From June, I expected regime changes, Kyle Schwarber home runs, blistering heat and unforgettable feats, and from that this month did not disappoint. Already we're seeing the true storylines of this season emerge, whether I like them or not.
So first, let's look back at the 5 predictions I made last month and see how well I did:
1. Very big comeback from an injury, and it's 100% worth the wait. I suppose Ronald Acuna counts.
2. There were a lot of streaks coming from mid-level competitors in the central divisions this month. In June there'll be a nice streak from a major metro era with a huge competitor. Not really, honestly.
3. Topps really doesn't have a big selling point for 2025 Update Series yet, and the rookie cutoff date is fastly approaching. I predict one more mega-rookie jumps in, and even if it ends up being Cole Young I'll accept it. Well, seeing as the cutoff was like mid-May this year because Fanatics doesn't know what the hell they're doing, Young will have to wait til 2026, as will Chase Burns, Jacob Misiorowski, Roman Anthony and Christian Moore.
4. Schwarber in June is as big as advertised. Surprisingly this was a down month for him. He only hit .214 with 14 RBIs and only 6 of his trademark dingers. This still puts him at 25 through 3 months, which is still great stuff, but not to his usual June standard.
5. The year so far has been dominated, mostly, by the Yankees and Dodgers again. In June, we may see what the real narrative ends up being. [It make take a couple months to verify this]. Well, the big standout teams of this month weren't exactly the Yanks and Dodgers..
And so, that segues perfectly into this next bit: 5 things from June 2025 that no one could have predicted:
1. The Tigers might be a new league giant. Nobody has a cushion in 1st like the Tigers do, and for a team that was the definition of ineptitude for a decade, it's a welcome feeling. The Tigers are coasting on terrific seasons from Tarik Skubal, Riley Greene, Javier Baez and Gleyber Torres, and breakout years from Dillon Dingler, Will Vest and more. People who used to doom this team, like Spencer Torkelson and Casey Mize, are filing in as integral members. Greene's going for 100 RBIs, Sku's going for 20 wins, Dietrich Enns is going for the most inexplicable comeback in years. You absolutely love to see it, and at 53-32, very few teams are doing it better than the Tigers.
2. Jacob Misiorowski outduels Paul Skenes. I watched this game, and it was not as cut-and-dry as you might think. Going in they knew Miz would have limited innings, but he only allowed 1 or 2 hits. Skenes's hits did him in and the Brewers small-balled their way to some runs. Both pitchers are excellent right now, but Miz is working on a completely different level, and somehow made Paul Skenes look inferior during a season where he's destined for Cy Young votes.
3. The Marlins are trending upward. The Miami Marlins have won 7 straight games, just got Derek Hill back, and could very well overtake the Braves for third place. For a team with such pitching issues, and such frequent disappointment, it's an incredible development. The new cast of young, scrappy contact hitters have given the Marlins some character, and with Agustin Ramirez, Heriberto Hernandez and Liam Hicks factoring heavily into the team, you're seeing signs of something that really could take off in the next few years. I don't expect long term damage from this team, not with this rotation, but it's more lively than they've been in a while.
4. Cal Raleigh is going for history. No catcher has had a season like this, and you'd have to go as far back as someone like Roy Campanella to see a catcher really race the leaderboard on homers. Raleigh is currently at 33 home runs, and 79 RBIs, and for this kind of defensive production to happen even before the ASG break is pretty incredible. Raleigh was always capable of a season like this, and to see him on a tear like never before is really cool. It makes comeback seasons from Julio Rodriguez, J.P. Crawford and Randy Arozarena look comparatively quaint.
5. Boston gives up on Devers immediately. All the Giants needed to offer was Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks and a prospect. That was it. The Sox weren't looking for a king's ransom, they just wanted to get rid of the guy. Now, in 13 games since coming to SF, Devers only has 2 homers and 5 RBIs, but he's got room now. He's in a place where he's not at the management's throats. The Sox, meanwhile, have only gotten worse since Devers left.
And on the opposite side of that, here are 5 things from June 2025 that lots of people probably predicted.
1. The back half of the rotation does the Mets in. Losing Senga made it all the more clear how much work the middle of the rotation had been doing. Then give Peterson, Megill and Holmes more prominent roles and it becomes clear that Paul Blackburn and Frankie Montas just aren't gonna be the answer right now. And thus...the Mets are sinking fast.
2. Tyler Mahle and Royce Lewis get injured. Daring, aren't we?
3. The Mariners fail to keep Houston out of first. As good as the Mariners are, and as much as they've accumulated this year, when faced with the prospect of keeping the Astros from advancing they're basically a kid tripping over his shoelaces and not thinking to tie them. You knew that a slump was coming, and of course it came right when the Astros got hot. Hopefully the Mariners can recuperate, but...knowing them it won't e easy.
4. The Phillies aren't exactly screwed without Harper for a few weeks. Trea Turner stepped up, with a .295 average, a league-leading 101 hits and 20 steals. This is the kind of hero performance we needed when we signed Turner, and he came through. Now that Harper's back the pressure's off, but he's still a very helpful presence. Plus, with Wheels rolling you don't really need to worry too much.
5. Marcus Semien always needs a month or so to start doing Marcus Semien things. After posting .200 or under the first two months, Semien, as he does, woke up in June, hitting .324 with 4 homers and 16 RBIs. This likely means he'll be surging for the rest of the season now.
Now, here are, for my money, the 5 Most Important Players of June 2025:
1. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners
3. Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers
4. Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
5. Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
And finally, here's 5 bold predictions for July 2025:
1. At least one late All-Star roster addition that makes absolutely no sense.
2. The Dodgers get at least one crucial pitcher back, and he makes a difference.
3. The AL Central currently lacks an underdog competitor, with the Tigers out in front, and I say one emerges next month.
4. Rafael Devers isn't the only guy that gets unceremoniously yanked out of Boston this summer.
5. Brian Cashman does something ridiculous.
And that was June. Hopefully July's similarly fun to follow.
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