As the glow of the All-Star Game fades off into the rearview mirror, it’s time to buckle up for the second half. The week to come will be dominated by trade rumors and speculation ahead of the Aug. 2 deadline, and with each passing day the postseason race will continue to heat up. As we hone our focus, there will be a slight formatting tweak here at Power Rankings headquarters: Beginning with this week’s version, we will be foregoing writing up blurbs on every club and instead dive a little deeper on a handful each iteration. (Don’t worry, we’ll keep a balanced rotation so that each team still gets some love.)
A two-week hiatus has us feeling plenty rested and ready for the second half. With that, let’s get going.
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