Outmuscled

 

It really is this simple, even still. The Cubs have six guys in their starting lineup with over 500 plate appearances, and all of them are among the best hitters at their position. Bregman, PCA, Suzuki, Happ, Hoerner, Busch. All show up every day and do their absolute best and outhit everybody, and they do that. One of them's probably winning an MVP unless Shohei has anything to say about it. The Cubs' hitters are hitting .250, there's three guys with over 20 homers [the whole outfield], and even the less-heralded positions have extremely good security. And yet because the pitching staff has a combined 4.6 WAR, compared to the hitters' 31.5, I'm not sure what kind of playoff team the Cubs are going to be.

Like, let's be honest, the Cubs went into July knowing they needed to fix the rotation, and they did. They already picked up David Peterson, then they got Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes. The rotation is now Imanaga-Boyd-Peterson-Holmes-Gausman, and you all see how that's better, right? Holmes has been terrific in 4 starts, with a 1.96 ERA, and Gausman's continued his steady but not prime season with a 2-1 record and 22 Ks. Peterson's 4-1 with a 3.93 ERA in 9 starts. Obviously this is better. But it's still not elite. Without Justin Steele, Cade Horton or Ben Brown, it's not elite, and the Cubs will need to hope that Imanaga stays this sharp, or that Boyd continues his upswing. They have Daniel Palencia back, he is closing games, but he's still a little shaken. The bullpen's a liability in general still. They got Ryan Zeferjahn to prevent this and he hasn't helped at all.

So the idea is just to keep hammering away, which is effective. PCA's now going for the 30/30/30 season, he's at 26 doubles. Happ has come alive again all of the sudden, he's looking for his 25th home run sooner or later. Carson Kelly's been very steady, he's got 8 homers and 45 RBIs, continuing his positive production from last year. Michael Conforto's been an excellent DH, he's got 12 homers and 33 RBIs. Pedro Ramirez has been a HUGE help filling in for Swanson, he's hitting .291 with 21 RBIs and 10 doubles. They've had some huge wins in the past week, including scoring 19 runs against the Mariners, and now get to play the Reds this weekend as they head towards a quiet fall.

I just know that the other teams in the NL will be more balanced. The Phillies have great pitching and some definite stars in the lineup. The Braves and Brewers have both facets in droves. The Dodgers obviously are balanced. I can see this team outmuscling the Padres but that's basically it. Unless the Cubs somehow figure it out in a way that fixes all the issues the pitching has had all year, they may exit the postseason around when they did last year, and I really don't want that for them.

Coming Tonight: One of the single most consistent all-around performers in the game. He's got two World Series rings. Right now he's trying to get his team to the playoffs, which is way tougher than it should be.

Catch of the Day

 

The term 'system quarterback' gets thrown around a lot. Y'know, your Sam Darnolds, your Geno Smiths, guys you just plug into any coach's arsenal and you get by. I think 'system catcher' should be used around as much, because that definitely is a thing. Somebody that can be your primary catcher, and be a good choice for it, but can jive with any old organization and still do the same things. Jason Kendall was one of those for a while, he was never the star but you could throw him back there and you'd be great. Brad Ausmus falls into that category as well. And it's different from your 'career backup' guys because there's enough talent to carry the position rather than filling the role. Victor Caratini is trying to be this 'system catcher' type but is still very much a 'career backup'. Robinson Chirinos and Martin Maldonado flirted with it but both hit a wall right when it was gonna happen. 

Carson Kelly's success tells me that, like Yan Gomes before him, he was lucky enough to wind up in Chicago, who seem to be very good at developing 'system catchers', as they've done this with Miguel Montero, Christian Bethancourt and Gomes. Kelly was in danger of becoming a career backup, but last year he had a great start with Detroit, then got swapped to Texas to back up Jonah Heim. And he was SUPPOSED to be backing up Miguel Amaya, who the Cubs were able to develop somewhat last year. But, like...when the backup catcher hits for the cycle in April, maybe the wrong guy is the backup. So the Cubs started playing Kelly more, eventually gave him the 1 spot, and now Kelly's probably looking at an ASG nod tomorrow night.

That the longtime backstop is suddenly having his best season isn't a complete surprise. His D-Backs years were solid, and sullied by injuries. In 2019, Kelly was a strong, defensively-solid catching option with the occasional offensive perk. He wasn't a team-changing guy, but he made his starts and didn't steer you wrong. The injuries just let the D-Backs lose sight of that, and by 2022 he wasn't as reliable, so in came Gabriel Moreno [who, uh...is injured]. I think it's the case of fellow system catcher Travis d'Arnaud, a guy that had promise with a team that needed him but just couldn't stay healthy, then figured everything out after finding the right organizational fit. And Chicago seems to be that for Carson Kelly, as he's currently hitting .264 with 10 homers, 30 RBIs and some excellent catching numbers. He's also got an .858 OPS, which is a large step upward for him.

The theme of this Cubs team seems to be guys that struggled elsewhere suddenly clicking in this one place. There's an entire bullpen full of former starters who are killing it as relief options this year [Chris Flexen, Drew Pomeranz, Brad Keller]. One of the team's best hitters is Michael Busch, who was traded by the Dodgers, and is now hitting .288 with 17 homers and 55 RBIs as the team's starting 1st baseman. Four of the stars of this Cubs team are guys who took forever to really get going in Chicago, so that when they did it was all the more exciting. And one of them's leaping to superstardom this year. 

The Cubs, for the first time since arguably 2016, are finally the team of circumstance again. The team of everything happening for the right reasons. Yes, Taillon just got hurt, and I worry about what Cade Horton and Ben Brown are gonna do now, but the success of Carson Kelly is proof that things can just come together on this team now. And that's gonna be important down the line.

Coming Tomorrow- A rookie for the Astros who has immediately shifted to making me sad. 

A Cycle?? In March???

 

So many wild circumstances came together for the first Cubs cycle in over 30 years. The background of the rise of torpedo bats, which now more and more hitters are beginning to use for their own baseball-mashing purposes. The beginning of the A's hopefully-not-permanent residence in Sacramento, already scorned by longtime A's fans. The emerging power from everyone on the Cubs roster except for the one guy I have on my fantasy team. And the theme of 'is anyone going to be able to stop the A's starting pitching'.

Well...it appears so. Joey Estes gave up 6 runs against the Cubs, and the bullpen didn't do much better. And the star of the game was the Cubs' backup catcher, former Diamondbacks, Cardinals and Tigers favorite Carson Kelly. Keep in mind, this team has Seiya Suzuki, Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner, an overwhelmingly great Kyle Tucker start, and Pete Crow Armstrong on it. And Carson Kelly, the guy who fell under the category of 'it'll be nice to have him around', is the one who hits for the cycle.

The coolest moment was when Kelly was down to needing a triple, hit one that got him to second, and you could hear the very excited announcers yelling 'GO! GO FOR IT!' as he made it, safely, into third. Guy's played three games with the Cubs and already the announcers are cheering 'im on. I also love how pumped he was when he got the triple. Soaking it all in. 

I think it's genuinely awesome that nobody has ever hit a cycle in march before, and that means Carson Kelly's got a place in the records books now. You hit for the cycle, there you go. But hitting one in March, in the first week of the season, that's extra special. Not everyone can do that. And even if Kelly hasn't had THE most memorable career, he was still able to do this, in Sacramento, against a team with pretty strong pitching. 

The Cubs have already tracked a ton of highlights. Who knows what'll come next?

Uncustomed Heroes of 2024: Rangers

 

Virtually everything the Texas Rangers did this season can be rooted back to injuries. The two big rookies from last year, and the big rookie from this year, were limited by injuries. The majority of the rotation missed time with injuries, and most of them were actually doing really well before hitting the IL. One of the best offensive performers of the year wouldn't have happened without a big injury. And a season that was once again looking like an MVP caliber one from the team's star was cut short due to an injury. Regardless of the talent this team compiled to follow up their first ever World Series win, and regardless of how many were playing well, nobody could stay healthy. And so when it was up to the b-team, nothing was gonna happen.

Josh Jung's season began so happily, with a cheerful mic-ing up on ESPN during one of the first games of the season. The Rangers' 3rd baseman had such a great 2023 three that all eyes were on him for a satisfying follow-up. Ultimately, Jung's season would be cut short soon into April, resulting in Josh Smith taking 3rd for the majority of the season. Jung would return by the end of the season, but it'd be too late. In 46 games he hit .264 with 7 homers and 16 RBIs. Good while he was there, but he wasn't there for long.

2024 Prediction: Another All-Star season.

Meanwhile, Evan Carter, who had an incredible postseason last year, was primed for an equally satisfying full season of work. He'd already broken so many records for rookie performers in the postseason, now it was his turn to go all year. Except...like Jung, he didn't make it all year, and when he wasn't injured he only hit .188 with 5 homers and 15 RBIs in 45 games. Clearly this wasn't the season Carter wanted, and at 21 you can tell he's still got a lot more to prove.

2025 Prediction: Starts with a .280 average, proves this was just an early-career fluke.

With Gray, Bradford, Scherzer and deGrom all hurt, the next-nearest veteran at the helm of the Rangers this season was Andrew Heaney, who, admittedly, has been much better recently as a lower-tier starter. Heaney succeeded last year because he had coverage from Eovaldi, Scherzer and Montgomery. So this season, when the eyes were on him for 32 healthy games, he went 5-14 with a 4.28 ERA and 159 Ks, less than some of Eovaldi's numbers [and he missed 3 starts]. 

2025 Prediction: I think people are gonna learn the wrong lesson and a team with a majority youth rotation is gonna sign him to lead it. And I don't think it's gonna go very well for Heaney.

Leody Taveras, with Carter and Langford out for a bit, got a ton more opportunity to start this year. The 25-year-old, at best, is handy--he doesn't have to be the focal point of the lineup but he can give you some good plays and some good hits. This year he hit .229 with 44 RBIs and 110 hits, but more importantly he led the team in stolen bases with 23. He's still very useful, but I reckon once Carter and Langford can play everyday, and come into their own as they head into their 20s, Taveras will have less of a presence here.

2025 Prediction: Still has some contact and speed moments but, yeah, won't be starting by the end of the year.

The Rangers' bullpen surprised people, as their strategy of bringing on veterans actually worked. Kirby Yates had a comeback year, and David Robertson, now 39, had an extremely strong year staying in Arlington and doing his thing. In 68 games he had a 3.00 ERA, 99 strikeouts and a 1.7 WAR. He was the fourth-oldest player in the league this year, yet he can still get things done like he has all 16 years.

2025 Prediction: One more season, somewhere he hasn't played. It's halfway decent. And then he hangs it up.

As the starters fell, the Rangers decided to turn to their top prospect, former #2 overall pick Jack Leiter. Leiter had been developing for a few years but hadn't seemed to completely excel as he did at Vanderbilt. In 9 games in the majors this year, Leiter struggled, walking away with an 8.83 ERA, 3 losses, 31 Ks and a -1.6 WAR. Not a great start, but it took his father a bit to come into his own as well.

2025 Prediction: Some improved starts, but given that more people will be healthy next year and his Vandy teammate has lapped him in the depth chart, I don't know how many chances he'll get.

Much like his former Tigers teammate Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, on the way to definite Cooperstown enshrinement, was limited this year thanks to injuries. Though, per the theme, when he was healthy he was still peak Scherzer, which Rangers fans did appreciate. In 9 starts, Scherzer had a 3.95 ERA and 40 Ks, despite a 2-4 record. The big moment for Scherz came when he lapped Greg Maddux on the all-time strikeouts list, moving into 11th overall. He's 100 away from lapping Walter Johnson, for the record, and JV still has Scherzer beat by 9 Ks.

2025 Prediction: 2025, no matter who signs him, will be the last great season of Scherzer's career. He'll have gotten the injury issues out of his system, he'll have some truly great starts, and he'll be in position to retire on a high note.

I dunno, man, ever since leaving the Reds Tyler Mahle has had such troubles staying healthy. He barely was a factor with the Twins, he was signed by the Rangers knowing he'd miss half the season, and he made 3 starts for Texas before getting injured again. His line wasn't great, he had a 4.97 ERA, 10 Ks and a 0-1 record. And thus the reclamation project continues.

2025 Prediction: 20+ starts, and they're good. Unfortunately the majority of them won't be for the team that trades for him at the deadline. But for Pittsburgh or whoever has him the first half...*chef's kiss*

The Rangers knicked 2 different players from the Detroit Tigers right before the Tigers became huge without them. First their primary catcher, Carson Kelly, was added as an alternative to Jonah Heim. Kelly was passable in 31 games, hitting .235 with 8 RBIs and 2 homers. Andrew Chafin was also brought on to strengthen the veteran-led bullpen, which made this Chafin's eighth different MLB team since 2020, seven if you want to count the Tigers twice. Chafin was traded at the 2023 deadline as well, and the Brewers got the worse end of it. 2024 was somewhat similar, as the Tigers got the better season from Chafin; the Rangers got a 4.19 ERA and a 1.655 WHIP in 21 games. 
2025 Prediction: With the Rangers getting Higgy, Kelly will be headed somewhere else. I honestly think he'll be a nice piece for the Cubs, and possibly will outdo Amaya in some areas [UPDATE 12/13: Not too shabby!!]. As for Chafin, give it up for team #9, and possibly #10 if these trends continue. My guess is Toronto. 

And these last two pitchers were the 'well, what are you gonna do?' late season activations. Jacob deGrom, after already missing the World Series, missed 5 more months this year, and showed up in September after the season had already been lost. At the very least, deGrom's stuff was still incredible; in 3 games, he had a 1.69 ERA and 14 strikeouts. He hasn't lost his mojo by any stretch, it's just those injuries that have lessened his appeal. 

2025 Prediction: At long last consistent health, and a return to glory for the Rangers.

And then you have Jack Leiter's former Vandy teammate Kumar Rocker, initially drafted by the Mets, not signed, and then slyly brought over to the Rangers. Waiting for Rocker and Leiter to come up seems to have been more exciting than the reality of having them both in the majors, but Kumar Rocker did give the Rangers something to be excited about in 2025. In 3 starts he had a 3.86 ERA, with 14 strikeouts. Ultimately his control isn't there yet, and those 2 losses do speak to the quality of the 2024 Rangers. But he's definitely got a lot of time to come into his own.

2025 Prediction: Kumar Rocker will be getting Rookie of the Year votes. Lots of them.

Coming Tomorrow- The last remains of a Rays team I really couldn't find much to say about this year.

Don't Touch That Dial, Folks!

 

There were a few wild statements from teams to end the first half. I was in Philly last weekend for one of the A's routs of the Phils, that was...something. But the wildest statement might have been from the Tigers, who were hosting the all-powerful Los Angeles Dodgers before the ASG break. And despite all three games being close, the Tigers took two of three.

From the Dodgers. A team with Shohei Ohtani on it.

Even wilder, both victories were walkoffs. Game 2 looked like a 9-4 Dodgers victory for most of its runtime, then in the ninth the Tigers piled on 5 runs, thanks to RBIs by Matt Vierling, Carson Kelly and Colt Keith. And then for bottom 10, Gio Urshela nailed a walkoff home run to seal the deal at 11-9, winning a game that looked pretty done for the Dodgers. Then in Game 3, the Dodgers are inches from a 3-2 victory, and again in the ninth, rookies Justyn Henry-Malloy and Wenceel Perez small-balled their way past Yohan Ramirez for a 4-3 win. 

The fact that the Tigers, a team that seemed so offensively depleted, could do this to the Dodgers, a team that seemed so overpowering, was incredible. And then you go back and look and, oh yeah, the Tigers are 9-4 since the start of July. Regardless of inefficiency, the Tigers are actually heating up.

Many of the pieces were there, like Carson Kelly behind the plate, Matt Vierling in center, Wenceel Perez in right, and Andy Ibanez in 2nd. They're all just playing better now. Carson Kelly's having the kind of versatile, efficient season that the Diamondbacks probably miss about now, with 29 RBIs in 55 games. Ibanez is hitting .288 with 21 RBIs in 54 games. Perez has 71 hits in 77 games, and leads the team in stolen bases. There aren't a lot of sure things in this lineup other than Riley Greene, but the extra part guys are definitely putting in the work to make these wins more possible. 

Getting Jack Flaherty back has aided the rotation, as he, Olson and Skubal have been pretty masterful starting games. I think the plan is to bring Matt Manning back this week, as Maeda's being moved to the 'pen and Keider Montero is still being kept in the rotation. Obviously it's not an ironclad formula, especially without Sawyer Gipson-Long, but hopefully it'll be enough to keep them moving. The bullpen is as strong as ever though, with Tyler Holton, Jason Foley, Beau Briske and Andrew Chafin doing everything they should be.

As promising as this newfound momentum is for the Tigers, they do have to play the Guardians a lot before the month is out, and the Twins are also on the docket. They did fine against the Dodgers, but these are more crucial matchups, because they mean more in September when the division, or a wild card spot, is at stake. I think the Tigers are kind of a long shot with this level of depth, but it could happen. With what they just did to the best team in the NL, ya never know.

Coming Tonight: The current MLB saves leader. 

Snake, Rattle and Roll

 

The best way I can describe the Arizona Diamondbacks this year is 'inert'. They didn't have any truly terrible look, they retained almost all of their strong pieces, but they were just never a real match to compete. So they just kept puttering along, doing their thing, and the rest of the season is kind of going on without them really factoring into things.

It sucks, cause this is actually a pretty decent team. I trust almost all of the lineup with an at-bat, especially now that Jake McCarthy is finally hitting. He, Daulton Varsho, Josh Rojas and Alex Thomas have all stepped up big time this year and make me a bit more confident about what this team will look like going forward. I'm also intrigued by how well Emmanuel Rivera is doing so far. He could definitely be a nice infield depth piece going forward. I still really think the Royals shouldn't have let him go, especially in exchange for someone as inconsequential as Luke Weaver.

The rotation, even with Madison Bumgarner's late-season woes, is also a strong asset. Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen seem to be sticking around, and they both had amazing seasons. Zach Davies may not be back next year but he's had a strong enough year as an innings-eater. And recently the D-Backs have been enjoying the presence of Tommy Henry, who has a 2-2 record and a 3.57 ERA in 4 starts. Henry, Gallen and Kelly could pave the way for a nice stretch of seasons for this team if they stay this good and this healthy. And yes, they do have Bumgarner for a few more years, even if he's been a bit more spotty recently.

It honestly makes you wish some of the edges of this team weren't so unsanded. There's a lot of messy bullpen pieces, a few young guys who won't hit, and some other minor factors. Carson Kelly has proven that he's a great catcher, but he spent a bit too much time on the IL this year, meaning Jose Herrera had to start a lot of games behind the plate. Mark Melancon can still close games, but apparently not without a high ERA. Nick Ahmed's elite years seemed to have ended. Though, I will admit, getting Christian Walker down from his usual strikeout percentage was a nice touch.

There's still a lot of good things going on for the Diamondbacks, and I'd love for this team to make the most of it, but I don't know if they have enough room to really get there with the NL West being as perpetually crowded as it is. Maybe I'm wrong and they go flying right out of the gate next year, but it's gonna take something huge.

Coming Tonight: In 2020, the pitching held this team back from competing. In 2021, the pitching wasn't an issue. Here is a pitcher I hadn't heard of til a few weeks ago when I had to make customs. Take a wild guess where we're at.

Anyone Can Pitch: April & May 2022

 

With position players pitching becoming one of the most fun novelties in the sport, I figured I'd bring a new design to Anyone Can Pitch while keeping going my quest to document the best of the canon. 

The first of these came very early in the season, with Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Carson Kelly, now on the IL, taking an inning of relief to round out an early game against the Padres. He did well enough, only allowing 1 hit over 3 batters, and finishing strong in the loss. 

Elsewhere in the NL West, Giants rookie Luis Gonzalez, who has been a few useful addition to the outfield picture, has also made 3 appearances so far in relief. In 4.1 relief innings, he has a 6.23 ERA, 5 hits and 3 earned runs. With the amount of times Gonzalez has pitched by May, he might even make more appearances as we go, which is cool.

In a match with the Giants, longtime Padres power hitter Wil Myers made his first EVER career pitching appearance, which is a big deal. Say what you will about Myers and expectations, but he's still been reliable enough for the Padres over the years, and is the lone survivor of the 2015 contract-a-palooza that A.J. Preller tried. As a pitcher, though, Myers went 1 inning and allowed two home runs. So yes, I think he's better off in the outfield. 

Rounding out our inadvertent trip around the NL West, former Orioles infielder Hanser Alberto, who is now a bench piece for the Dodgers, has gotten 2 appearances in relief, bringing his career total to 4. Alberto has had one crappy outing, giving up two hits an an earned run, and one good outing, giving up only one hit and no earned runs. Both have been against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Matter of fact, most of the NL West appearances here have been against other NL West teams. Weird.

I haven't even made a regular custom of Andrelton Simmons on the Cubs yet, and here I am making an Anyone Can Pitch custom of him. I have odd priorities. Polishing off a recent blowout against the Reds, Simmons made his first ever pitching appearance, and turned the game from a 15-5 loss...into a 20-5 loss, giving up 5 earned runs and ending the night with a 45.00 career ERA. Hell of a contact hitter, but...eeeeesh.

I don't think that Dee Strange Gordon's 2022 season is gonna be a career highlight for him, especially after his years in Miami, but Gordon made his former big league reliever father proud by making his first ever career start for the Nationals. In 1 inning against the Braves, Strange-Gordon gave up 3 balls, 3 earned runs including a home run and walked off with a 27.00 ERA. At least he can say he finally pitched in a game. And if you think that's a cool moment for the Gordon baseball family,

Yep, Tom's other kid pitched as well this year. Unlike his older brother, Nick Gordon actually had a decent go of things on the mound. In the only appearance by an AL player in this post, Gordon went for 4 batters to close out a game against the Astros, and only allowed 1 hit and no runs. A more triumphant moment for the younger Gordon brother, and a marker that means all 3 baseball Gordons have pitched at least an inning in the majors.

I'll hope to have some more of these as the season progresses, these are fun.

The Unexpected Breakout Star of April

 Carson Kelly has always been a strong choice at catcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, but he's never been considered a legitimate star. Always playing adequate ball, taking a backseat to the main guns of the D-Backs lineup. Not especially a name everyone knows.

And then this year, he has one of the most inexplicably amazing Aprils of anyone in the league.

Carson Kelly, for starters, had a 1.9 WAR in April. For comparison's sake, Kelly's highest full-season WAR is a 1.6 in 2019. So if he got injured tomorrow, and I really hope this isn't jinxing anything, but if his season ended tomorrow, he'd have a career high WAR. Now he's gonna keep going and adding to that and being awesome, but one month in and the bar has already been raised.

The other numbers are just frosting but equally important- in 19 April games, Kelly hit .340 with 14 RBIs and 6 home runs, along with a 1.224 OPS. They are the best numbers in Arizona, and among the best numbers in the NL right now. Jacob de Grom leads all NL players in WAR, but Carson Kelly leads all NL position players. Not Fernando Tatis, not Bryce Harper, not Nolan Arenado. Carson Kelly. And I couldn't be anymore here for it.

It's also a great thing because the Diamondbacks don't have a ton going on this year. Right now, the other big offensive lineup pieces are guys over 30. David Peralta, Asdrubal Cabrera, Eduardo Escobar are all doing well, but the other pieces, the younger ones, are either injured or puttering around aimlessly. We're at least getting rookies like Andy Young and Pavin Smith doing well right now, as well as the recent callup of apparent heir-apparent Daulton Varsho, but the whole lineup isn't on the same page.

Same with the pitching staff, which has decent performances from Zac Gallen and Taylor Widener buttressed by disappointing stints from Merrill Kelly, Luke Weaver, and non-7-inning-no-no-caliber Madison Bumgarner. Lot of 5+ ERAs in the bullpen as well. 

So as disheveled as this D-Backs team is right now...at least they're still currently playing over .500 baseball, and at least Carson Kelly is putting them over the edge.

Coming Tomorrow- We called him Nasty. He was happy to oblige.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Diamondbacks

Man, a lot went on in Phoenix for them to turn out to be a last place team.

I mostly equate it to a tight, tough division, with the Giants and Rockies sneaking ahead in the last few weeks before the season's end, and also to the diminishing returns of a lot of the D-Backs roster. This was not the greatest D-Backs team, but there was a lot to like about it.

For instance, their star player, Ketel Marte, is still in peak form, and had a fantastic end to the season, finishing with a .287 average, 52 hits and 17 RBIs. Not bad for a shortened season.

2021 Prediction: Back to full dominance, with another ASG nomination, more fantastic contact ability, and some trade offers.

Marte's infield partner, Eduardo Escobar, had a bit of a down year after a breakout, power-friendly 2019. Escobar struggled at the plate, with a .212 average and 20 RBIs. 

2021 Prediction: A rebound, and a more comfortable feel. Like Marte, he may not be insusceptible to the trade deadline.

Nick Ahmed has been with the D-Backs since 2014, which is hard for me to remember since he always seems so refreshing and young [he turned 30 this year]. This was another strong, well-rounded year for Ahmed, with a lineup-leading 1.3 WAR, a .266 average and 29 RBIs. He's signed for another few years, and hopefully he'll remain a strong, consistent veteran presence.

2021 Prediction: Ahmed is finally rewarded with an ASG nomination, and has another high-WAR year. 

After a smashing breakout year, Christian Walker mellowed out in the home run category while still notching 59 hits, 36 RBIs and a .271 average, much-more for contact than his one-sided 2019 numbers. Walker is becoming a reliable player, which is fantastic.

2021 Prediction: A down year, but not enough to be given up on.

After an injury stopped Luke Weaver from finishing his strong start last year, Weaver responded with a fairly mediocre go of things despite staying healthy the whole year. A 1-9 record, a 6.58 ERA and a 1.558 WHIP is not a strong statement post-injury. 

2021 Prediction: A comeback, but mostly out of the bullpen.

After a strong breakout 2019 that got him the starting catching gig, Carson Kelly, similar to Tony Wolters, kind of backpedaled, with a perfectly okay year. Look, he hit .221 with 19 RBIs and 27 hits, it's not really much to report.

2021 Prediction: Either a return to form or backup duty once the D-Backs pick another catching option.

The official DH in Arizona this year was Daulton Varsho, but since he didn't hit, the better DH option this season was Tim Locastro, the backup outfielder in residence who had another strong if underrated year, hitting .290 with 20 hits and 7 RBIs in 33 games. Could be a decent DH option next year.

2021 Prediction: An injury to a starter leads to more playing time for Locastro and more means for other teams to trade for him after the season.

Last season's dual rookie starters returned this year for similar results. Alex Young, unlike last year, had the weaker go of things, with a 5.44 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 12 games, 7 of them starts. 

2021 Prediction: Another similar season split between the rotation and, mostly, the pen.

And unlike in 2019, Taylor Clarke had the stronger year, with a 3-0 record, a 4.36 ERA in 12 games and 5 starts, and 40 strikeouts. If the D-Backs do pick one of these two full time next year...

2021 Prediction: ...it's going to be Clarke, and he's going to make the absolute most of it.

After losing perennial bullpen unsung hero Andrew Chafin, this year's bullpen unsung hero for the Diamondbacks was the strong and sturdy Stefan Crichton. Crichton posted a 2.42 ERA in 26 appearances, striking out 23 and only allowing 7 earned runs. 

2021 Prediction: Will be the frontrunner, and the winner of, the closing gig. Expect 30 saves from this guy next year. 

Stephen Vogt seems to have embraced his role as a perennial backup catcher these days. As his 2020 was nowhere near as inspiringly good as his 2019, he still did what he could backing up Carson Kelly. He bat .167 this season in 26 games. Clearly not his best numbers.

2021 Prediction: Either he retires or somebody else signs him to a minor league deal and he surprises them.

After giving up Starling Marte at the deadline, one of the big MLB pieces that the D-Backs received was Caleb Smith, the Marlins' low-ERA standout of late. In 4 post-August games, Smith did not disappoint, with a 2.45 ERA with 13 strikeouts and a 1.000 WHIP. Good signs of a full season to come.

2021 Prediction: Teams with Gallen and Kelly for a Hydra of tough pitchers the NL West are gonna hate facing.

Coming Tomorrow- They won the World Series. I have a few left that never got posted.

Backup Your Troubles

[Music Pun Streak #4. A stretch, but it applies]

I feel like 2019 has been the year of the Backup Catcher Insurrection. Now, maybe I'm noticing it more this year and it's been happening this frequently for a while, but this year more than ever, I'm seeing more and more backup catchers, or former backup catchers, getting handed the spotlight and absolutely killing it as a starter. This is a trend I like, because I am a fan of journeyman fringe players finally getting their due in the spotlight, no matter how long that lasts.

So, below, I'm gonna talk about some of my favorites, because why not:

-Carson Kelly, Diamondbacks. Kelly spent 2017 and 2018 as a backup in a city where you're really only ever going to be a backup, and that's St. Louis. As long as Yadier Molina is healthy, you're not starting games. And even in his opportunities in St. Louis, Kelly barely hit. But after a trade to Arizona, for Paul Goldschmidt of course, and after an injury to...professional glass-boned catcher Alex Avila, Kelly was handed the starting spot, and he delivered, hitting .264 with 12 home runs, and running with a 1.6 WAR. In a relatively strong lineup, Kelly has become a constant, which is a nice touch.

-Matt Wieters, Cardinals. Hey, remember when I said that as long as Yadier Molina is healthy, you're not starting games? Well...Yadier Molina's not healthy. So the Cards are lucky that their backup is perennial All-Star and former Topps holdout Matt Wieters, who's slugging like hell, with 8 home runs and 18 RBIs in 41 games. Though, seeing as Wieters has been injury-prone lately, you might wanna keep on the backup for the backup, Andrew Knizner.

-Pedro Severino, Orioles. Initially, the O's were thinking of starting professional starter Jesus Sucre, but after some disappointing showings from him, they turned to Severino, who'd made a name for himself as a backup for Wilson Ramos in Washington, and getting some playoff starts before sinking back into backup mediocrity. But Severino finally found his bat, holding the third-highest OPS+ in the lineup, and hitting 9 homers. With the rise of Chance Sisco, I'm not sure how much longer Severino will stay catcher in Baltimore, but he's done fine for them in this interim.

-Curt Casali AND Ryan Lavarnway, Reds. Yes, a rare double feature, because we're talking about people who've relieved starter Tucker Barnhart, who's missed time due to injury, but also the lack of numbers. Initially, the Reds turned to last year's sturdy backup Curt Casali to fill in, and he's done fantastic, giving much better numbers than Barnhart, with a .253 average and 9 home runs. But once Casali got injured, the Reds hastily brought up AAA-mainstay Ryan Lavarnway, who'd been a backup for Boston during their 2013 run. Thankfully, Lavarnway's numbers have been fantastic in 4 games, with 7 RBIs, including 2 home runs, in that stretch. I wonder how the Reds will operate once Barnhart and Casali return, but I kind of picture both backups staying in the picture.

-Travis d'Arnaud, Rays. This one goes back to my old theory: Mike Zunino sucks. He sucked for Seattle, and he's sucking for Tampa. What do people think they're getting with him? He's terrible. He has literally only finished with an average higher than .250 ONCE in his career. So imagine my surprise when the guy the Rays get to cover for him is former injury-prone Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud! I was counting the days til he got injured again, but that didn't happen. And I remembered...when d'Arnaud's healthy, he can be one hell of a hitter. I direct you to his 3 home runs against the Yankees. He's had 11 overall, with 33 RBIs and a .265 average. Welcome back, Travis.

-Kevan Smith, Angels. For years, this guy was a backup choice in Chicago, usually passed over for people like Alex Avila or Omar Narvaez. And he'd always be a stellar backup as well, hitting into the .280s over his lack two seasons. But he was waived by the Sox last year, wound up in LA, and after an injury to Jonathan Lucroy, Smith became the starting option. Unsurprisingly, Smith has made the most of it, hitting .270 with 27 hits. His backup is coincidentally another 31-year-old journeyman, Dustin Garneau.

-Roberto Perez, Indians. Possibly the most important one on this list. After the loss of Yan Gomes, the Indians decided to continue as a competitor, but...did not sign a name at catcher, even with Jonathan Lucroy, James McCann and Matt Wieters in the picture. They figured they had something with longtime backup Roberto Perez, and thank god they were right. Perez has 16 home runs in 73 games, and a 2.2 WAR with an 8 fielding variable. He's one of the most important pieces of a team that's only been getting better.

I'm tired, but pretend I talked about Tony Wolters and Austin Barnes here. You could probably tell they were gonna become great starters eventually, but...pretend I did writeups for them.

Coming Tonight: On a Red Sox team determined to prove themselves...this guy may be their best player this year.