Now that teams have played the bulk of the season, baseball's best teams have been revealed. And unless the top teams suffer key injuries, I don't expect much change in the second half.

The Seattle Mariners may not win at the same pace, but they should retain their commanding lead in the AL West and continue to play well. The New York Yankees got hot at the end of the first half and added arms to their bullpen to make them even tougher to beat in the second half. I expect the Yankees to add another hitter, unless they can get a healthy David Justice back.

SUNDAY NIGHT BASEBALL

Arizona at Seattle 8 p.m. ET, ESPN Play-by-play: Jon Miller Analyst: Joe Morgan Who would win if the Diamondbacks and Mariners met in October? Any team would have a very difficult time matching up with Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, even the Mariners. If the Diamondbacks make the playoffs, their two All-Star starters give them the pitching edge over every team. While the Mariners are practically a lock to win the AL West, the Diamondbacks still may not win their division because they also have to use three other starters down the stretch. But in the playoffs, Arizona only needs three starters. And in a seven-game series, Johnson and Schilling could combine to pitch five games. That doesn't mean the Mariners couldn't beat the Diamondbacks. Johnson has a poor postseason history, and Schilling has little playoff experience. Seattle plays such sound baseball and does everything right. Plus, the Mariners have Freddy Garcia and a strong pitching staff. An Arizona-Seattle World Series would be a great matchup.

The Minnesota Twins should remain strong, but they are walking a thin line. As a small-market team, they could be in trouble if they lose one or two players to injury because they may not spend the money to add replacements.

In the NL, the Chicago Cubs will be even better if they can add Fred McGriff. The Arizona Diamondbacks have struggled, losing five straight, and will need more from their starters other than Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling to hold off the Giants and Dodgers and win the NL West. And the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are embroiled in a tight race in the NL East.

Here are this week's questions, with a focus on the coming months:

What is the team to watch in the second half?
The Houston Astros are starting to make a move in the NL Central. They won eight of nine going into the break and have pulled within only four games of the Cubs. Because they have such an awesome offense while playing in a small ballpark, they can win almost everyday.

The Astros' young pitchers, however, are a question mark. Even though Wade Miller and Roy Oswalt combined to go 18-4 with a 3.34 ERA in the first half, young pitchers tend to be inconsistent. They always seem to struggle once they reach 150-160 innings pitched. In the minor leagues, pitchers don't throw 200 innings a season. Miller, who has thrown 121 innings this season, never surpassed 172 innings in the minors. Between Triple-A and the majors this season, Oswalt has gone 82 innings and has never thrown more than 175 innings in professional ball.

A successful everyday starter in the majors will pitch 200 innings. But young pitchers, unaccustomed to the work, will tend to get tired both mentally and physically. The increased work load is an adjustment over the first season or two. So the Astros, relying on Miller and Oswalt, will need to be careful.

The Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants think they can play better in the second half because both Bay Area teams did so last season. But that is wishful thinking. For now, though, the A's pitching staff is doing the job. Mark Mulder, Barry Zito and Tim Hudson have been unbelievable lately, helping the A's win seven of eight going into the All-Star break. After Thursday's performance, Mulder has now pitched consecutive shutouts. If all three pitchers remain hot, the A's could continue their roll.

However, the A's are well behind in the AL West. Their only hope is the wild-card berth, but they still trail the Yankees, Red Sox, Twins and Indians. They have a shot, but they aren't the same offensive team they were a year ago. This season Jason Giambi and Miguel Tejada are the only consistent power threats they have. The A's pitching needs to carry them, and the pitchers are showing they are capable.

Who is the player to watch in the second half?
The logical player to watch is Ken Griffey Jr. because he has been hurt most of the season. As a home-run hitter, Griffey should hit plenty of long balls in the second half.

Luis Gonzalez has had the majors' best all-around season, and Barry Bonds is capable of going on another home-run binge. Even though people look for change in the second half, Gonzalez and Bonds should stay on a tear and be an exciting pair to follow as the season winds down.

Who is the pitcher to watch in the second half?
It's a tough call, but the key pitchers are with the teams who are chasing the division leaders. I have always felt Livan Hernandez would bounce back. He had a great second half last season, winning 10 games. The Giants need Hernandez to make any kind of run at Arizona.

Kevin Brown is another pitcher who needs to be healthy for the Dodgers to contend. They have Chan Ho Park to go with two good-looking young pitchers, Eric Gagne and Luke Prokopec. If Brown can return to form, the Dodgers have a chance in the NL West.

Without Pedro Martinez until Sept. 1, how gloomy are the Red Sox chances of overcoming the Yankees?

ALL-STAR THOUGHTS

The All-Star Game was very good for baseball. Along with Cal Ripken Jr. hitting the home run and the tribute paid to him and Tony Gwynn, the city of Seattle put on a great show, as did the players, who seemed into the game. Derek Jeter and Magglio Ordonez hit the back-to-back home runs. The only disappointment was Gwynn not getting a chance to hit. I don't understand why he didn't. Otherwise, the All-Star Game was fun to watch. -- Joe Morgan

If the Red Sox lineup had Nomar Garciaparra, Carl Everett and Jason Varitek in the lineup, they could withstand the loss of Martinez. The players have done a fine job of filling in without Martinez and others on the field.

But with all all their injuries, the Red Sox will not be able to catch the Yankees and may have to eventually concentrate on a wild-card berth. While the Red Sox are only 1½ games out and won't give up, the Yankees are adding fresh bodies at the same time Boston is losing them. It's hard to chase the Yankees, who keep retooling. I don't expect the Yankees to fall back. If they begin to falter, they will acquire more players.

The additions of Jay Witasick and Mark Wohlers have already improved their bullpen from bad to respectable. The Yankees will be there in the end. Without healthy players, Boston will not be able to keep up.

If Fred McGriff agrees to waive his no-trade clause, would the Cubs be the National League favorites?
With McGriff, the Cubs would be the favorites in their division, but maybe not in the National League because Arizona has Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling. The Cubs need one more bat in the lineup, and McGriff is a veteran who has been through the wars and played on a championship team. Even though he is 37, he has been swinging a hot bat this season for the Devil Rays. In all the years Atlanta had good pitching, the Braves never became a really good team until McGriff arrived in 1993.

Along with being a quality hitter and first baseman, McGriff also brings intangibles to the clubhouse as a quiet leader. His presence down the stretch would help the Cubs, whose main players have never won a championship. He put Atlanta over the hump and has the ability to do the same with the Cubs.

Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan is a baseball analyst for ESPN.