Welcome to The Opener, where every weekday morning you’ll get a fresh, topical column to start your day from one of SI.com’s MLB writers.
Nearly two-thirds of the league are within six games of a playoff spot as we begin the second half of the season. That sets us up for plenty of intrigue ahead of the July 30 trade deadline. Beyond that, the races for division titles look to be tight all the way to the finish line.
None of the six teams currently in first place won their respective divisions in 2020, illustrating just how fleeting success can be.