10 burning questions as we wade into baseball’s 2nd half

As the second half of the baseball season begins, we sure could use a little more standings-driven drama, both locally and nationally. The Mets need a miracle just to play meaningful games in September, if you will; the Yankees finished the first half in a funk; and for the most part the division races across the majors are looking as predictable — and discouraging — as rushhour traffic.

Ah, but at least we have Aaron Judge, the American League wildcard race, and, for a couple of more weeks at least, all the trade-deadline speculation your brain can process.

Standings aside, then, as always there will be plenty to watch and discuss, here in New York and elsewhere.

With that in mind, here are my 10 Most Intriguing Questions to begin the second half:

1. Will Aaron Judge Hit 50 HRs And/Or Win The MVP?

Judge was already the most compelling figure in this 2017 season, and that was before he blew away the competition at the Home Run Derby and defied NASA’s calculations that nobody could hit a ball high enough to reach the ceiling in Marlins Park — something the Yankee slugger did twice in Miami.

So now expectations have been raised nationally but he’s so grounded personally and disciplined at the plate that I think he’ll hit 50-plus home runs, as long as the lineup does enough damage in front and behind him to limit his walks.

As for MVP, the Yanks may have to stay in the postseason race to give Judge the best opportunity, but it helps that singling out one player among the Astros’ spectacular trio of Jose Altuve, George Springer, and Carlos Correa could be difficult.

2. Will Brian Cashman Make A Big Trade?

One baseball executive who knows Cashman well said the Jose Quintana trade to the Cubs convinced him the Yankee GM isn’t giving up top prospects at the deadline, even with Michael Pineda now likely headed for Tommy John surgery.

“I know the Yankees guys (scouts, personnel people) liked Quintana, and the contract (three more years at a bargain price) made him very appealing,” the exec said. “I just think Cash wants more time to see this thing through with the kids before he trades any of them, and it’s easier to justify not going for it now that they’ve fallen off.”

Agreed, though I do think Cashman will make a deal for a No. 3-or4 starter type that won’t cost much, and a reliever such as Brad Hand or Justin Wilson that he can get without giving up a blue-chip prospect, so the Yankees can chase a wildcard spot.

3. Will Sandy Alderson Be A Successful Seller?

The Mets’ GM once turned two months of Carlos Beltran into Zack Wheeler, as well as an aging knuckleballer into Noah Syndergaard and Travis d’Arnaud, so he’s done this well in the past. But the feeling among baseball execs is that Alderson will be hard-pressed to get top prospects in return for the likes of Jay Bruce, Curtis Granderson, Neil Walker ,or Asdrubal Cabrera.

On the other hand, relievers are always in demand at the deadline, and Addison Reed could bring back something significant. The key to getting the best return is that Alderson needs to be willing to deal with the rival Nationals, who are desperate for relief help, as well as the cross-town Yankees.

4. Will Amed Rosario Live Up To The Hype?

In the latest midseason prospects rankings Rosario remains at or near the top of all the lists, with ESPN’s Keith Law ranking him the No. 1 prospect in baseball, based on how well he’s played in Triple-A Las Vegas.

At the very least he’d be a huge upgrade defensively at shortstop, which is why Rosario should have been at Citi Field weeks ago, but he needs to hit as he has in the minors and blossom quickly into a star for a franchise that has precious few top prospects at the upper levels of the minors.

5. Will Chance Adams Save The Yankees’ Season?

That’s probably asking too much. Scouts love Adams’ dominant stuff, as Triple-A hitters are hitting .167 against him, but they worry that his fastball command isn’t quite major-league ready, noting that he has too many walks, but more so that he gets away with some “middle-middle” fastballs in the minors that might cost him in the big leagues.

So even with the Pineda injury, the Yankees may be wary of rushing Adams, and he’s also likely to have innings-limits that could end his season early. Nevertheless, the former college reliever at Dallas Baptist is looking more and more like a great find as a fifth-round draft choice, and someone who will be a big part of the Yankees’ future.

6. Will Terry Collins Do Enough To Get A New Contract?

My guess is no, because I think these Mets would have to make a big run at a wild-card berth to convince the front office to bring Collins back, and I don’t think they’re capable of such sustained success. Personally I’d hate to see him go because he’s personable and feisty and opinionated, all of which you see less and less of from managers in this GM-driven era of baseball. And though Mets fans love to pick apart his strategy, Collins has done a great job in getting teams to respond to him during tough times. He’ll need to do it again with his job on the line.

7. Will The Orioles Be Sellers?

This could be fascinating, especially if they make closer Zach Britton available. There have been reports the Dodgers are interested in adding Britton to their pen with Kenley Jansen, and that frightening possibility would motivate other contenders, especially the neighboring Nationals, to get in the bidding. The O’s are going nowhere this season but owner Peter Angelos has never been one to sell. With Britton and Manny Machado headed for free agency after next season, however, this could be the time to maximize the return they could get.

8. How Much Will The Nationals Give Up For A Closer?

Plenty, you would think. That they haven’t already made trades to address the worst bullpen in the league is only because the Mets were a no-show this season, allowing the Nationals to cruise in the NL East.

Even so, it’s hard to believe they didn’t button it up last winter. After all, this is a team desperate to finally win even one series in the post-season, and they’re championship-caliber everywhere but the pen. David Robertson? Justin Wilson? Britton? The Nats will get somebody.

9. Will The Cubs Make A Run?

Rather amazingly, with all of their ballyhooed young talent, the Cubs’ only All-Star was closer Wade Davis, and he gave up the game-losing home run to Robinson Cano. So maybe it’s not meant to be: the longer they underachieve, the more it looks like a classic hangoverseason after their curse-busting championship.

But I still think the Cubs will find a way to win the less-than-imposing NL Central. Clearly Theo Epstein is all-in again, giving up top prospects for Quintana, and that might be enough to help kick-start the defending champs.

10. Are The Astros and Dodgers Headed For The World Series?

They’re clearly the two best teams in baseball as the second half begins, both loaded with young talent. So I’m saying yes because, as I may have mentioned once or twice, I picked the Astros over the Dodgers as my Series prediction back in March.

But obviously nothing is guaranteed come October. The Astros, especially, need another starting pitcher as Dallas Keuchel is sidelined for a second time this season with a neck injury. And scouts question whether the Dodgers’ bullpen, other than Jansen, is playoff-worthy, which could explain their reported interest in Britton. So as always, there is plenty of drama as the tradedeadline approaches. Let’s hope for a little more in the standings in the coming weeks.