With baseball’s best run differential at +119 and a solid series win in the Bronx entering the All-Star break, the Cubs claim the top spot in these rankings for the first time all season after spending much of the first half floating in the top 10.

Seiya Suzuki hit a three-run homer, and the Chicago Cubs stopped Boston’s 10-game win streak with a 4-1 victory over the Red Sox.

A breakout performance during the first half of the MLB season can often land a player at the All-Star Game and make him one of the biggest stories of the year for his team.

For that reason alone, the Cubs and Kansas City Royals could be perfect trade candidates. With Seth Lugo possibly available by the Royals, with his 2.67 ERA and 88 strikeouts on the year, there’s reason to believe he’d be one of the top targets for the Cubs to pursue.

The SportsLine Projection Model shares its MLB playoff projections while identifying three World Series best bets

Traditionally speaking, come the All-Star break, MLB pundits and Cubs fans alike are doling out blame for another sub-.500 first half. Or maybe they’re watching in horror as the Cardinals or the Brewers awaken from their early-summer slumber and obliterate Chicago’s 1.