Author: Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY

Just a few more days until aspiring contenders across Major League Baseball get down to the dirty details of separating wants from needs.

The Orioles, at 49-49, are still far from the apex they envision, but Baltimore has emerged from the darkness with a contending team.

USA TODAY Sports examines the five teams that finds themselves in the place no one wants to be in late July.

MLB Players’ Association faced a Monday deadline to agree to an international draft or have veteran free agents remain subject to a qualifying offer.

The Dodgers and Yankees, baseball’s two best teams, respectively, have not met in the World Series since 1981.

Ten American League relievers combined for eight shutout innings, and piggybacked for seven no-hit innings in MLB All-Star Game.

Stanton and Buxton hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth to vault the AL past the NL, which hasn’t won an All-Star Game since 2012.

Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani is set to become a free agent after the 2023 season. There’s no doubt he’ll cash in, but how much will he get?

23-year-old Juan Soto won the derby in the final against Julio Rodriguez, 21, who is half the age of semifinalist Albert Pujols.

Kershaw will make his first career All-Star Game start at Dodger Stadium, with Rays lefty Shane McClanahan going for the AL.