As the second half of the season gets underway with the stretch run toward the postseason on the horizon, which players are key to each club's fortunes moving forward?

With the help of each MLB.com beat writer, here's a look at one key player for the second half from each team:

American League East

Blue Jays: Alek Manoah
Is Manoah going to return to his 2022 form, which was good enough to land him a third-place finish in AL Cy Young Award voting, or will it be more of the same? Manoah just spent a week in the Minors, much of which took place at the club’s complex in Dunedin, Fla., as he and the Blue Jays tried to make sense of a stunning start to the '23 season. There is no bigger variable on this roster than Manoah, who could either lead the Blue Jays to the postseason and become the story of the year … or be the story for the wrong reasons. -- Keegan Matheson

Orioles: Gunnar Henderson
Henderson’s rookie season can be split into two parts thus far. From March 30-May 31, he slashed .201/.332/.370 with five homers and 14 RBIs in 50 games. From June 2-July 9, the 22-year-old posted a .307/.358/.570 line with eight homers and 23 RBIs in 29 games. Henderson showed what he’s capable of while winning AL Rookie of the Month honors for June and getting off to a hot start in July, and he hasn’t even reached his ceiling yet. If the O’s are going to reach the postseason -- and try to make a deep run through October -- it would help to have Henderson continuing to put up big numbers down the stretch. -- Jake Rill

Rays: Shane McClanahan
You could make an argument for Brandon Lowe, who’s back from another back injury and expected to balance the lineup with his left-handed power, or any number of other players. But the Rays’ most important player is their ace. McClanahan (11-1, 2.53 ERA) was limited near the end of the first half due to mid-back tightness, making two abbreviated starts before skipping a turn heading into the break. Tampa Bay needs him at the top of his game when it matters most, pitching alongside Tyler Glasnow and Zach Eflin down the stretch and then ready to go for Game 1 in the postseason. Few players are as motivated or driven as McClanahan, and he’ll be out to prove himself in his return from the injured list. -- Adam Berry

Red Sox: Trevor Story
There is much anticipation for the return of Story, who had an internal bracing procedure on his right elbow in January and is expected to be ready to play for Boston in August. Story’s offense, defense and baserunning should spark the Red Sox, who are trying to make it back to the postseason after missing out in three of the last four seasons. Story is going back to his original position of shortstop and his arm strength appears to be much improved from what it was before surgery. He also gives the Red Sox another impact bat from the right side of the plate, which has been a big need all season. -- Ian Browne

Yankees: Gerrit Cole
We could make a case here for Aaron Judge, as it’s difficult to imagine the Yankees contending for a championship unless he returns and performs near his 2022 levels, but let’s focus on the team’s other All-Star representative. Cole was 9-2 with a 2.85 ERA in the first half, earning the AL's starting honors in the Midsummer Classic. Cole is more comfortable than ever, both in New York and in his own skin, and has been a true ace in every sense of the word. If the Yanks are in a postseason series, this is the guy they want -- and need -- on the mound for Game 1. -- Bryan Hoch

AL Central

Guardians: Josh Bell
The Guardians need Bell to be the bat they signed him to be. The offense was scrappy in 2022, and consistently ran into luck or found ways to eke out victories. Everyone was convinced that a power bat would take the lineup to another level -- and it still could. Bell has shown flashes of being that answer, but he has yet to fall into a rhythm. If he can do that in the second half of the year, the Guardians can avoid more one-run games and breathe a little easier than they did in the first half. -- Mandy Bell

Royals: Daniel Lynch
After spending nearly two months on the injured list to begin the season, Lynch has made eight starts for the Royals this year and has posted a 4.18 ERA. He’s looked better and gone deeper into games than he has in past years, all good signs as the Royals figure out what they have in the lefty. They’d like him to take some big steps forward this year; if he can turn into a reliable mid-rotation starter and Brady Singer gets back on track, the Royals have rotation pieces they can build around. They’ll still need to add a frontline starter in order to take the next step in their rebuild. -- Anne Rogers

Tigers: Riley Greene
Of all the injuries that hampered the Tigers in the first half, none hurt more than Greene's. The Tigers had a winning record for May and were flirting with .500 when Greene -- who hit .365 with a 1.008 OPS in May -- went down with a stress reaction in his left fibula. Detroit struggled mightily without his bat, his glove and his energy. He went 4-for-7 with two walks and a homer in two games upon his return last week. If he can build on that going into the second half, he can lift the Tigers with him. -- Jason Beck

Twins: Carlos Correa
If you really want to boil down the essence of the Twins’ second half into one factor, it’s this: Correa and Byron Buxton need to start hitting consistently and take charge in the resurgence of the offense. If the two most important pieces to Minnesota’s offensive core can’t form a solid foundation for that core, any other factors might not matter. Correa has struggled to career-worsts across the board, hitting .225/.299/.401 while grounding into an MLB-leading 16 double plays. While the defense has been elite, there hasn’t been any sustained offense this year. -- Do-Hyoung Park

White Sox: Tim Anderson
Since 2019, when Anderson won the batting title, the White Sox shortstop has been the team’s driving force, the team’s energy. So, it’s more than a coincidence the offense has struggled behind Anderson’s injury-influenced offensive woes featuring a .223/.259/.263 slash line at the All-Star break and no home runs since July 15, 2022, despite having 97 for his career. Anderson puts in the work and then some on a daily basis to get things right, leaving the White Sox to decide whether to explore trading him or having him to play out the '23 season before picking up his $14 million option for ’24, hoping he bounces back like he did after a rough '18 campaign. -- Scott Merkin

AL West

Angels: Shohei Ohtani
Could it be anyone other than Ohtani? He’s the runaway favorite to be the AL MVP for the second time in three seasons and has been having another otherworldly year. If the Angels are going to make a run, Ohtani is going to have to carry them, much like he did during his epic June that saw him hit 15 homers and also post a 3.26 ERA in five starts. It could also be the final two months for Ohtani in an Angels uniform if they can’t re-sign him in the offseason. -- Rhett Bollinger

Astros: Yordan Alvarez
The slugger was leading the Major Leagues with 55 RBIs when he injured his oblique swinging the bat on June 8 in Toronto and landed on the injured list. The Astros went 14-14 sans Alvarez in the 28 games before the break. He is expected to begin a Minor League rehab assignment shortly after returning from the All-Star Game. Jose Altuve is also close to returning from an oblique injury. Keep in mind that Alvarez and Altuve have been in the lineup together for only 13 games in 2023 (the Astros went 10-3 in those games). --Brian McTaggart

Athletics: Brent Rooker
The 2023 All-Star performed as arguably MLB’s top hitter through the month of April, hitting nine homers and leading the Majors in OPS (1.375), on-base percentage (.506) and wRC+ (267) from April 8-30. Still hitting .295 with a 1.012 OPS through May 17, Rooker’s production has cooled off considerably since, entering the break hitting .199 over his previous 40 games. Rooker carried the offense early in the season while A’s pitchers struggled to hold down opposing offenses. Now that the pitching has improved as of late, a return to form by Rooker could lead to more frequent wins in the second half. -- Martín Gallegos

Mariners: Julio Rodríguez
Who else? The Mariners, in every conceivable fashion, go as far as their best player does. In the 43 wins that Rodríguez has been part of, he has a slash line of .308/.363/.487, and in the 44 losses in which he’s played, that clip is .189/.255/.333. Put simply, the Mariners need Rodríguez to be an elite player down the stretch if they want to reach the postseason again. -- Daniel Kramer

Rangers: Nathan Eovaldi
Eovaldi has become the ace of Texas’ staff with Jacob deGrom out for the season, and he’s performed to that peak. The right-hander has posted a 2.83 ERA over 18 starts this season, and with an underperforming bullpen, he has tossed two complete games, one of which was a shutout. Eovaldi has 109 strikeouts to just 31 walks, and he's carried the pitching staff with 117 2/3 innings of work. -- Kennedi Landry

National League East

Braves: Max Fried
The Braves won the 2021 World Series without Ronald Acuña Jr. They don’t want to try that trick again. Nor do they want to enter the postseason like they did last year with Spencer Strider ailing and Fried dealing with a virus that caused him to lose 15 pounds in a week. So, there will be a lot of attention placed on Fried when he returns in late July and attempts to prove he is no longer bothered by the left forearm strain that sidelined him in early May. -- Mark Bowman

Marlins: Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Right-handed-heavy Miami has had Chisholm in the lineup for just 45 games due to injuries. Though his numbers seem pedestrian (102 OPS+), he's a power bat with game-changing speed. Prior to the turf toe, Chisholm had gone deep in consecutive games. Before straining his left oblique, he was slugging .696 in six games back from the injured list. During their limited time together, Chisholm and Luis Arraez fed off each other to spark Miami's offense. -- Christina De Nicola

Mets: Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander
The Mets will not go anywhere without significant help from their two future Hall of Fame pitchers, who also happen to be two of the oldest players in the Majors. They battled injuries and struggled on the mound early this season, but both showed positive regression toward the end of the first half. Although things have hardly been perfect for the Mets this season, a healthy, productive pair of aces could vault them back into contention even if other factors don’t go their way. And if the Mets do rally to make the playoffs, they’ll need both Scherzer and Verlander at their best. -- Anthony DiComo

Nationals: Lane Thomas
Thomas has been the Nationals' most productive hitter this season, posting numbers that warranted All-Star consideration. He leads the team in almost all offensive statistical categories and he ranks in the top 10 among NL players in hits (fourth, 107), batting average (fourth, .302), doubles (tied for sixth, 23) and runs scored (10th, 60). Thomas is under team control with the Nats for two years, but he could garner interest at the Trade Deadline. -- Jessica Camerato

Phillies: Aaron Nola
Nola is 8-6 with a 4.39 ERA at the break. He is second in baseball in innings pitched (119), which still holds tremendous value. His 3.73 expected ERA suggests he has been hurt by poor defense. But there is no question Nola has not been as effective as he has in the past. He has allowed 21 home runs, which is one more than he allowed last season. His strikeout rate (24.9 percent) is its lowest since his rookie season in 2015 (21.4 percent). His walk rate (6.2 percent) is his highest since 2020 (8 percent). A better Nola would go a long way in the second half. -- Todd Zolecki

NL Central

Brewers: Brandon Woodruff
The workhorse has missed almost the entire season with a subscapular strain, an injury fellow starter Wade Miley, who suffered the same thing last season, compared to a hamstring strain in the way it can linger. Woodruff resumed throwing bullpens on the final Sunday of the first half and hoped to accelerate his comeback with the start of the second half. If he can get back on the mound in August, it would be a giant boost; Woodruff has a 2.97 ERA since becoming a regular member of the rotation in 2019. -- Adam McCalvy

Cardinals: Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty
Montgomery and Flaherty can become free agents at the end of the season, and both could potentially command a strong return based on how well they have pitched of late. Montgomery, acquired in a trade with the Yankees last August for Harrison Bader, leads the Cards with 10 quality starts and his 3.23 ERA is tops among the starters. Flaherty was brilliant in his last two starts, extending his scoreless streak to 12 2/3 innings. -- John Denton

Cubs: Cody Bellinger
It is too simplistic to say, “As Belli goes, the Cubs go,” but the offense has worked and looked so much better when the center fielder has been locked in. The Cubs got off to a strong start in April, when Bellinger turned in a .976 OPS and had seven homers in the opening month. A knee injury cost him time between May and June, and when he did play, he saw his power sapped (no homers in 102 plate appearances in those months). Bellinger has been on a strong run again in July, and strong play from him could not only help the Cubs in the standings, but in turn influence the Trade Deadline strategy. -- Jordan Bastian

Pirates: Mitch Keller
Keller enjoyed a career year last season, and the question coming into this season was whether he could take another step forward. At the All-Star break, that answer has been a resounding yes. Keller is on pace for career bests all across the board, and after headlining the Pirates’ rotation for the last two-and-a-half months, he was rewarded with the first All-Star selection of his career. -- Justice delos Santos

Reds: Hunter Greene
Greene is working his way back from a right hip injury and is targeted for an August return. The right-hander was pitching well just before he went on the injured list on June 19. Having Greene, along with fellow injured starter Nick Lodolo (left tibia) would be an added late-season boost to the rotation in a pennant race beyond what any Trade Deadline move might bring. -- Mark Sheldon

NL West

D-backs: Corbin Carroll
When Carroll took a swing and grabbed his right shoulder for the second time in a week on July 6, manager Torey Lovullo admitted he began to think about how the team would be able to replace Carroll for the rest of the season. The injury turned out not to be serious and Carroll was back in the lineup the next day, but he is the one player offensively that the D-backs can least afford to lose. -- Steve Gilbert

Dodgers: Julio Urías and Clayton Kershaw
The Dodgers will go as far as Urías and Kershaw take them this season. Maybe that’s a lot of pressure on two pitchers, but that’s where the Dodgers are right now. Urías hasn’t performed like the ace the Dodgers expected, but his last start of the first half was encouraging. Kershaw, on the other hand, has been just as dominant as he’s been throughout his career, but there are always concerns that his back injury will flare up at any point. But assuming health, the Dodgers will need both of their left-handers to stabilize a rotation that, as currently constructed, could struggle in October. -- Juan Toribio

Giants: Thairo Estrada
A borderline All-Star, Estrada was batting .272/.327/.434 with nine home runs and a team-high 18 stolen bases before suffering a left hand fracture on a hit-by-pitch on July 2. The 27-year-old Venezuelan had slowed down at the plate leading up to the injury, but he still continued to provide value through his defense, ranking first among Major League second basemen with 11 Outs Above Average this season. With rookies Casey Schmitt and Brett Wisely struggling to get going at the plate, the Giants will be counting on Estrada to make a speedy recovery and regain the elite production he showed at the beginning of the season. -- Maria Guardado

Padres: Blake Snell
Snell’s 2.85 ERA is by far the best mark of any qualifying pitcher not named to the All-Star Game -- and a significantly better mark than many players who were. He ranks second in the NL with 132 strikeouts and first with a .200 opponents’ batting average. He’s also been the best pitcher in baseball for practically two months, with a 0.68 ERA in his last nine starts. Snell can set his sights on bigger things in the second half. He’s pitching like a bona fide Cy Young Award candidate. He’s also in the final year of his contract, and if the Padres spiral out of the break, he could become the market’s most valuable non-Ohtani trade piece. That’s clearly not their preference. -- AJ Cassavell

Rockies: Kris Bryant
A season and a half into seven at $182 million, Bryant has endured three significant injuries (back, and right foot twice) and played in 100 games. His .771 OPS is well below the .886 he provided in seven seasons with the Cubs. There may be some parallels to franchise great Todd Helton. He was past his peak production by the playoff seasons of 2007 and '09, and the 2010 team that was the Rockies’ best to not make the playoffs. Helton’s power had declined, but in winning years he managed strong batting averages and on-base percentages, provided enough home runs and extra-base hits to bat in key lineup spots and communicated standards to younger players. Let’s see if Bryant can turn into a Helton-type player in the second half -- and remain that way. -- Thomas Harding