Brian Thomas: Now that we have reached the All-Star break and the first half of the MLB season has come to a close, there are a some teams, as well as players exceeding expectations and some that have not lived up to their potential. My question Matt, is what has been the biggest surprise in the first half of the season?

Matt Hopkinson: As much as I love to avoid bias, I would have to say the two biggest surprises would have to come from the central division in both leagues. The White Sox are still holding on to first place after being pegged to finish dead last in their division. In the NL, Pittsburgh so far has something to show from years of ineptitude, as they sit atop the central, just 22 wins out from their predicted total.

BT: Who would have thought that the Pirates, the cellar-dwellars of the central, would be in first place. I would also have to say that the Nationals and Red Sox have been surprises as well. The Nationals young players have played to a higher level than I thought they would this season and they sit atop the NL East, while Boston, despite their injuries, are in fourth place in the AL East.

MH: That’s an interesting perspective, as usually surprises trend toward the improvements made. I think in both cases, they are definitely surprises, but possibly a more predictable product of their situation. The Nats have a great GM in Mike Rizzo who has stockpiled great young talent at a rate rarely seen in baseball.

On the flip side, Boston sits in fourth place with lack of good pitching and seemingly hamstrung a little bit by under-performing and injured high salary players. From a more individual perspective in baseball, who do you think has had the most surprising season? Again, it may seem biased, and perhaps within reason, but watching Chris Sale on a daily basis, fans would be hard pressed to select a more out of nowhere performance.

BT: Sale has been a pleasant surprise for the White Sox. I will stick with pitching but I will pick R.A. Dickey of the Mets. He leads the league in wins with 12 and has an ERA of 2.40. The knuckleballer has been great and kept the Mets in the race for the NL East.

MH: Dickey is an excellent choice and story, for the man with no ulnar collateral ligament, who knows how long he can hang around, especially if he can continue at such a high level. As we both well know, baseball is a fickle sport, so we’ll have to stay tuned to see who’s for real, and who was a half-season performer.