Trapped in the Drive-Thru

 

Evidently we have left the 'Grimace era' of 2024 Mets baseball.

Look, the Grimace thing was great because it revitalized a fanbase that had grown despondent after like 2 months. Mets fans should have hope for longer than that. But it was looking really bad for a while, and with next to no pitching, a lot of hitters not doing anything, and the culling of fan-favorite Tomas Nido [a friend of mine from college was especially devastated by this one], many Mets fans had already given up and begun the wait for the Jets to embarrass them further.

But all it took was for Grimace to throw out the first pitch at a Mets game and suddenly, the fire under this team had been lit.

There's conflicting reports as to what exactly happened, people are also saying there was a team meeting where things got really heated. There was a celebration Lindor was doing early on in the post-meeting era that involved looking at the dugout and miming repeated slaps, so people theorized that Mendoza said something like 'if you people don't start playing well, I'm going to slap all of you upside the face'. Whatever it is, people who were struggling earlier on, like Brandon Nimmo, Pete Alonso and Harrison Bader, started heating up and giving this lineup some definite oomph. Alonso and Nimmo both have 42 RBIs, Alonso has 16 homers, Mark Vientos has an .856 OPS and is looking like the answer at third, and Jose Iglesias is somehow batting .438 since being called up. Starling Marte's also having a great season at the plate, even if he's nowhere near as good defensively as he used to be. 

The big piece of the last few weeks of Mets upticking is J.D. Martinez, whose late 2024 development worried fans. But he's finally hit his stride, and he's hitting .287 with 31 RBIs and 9 homers in 48 games. This isn't quite peak J.D., but he's still an extremely good power hitter, and is the exact kind of consistent piece the Mets need, especially if McNeil isn't gonna cut it. Also important, Francisco Alvarez has been back, and he's been hitting .271 with 15 RBIs. Somehow the Mets are finding a working model going forward, and it involves Alvarez, Vientos, and, surprisingly, Tylor Megill and David Peterson.

And then, after a 7-game streak, the Rangers finally got tired of getting the snot beat out of them, and gave the Mets their first loss off the Grimace era. The Cubs handed them another one today. So the positive vibes may have been temporary, and it may not be a 'flick of a switch' thing that makes this team wholly amazing. But I see a lot more working on this team than I did before, and I think even in losses you're still seeing more things they'll be able to keep using moving forward. Plus, Lindor's finally feeling like a hero this year, and that always helps.

The Mets finally have something to fight for this season. Here's hoping they won't need an appearance from the Hamburglar to start winning again.

[I was gonna say 'Mayor McCheese' and then I realized Eric Adams isn't too far off...]

Coming Tomorrow- Anthony Rendon has become the go-to trope of 'guy who always gets injured and seems to want to get injured'. This guy is the opposite. 

The Ol' DH Switcheroo

 

As I was going through photos for one of these I caught a photo from the Dodgers-Padres game in Az, and it was Ron Roenicke, J.D. Martinez, Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and another coach...four of them in Dodgers colors, one of them in Padres brown...all of them being Red Sox staples like 4 years ago.

And then after I had a good laugh at Chaim Bloom shitting his team's best players away, I thought about it for a second. Yes, we laugh about all the 2018 Red Sox on other rosters right now, but this season will feature Cody Bellinger in LA, Corey Seager in Arlington, A.J. Pollock in Seattle, Joc Pederson and Alex Wood in San Francisco, and all of Kiké Hernandez [note the accent, Boston fans who are mad at Chaim Bloom right now], Kenley Jansen and Justin Turner are in Boston. 

So as much as it feels natural to laugh at the Dodgers for having all these Red Sox people now, the Sox have all these Dodgers people now. And Chaim Bloom, like Theo Epstein before him, knows how to swing a good Japanese import. 

And so the image of J.D. Martinez and Justin Turner DHing for each other's teams is, while initially novel, more than simply a 'hey, they swapped guys'. There's been several well-publicized swaps of two relatively equal players at one position, like Troy Glaus for Scott Rolen, Troy Tulowitzki for Jose Reyes, Francisco Lindor for Amed Rosario for that matter, and Josh Donaldson for Brett Lawrie [which, as Billy Beane will tell you, seemed like a good idea at the time]. But this is just two deals that conveniently happened at once to look like a straight trade. The closest thing to this I can think of is something like The Cubs signing Eric Karros and the Dodgers signing Fred McGriff after they had played for the other team. 

The funny part is that the team that is trying the hardest to rebuild, Boston in this case, got the older player here. Justin Turner is 38 this year, and while he still had some nice seasons in his late 30s, he's not really a defensive asset anymore, and his contact abilities are expected to decline further this year. Look, he might get something done, he might be a decent piece, but it's not a move where the Sox are thinking about the future of the team. If anything, Turner's a handy guy to have around, he'll be great with the veteran demographic of the fanbase, and he'll fit just on the basis of being a contact hitting bearded guy. Most teams have a Hall of Fame, the Sox have a Hall of Contact-Hitting Bearded Guys. Johnny Damon, Kevin Youkilis, Shane Victorino, Jonny Gomes, etc etc. And now Turner. 

Martinez, on the inverse, is 35, and while his numbers have declined since the beginning of his Boston run, he is still somewhat in a decent spot in his career. His last two seasons he's made All-Star teams as a DH, he had 99 RBIs in 2021, and while he didn't lead the league in doubles last year [as he did in 2021], he did hit one more double than his league-leading 42 from the previous year. 

The guy's hit 130 homers in his 30s, he's only 35 and he's suiting up for a lineup that's still considered one of the best in the league. Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Max Muncy and now David Peralta are crucial pieces of this lineup, and you still have people like Will Smith, Chris Taylor and Miguel Rojas who can pop in as often as they'd like. Martinez fits really well into this lineup, even if this does feel like a pared-back, lower-stakes Dodgers team compared to not only past variations but also the Padres' souped-up lineup.

I'm thinking this will ultimately work out in LA's favor, but it's very much an early assessment. For now, I'll enjoy how odd it is for these two to be in each other's jerseys. That novelty will wear off soon, I reckon.

Taking on Dirty Water

 

On June 5th, the Boston Red Sox, after struggling for most of the season and nearly dropping to the Orioles in the standings, made it to .500 after a win against Oakland. With Trevor Story finally hitting, Eovaldi hot, and the core delivering promising stuff, it was the sign of an all-but-predictable uprising for the team, one that would lead them to 2nd place in the AL East.

On July 24th, after a third-straight loss against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Red Sox found themselves at .500 again. 48-48, circling fourth...as their main competitors for the spot, the Baltimore Orioles, were themselves getting exceptionally hot. As I write this, the O's have lapped the Red Sox, the Boston squad is at 50-50, and all hope seems lost. 

So, naturally, with the team sinking around July and the AL East picture revising around them, the Red Sox are seriously consider dealing people. They've already notified Xander Bogaerts that he's staying in Boston for the time being, and while I wouldn't put it past the team to renege on this, I don't see them dealing Bogaerts this week. At the same time, there are people on this team, namely J.D. Martinez, Christian Vazquez, Nate Eovaldi and currently-injured Michael Wacha, whose contracts are up after this season and could feasibly be dealt. 

Martinez is probably the biggest one of these. Yes, he's been wonderful ever since arriving in Boston, he's solidified his career and made some all-star teams, but this is a team that, I'm guessing, is going to need the DH position freed up down the line, and having the flexibility to start Bobby Dalbec, Franchy Cordero or Rob Refsndyer at DH for the rest of the run could be helpful. Martinez could be of use in places like LA, Tampa or Seattle, who don't have the DH position firmed up and could always use another surefire bat. And I'm sure that, with a .293 average and 9 homers, he's got enough in the tank to help someone compete.

The thing about how well-built this Red Sox team is, as well as how far ahead Chaim Bloom is thinking, is that even if the Red Sox lose some pieces this month, it won't be like the mass exoduses from Washington and Chicago that have happened recently. I don't think the Sox will sell the whole farm. They're losing games now, they don't plan to lose them for the next 2 years, they have people like Jarren Duran, Jeter Downs and Kutter Crawford who are nice future pieces. If people leave, I'm sure there'll be people around to take over and terrorize the AL East for the next few years.

Coming Tonight: One of the many strong arms trying to get Philadelphia into the postseason for the first time in 11 years.

Hard Sox

Well...looks like the Red Sox are gonna be competing after all...

I'm honestly not sure why we're shocked. 2018 was the huge year, then 2019 was a down year because the pitching was worse, and 2020 was even worse cause there was NO pitching. But now that we have a competent rotation led by three healthy, strong arms [and also Garrett Richards], the lineup, which even without Betts, Benintendi and Bradley is still strong, can actually mash without being held back.

Meaning...the Sox might be on their way to another big year.

Somebody put up a stat that the last times the Red Sox' ERA through the first 2 weeks was as low as it was, there was a ring at the end of the season. And it's gotten me very, very scared. Since 2004, the Boston Red Sox have not lost a World Series upon gaining admittance to one. They've had some exceptional teams that have missed the Series [the 2005 and 2016 teams especially], but usually either they're on or they're off. And right now, the Red Sox are looking very, very on.

Look at J.D. Martinez. The man is en fuego. He's hitting .378 with 16 RBIs and 5 homers. He hasn't looked this deadly since 2018 in my opinion. We'd lost sight of how ferocious he could be as a true league-caliber DH, and now he's stood out as the hero of the team thus far, not to discredit Xander Bogaerts, Christian Arroyo and Alex Verdugo, who are also all hitting well. Really, everybody but Bobby Dalbec is currently showcasing some decent stuff in this lineup, and everybody seems to be on the same page, which arguably wasn't the case in 2020.

And the rotation is pretty sound too. I honestly wish they'd demote Garrett Richards and let Tanner Houck start games as he rightfully should, but if Nate Eovaldi, Eduardo Rodriguez, Nick Pivetta and Martin Perez keep up the good work, the rest of the AL East is gonna be in trouble.

Which...makes sense, as the AL East already is kinda in disarray. The Yankees and Rays are underperforming, the Blue Jays are under .500, and the Orioles' bubble has popped. So for the Red Sox to be one of the sole constants of the division, and to have a 9-game win streak in April...yeah, that makes sense.

I don't know if the Sox will be sole dominators in this division for the whole season, as you know the big 3 competitors are gonna strike back, but...wouldn't it be something if this was their year? Not that I'm asking for another Red Sox title, just...it'd be a nice surprise given all the Rays/Yankees predictions.

Coming Tonight: Hashtag Signed him.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Red Sox

I quote Christian Shephard from Lost when I say 'that's why the Red Sox will never win the World Series'

The Boston Red Sox could have, in all theory, been a good team this year had they had any ounce of good pitching from July until the second week of September. The lineup wasn't bad, there was a nice amount of oddball utility guys coming in late, only Moreland left, and in all actuality Alex Verdugo was a fantastic way of replacing Mookie Betts. But...the pitching problem clouded this team and prevented the Sox from advancing past even the Orioles this year, leaving them with another case of a last place season coming on the heels of a Championship. 

Unless they re-sign him, 2020 will be the final Boston season for veteran outfield star Jackie Bradley Jr. I always criticized Bradley's way of refusing to hit for average while always doing well in the outfield, but Bradley rounded out this year, hitting .283, his highest single season batting average, with 22 RBIs and 7 homers, definitely a strong finish to the contract. 

2021 Prediction: Something tells me Boston won't re-sign him, and he'll sign somewhere in the central divisions where there's not a lot of pressure, and have another strong year.

 

After two straight years of stellar stats, ASG starts and prime home run material, perhaps the lack of crowds reverted J.D. Martinez back to a less-polished state. Martinez only mustered 7 homers this year, hitting .213 with, at the very least, a high-for-Boston 27 RBIs. It's a worrying detail as Martinez could become the umpteenth contracted player in Boston to crap out midway through the deal [Sale has already begun this]. 

2021 Prediction: 30 homers again, but his contact abilities will be shot.

Other than Martin Perez, the only thing resembling quality in the rotation this year was Nasty Nate Eovaldi, two years removed from his stellar postseason run. Eovaldi's season was honestly pretty nice, though- 4-2 record in 9 starts, a 3.72 ERA and a club-leading 52 Ks. Not 2018-Sale levels, but definitely a fine ace audition.

2021 Prediction: Eovaldi will pitch well, but his cruciality to the Boston rotation will hinder on whether or not Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez completely recover from injuries. If the team needs him badly...he may get traded in July. 

Rafael Devers led the Red Sox in strikeouts with 67. For those keeping score, that means Devers struck out more times than any of their pitchers struck other people out. NOT A GREAT STAT, BOSTON. 

What makes Devers' season such a double-edged sword is that he still led the team in RBIs with 43, and tied Xander Bogaerts for home run leader with 11. So he's still a good hitter, and still bat .263 this year, but between him and Martinez, the Sox are bleeding strikeouts. It's a risk they need to ask themselves if it's worth it to take.

2021 Prediction: Another really impressive offensive season, but the strikeout totals are still gonna keep him out of any higher conversations.

Damn this guy...Bobby Dalbec may be the unsung hero of the entire year. This guy's a career minor leaguer, a guy meant to remain a farmhand, and yet he makes his way up this year, and proceeds to hit 8 home runs in 23 games, and 16 RBIs, setting some sort of home run per come-up record I believe, and freaking out a large majority of Boston fans. True, he didn't exactly hit for average, which only made him a marginal step up from Michael Chavis, but he added a great deal of pop and surprise to the Boston lineup in August and September. 

2021 Prediction: Bobby, I'd like you to meet Cory Sullivan and Chris Shelton. They'll help you out with what's about to happen.

Tanner Houck scares the shit out of me, and should scare the shit out of you too. Tanner Houck, with only 3 games under his belt, was one of the most valuable players in the Red Sox roster this year on WAR alone. Houck won all three of his games, and had a 0.58 ERA, with 21 Ks and a 0.882 WHIP. The translation here- Tanner Houck is not only the real deal, but he might be one of the most dangerous pitchers in baseball if these numbers indicate future stats. 

2021 Prediction: AL Rookie of the Year, 3rd in Cy Young voting, 15 wins and 200 Ks. Get ready, AL East. 

One more round of applause for Matt Klentak. Thanks to him, the Phillies had two relievers that didn't do shit and won't stick around, and the Red Sox got a potential future catcher in Deivy Grullon and Nick Pivetta, who looked cooked for the Phils then SUDDENLY SPRUNG TO LIFE IN BOSTON, winning both his starts, with a 1.80 ERA and 13 Ks. He and Houck suddenly made the Sox' rotation look pretty accomplished in late September, and led to the Sox winning 5 of their last 7 games of the season. so...THAAAANKS MATT.

2021 Prediction: The bubble pops slightly, and Pivetta slowly returns to his old self, but not without a few choice classic moments. 

Coming Tomorrow- A bright spot in the 2020 season was the Cincinnati Reds, while still being a generally fun and feel-good team, making the playoffs. Which means, for the second year in a row, I have a lot of Reds left to post.

The Annual 'Jordan Bitches About All-Star Replacements' Post

...I don't even know what I expect anymore.

Maybe I'm just very ADD about the whole thing (and i don't even have that). You announce something a week ago, and you just expect it to remain set in stone for another week. It's probably the same reason I get mad at teams who start in last and make a run halfway through the year. I just want things to stay constant sometimes.

So once again, the best laid plans of managers and men have gone to waste thanks to several bullshit-related things, and we're left with some replacement All-Stars that occasionally might seem questionable. So I'm gonna go over 'em all, starting with the big one.

Who's Missing the Game? Hunter Pence, starting DH from Texas.
Why? Due to an injury that seemed to bring him back soon, but he had a set-back, and now he's missing the game.
Who's Replacing Him? J.D. Martinez, DH for the Red Sox.
How do I feel? Kind of upset? Like, I think we all voted for Pence to get out of the routine of someone like Martinez DHing, Pence gets it, and then...we get Martinez anyway? It's counterproductive as hell.
Who Should be Replacing Him? I mean, I don't think anybody else is more qualified than JD, I just wish Pence could have started.

Who's Missing the Game? Tommy La Stella, impressive 2nd Baseman for the Angels
Why? Injury.
Who's Replacing Him? Brandon Lowe, rookie 2nd baseman for Rays...except he just got injured too, which is karmic.
Who's Replacing HIM? Gleyber Torres, infielder extraordinaire for the Yankees.
How do I feel? I mean, I think this works, and I love Gleyber, but...Gleyber's credited as a 2nd baseman, and DJ LeMahieu is starting at 2nd. So...we have two Yankee second baseman on the All-Star Team. Which is odd.

Who's Missing the Game? Jake Odorizzi, of the Twins
Why? Injury
Who's Replacing Him? Jose Berrios, other hurler for the Twins
How do I feel? This one works, especially considering that both of them are kinda equally great.

Who's Missing the Game? Charlie Morton, standout Rays arm.
Why? Because he's pitching today.
Who's Replacing Him? Shane Bieber, Indians hurler.
How do I feel? I'm mixed on this one. Bieber's fine and all, but if Trevor Bauer wasn't pitching today, I would have gone with him.

Who's Missing the Game? Mike Minor, pitching standout for Texas
Why? Because, and I quote, 'he wants to take extended rest'. I'd go on a rant on why nobody in the MLB seems to respect the ASG, but...I'm already thick into this post.
Who's Replacing Him? Liam Hendriks, reliever specialist for Oakland.
How do I feel? Look, I'm kinda worried about Joey Gallo, because he's the only Texas rep left and he might not even play, but...I like Hendriks, and I like that we have another reliever on the AL team.
Who Should be Replacing Him? I can't really think of another qualified reliever, but...maybe Adam Ottavino?

Who's Missing the Game? Marcus Stroman, of the Blue Jays
Why? Injury
Who's Replacing Him? Masahiro Tanaka, Yankee hero
How do I feel? Well, I have a few issues with this one. Firstly, Stroman's out, so the Blue Jays now don't have any representatives in the All Star Game. The only Toronto personnel headed to Cleveland is Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who's in the Home Run Derby. The Jays have been left out, which kinda sucks. Also, as much as I love Masahiro Tanaka...he's been very okay in the last month. You can argue that maybe calling him an All-Star is pushing it? I'm not complaining too much, as he'll finally get to pitch in an ASG, and he deserves it.
Who Should be Replacing Him? David Price, but he's pitching today. Matt Boyd?

Who's Missing the Game? Anthony Rendon, Nats hero 3rd baseman.
Why? Injury
Who's Replacing Him? Max Muncy, Dodgers 1st baseman.
How do I feel? Infield incongruity aside, I love this pick, as it rights a wrong of the initial ballot.

Who's Missing the Game? Zack Greinke, D-Backs ace
Why? Details are vague, but I keep hearing 'personal matter'
Who's Replacing Him? Sonny Gray, of the Reds.
How do I feel? Very mixed. Not just from Greinke's vagueness, but...was Sonny Gray the best Reds arm of the bunch? Would Amir Garrett have been a better choice? I love Sonny, but was HIS season All-Star caliber?
Who Should be Replacing Him? Zach Eflin, Julio Teheran, Jon Gray, Zach Wheeler or Jon Lester?

Who's Missing the Game? Max Scherzer, Nats ace
Why? Because he just had his second kid and needs time off. Which I can respect.
Who's Replacing Him? Brandon Woodruff, Brewers pitching breakout.
How do I feel? Now the Nats don't have any nods either, so that's TWO teams who aren't bringing anybody. At least the Jays have someone in the Derby. Nats just have Max sitting on the bench and looking pretty, which is exactly what he did in 2015, instead of actually having a horse in the race.
Who Should be Replacing Him? STEPHEN STRASBURG OR PATRICK CORBIN. Come on fellas, you're losing your heads!

Who's Missing the Game? Josh Hader, Brewers relief expert
Why? Soreness, I think
Who's Replacing Him? Felipe Vazquez, Pirates closing giant
How do I feel? Actually, this one works.

Not a very well-thought out post, but...it'd be weird if I started thinking posts through 10 years in.

Coming Tomorrow- Toms River's finest.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2018: Red Sox

...So yeah. The Red Sox won the World Series this year. Which really says all that needs to be said about my mood.

Look, I'll agree that this was a ferocious, exciting Sox team, with a lot of standouts, a ton of dominance, and so many great postseason moments. But...it'd have been nice if it wasn't the Red Sox. They've won almost as many titles in my lifetime as the Yankees have (Yanks still win 5 to 4). It'd be nice to see some other teams get a title...and yes, I see the irony of being a Yankee fan and saying that. But still.

Even as the designated fifth starter, Eduardo Rodriguez was still hella sharp for regulation. A 13-5 rotation and a 3.82 ERA is nothing to shake a stick at. But, with the impending playoffs, and the Price-Sale-Eovaldi-Porcello combo looking unbeatable, I can see why the comparatively-tame Rodriguez spent the postseason on the bullpen staff.

 ...not that the bullpen needed the help.

Hector Velazquez was the primary setup man, with a 3.18 ERA and a 7-2 record. He was also an impressive long reliever, getting a pen-most 85 innings of work.

 However, Ryan Brasier supplied the intensity in the pen, with only 6 earned runs in 43 appearances, and a 1.60 ERA. He was also one of the more trusted postseason relievers, as was...

Matt Barnes, another homegrown fireballer from the pen. His 96 strikeouts tie Craig Kimbrel's for pen-most, and he only gave up 1 earned run in 8 innings of postseason work.

 These last two already got customs this year, but they deserved another. JD Martinez took his fantastic 2017 and built on it, giving us 43 home runs and 130 RBIs, as well as a .330 batting average, which...coming from a career power hitter is pretty damn impressive. I think he should have been considered a bit more for MVP, but Betts deserved his.

And here's the World Series MVP, who went from a journeyman outfielder with mediocre bench numbers to the SINGLE MOST LETHAL CLUTCH HITTER OF 2018. No one was safe for this guy's Boston stuff. His .394 On Base Percentage was the third highest on that team, behind Betts and Martinez. And his postseason miracle work has already been documented.

In summation...I didn't love that it had to be a Boston team to win it all...but this team was pretty damn spectacular. If anybody was gonna win it all this year, it had to have been Boston, and I'm kinda glad they did.

Coming Tomorrow- A midwestern team that even made last place look fun.

Yankees-Red Sox in 2018: No Mercy, No Edge

Okay, before we go any further, allow me this one thing.

AARON. FREAKING. HICKS!!!!!!

Okay. Back to this previously unbiased post.

I was going to say that for the first time in recent history, Yankees-Red Sox hasn't really been a month-by-month handoff of 1st place. It's not really a 'well, the Sox are great in June, but they lose 7 games and the Yankees have a 6 game lead for a week in July' kind of season. And no, I'm not gonna say something like 'this is the closest they've ever been to each other', because...in 2003 and 2004, they were within clawing distance forever. But...not only are both teams fantastic, but neither one can overpower the other for very long. Most of the season has consisted of both teams either tied for first, or within 1 game of each other. It's been close the entire time, to the point where 1st and 2nd places are honestly just temporary distinctions at this point.

Right now, as both teams round the All Star break, it's looking like Boston has the edge on All Star starters; J.D. Martinez is a lock at DH, and with the incredible home-run hitting (and average) season he's having, I won't dispute it, even if Giancarlo Stanton's also a candidate (I surmise he might sneak onto the reserve roster); Mookie Betts is leading all outfielders in votes, over the 2 million mark, and again, as he's having his best season yet, I'm not arguing. Aaron Judge is also 3rd in outfield voting, which means he's getting in, even if, truth be told, he may not deserve it as much as he did in 2017. Gary Sanchez is close in voting to Wilson Ramos, but with Gary's recent injury, it's not happening. And while ASG-wise, Boston has more players leading the league, the Yankees' stars have outvoted the Red Sox' stars in 5 categories, regardless of the fact that they won't get the nod. I will surmise, though, that the Red Sox will nominate more pitchers (as Sale, Kimbrel and Porcello all deserve it, and unless Betances keeps his streak going, I don't see anyone other than Chapman and Sevvy getting on).

Things are so even, but in a very respectfully competitive way. It's not bloodthirsty like it was in 2003-4. Bench coaches aren't getting pummeled yet. Unless someone does break away in the next few months, we may be getting this til the end. I don't know if we'll need a 1978-esque playoff game to settle it, but...we're gonna need more than just regulation, I think.

Coming Tonight: The big hip rookie from Washington, doing all the homer-bashing and average-hitting that Bryce Harper apparently can't do this year.

J.D. Martinez and the Order of the Phoenix

...So J.D. Martinez is hitting 38 home runs this season, and we're gonna ignore that because it's split between two leagues? And don't give me that Cespedes bias. J.D. Martinez showed an insane amount of power in both Detroit AND Arizona, and his home runs are gonna propel the D-Backs further into the postseason than they had any right to. Plus, unlike Cespedes, it wasn't a one-man-effort. Like in Detroit, Martinez worked with a unit and mutually made this team watchable.

As the Dodgers are crumbling in first, the Diamondbacks are playing some amazing baseball, and growing so much as a roster. The star, of course, is Paul Goldschmidt, and maybe this will be the season where he FINALLY gets the respect he deserves. Additionally, performances by Jake Lamb, David Peralta and Ketel Marte are lifting the roster into the conversation, and lifting the lineup into relevance.

After a season of stuttering...Zack Greinke is finally the ace they signed him to be, and he's had another HOF-worthy season of 200 strikeouts and 15+ wins. The fact that they got him in this condition 10+ years into his career is fantastic. Also, Robbie Ray, Taijuan Walker, Zack Godley and Patrick Corbin have been equally impressive, making the Diamondbacks incredibly formidable going into a postseason they'll probably have to enter via the wild card game.

The D-Backs could do some amazing things in the postseason, but they've lost the last few games, and may be catching the same virus the Dodgers caught. If they want into this insane 2017 postseason, they're gonna need to decide how they want their season to end.

Coming Tonight: Won an MVP 2 years ago. He's still an absolute beast, and it's a shame his team isn't.

It Could Happen: Tigers Edition

It's September, which means it's time for anybody who isn't clinching a division to jam their way towards the top of the standings in the hope that they can squeeze into the playoffs, via the Wild Card spot.

The Tigers, at the moment, have a pretty nice shot. In the year since ending up in last, they've rebuilt, and reengineered their squad to be heavy in power and hits, as well as having three really nice arms mowing down batters. Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez, Ian Kinsler and Victor Martinez are all surging at the same time. It's actually really nice to watch.

The Tigers have a shot at making it into the playoffs, but right now they're facing against the Mariners, who haven't lost a game in a week, and the Orioles and Blue Jays, in opposite directions in the AL East. The Yankees could factor into it, but...actually no, that's not happening. Not this year.

I think the Tigers have enough sheer power to wind up in a WC spot. They're obviously not to the level of Cleveland, but they have a lot going on, and a lot of great players that have improved since last year. Plus, Michael Fullmer's here and he's probably your AL Rookie of the Year.

I'm not going to say that they're a definite, but they have a better shot than most of their competitors to make an impact this postseason. In a perfect world, they play Baltimore for the WC spot.

Coming Tomorrow- Speaking of Wild Card contenders named Martinez, this one...has much less of a chance.

Uncustomed Heroes of Baseball: Tigers

For a year without any real postseason accomplishments, the Tigers did a lot to improve their roster flaws, and relied on a lot more younger stars than usual, while keeping their veterans in check.

Torii Hunter, while he didn't have the season he had in 2013, still managed to hit hard enough to stay relevant. Next season he'll be returning home to Minnesota, and hopefully it'll be a warm welcome.

Nick Castellanos had a pretty nice rookie season, becoming the starting 3rd baseman a season after losing Prince Fielder, and making a name for himself as an offensive and defensive force. He'll likely stick around.

In 2013, Max Scherzer rose out from under Justin Verlander's dominance to become the best pitcher in Detroit. This season it was Rick Porcello's turn, as his summer was especially consistent. Next season he'll be pitching for Boston.

J.D. Martinez was in Houston last season. Thankfully, he was moved to Detroit, where he became one of the more underrated stars of the lineup, slowly working his way into an everyday outfield spot that would intensify upon Austin Jackson's departure.

Alex Avila has become a nice bat, after his breakout season in 2011. He's a consistent catcher who has started hitting really well this year, as evidenced by this awesome photo.

Thanks to Alfredo Simon, Anibal Sanchez will likely be the fourth or fifth starter in Detroit, however he's still a strong arm, and has had a couple of nice seasons with the Tigers.

Meanwhile, Rajai Davis became one of the Tigers' most trusted utility outfielders, being a great player though not playing everyday.

Joakim Soria had the comeback of the season, going from an injured extra reliever in Texas to a trusted reliever in Detroit. Hopefully his comeback tour will continue next season.

Coming Tomorrow- A couple standouts from the Twins.

Honey, I Screwed up the Custom

I am pretty sure that the man on the card above is Ian Kinsler. Because unlike the last time, I checked the description underneath the picture to make sure that Ian Kinsler was on the picture, and not J.D. Martinez.

Thank you to the commenters who squinted a little bit and realized 'hey wait a minute, that's not the guy we traded for that's doing well enough...that's the guy we traded for who's playing really well!' If I was a bit more well-versed in Tigers-dom, I would have known the difference between a picture of Ian Kinsler and a picture of J.D. Martinez. But the caption underneath the original photo had tagged both players, regardless of the fact that Kinsler wasn't even in the shot.

Just to reiterate, I didn't rush this custom to simply remedy a mistake. If Ian Kinsler should have a custom, he's getting a custom. And if it's not him the first time, then I needed to get it right the second time, and get it so right that it at least made up for that mistake.

So here is Ian Kinsler, smiling, in a Tigers uniform.

(Although I should be lucky that I didn't accidentally get a picture of a batboy or anything)