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Before the Yankees took the field again for the second half, YES broadcasters Michael Kay and Paul O’Neill fielded some questions about the Bombers from The Post’s Steve Serby.

Q: The state of the Yankees?

Kay: I think they’re grinding, they’re battling, going through a lot of injuries. … I truly believe if they’re 100 percent healthy, they’re by far the best team in the American League. I think the league is really weak this year. I think when the Yankees have [Max] Fried and [Carlos] Rodón to go along with [Cam] Schlittler and [Gerrit] Cole, that’s their best starting rotation. Obviously they need [Aaron] Judge back and if they get [Giancarlo] Stanton back, I think it lengthens the lineup. Now are they gonna get all of them back? That’s anybody’s guess. If they don’t, then it’s a different story.

O’Neill: Well if you’d have asked me a week ago going into Tampa Bay and the way Tampa Bay was playing, and the way the Yankees were playing, they could have played themselves out of the American League East, but they didn’t. They had a nice little run going up to the All-Star break, and so I think that you’re back on solid ground as far as looking to try to win the American League East.

Q: What would be the Yankees’ biggest concern?

O’Neill: You can nitpick and break everything down, it’s basically consistency. They go through these unbelievable times where they look like a great baseball team, and then all of a sudden they fall off a cliff. It’s kinda baffling at times.

Kay: Not getting Judge back. That’s the key to everything. People go, “Why don’t you have reinforcements?” There’s nobody that can be Judge. Judge is a once-in-a-generation player, so when you take him out of the equation it changes everything and I think you’ve seen that … he’s the most important person on any team in the American League.

Q: What did you think when they decided to run it back this season?

O’Neill: I didn’t have a problem with that because you had Cole coming back, you had Rodón coming back … you had a healthy Aaron Judge and a healthy coming out of spring training (Giancarlo) Stanton, so I thought you had enough pieces. … [Cody] Bellinger’s a complete player, [Trent] Grisham is back in the lineup and really solidifies everything in the outfield. He’s just capable of doing a lot of things that aren’t really seen in the scorecard to help this team. And you had some question marks — is [Jasson] Domínguez gonna be a future player? But Aaron Judge was Aaron Judge, and it all changed obviously with his injury.

Kay: I thought that was somewhat blown up because if anything, they ran it back from Aug. 1 on, I think they made a lot of their changes at the trade deadline. They traded for [Ryan] Weathers, and I knew that they were gonna get back Gerrit Cole who they didn’t have last year. Yeah for the most part they ran it back, but even if they totally ran it back, they won 94 games last year, the same amount as the Blue Jays, so that was the most in the American League, and they just had to play better against the Blue Jays.

Q: Whenever Judge returns, what are expectations for him?

O’Neill: I don’t know what has happened this day and age, but guys come back off of the IL, it’s not like a two-week play-in. I mean, I’ve seen Stanton do it year after year, come back and be effective immediately. I don’t know if it’s ’cause of the equipment, the machines or whatever, but it seems to be like they get back in the groove much easier. But Aaron Judge is not allowed to do anything upper body-wise. He is so big and strong that it might not hurt him, I don’t know. I just hope that he has a month or so to really get ready before the October games.

Kay: It’s all according to when he comes back. So if he comes back third week in August, middle of August, I think he’s got plenty of time to get himself right and get his swing down and go into the postseason like Aaron Judge. I think every time he steps onto the field, he has the potential to change the game. … He’s won two MVPs in a row, and now, the fact that he’s missed all these games and you see how it’s affected the Yankees, he could be the MVP again this year, without even playing.

Q: What moves might Brian Cashman make at the trade deadline?

Kay: Everything changes if Judge is back or not. If they know he’s coming back, I think they need a right-handed catcher, and I think they need a swing-and-miss arm in the bullpen. I really don’t think they need anything else other than that.

O’Neill: I think you’re always looking to upgrade a bullpen. The pitching is gonna be much more leaned on this year with Aaron Judge and Stanton out of the lineup. [David] Bednar’s been great, Tim Hill has had some struggles but I always trusted him ’cause he throws strikes. [Fernando] Cruz is a strikeout pitcher, and when Fried comes back one of the starters will go to the bullpen. I think late innings getting to Bednar is gonna be the one thing if one of the starting pitchers doesn’t fill that role that you’ll probably see something happen.

Q: Thoughts on Ryan Jeffers and Luis Arraez as potential targets.

Kay: Jeffers would be a good fit because he’s also worked with Tanner Swanson, the Yankee catching guru, so it’s not like he’d be coming in cold into the Yankee system. I don’t think the Mets and the Yankees will make a trade, but a guy like Luis Torrens could be somebody that could fit in. People talk about Hunter Goodman, but why would the Rockies trade him? He’s their best player, he’s young, they have control of him for a long time. They’re gonna have to get creative. Tampa Bay needs catching too. Maybe this best hope is that Austin Wells suddenly gets hot.

Q: Arraez?

Kay: He doesn’t fit the perfect Yankee player profile, he’s certainly not a home run hitter, he’s improved defensively a lot. I still think that they believe in Jazz Chisholm. I think with the things that they have to get, Luis Arraez would be lower on the list.

O’Neill: Jeffers has always been rumored because it seemed like a perfect fit, because he’s a right-handed kid who can hit. [Austin] Wells, coming into the year, nobody expected him to be where he was offensively. Does he have a big second half ahead of him? Arraez has always been a guy … I like average hitters in the lineup, you’re taking strikeouts away where you have so many strikeouts in the game today, if you have a few guys in your lineup that are consistently getting on base, putting the ball in play, I think it breaks up the monotony of hit a home run or strikeout.

Q: The difference this season in Ben Rice.

O’Neill: He’s made some adjustments as far as his stance this year, he kind of opened up a little bit which you don’t have to worry as much getting to the inside pitch. He’s a smart hitter. You just hope that this is a year where you look back and say this guy really became a star.

Q: What is Rice’s ceiling?

Kay: I think he’s such a smart player, he goes up there with a plan, he’s gotten stronger every single year, you can just see by the exit velocity and the balls that come off his bat. If he can have the next five years of hitting in front or hitting behind Judge, I think the sky’s the limit. He could be a perennial All-Star, he could be an MVP, and if he does it for 10 years, you could look at him and say, “Well maybe Cooperstown will call one year.”

Q: Thoughts on Cam Schlittler.

O’Neill: I’ve been kind of blown away with him ever since he got here. What he did in the minor leagues and what he’s become in the major leagues, I look forward to calling the game every time he pitches, his ability to throw hard, to control three different fastballs … he’s an ace. On any given night, you’re looking at double-figure strikeouts. He’s not afraid to throw strikes. That’s what I always appreciate, where guys are challenging hitters, and from Pitch 1, that’s what he does.

Kay: Without injury, I think he could be one of the best pitchers of his generation. He’s smart, he’s tough, he gets angry, he takes any perceived slight and turns it into an advantage for him. Nothing scares him — nothing. The only thing that stops him from being a generational type of ace is an injury.

Q: Come the playoffs, will Cole be stronger, fresher because of the time he missed?

Kay: I think that could be an advantage for him, for Fried and for Rodón. You worry about Schlittler’s innings, because he’s gonna pitch innings he’s never pitched before, but I think Gerrit Cole is still a work in progress. When you come back from that surgery, you don’t really get it right away, but he’s shown flashes of it where he throws 98, 99, so you know the elbow is fine. I think he can be a real factor in the playoffs, and Max Fried, maybe last year he got fatigued, he didn’t even miss a start, this year he’s gonna miss two months, so he’s gonna be really really fresh going into the playoffs, and the same thing with Rodón.

O’Neill: He could be. I think he’ll be sharper. I think that you’ve seen some games and some innings where he’s Gerrit Cole. And you’ve also seen some innings where he misses the location, it’s nothing to do with stuff and velocity. That’s all up since the injury. It’s just being sharp, and I think that every single time he takes the mound, he’s gonna get closer to where he was, and that’s a great thing for the Yankees. When he’s right, he’s as good as anybody in the game, and that’s the kind of pitcher you need in the playoffs.

Q: This Yankee team is built for the playoffs because of their starting pitching when healthy.

O’Neill: I agree. And especially when Max Fried gets back in there, you’re looking at guys that can be dominant. You’re not looking at guys that need to pitch perfect, low sinkerballers that have to throw complete perfect pitches to get outs. You’re looking at guys that have the type of stuff that can dominate certain lineups. And if you do that in the playoffs, it takes a lot of pressure off your offense because you’re gonna be in the game. But that being said, a pitch here or there, and next thing you know it’s 3-0 and you’re struggling. I think this is the best starting pitching on paper that the Yankees have had since the late ’90s.

Kay: I would say that every team in the American League wouldn’t want to mess with them … People talk about, “Well they should get Tarik Skubal,” or things like that. Obviously you never turn down Tarik Skubal. What a Tarik Skubal does is every single time he takes the mound in the playoffs, you got a legitimate chance to win. I think all four of those guys, the Yankees have a legitimate chance to shut down any lineup when they’re right. I don’t think anybody would want to face the Yankees ’cause there’s no break. They don’t ever have to do a bullpen game, they’ve got four legitimate starters and then if they even had to go five, you choose between [Will] Warren and Weathers.

And then Clarke Schmidt should be coming back maybe toward the end of August. This guy could be a weapon too, if not in the rotation, probably out of the bullpen. So if the Yankees can’t improve themselves at the trade deadline with relief pitchers, some of those starters are gonna go in the bullpen. Weathers has swing-and-miss stuff, Clarke Schmidt has swing-and-miss stuff as well.

Q: What’s happened to Anthony Volpe?

Kay: I really don’t know. He’s actually hitting better average-wise and on-base percentage-wise than he has any of his three years. The power’s not there, and I think one of the things that’s happened honestly, is he’s now in the crosshairs of Yankee fans. It’s strange — a local kid, comes up through the Yankee system, that’s usually the guy they want to see really do well. I think they’ve kind of turned on him. So every time he makes an error, anytime he makes an out, he hears it. I’ve seen them do that with Gary Sánchez as well.

Maybe all of that put into the pot has contributed to him struggling a bit. The other thing that’s really happened is that when he was hurt and rehabbing, José Caballero established himself as a plus defender and a guy that can hit and steal bases.

Q: Do the Yankees believe he has a future with them?

Kay: I do. I don’t know if it’s at shortstop. … I don’t think they’ve given up on him by any stretch of the imagination. I hear the way [Aaron] Boone talks about him. Seems like he still has a lot of respect. I think everybody in the room likes him, he works really really hard. They think there’s something there.

O’Neill: I think that he’s kind of changing and evolving into the player that he should be, from where he was, and then he had the injuries. I’m sure he’s frustrated ’cause (José) Caballero looks very comfortable at shortstop and he adds a lot of enthusiasm to the lineup. That’s another thing that’s gonna be kind of played out here in the second half — is Anthony Volpe gonna be the future of the Yankees or is it gonna be another plan? That’s kind of a work in progress if you ask me.

Q: What’s happened with Wells?

O’Neill: I think it’s a confidence thing at this point. I think he’s been able to separate it offensively-defensively ’cause catching he’s been pretty solid. You just never expected to see the type of year he’s had offensively the first half. But it’s amazing how things could even out in a long season, so you’re looking at a guy that has the ability to have a big second half if his mind will allow him to, and that’s only gonna help this offense. You can kind of short-term-goal-it where you become successful again, he can really really help this lineup.

Kay: Wow, I don’t know. I don’t think they know. He is really so committed to being a great catcher that sometimes you don’t take the extra batting practice, sometimes your mind is on the game you’re calling, not so much on the four at-bats you’re gonna have. Maybe it’s that. The guy came up as a hitter catcher and then he was gonna struggle defensively. He’s a really good defensive catcher, he does everything well, the pitchers trust the heck out of him, he puts together a good game plan, frames well, does a good job throwing out baserunners. But the offense has kind of disappeared. I don’t know what happened.

Q: Paul Goldschmidt at age 38.

O’Neill: Unbelievably solid. I think that he’s had a lot of roles on this team as far as coming into the season with really just a backup job to becoming a huge part of the offense and shouldering a lot of it too because he’s swung the bat well. Veteran leadership — he fills a lot of holes on this team and it’s allowed Rice to DH a lot and that’ll help him in the long haul.

Kay: What he did early, he kept this team afloat. I know one thing — they love him in that room.

Q: George Lombard Jr.?

O’Neill: It’s always exciting to hear about big prospects. Do they take off from their first dip in the major leagues or is it a process of a year or two? Teams need energy from young players. I don’t think that you have a great team with all veterans. And you don’t have a great team with all young people ’cause you really need a mix. The youth has the energy, the veterans have the leadership and the knowledge, and if you mix that together, then I think you have a really really good team. So I always look forward to when a young guy’s called up if he can add some spark to a lineup.

Kay: I don’t know if they want to risk Lombard coming up, because I think he’s defensive ready right now, the question is offensive ready.

Q: Jazz Chisholm Jr.?

O’Neill: Truthfully in my opinion, Jazz can really really be the wild card for this team. He has so much talent for what he can do on the field. If you could just keep him directed to what you’re able to do, and that’s hit home runs, that’s steal bases, that’s play defense. But every once in a while you get caught up in these other things going on — whose pants you have on, what bats you’re swinging. He has a lot of talent if it’s directed in the right way. The Yankees’ challenge is to let him know how important his presence is in playing every single out of every single game, how important it is to this team.

Q: How critical is Caballero?

O’Neill: I just like his emotion, his intensity. He rubs people the wrong way from other sides and that’s usually a good thing because it means that you’re engaged and you’re in the game. He and [Amed] Rosario to me add some intensity to the game, and I like that. I don’t think that you have everybody on the team that are wired the same. Some guys are even keel, some guys are emotional, some guys just take it as it comes. He’s a daring runner, he looks solid at shortstop and he puts together good at-bats in big situations.

Q: This team has more speed than previous Yankees teams.

Kay: Yeah, they lead the American League in stolen bases. They’re built to be a home run team, but they can steal bases, they can create runs, they can put pressure on the defense. I don’t think they’ve had that much going into the postseason in recent years. When their bench is their bench, it matches up with any bench in baseball. When Caballero’s on base, he disrupts everything! EVERYTHING. When Chisholm’s on base, he disrupts the pitcher, and if you can get the pitcher to take a little of the attention away from the batter, that could lead to the home run that you’re looking for.

Q: David Bednar?

Kay: He’s got the guts, he’s got the courage, he doesn’t scare easily, and most importantly, he has stuff.

Q: [Brent] Headrick in the bullpen?

O’Neill: There’s certain guys that are kinda surprises year after year, I would definitely say that he is. He’s been solid against righties and lefties.

Q: Max Schuemann?

O’Neill: You’re not scared when a ball’s hit to him no matter where he is. The way the game is now you’re always trying to find somebody to play a position they’re not comfortable playing and he does a good job of that.

Q: Who can be an X-factor?

Kay: I think it could be [Ryan] McMahon. He’s hitting a lot better. He can run into one and hit a home run in a big spot, and the fact that he’s so good defensively, he tightens things up. A Max Fried start, you need a great third baseman, and he is a great defensive third baseman. You don’t need McMahon to do anything more than he ever did in Colorado.

Q: Other than Judge, who would you nominate as The Warrior on this Yankee team?

O’Neil: This team in my mind is gonna win with pitching, so I would probably say Schlittler, Cole, Fried … any of these starting pitchers that can absolutely dominate throughout the playoffs.

Kay: I would say the guy that would run through a wall to win a game would be Cody Bellinger. He’s as good a left fielder as there is in baseball. He’s a plus-plus defender. When he’s right offensively, he hits lefties, he gets big hits, he’s an All-Star, he’s a tough, gritty player. To me, he approximates O’Neill as much as anybody.

Q: Is there any psychological component for the Yankees against the Dodgers this weekend?

Kay: I think it’s something for the fans, you like to test yourself out against the best, although the Dodgers are kinda banged up right now and they just got swept over the weekend. The important series this weekend is Tampa Bay against Boston.

O’Neill: I don’t think a weekend series in July tells you how you’re gonna play a team in the World Series. Everybody looks at that World Series where the Dodgers on paper look like they beat up the Yankees but the Yankees had a couple of games that they could’ve coulda won and it could’ve been a seven-game series. I never feel that the Yankees are truly overmatched by anyone. I would assume that the media will turn it up to be a big, big series, but Aaron Judge is not a part of it, Stanton’s not a part of it. Ohtani, who knows? He might not even be a part of it, won’t be pitching probably. It’s gonna be a different scenario if you meet them again in October.

Q: The pressure on Aaron Boone to win a championship.

O’Neill: Well I think that he understands that that goes along with New York with the Yankee logo, with the big city and the number of championships that have come before him. I don’t think he shies away from that. He does an unbelievable job at trying to protect his players as far as what he says about ’em, what the organization portrays about ’em, what the media … I think that he has everybody on a same page as far as they respect him as a manager.

I just always remember Joe Torre saying “I’m loyal to my players” until it comes down to winning playoff games and winning World Series games, and I think that there is a point where you gotta make tough decisions and put yourself in a position to win a huge playoff game rather than try not to hurt somebody’s feelings.

Q: Does Boone need to win a World Series to keep his job?

Kay: I don’t think he has to win it. I just think that Boone does the job that the organization wants him to do. He’s a great front face for the organization, he explains the decisions well, I think he handles the media well, and the players love him, would run through a wall for him. I know that Judge is a huge fan of Boone. I think something catastrophic would have to happen for them to not bring him back. I know Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner really like the job he’s doing.

Q: What would you tell these Yankees about the Canyon of Heroes?

O’Neill: It’s really hard to explain unless you go through it. You can’t tell me that anybody that was on those teams, late ’90s into 2000, it didn’t change our lives. And still to this day, people are celebrating that time every 10-year, 20-year, 30-year reunion (laughs), it goes farther and farther away, but people have the memories of it. And believe me, I still remember almost every single play and every single pitch. It’s something that comes along with winning in New York.

Q: Are you expecting the Yankees to win the AL East or get to the World Series?

O’Neill: This last week has really put them back on even ground as far as winning the East. I think this team’s gonna get better. Aaron Judge is the gigantic question mark on when and where. Stanton … the injuries that you could fill in on this team IF healthy, if they are who they’re supposed to be on the back of their card, this team could go as far as it wants.

Q: Can this team win a World Series?

Kay: I think this team can win a World Series if they’re healthy. And the most important bit of health, is the health that belongs to Aaron Judge. If he can come back the last week of August and give you 15 home runs before the end of the season, that would be an unbelievable boost to this team. When you ask me, “Could they win a World Series?” If they get all their injured players back, they most certainly can, and if they don’t get Judge back, it would be very difficult.

The All-Star Game is over and the true second half of the MLB season begins Thursday night, when the Mets visit the Phillies in a stand-alone game on ESPN in a matchup that probably seemed bigger when it was scheduled. Here’s a look at some of the top storylines the rest of the way as teams battle to get to October:

Judge-ment Day in the Bronx 

Perhaps no development will be bigger in the second half than the status of Aaron Judge. 

Out since June with a fractured right rib, Judge was expected to get imaging of the injury during the All-Star break, with the Yankees hoping it showed enough healing in the area for him to start working out.

There’s still no timeline for Judge’s return, other than general manager Brian Cashman saying: “The time frame that it would take to heal should allow him to be back with us this season.”

That uncertainty could doom the Yankees.

They entered the break atop the AL wild-card race, but they talked extensively this spring about the importance of not just making the postseason, but of winning the AL East. 

They came up a game short last season and then lost to the Blue Jays in the ALDS.

Their best chance of getting past the first-place Rays, who have a three-game lead on the Yankees (four in the loss column), is to get Judge back in the lineup.

They’ve proven to be as good as any team in the American League with him and simply mediocre without their superstar.

Three years ago, the Yankees missed the playoffs when Judge was affected by the torn ligament in his toe, and their lineup has mostly gone in the tank without him this time around, although they did sweep Washington heading into the break.

Getting Judge back isn’t the only thing the Yankees are waiting on, as they will try to upgrade the catching position and bullpen before the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

Besides that, there’s the George Lombard Jr. watch, which figures to move into high gear in the coming weeks, as the team’s top prospect comes back from a hand injury. The Yankees clearly need help at shortstop, where José Caballero and Anthony Volpe have underwhelmed.

Trade deadline 

The Aug. 3 trade deadline is the next major date on the schedule and Tarik Skubal will be at the center of it — unless the Tigers, who played better heading into the break, opt against moving him and instead make a run at the postseason.

Back and healthy following elbow surgery, Skubal would be far and away the top trade target if Detroit decides to trade him.

He’s a free agent at the end of the season. While the Yankees and Dodgers appear to be long shots to acquire the left-hander, they can’t be ruled out. The Cubs, Braves and Rays are among the teams that could make a play for the Cy Young Award winner.

Whoever lands him will change their potential postseason fortunes immediately.

Skubal won’t be the only big-name player to keep an eye on, as Sonny Gray could go if the resurgent Red Sox don’t decide to keep him.

There’s also closer Mason Miller with the inconsistent Padres, as well as the top contact hitter of his generation, Luis Arraez, excelling again on a bad team with the Giants.

Can the Dodgers do it again? 

Death, taxes and the Dodgers winning the NL West. 

Los Angeles is well on its way to a fifth straight division title and have finished first in the division every year since 2013 outside of 2021.

And that success has come even with high-priced free agent signing Kyle Tucker having a subpar season, Tyler Glasnow (back) appearing in just seven games and Blake Snell (elbow) only one. Both pitchers are expected back at some point next month, making a fearsome rotation even tougher.

And they’ve also been without Edwin Díaz (elbow), who is expected to return. 

Then there’s the status of Shohei Ohtani, who has been dealing with left knee irritation and didn’t participate in the All-Star Game in Philadelphia.

He had fluid drained from the knee before the break and manager Dave Roberts said he is expected to be the DH when the Dodgers open a series against the Yankees in The Bronx on Friday.

Who are these guys? 

While teams like the Dodgers and Rangers were expected to be near or at the top of their divisions, you could be forgiven if you had to look twice to make sense of the standings at the break.

Are the White Sox really leading the AL Central?

And are the Rays really outdoing the Yankees and the rest of the high-payroll AL East again?

The Twins and Guardians, both seemingly playing for the future, are right in the mix for the postseason.

The other question: Are any of these AL teams really that good?

The competition has been underwhelming, with the majority of the best teams residing in the National League.

Still, there are surprises there, as well, as the Marlins enter the second half in a wild-card spot, with the Cardinals and Pirates right on their heels. 

Meanwhile, teams like the Giants, Diamondbacks and Padres — and especially the Mets — have been colossal disappointments.

Can the upstarts in both leagues continue their strong performances all the way to the playoffs?

Much will depend on how some of them handle the trade deadline.

As Minnesota’s Joe Ryan said, he wants to remain with the Twins and give the front office a reason to not sell at the deadline, as they did a year ago.

Many of his contemporaries agree, and their play over the next two-plus weeks could determine how their organizations handle those decisions.

How bad will it get in Queens? 

The Mets were the laughingstock of the sport in the first half, as even the most skeptical of observers couldn’t have predicted how badly their offseason makeover would go. It’s already cost Carlos Mendoza his job in the dugout, even though he was one of the least responsible for the disaster. 

Now it’s up to president of baseball operations David Stearns to try to fix his own mess.

Despite Juan Soto saying this week he expects “a turnaround” this season at Citi Field, it’s just about inconceivable that will happen.

More likely is a sell-off of a few bullpen arms, like A.J. Minter and perhaps Luke Weaver. As things figure to get worse before they get better, all eyes will be on Stearns to see how he steers the team forward while key offseason acquisitions like Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr. and Devin Williams continue to struggle with health, production — or both.

Manager carousel 

Alex Cora and Rob Thomson had excellent résumés and plenty of respect around the league, but both were fired when the Red Sox and Phillies, respectively, got off to poor starts. The moves made waves in both cities, but unlike with the Mets — who were already too far gone when Andy Green replaced Mendoza in the dugout — Boston and Philadelphia have both responded well to the changes.

In Boston, first-year manager Chad Tracy has the Red Sox back in the hunt, as they took a nine-game winning streak into the break and Don Mattingly, in his third stop, has the Phillies firmly in the wild-card mix, thanks in no small part to the return of Zack Wheeler.

Award season 

Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski is having one of the best seasons on the mound in recent memory — not just with his results, but also his record-setting velocity. If that continues, the 24-year-old will run away with the NL Cy Young, but he didn’t pitch in the All-Star Game due to arm fatigue. If that remains an issue, it could open the door for someone like Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sánchez.

In the American League, Judge has been unstoppable unless injuries get in the way. Since that’s happened again, Houston’s Yordan Alvarez is currently the favorite, with Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero trailing.

It’s another Wednesday evening here at BCB After Dark: the coolest night spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and cool off with us for a while. There’s no cover charge. We have a few good tables available. The show will start shorty. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Last night I asked you for your predictions of where the Cubs would finish the season. There was a pretty solid bell curve in the votes at 41 percent of you thought that the Cubs would get the first Wild Card and thus, home field advantage in the Wild Card round. Another thirty percent thought that they’d get a Wild Card spot but on the road and 18 percent of you think the Cubs will win the Division but not get a bye. I don’t know. I think if the Cubs catch the Brewers, they get a bye, but it’s certainly possible Milwaukee crashes to earth but the Braves take off, so I’m not going to disagree too strongly with that position.

Here’s the part with the music and the movies. You can do with it what you will. We’re here to please.

Tonight we’re featuring drummer Jeff Hamilton and the Jeff Hamilton Trio at the Jazz Port Townsend Festival in Washington in 2022. This is also a broadcast on KNKX Public Radio in Seattle-Tacoma.

Joining Hamilton are Tamir Hendelman and Jon Hamar on bass.

I haven’t had much time to watch films over the past week or so, but I wanted to give you something. So tonight we’re featuring Canadian director Guy Maddin’s six-minute silent film The Heart of the World (2000).

Maddin is one of the greatest iconoclastic and experimental filmmakers around. I’ll recommend his surrealist mockumentary My Winnipeg (2007) for the way it weaves a fictional history of the city of Winnipeg around a fictional history of his own family. What drew me to it in the first place is that he found an 86-year-old Ann Savage, the femme fatale of the all-time great 1945 film noirDetour, to play his mother. But what kept me in was the terrific black-and-white imagery as well as the bone-dry absurdist humor. Maybe I’ll write more about My Winnipeg another day.

But The Heart of the World is a rapid-fire, surrealist silent film shot in the style of the early Soviet filmmakers like Sergei Eisenstein. The plot, such as it is, is about Anna, a scientist who studies the earth’s core, where a beating heart exists. Literally. Anna looks down a tube and there is a diseased heart at the center of the earth’s core.

Anna has two men in love with her. The first in Nikolai, a young mortician. The second is Osip, an actor playing Christ in a passion play and who stays in character the entire film. Nikolai tries to impress Anna with his embalming skills and Osip tries to impress her with all the suffering he does as Christ.

A third man, an industrialist, comes into Anna’s life, and he’s a caricature of how the Soviets portrayed rich capitalists. But that relationship is interrupted by the Earth suffering a fatal heart attack. Anna must then slide down to the earth’s core to prevent the end of the world.

So yeah, if that sounds nuts, it is. Maddin has the images going a mile a minute, all accompanied by the frenetic beat of the Time Forward! March by Soviet composer Georgy Svirdov.Maddin packs around 100 shots per minute into the six-minute film, which gives the film a feel like it’s a one-hour movie sped up into six minutes. The imagery, while absurd, is also fascinating. It’s at once familiar to anyone who has seen silent movies (especially Soviet silent films) but also fresh in the way Maddin throws it all in together into one big stew. In this way, The Heart of the World is both a a loving tribute to silent film and a silly parody. But in the end, Maddin reaffirms the power of cinema to change the world. Unless that’s just a joke too.

I could go on about The Heart of the World, but it would be better for you to just watch it and decide for yourself. At six minutes, it’s shorter and probably more enlightening than any podcast your listening to right now.

Here’s the whole short film.

Welcome back to whomever skips the music and movies.

I don’t think I have to tell any of you the Cubs are going to have to add pitching before the Trade Deadline. The Cubs have stayed afloat in the playoff hunt with all the pitching injuries they’ve had. But if they want to make some noise in the postseason, they will have to get some good, healthy arms.

Jon Heyman made a little noise by writing that the Braves, Rays and Cubs are expected to be the most aggressive teams going after Tarik Skubal. Now Heyman gave himself a little wiggle room there by saying “expected” and not claiming that he’s talked to Jed Hoyer about it, but it is one of the first indicators that the Cubs are interested in the two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner. Heyman is probably repeating the scuttlebutt that the front office executives are passing around, but they generally have a good idea what the market for players is.

I’m not going to directly ask you about Skubal tonight because I’ve done that fairly recently. Three weeks ago, you weren’t so keen to give up a lot for a two-month rental in Skubal. But there is another pitcher who has been linked to the Cubs lately and that’s Twins right-hander Joe Ryan.

Ryan is a very good pitcher, but he certainly doesn’t have the track record of Skubal. He’s a two-time All-Star but he’s never gotten a single Cy Young Award vote, for example. You can argue that Ryan has been the better pitcher than Skubal this year, because he has been. Ryan has a 2.85 ERA and a 2.77 FIP compared to 3.09 ERA and 3.06 FIP. But it should be noted that Ryan had a similarly excellent first half of 2025 and then fell off a cliff after the All-Star Break. Skubal was also hurt for a part of this season. He struggled in his first three games off of the IL, giving up nine runs over 16.1 innings. But in his last three starts, he’s only allowed four runs over 16 innings, which is a 2.25 ERA. He’s also struck out 23 and walked just three in those 16 innings. In other words, it looks like the old Tarik Skubal is back.

Skubal is a hard-throwing lefty whose fastball averages around 97 miles per hour. He’s also got a sinker that also comes in around 96, an upper-80s slider and a change. All four of those pitches rate from above average to plus. The Cubs don’t have anyone on their staff with anything like Skubal’s arsenal.

Ryan, on the other hand, is a right-hander who gets by on movement rather than velocity. His fastball is a pretty average 93 mph, but it has very good movement and “rise.” Yes, I know pitches don’t really rise. It’s the illusion of rise. It’s what scouts call an “invisiball” because it’s so hard for hitters to get a read on it. It’s a plus pitch despite the lack of pure velocity.

But Ryan also has a splitter, a sinker and a sweeping slider, all of which are at least average or better. This year he also seems to have junked his changeup for a better knuckle-curve. All-in-all, Ryan may not be a Cy Young Award candidate in most years, but he’s a very good pitcher who could anchor almost any rotation in the majors.

All things being equal, I would still go with the pure stuff and track record of Skubal over Ryan. But there are two big factors that might push the discussion towards Ryan. For one, Skubal makes $32 million this year and Ryan only makes $6.2 million. You might say that’s Tom Ricketts’ money and I don’t care and I’d say I agree with you. But Ryan might leave more money in the payroll for a second player acquisition at the deadline that Skubal doesn’t.

But the other factor is that Skubal becomes a free agent at the end of this season and Ryan doesn’t become one until the end of next year. So a trade for Skubal is just for the final two months of the season and the playoffs. With Ryan, you get the end of this year and all of next. Yes, Ryan will be in line for a big raise next year, but he’s not getting $32 million like Skubal did.

Neither pitcher will be cheap in terms of the quality of players the Cubs would have to surrender to get them. Matt Shaw, Jefferson Rojas, Jaxon Wiggins, Kane Kepley and maybe even Josiah Hartshorn are the types of players that would have to headline a deal to get one of those two pitchers. In other words, at least one and maybe more of the Cubs top-four prospects or Matt Shaw would have to go in a deal. Before someone misunderstands me, no. The Cubs aren’t trading all five of those players for a pitcher. At least one of those five would have to go along with maybe two more solid prospects from farther down the rankings.

So tonight’s question is, all things being equal, which pitcher would you rather the Cubs have? Skubal or Ryan? That is, if both the Tigers and Twins would accept the same package for their pitcher, which deal would you pull the trigger on? I’ll let you vote “neither” if you want. Spoilsport.

Thank you for stopping by tonight. We’re so glad to see a friendly face. Get home safely. Call a ride if you need to. Don’t forget any personal items. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next week for more BCB After Dark.

Usually, making predictions is a great way for us to make fools of ourselves. Even speculating on the future can do the job, as the Purple Row community will see as the staff revisits and updates our State of the Position series this week from preseason prognosticating to midseason reflection and projection. 

That being said, making predictions is still fun. 

With that in mind, what are your predictions for the post-All-Star portion of the 2026 season. While we’d love to hear all your predictions — big and small — here are four categories for a guide if you want them. 

Category 1: What are your predictions for the final record? 

Some will measure this in wins and others in losses. For my pick, I am hoping and believing the Rockies will finish with fewer than 100 losses — even if it’s just by one or two games. So maybe 63-99?

Category 2: What player will have the best second half? 

It could be a pitcher or a position player. He could end the season with the Rockies or not. My prediction is that Kyle Karros continues to tear it up and finishes with 20 home runs and a batting average over .275. 

Category 3: Who gets traded?

Same deal — this could be a position player or a pitcher. I am leaning toward Antonio Senzatela, who could be a valuable arm for a contender in exchange for some future bullpen arms.

Category 4: Outside-of-the-box predictions

What’s something wild that will happen in the second half? This could be a single-game performance, a final stat total or anything you can think of. 

I think Jake McCarthy hits another inside-the-park home run, bringing his total on the year to three. I am also predicting Hunter Goodman finishes with 50 homers, making his Home Run Derby omission embarrassing for MLB.

What do you all think? Feel free to expand the categories!

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Carson Wiggins has taken his first steps to Citi Field.

The Mets signed their top selection (27th overall) in this year’s draft on Wednesday in Queens, agreeing to a $3,466,500 signing bonus (the full slot value) with the 6-foot-5 flamethrower from Arkansas.

Wiggins, 21, has been touted by Mets officials as a potential “front-line” starter in the future, featuring a fastball that has touched 102 mph.

But the right-hander threw only 14 innings in college (3.21 ERA) after undergoing elbow surgery last year and missed his entire sophomore season with the Razorbacks.

After being selected by the Mets, Wiggins said he is done with his rehab and ready to pitch again.

The best is yet to come.

That’s the warning MLB insider Buster Olney issued to the rest of the league as the Dodgers chase a third consecutive World Series title.

On “First Take,” Olney chose the Dodgers to go all the way in 2026.

“I would definitely take the Dodgers. Look, they’re on a 101-win pace and think about what hasn’t gone well for them. Blake Snell hasn’t pitched. Tyler Glasnow is on the injured list. Kyle Tucker, who they spent so much money on in the offseason, he hasn’t played that well. And yet here they are, again,” Olney said.

“The team to beat. I think the best of the Dodgers is yet to come. After slow-playing these injuries, get Edwin Díaz and other guys back. They’re going to be a great team by the time we get to October.”

Olney is right, a lot of things have gone wrong for the Dodgers in 2026.

Injuries appear to be a staple story for LA in recent seasons, but the Dodgers have pressed forward even without key roster pieces. The struggles of Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki could have also derailed the starting rotation’s success, but the right-hander’s 5.33 ERA hasn’t prevented the Dodgers from taking an 11 ½-game lead in the National League West.

The Dodgers stand tall with the NL’s best record (61-36) heading into the second half of the season, when reinforcements are poised to return imminently.

The Dodgers became the first team to win back-to-back championships in a quarter century but are looking to take the dynasty a step further by completing the three-peat. With the trade deadline only a few weeks away, the front office has the ability to make the roster even scarier by adding Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal.

While it’s no guarantee a trade happens, the fact the Dodgers can realistically acquire Skubal is simply infuriating for every other MLB team.

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At 36 years old, Freddie Freeman is coming off his 10th career All-Star selection.

In the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, the Dodgers first baseman batted third for the National League in what was his sixth straight appearance in the Midsummer Classic.

Freeman has spent the last five seasons in LA, helping the Dodgers win back-to-back World Series titles over the past two years. The star cemented himself in Dodgers lore when he hit a walk-off home run against the Yankees in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series.

As the Dodgers chase a third consecutive championship, Freeman’s retirement timeline remains uncertain. But the 2020 NL MVP shared his goals amid the twilight of an incredible career.

“I’ve always wanted to try and play until I’m 40 years old,” Freeman said at All-Star Media Day. “That would be three more years after this.”

Freeman was reluctant to provide a set number as his Dodgers contract expires at the conclusion of the 2027 season.

“I’m not going to put a firm number on it,” Freeman said. “I would have to get another contract, so I’m only worried about this year. But 20 years in the big leagues would be kind of cool and special.”

While Freeman is closer to the end of his career rather than the start, he’s remained an elite player for the Dodgers. This season, Freeman is hitting .290 with 15 home runs, 49 RBIs and an .862 OPS. Defensively, the veteran ranks in the 82nd percentile in Outs Above Average with a plus-2 grade.

Beyond his talent, Freeman plays a leading role in the Dodgers’ clubhouse as a seasoned veteran. There are still questions about his Dodgers future, but the first baseman will certainly end up in Cooperstown.

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