1 goal for each team in the second half

Teams return from the All-Star break with the opportunity for a symbolic fresh start. Though the season is more than half over, the resumption of games represents a chance to forget about first-half troubles and focus on finishing strong.

With that in mind, every team -- no matter its record -- has goals for the rest of the season. With help from MLB.com’s 30 beat writers, here’s one goal for each team in the second half.

Jump to: AL East | AL Central | AL West | NL East | NL Central | NL West

AL EAST

Blue Jays: Get Vladdy going

The Blue Jays entered the break on a 13-4 tear with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. playing … fine. We haven’t seen anything close to Guerrero’s peak, though, making it even more surprising that the Blue Jays have managed to surge out in front of the AL East. Guerrero is the face of the franchise and the one player capable of taking over not only a game, but a series. We saw down the stretch in 2024 that he’s still capable of those incredible runs with a 1.000-plus OPS, which is exactly what the Blue Jays need if they’re going to keep this great story going. -- Keegan Matheson

Orioles: Build momentum toward 2026

The first half of the season didn’t go anywhere close to planned for the O’s. They often struggled to build positive momentum, as it felt like every time they took a step forward, it was immediately followed by at least one step back. Baltimore is committed to getting back to contention in 2026, so it would be helpful if the club could play more to its potential throughout the second half. For that to happen, the core players must get hot. -- Jake Rill

Rays: Get back to the postseason

For about seven weeks, it looked like the Rays might be bound for a second-straight mediocre season. Then, for the next five weeks, they played like the best team in baseball. Finally, they struggled through a 10-day road trip to finish the first half, erasing much of the progress they made in late May and June. With a large group of AL Wild Card hopefuls, they can’t afford many more stretches like that. They need to get back to playing their brand of baseball if they want to return to the playoffs after sitting out October last year. -- Adam Berry

Red Sox: Start strong coming out of the break

Last year’s squad opened the second half with a disastrous road trip in Los Angeles and Colorado, losing five out of six. The Red Sox lacked the same swagger from that point forward and never played like a viable contender again for the rest of the season. Playing three strong teams right out of the gate (Cubs, Dodgers, Phillies) gives the Sox a chance to make an immediate statement that they are for real. -- Ian Browne

Yankees: Tighten it up

After an offseason in which they heard barbs from several Dodgers about a perceived reputation for sloppy baserunning and defense, the Yankees played a more airtight version of baseball during the first two months of the season. That loosened from June into July – there were too many errors, both physical and mental, on both sides of the ball. If they are to regain control of the top spot in the AL East, sharper focus is a must. Outs are precious, and they’ve been giving too many away. -- Bryan Hoch

AL CENTRAL

Guardians: Stay in the race and stay adaptable

The Guardians are looking to put their 10-game skid fully in the rearview mirror and build off their strong finish to the first half coming out of the break. As they aim to make a postseason push, they should also not shy away from getting looks at players who can perhaps help down the stretch and in 2026. That includes prospects such as Chase DeLauter, C.J. Kayfus and Juan Brito, each of whom are with Triple-A Columbus. -- Tim Stebbins

Royals: Battle back in the standings

The simple goal, the only goal, for the Royals is to get back into the postseason race. They’re 4 1/2 games out of an AL Wild Card spot as the second half opens, certainly within striking distance of securing a spot. There are also six other teams within five games of a playoff spot. The Royals need to show consistency with all aspects of their game to get back in it. -- Anne Rogers

Tigers: Clinch American League’s top seed

Nobody knows better than Detroit how playoff odds mean nothing (0.2 percent anyone?), but the Tigers enter the second half with the Majors’ largest division lead. At this point, they’re very well-positioned for their first division title since 2014. Barring a collapse, Detroit can think about how best to position itself for a deep postseason run, a quest that begins with a Wild Card round bye and continues with a No. 1 seed and home-field advantage at Comerica Park. -- Jason Beck

Twins: Get the best hitters going

Byron Buxton has been amazing, but the rest of the Twins’ top hitters have fallen short of expectations. Carlos Correa has been healthy, but his overall numbers are well off what he’s capable of. Royce Lewis is getting hits but is not hitting for power, and Matt Wallner is the opposite -- hitting homers but batting .205. If the lineup core gets going, the team will as well. -- Matthew Leach

White Sox: Improvement, development

Wins and losses still aren’t the ultimate goal at this stage of the rebuild, although manager Will Venable and his staff remain focused on trying to win every day. Young players such as infielders Colson Montgomery and Chase Meidroth, catchers Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero and pitchers Shane Smith and Grant Taylor, to name a few, already have faced on-field ups and downs throughout their first big league exposure. But this experience will prove valuable and add to their confidence and knowledge in 2026 and beyond as they figure out everyday life with the White Sox. -- Scott Merkin

AL WEST

Angels: Stay in contention

The goal is for the Angels to stay in the AL Wild Card hunt, as they weren’t expected to compete this year and getting that kind of experience would be beneficial for the club’s young core. Of course, making the postseason is the ultimate goal but even hanging around the AL Wild Card race would be a big improvement after losing 99 games last year. -- Rhett Bollinger

Astros: Secure a top seed in the AL

The Astros hit the All-Star break with the second-best record in the AL. They’re 2 1/2 games behind the Tigers and only one game ahead of the Blue Jays. The top two seeds in the AL will receive a bye into the AL Division Series, so staying in the No. 2 spot is important. The Astros, though, are eyeing the top spot in the AL by running down the Tigers, with a huge three-game series in Detroit looming in August. -- Brian McTaggart

Athletics: Continue the development process

The A’s have bounced back from a brutal 1-20 stretch by going 18-17 since June 5. Beyond the record, though, the focus for the second half will be to continue developing the young talent on this roster such as Jacob Wilson, Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, Lawrence Butler, Denzel Clarke and Max Muncy, all of whom are going through what is essentially their first full season in the big leagues. -- Martín Gallegos

Mariners: Reach the postseason

After missing the dance in each of the past two years as the first team on the outside looking in -- and by just one game apiece, to boot (excluding tiebreakers) -- anything less than playing into October would be a massive disappointment. After a three-game sweep over the Tigers, who boast MLB’s best record, the Mariners regained momentum heading into the All-Star break, especially when considering that it came on the heels of arguably their worst loss of the season July 10 in New York. Seattle has 72.5 percent odds to reach the playoffs, per FanGraphs, which are the fifth-best in the American League. But the club has struggled to gain ground on first-place Houston for the division lead, which it carried for five weeks earlier this season. -- Daniel Kramer

Rangers: Be a league-average offense

It’s obviously easier said than done, or else they would’ve done it already, but the Rangers have the best rotation and a top-three bullpen. If the offense could just be league average, Texas would be right in the mix for the best team in MLB. Coulda, shoulda, woulda, but that’s been clear all season. If Corey Seager and Marcus Semien keep playing up to their standard, Josh Smith keeps being the best super utility guy in the Majors and if Jake Burger could just provide a bit of pop, the Rangers could be in a good place in the second half. -- Kennedi Landry

NL EAST

Braves: Get a feel for 2026

If the Braves trade Marcell Ozuna before the July 31 Trade Deadline, they can use the final two months getting a feel for alternating Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin between the catcher and designated hitter roles. Likewise, they can spend more time debating whether it makes sense to exercise Ozzie Albies’ $7 million option, which includes a $4 million buyout. Reynaldo López, who could be used as a starter or reliever, and Joe Jimenez could be declared ready to pitch again by the end of the year. This would provide a chance to get a better feel for offseason needs in both the rotation and bullpen. -- Mark Bowman

Marlins: See signs for the future

More than Miami's final record, what's most important in 2025 is for players to emerge as impactful pieces to build around. Catcher/designated hitter Agustín Ramírez and All-Star outfielder Kyle Stowers did so in the first half, but the Marlins would like to see even more guys step up. Because the team is so young, most of the players will experience the grind of their first full MLB season. -- Christina De Nicola

Mets: Win the division

The Mets led the NL East for significant stretches of the first half but haven’t been as consistent overall as the Phillies. If the Mets can win the division and avoid the Wild Card Series, they’ll put themselves in better position for a deep October run. Achieving this goal will require wise Trade Deadline investment and improved play overall, but this group is unquestionably talented enough to do it. -- Anthony DiComo

Nationals: Establish consistent offense

The Nationals put together an offensive hot streak at the end of May. Then they stumbled on an 11-game losing streak in June. The Nats will look for consistent offense in the second half -- both for the development of the young offense and to provide their pitching with run support. They entered Sunday 30-15 when scoring first, but only 5-47 when trailing after the sixth inning. -- Jessica Camerato

Phillies: Win the World Series

That’s it. Winning a World Series is incredibly difficult, of course. The Phillies have won just two in franchise history. But the Phillies are built to win. They have the fourth-highest payroll in baseball at $279.4 million, according to Spotrac. Stars Bryce Harper (32), Trea Turner (32) and Zack Wheeler (35) will be in their primes for only so long. Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto and Ranger Suárez will be free agents after the season. They need to strike now. -- Todd Zolecki

NL CENTRAL

Brewers: 'Compete'

The Brewers have used analytics to their advantage while making the postseason in six of the past seven seasons, but the way old-school manager Pat Murphy sees it, there’s more to their success than spreadsheets. When he was asked on Sunday what his team did best in the first half, Murphy pondered a moment and said one word: “Compete.” That sounds simple, but it takes incredible effort when a team doesn’t have the sort of offense that can simply power its way to blowout wins. Said Murphy, “I think they like to compete and that’s the best thing. A lot of guys aren’t well known in the Major Leagues, and it creates a little edge.” -- Adam McCalvy

Cardinals: Push for the playoffs while remaining flexible

In a year that was supposed to be about development, the Cardinals have defied the expectations of most by playing stirring, resilient baseball. If a Cardinals club out of the postseason since 2022 can get into the playoffs, it should certainly do everything in its power to get in. However, if St. Louis falls out of the chase in the coming weeks, the organization would be wise to push its development plans into overdrive. Promote right-hander Michael McGreevy and future star JJ Wetherholt, their No. 1 prospect per MLB Pipeline. Play Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman every day and get Ivan Herrera reps in the outfield. -- John Denton

Cubs: Win the division

The goal has remained the same since the offseason: Win the division. That was also the stated goal in each of the past two years, but an 83-win finish in both ‘23 and ‘24 left Chicago in second place and out of the playoffs. The ‘25 team was constructed better from the jump for a run at a postseason berth and the Cubs headed into the break with 57 wins, sitting in first place in the National League Central. -- Jordan Bastian

Pirates: Play winning ball the rest of the way

This season hasn’t gone as planned, but there’s still hope that the Pirates can rebound and compete in 2026. They’re going to need to play better baseball in the second half to inspire confidence. If they play well, it would go a long way toward cementing Don Kelly as the manager and that they just need to add to the Major League roster rather than revamp it. -- Alex Stumpf

Reds: Reach the postseason

Manager Terry Francona was hired specifically with that goal in mind and he did not come out of retirement for anything less. While the club is still searching for offensive consistency, it has the rotation potentially built for October led by All-Star Andrew Abbott and another lefty, Nick Lodolo, having his best season. -- Mark Sheldon

NL WEST

D-backs: String together some wins

And do it soon. The Diamondbacks have been unable to get on any kind of consistent run this year, hovering around the .500 mark. It was around this time last year that they started to put everything together and found themselves in control of their own postseason destiny during the season’s final week. They need to do that again, and quickly, or they could force GM Mike Hazen to be a seller at the Trade Deadline. -- Steve Gilbert

Dodgers: Keep their players on the field

As the Dodgers are all too aware, this is easier said than done. They ended the first half with 13 players -- 11 of whom are pitchers -- on the injured list, including high-profile names such as Blake Snell, Max Muncy and Roki Sasaki. L.A. should begin getting some of these players back not long after the break, and the objective from there is to be as close to full strength as possible in time for the postseason. -- Sonja Chen

Giants: Return to the playoffs

The Giants haven’t been to the postseason since 2021, but they should have a chance to end that drought if they can continue to build on their solid first half. Their pitching staff -- led by All-Stars Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and Randy Rodríguez -- is among the best in baseball, but they’ll need to find more consistency on the offensive end to ensure that they can solidify themselves as contenders down the stretch. -- Maria Guardado

Padres: Postseason or bust

The National League West remains within reach, and the Padres should be shooting for a chance to host a Wild Card Series. (They’ve proven before how valuable that can be.) But there’s really only one barometer for success in the second half of the regular season: Playoffs or bust. The Padres have a star-laden but unbalanced roster. It still should be good enough to separate in a tight National League -- especially considering San Diego plays one of the sport’s easiest schedules in the second half and figures to add ahead of the Trade Deadline. -- AJ Cassavell

Rockies: Just win, sometime

There are the logical goals -- making incremental progress with fundamentals, getting on the same page after big changes (with more to come) and integrating younger players into the Major Leagues. But all of this becomes much easier if the Rockies win some games. There comes a time when all the losing drowns out all hard lessons in the world. Being 22-74 at midseason with no series wins at home will stress any building program. -- Thomas Harding