In No Way An Improvement

 Even as someone who dislikes the Astros, I can tell you that the core era of that team subsisted on a well-built youth movement, so many slam dunk prospects, deals made for people in their prime, and a solid backbone that could withstand departures. The 2026 Astros are the result of that era having run its course. And so without the generation that gave us Springer, Bregman, Cole, Valdez, Tucker and Brantley...this is a very okay baseball team. And I think FINALLY...they're done pretending they're not.

Beyond Yordan Alvarez and Christian Walker, pretty much everything on this team is run-of-the-mill. If this was 2018, and they had a player of Isaac Paredes's caliber on a tear, it'd be going a lot better than this. Not that Paredes is playing badly, but...he's a .238 hitter with 8 homers and 28 RBIs. And even then, he's here for his power and all his home runs are pulled. They released a spray chart today, and the man's never launched a single opposite-field home run in his entire career. So they have an okay third baseman having an okay season being okay at the thing he's the best at...like, compare that to what Bregman was doing even in a down year. It's not even close. And somebody like Jake Meyers or Zach Dezenzo or Brice Mathews, doing the best they can but still winding up at replacement level...this is the level of local talent they have now. And compared to what Yordan Alvarez is doing, leading the league in homers and OPS and average and fitting firmly into the MVP conversation upton Judge's injury, it's even more pathetic. You can't run on a Jake Meyers season anymore when it's clear that Yordan Alvarez can lift a pinky and go yard.

The pitching isn't much better, because even the usual failsafes aren't working. They tried the 'let's bring up Jason Alexander' gambit again, and that didn't work this time around. Aside from Spencer Arrighetti, who's wonderful, this team has to trot out Mike Burrows and his 5.66 ERA, Tatsuya Imai and his occasional brilliance flanked by 6 run outings, Peter Lambert who's far too okay to be playing this great a role in this team, and Kai-Wei Teng, who's actually pretty decent but is being stretched out from a prior relief role and hopefully can stay healthy. The team's already lost Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier and Lance McCullers, Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski are gonna be out for longer, and this unit is what they've got. For...what it is I guess it's alright, but this is the most anonymous Astros rotation since Bud Norris and Erik Bedard were the draws. Occasionally it works, but I don't know how sustainable it is, much like how I don't know how sustainable Christian Walker and Christian Vasquez are.

The Astros are firmly under .500, and are in fourth, but they do play the A's this weekend, and the A's rotation might have slightly more weak points. So it might be close. But if things continue at this rate, the Astros might be sellers at the deadline for the first time in nearly a decade, and that's an insane concept to consider.

Coming Tomorrow- A guy who's had a monster hitting streak as of late, and took part in a huge blowout of the Cubs yesterday.

Moving On By Force

 

2025 is the year that it has become abundantly clear how urgently the Astros need to leave their past behind them. The majority of their championship staffers have left, and while a lot of the 2022 team still remains, they're not as essential as they were [barring choice examples like Framber Valdez and Jeremy Pena]. This year alone, the Astros have seen their perennial hero, Jose Altuve, struggle to competently play left field, their 2017-era fireballer Lance McCullers get lit up in a long-awaited return and then have to fend off death threats from sports betters, and their longtime favorite Alex Bregman have an incredible season...for the Boston Red Sox.

The dream may, in fact, be over. They're over .500, and in 2nd, but they're more human than they've ever been. They need to act like what they are, not what they were. Because it's a different team. Not better exactly, but different. And they need to embrace that.

For instance, right now one of the Astros' best hitters is Isaac Paredes, who they traded Ryan Pressly, another remnant of the 2010s teams, for. Paredes is an excellent power bat with some defensive third base perks, and he can plug into just about any lineup and be a consistent producer. So far he's hitting .267 with 19 RBIs and 6 homers, plus 40 hits overall. It's exactly what you need, even if it's not full Bregman style dominance. Similarly impressive is Jeremy Pena, who's hitting .315 with 6 homers and 23 RBIs. He's not the full flashy Carlos Correa type, but he's efficient and does his job. Hunter Brown, who's 6-1 with a 1.48 ERA, is coming to prominence not through overwhelming numbers like Keuchel, Cole and Verlander had, but just keeping people down and staying sharp. They've outgrown the 'villains of the MLB' thing I think, and nobody left [barring Altuve] really seems like a villainous force in the game. Even Ronel Blanco, who no-hit the Blue Jays out of revenge, has mellowed into just another solid starter. 

The Astros are capable of taking off the pressure and just playing baseball, and so far they've been doing this. They're 2 games over .500, a game back from Seattle, and they're not forcing anything. So I'm not really threatened by the potential of them taking first. I don't think it'll last, as they have so many pieces that just aren't working [Christian Walker, Brendan Rodgers, Yainer Diaz, a lot of overblown rotation arms], but you can tell this iteration of the team is just taking it kind of easy at this point. A Hinch/Baker team wouldn't have done that. 

I hope they continue at this pace. It'll be easier for me to manage. Though if Altuve suddenly shoots up to a home run lead or something and we start pretending he's MVP caliber, I'm gonna lose it.

Coming Tonight (?): Ironically a starter the Astros wanted this past offseason. But ultimately the D-Backs got him. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2024: Cubs

 

I think what 2024 proved for the Cubs is that the next level, which is competition and playoff advancement, cannot be reached until the last of the baby teeth have come out. What was holding back the new, intimidating, explosive version of this Cubs team were some of the dispatches from its 2021-2022 era of tanking. Once those aren't weighing the team back, they can actually make moves to outlast the Brewers, Cardinals and Reds next year. 

One of those big pieces of dead weight, sadly, was the last remaining member of the 2016 World Series team, respected ace Kyle Hendricks. Hendricks...had a weird season. He began with a 10.57 ERA, and an 0-4 record. Hendricks had struggled before, but this was painful, and moving him to the bullpen was really the only choice the Cubs had. Then, amazingly, Hendricks rebounded. In his next ten games, Hendricks had a 3.86 ERA, culminating in a return to the rotation. Whatever he was struggling with, he seemed to get the hang of. And then, of course, he struggled again as the season went on, ending with a 5.92 ERA. But, crucially, his last start for the Cubs was a true gem. He went 8 innings against the Reds and allowed 2 hits and no runs. For what is likely Hendricks' last start at Wrigley in blue, he left the fans satisfied.

2025 Prediction: For the Angels, Hendricks will be decent, with some shades of his Cubs numbers, but more akin to Tim Lincecum's stint there.

The other piece of dead weight that needed to go was Patrick Wisdom. Wisdom was the one piece that remained after the 2021 purge, and his early work laid the basis for a nice few years as a power bat. Unfortunately, the magic has worn off, and Wisdom is now a below-average power bat with no infield perks. In 75 games he hit .171 with 8 homers, as his position was deemed null by Isaac Paredes. Unsurprisingly, the Cubs non-tendered him last month. What else was he really capable of contributing at this point?

2025 Prediction: Serviceable bench bat for somebody dangerous. I say Tampa.

The Yan Gomes experiment wore off in 2024, meaning the starting position finally belonged to Miguel Amaya, who'd been waiting for a couple years. Amaya is a solid defensive catcher with the occasional offensive perk. As a starter, he made for a definite upgrade, with a 1.7 WAR, 47 RBIs and 8 homers in 117 games. The Cubs need someone like Amaya, just a steady, trustworthy catcher who doesn't need to be the center of attention, and can just keep pumping. 

2025 Prediction: Wins a gold glove. Or at least is up for one.

It was a headline-causing incident earlier in the year when the Mets unceremoniously cut Jorge Lopez after throwing a tantrum after a game and proclaiming the Mets 'the worst team in the MLB', not knowing that without him they'd get to an NLCS. But the Cubs, never averse to a bargain, capitalized on this by bringing Lopez on in a crucial relief role. As good as Lopez was in Queens, he may have been better in Chicago; in 24 games, Lopez had a 2.03 ERA with 31 strikeouts. This was Lopez's most wired-in, confident season in years, and hopefully wherever he ends up in 2025 will be a better fit than the Mets.

2025 Prediction: I mean, the Mets ARE looking for bullpen help. Lol. Honestly, it wouldn't shock me if somebody like Kansas City or Minnesota brings him back, they both need guys like him.

The Cubs' initial closing man, Adbert Alzolay, struggled with injuries all year. Their eventual next pick, Hector Neris, squandered the opportunity by being reminded of how terrible he is in the ninth. And so it was up to rookie Porter Hodge, already having an excellent season in relief, to take the closing job next. I think the Cubs may have an answer; Hodge got the closing job late in August, and was responsible for 7 saves to end the year, including polishing off Kyle Hendricks' 8-inning shutout to end his Cubs tenure. Hodge was also the reliever that closed the door on Shota Imanaga's no-hit bid in September. Hodge is young, efficient and confident, and he could be a strong closing option for the Cubs going forward.

2025 Prediction: It really is a question of how much the Cubs trust Hodge at this point, because they could very easily get a Kenley Jansen or somebody to take the ninth. I think they do give it to him, and while I don't think he'll get to 40 saves immediately, I think he'll make them proud.

After doing nothing with the Marlins, Christian Bethancourt found himself a free agent, around the time the Cubs were phasing out of Yan Gomes. They were ultimately a perfect match for each other, and Bethancourt returned to his 2022-era surprise dominance. In 24 games, he hit .281 with 15 RBIs and 4 homers, culminating in a wild .814 OPS. 

2025 Prediction: Doesn't do that again. That only shows up when teams aren't expecting it to. Still, that's not gonna stop somebody from taking him on as a backup next year.

The Cubs' big trade of the year was nabbing Isaac Paredes in exchange for Christopher Morel and Dylan Carlson. Paredes in Chicago was...fine. Nothing especially noteworthy or anything, which is kind of surprising for the guy who was supposed to lead them to the postseason. Paredes hit .223 in 52 games, only hitting 3 home runs and 25 RBIs. For contrast, he hit 16 homers and 55 RBIs in 101 games with the Rays. This wasn't the most opportune time for the learning curve to kick in.

2025 Prediction: I think letting him train with the Cubs from the start will be better for him, and he'll have a full year closer to his Tampa standards.

Very late in the season, the Cubs let the fans look into the future by bringing up prospect Kevin Alcantara. It's clear that not all of the Cubs' big prospects have worked lately, as Matt Mervis, Jordan Wicks and Alexander Canario haven't found their footing in the majors yet. Pete Crow Armstrong only got there recently, and his bat still has a-ways to go. So Alcantara was expected to, at the very least, get his feet wet and do one or two cool things. And that's kinda what happened. In 3 games he had 10 at-bats, 1 hit. Decent in the outfield, no immediate signs of anything else. Not sure when the next look at him will be, considering how set the Cubs' OF might be next year [it's Bellinger-Happ-Suzuki, with PCA backing up til Bellinger leaves], but he's definitely in the picture.

2025 Prediction: ...yeah, that IS a crowded OF picture, even with Canario there as well. If somebody is gonna get dealt this season, it might be Alcantara. 

Coming Tomorrow- The Diamondbacks were inches from the playoffs and couldn't make it. A few reasons why they should have.

2024: Don't Believe the Hype

 

With everything that's elapsed this offseason, all the big contracts, contract deferring, contract holdouts, super-teaming, massive overspending, will the 2024 season come down to two teams that outspent the competition?

I say....don't bet on it. 

...lord that's like a Crypt Keeper line. Especially with context. Lordy this season.

Okay. Today is Opening Day. And that usually means that I should probably predict some things. But we know how that goes. I'm famously terrible at predicting things. I think in the mid-2010s I said the White Sox were a World Series team. What the hell happened there? And recently, when I have made predictions that have turned out to be correct, they've done so at the expense of a better outcome. Like saying that Corbin Burnes should win the Cy Young in 2021, and he did...but over Zack Wheeler, who I still think deserved it that year. 

So I think it's a little easier for all involved parties if I go general this year. Cause if I just outright say, oh the World Series is gonna be Orioles-Phillies or something, then it's just not gonna happen and it'll be Astros-Dodgers for me even wanting a fun outcome. 

The key thing that I think is going to happen in 2024 is that the trend of small teams overtaking the big teams thanks to momentum is going to continue. With this playoff schematic being what it is, this will keep happening, because Rob Manfred doesn't see anything wrong with it. So any of you expecting the Braves, Dodgers, Yankees and Giants to factor heavily into this season's endgame, I don't think it'll happen. If the Dodgers make it to the World Series, it will likely be for the same reason the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl this year; because people seem to like watching when it happens. 

But odds are the playoffs won't work that day. So it'll be someone we're not expecting dominating the narrative this year. Does that mean the Rays, a team that nobody is talking about despite making a lot of really smart moves this offseason, might have a chance? Possibly. The Rays brought on Jose Caballero, Richie Palacios, Amed Rosario, Jake Mangum and Ryan Pepiot this winter, and if you're wondering how these small pieces are going to affect this team, you do not know Rays baseball. The Rays currently have Isaac Paredes, Yandy Diaz, Jose Siri and Harold Ramirez playing major roles, and playing well. This team takes the guy your organization has no idea what to do with, makes him a star and then trades him away before he gets what he's earned. The Rays machine just works, and even if people are pegging them to come fourth this year due to a banged up infield, it will still work this year. They might outdo the Yankees. Who knows?

Does that also mean the Diamondbacks have a shot at repeating in the NL? It's more complicated, because they're not even guaranteed a Wild Card spot this year due to the number of people in this league that might aim to compete this year. And yes, bringing on Jordan Montgomery is a big deal, but the D-Backs made a lot of smaller, rudimentary moves to keep the core power intact, and I know they wanna get back to September and build from there but I don't know if it'll be a lot to get there. A lot of the Diamondbacks' plan for 2024 involves lightning striking twice, which at least happened to the Phillies because they built on their 2022 team, signed huge pieces and became a great team. The Diamondbacks had a great season but need to figure out if it makes them a great perennial team, and I'm not convinced yet.

Does this mean that a middle of the road team, like the Tigers, Reds, Pirates or Marlins, could spring into action and claim the narrative? Perhaps. It's happened before. And this is a league that's fit to be surprised, with every narrative about the season being about 'will Ohtani hit 40' or 'will Soto be a Yankee legend' or 'will it be Houston or Texas'. What if we're looking in the wrong place? We usually are.

I'm still excited for this season, there's a lot that could happen and a lot that I'm hoping does. I'd love to see the Yankees or Phillies do well this year, I'd love to see the Orioles go deep, and I'd love to see the Astros miss the playoffs. But if I left every season happy it'd be a different vibe all around, I think. 

Saint Repeat

 

The Rays are 5-5 in their last 10. After their immense start, they've leveled slightly. Don't get me wrong, they've still had extremely high highs, and are still running on great seasons by Wander Franco, Randy Arozarena and Shane McClanahan, but the April Rays were untouchable. The June Rays can get toppled by the A's or the Padres. 

It's not terribly surprising. Every great start can lead to a conscious leveling, and it's never stopped a great team cold. Last year the red-hot Yankees cooled down in July, yet still kept momentum enough to get to an ALCS, which to these teams is basically as good as winning a World Series, I suppose. The Phillies were level for most of last year, and most of this year, before they took off. A lot of this easier-going momentum does put some of the pressure off of the Rays, and allows them to still look dignified while losing games. April Rays couldn't get away with that. The first few losses were very much met with '[GASP] THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN', forgetting that momentum is fickle in baseball, and teams get hot and cold all the time.

Right now the Rays are still in a good spot, ahead of the AL East with enough of a cushion to keep the Orioles from lapping them for now. McClanahan is in danger of joining Rasmussen, Springs and Baz on the IL, and they're hoping he figures things out. McClanahan has proven himself worthy of the ace status in Tampa, even as Tyler Glasnow still exists on this team. Without him, they're not in AWFUL shape, but it could be better. Glasnow, Taj Bradley, Zach Eflin and Yonny Chirinos all have low enough ERAs, and it seems like the next starting option could be Luis Patino, who...admittedly hasn't looked great at all. With the Rays' luck, they'll get through it with relievers and openers and the usual smoke and mirrors stuff they do.

The usual barrage of loaned hitters is still working for the Rays as well. Isaac Paredes is having another great season, with 50 RBIs and 13 home runs. Yandy Diaz is hitting .316 and looking like he might start an All-Star Game over Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Jose Siri has 14 homers, which is a team high. Luke Raley has become an inexplicably good bench bat, with 12 homers to his name so far. Even Harold Ramirez is hitting .297 with 34 RBIs. Everybody in the lineup has 30+ RBIs save for Brandon Lowe, who is injured, and Christian Bethancourt. 6 of these guys are hitting over .250. The contact mentality is succeeding, the defense is succeeding, and the Rays are still looking very good.

I'm a little less harsh on the Rays. Most of the people who stirred shit up last year are playing lesser roles in this team, or are injured. The Rays' Pride Night seemed to go off without a hitch. And we've got a guy on this team who's a noted spokesman for autism awareness, as Harold Ramirez is his kid's biggest cheerleader. I can't...completely hate this team as much as I used to. Doesn't mean I want them to win, I just...rank them a little higher than Houston now.

Coming Tomorrow- There's a ton of Braves up for starting ASG spots, and somehow THIS GUY might be the most likely of them all to start the game.

Rays-ing Suspicion

 

....this is such an odd team, man.

On paper, it should be simple. The Red Sox built their team up, the Blue Jays built their team up, the Rays did not and are still doing a low budget thing. The Sox and Jays should outweigh the Rays. And yet right now the Rays have gotten hot again, and not even the losses of Manuel Margot, Kevin Kiermaier, Brandon Lowe and Wander Franco, which is like more than half their star power, have stopped them from winning 8 out of their last 12 games. 

No wonder the Jays fired their manager. All this spending and they still can't get past Yandy Diaz, Ji-Man Choi and Jeffrey Springs? What is this?

Yet again, the ability for the Rays to be entirely stringent upon landing below their cap while also getting amazing seasons out of people we've never heard of is something to behold. Just looking at Isaac Paredes hitting 8 homers in June, and remembering that the Rays got him from Detroit for Austin Meadows, who's been injured for most of the year, you have to just turn around and go 'HOW DO THEY KNOW THESE THINGS?' It's getting pretty ridiculous. All these relievers like Jason Adam, Jeffrey Springs and Ryan Thompson, none of which came through the Rays farm system and were snagged in very under-the-radar ways, all just playing beautifully this year. 

I think the most Rays thing possible is that their biggest deadline acquisition might not be somebody like Willson Contreras or Josh Bell or Andrew Benintendi. It might just be Christian Bethancourt, who was working as a DH type in Oakland before the Rays got him. And they also got Yu Chang from Pittsburgh, and considering how difficult it was for him to hit with Cleveland or Pittsburgh, the fact that he's currently hitting .364 in 4 games is just ridiculous. I have no idea how the Rays can get so much production out of people that teams give up on. 

What is alarming is that some of the prospect pieces that the Rays have spent time in developing are beginning to let them down. Shane Baz is having some disappointing numbers in his first full season, Josh Lowe and Taylor Walls have struggled to hit at the MLB level, Vidal Brujan still isn't ready, and now Tommy Romero, a castaway from the Denard Span deal, who's been a stellar starting prospect for the past few years, has waffled his first few MLB appearances. 

So I suppose the Rays should be thankful that their ability to field under-the-radar players and make them great is still active, because their once-mighty farm system might be hitting a rare low point in terms of MLB production. It may not matter much right now because the team's still doing well enough in the standings, but it may matter in the long run.

Coming Tomorrow- A guy on the Marlins who steals a lot of bases. No, not Billy Hamilton. 

2020 Topps Final Edition: Cards #172-180

 With this 2020 Final Edition post, we reach our second 10-multiple, and our second grouping of 90 cards, propelling us well into the second half of the set. There are still big subjects and big omissions left to go, and there are a few in this post to say the least.

Card #172- Paul Goldschmidt ASG, St. Louis Cardinals

[I don't know why the border shading isn't on this one. Oh well]

Thanks to the stellar year by Freddie Freeman, Paul Goldschmidt would not have been the NL's starting first baseman had the 2020 All Star Game happened as planned. But he definitely would have been a reserve member of the team, considering that his 2020 was a return to form for Goldy's contact hitting. Goldschmidt hit .304 in 58 games with 21 RBIs and a 2.0 WAR, which measures out to a 5.4 if the season had gone all 162 games, right there with his Diamondbacks numbers. Goldy is off to an okay start in 2021 so far, so hopefully things pick up and he returns for another ASG nod.

Card #173- Jacob Nottingham, Milwaukee Brewers

In a season where Omar Narvaez and Manny Pina were both injured for several games, the Brewers needed a third catcher for security, and that's where Jacob Nottingham came in. Aside from being a decent defensive catcher, Nottingham was also an RBI machine, with 13 ribbies and 4 homers in a 20 game span. His lack of contact hitting ability did make him the third string option in 2021, hence his recent DFA-ing, but Nottingham has a nice amount of spark at the ready.

Card #174- Matt Harvey, Kansas City Royals

The continuing saga of Matt Harvey's disgraced fastball led him to Kansas City in 2020, after already failing in New York, Cincinnati and Anaheim. In 7 games, Harvey continued to demonstrate how far gone he's become, with an 11.57 ERA and 15 earned runs. Harvey is doing marginally better in a starting role in Baltimore thus far, but his 5.12 ERA is leaving a bit to be desired.

Card #175- Evan White, Seattle Mariners

A big deal for the Mariners by A.) making the opening day roster as a rookie, and B.) winning a gold glove as a rookie, Evan White made a name for himself as a steady defender with no bat last year. And look, as the stats will show, his numbers at first are pretty good, and worthy at merit, but he hit .170 last year, and is hitting .176 right now. I'm glad that he's good at something, but unless the Mariners are willing to be patient for his contact numbers, they've got a lot of trouble on their hands here.

Card #176- Matt Wisler, Minnesota Twins

A failed starter in Atlanta, Matt Wisler bounced around for a few seasons before finding his niche as a middle-relief weapon in Minnesota last year. In 18 appearances he banked a 1.07 ERA and 35 Ks, and felt more comfortable in relief than starting, which sort of sealed his fate for the rest of his career. Wisler has been less accurate in the first month of play in San Francisco, but hopefully things will even out over time. 

Card #177- Brad Brach, New York Mets

A former All Star as a Baltimore reliever, Brad Brach has been a decent eighth inning option for competitive teams over the past few years. After being picked up by the Mets midway through 2019, Brach stuck around for the following season, and his numbers fell off slightly. In 14 games, he had a 5.84 ERA and a high WHIP, being one of the factors that gradually sank the Mets bullpen last year. He seems to still be in the Royals organization, so I'm not sure when he'll see the majors again [UPDATE: HE GOT CALLED UP TODAY!]

Card #178- Liam Hendriks ASG, Oakland Athletics 

This one goes without saying. Liam Hendriks was one of the best relievers in baseball last year, was a chief factor in the Athletics making the playoffs, and made a name for himself as a go-to closer. He would have been a surefire All Star last season, and it saddens me that because of the shortened 2020 season, he's still only limited to one ASG appearance. But, as he finds his control in Chicago, he could always register for another one.

Card #179- Cam Bedrosian, Los Angeles Angels

The son of a former Phillies Cy Young winner, Cam Bedrosian had battled injuries for several years as a member of the Angels bullpen. Last year Bedrosian only made 11 starts, and he did fairly well, with a 2.45 ERA and 11 Ks. Unfortunately his numbers with the Reds in 2021 were not enough to keep him on the active roster, and he's since elected free agency. 

Card #180- Isaac Paredes, Detroit Tigers

One of the bigger names to make the majors in Detroit, besides Casey Mize, Isaac Paredes has been a well-regarded infield prospect for a few years. He hit the ground running in the majors, having some great RBI days to start his season, before leveling off toward a .220 average and a negative WAR in 34 games. Paredes has yet to make the majors in 2021, but it may happen soon at this rate. 

The next 9 of these post on here on Monday. Expect lots of relievers. 

Don't Rain on Isaac Paredes

21 years old, starting 3rd baseman for the Tigers. Not bad, kid.

So we're living in the Carey Mize era, the era of Isaac Paredes and Tarik Skubal in Detroit. So far, not a hell of a lot different from the previous era. The bullpen is the same amount of snakebitten [thanks to some Joe Jimenez blown saves]. The team is still run by a lot of guys with one-dimensional abilities [JaCoby Jones, Jeimer Candelario, Niko Goodrum, 2020-era Miguel Cabrera], and both Skubal and Mize have 6.75 ERAs.

Even Isaac Paredes, who got off to a great start, still has mellowed out to a .258 average and 6 RBIs. Jonathan Schoop is the statistical leader of this team. A guy who was one of the lower-tier performers in Minnesota last year is now sort of in charge of running things, along with Candelario, Jones and Goodrum. You at least have Spencer Turnbull having a breakout year, and Matt Boyd at least striking a lot of people out in addition to bloating his ERA. But this is still a very pedestrian team, and while they still are at .500, they're along the same lines of okayness as previous teams.

So how long do we need to wait before Paredes, Mize and Skubal are running this team? Probably another year or so. We need to wait for the bulk of this team to dissolve, and for the more senior members and contracts to make room for the team to be centered around them. Having Casey Mize here is one thing, but he can only be so good if A.) the opposing offenses are still better, and B.) if he doesn't get run support.

I wish the Tigers' enigma was a lot less complex, but...not everyone is the Marlins.

Coming Tonight: Catcher for, still, one of the weakest teams in baseball.