Adames to a seven-year contract worth $182 million in December. It hasn't aged well.
Adames, who hit at least 31 homers in two of the last three seasons, only mashed 12 dingers over 96 games in the first half. He is actually making good contact—a career-high 45.2% hard-hit rate—but it hasn't produced the results San Francisco was hoping for with a slash line of .220/.307/.373.
If the Giants are going to catch the Dodgers in the NL West, they'll need their $182 million shortstop to start living up to his price tag.
Mookie Betts, SS, Dodgers
For the first time since 2015—his first full season in the big leagues—Betts wasn't named an All-Star this summer.
The uber-talented shortstop batted just .244/.315/.381 over the first half, adding up to a .696 OPS—well short of his career .885 OPS. In fact, Betts has never posted an OPS south of .803 in his 12-year career.
So, what's going on? His BABIP sits at a career-low .247, so there might be a bit of bad luck involved. But his average exit velocity is way down (28th percentile), and his hard-hit rate (35.4%) ranks in the bottom fifth of qualified hitters.
“If I knew [what was wrong]," Betts said in late June, "I promise you I wouldn’t keep doing it."
Royce Lewis, 3B, Twins
In the early days of his career, Lewis, the No. 1 pick of the 2017 draft, was one of the most exciting players in baseball. The only problem was he couldn't stay healthy.
Lewis has struggled with his health again in 2025, missing some time due to hamstring issues. But his production on the field has been far short of what the Twins have come to expect. In 42 games, Lewis is batting .216/.281/.302 with just eight extra-base hits (six doubles, two homers). His 1.3 HR% is a far cry from the 5.5 HR% he posted over the first three seasons of his career.
Minnesota entered the season featuring one of the most exciting offensive trios in baseball in Lewis, Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton. While Buxton has held up his end of the bargain (.925 OPS), Correa (.694 OPS) and Lewis (.583 OPS) have not.
Zac Gallen, RHP, Diamondbacks
Unless he drastically turns things around in the second half, Gallen, pitching on the final year of his deal, probably won't land the free-agent contract he was hoping for this offseason.
In a league-high 20 starts, Gallen has registered a 5.40 ERA and 1.374 WHIP. His strikeouts are significantly down this year—8.6 K/9 compared to 9.5 K/9 last year—and his walks are way up—3.5 BB/9 compared to 2.0 BB/9 in 2023 when he finished third in NL Cy Young voting.
With the Diamondbacks (47-50) falling behind in the NL playoff race, Gallen is a candidate to be dealt at the deadline. Perhaps a change in scenery can help the 29-year-old find his old form.
