Published by
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
By Tom Verducci Four losing teams from last season are in playoff position this season. The average game takes less time with more runs than anything seen in 70 years. Chases for 62 home runs and a .400 batting average are in play. Every baseball season is full of surprises, but this one, which kicked off with new game-changing rules, is the mother lode of surprises. Here are the 12 biggest surprises of the first half. 1. Shohei Ohtani is better than ever.O.K., Ohtani is the most popular player worldwide, so how is this a surprise? Because of how much better he has become as a hitter. A career…