Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Royals

 

On the surface, there's not a ton fundamentally different between the Royals team that went deep last year and the Royals team that missed the playoffs this year. Both AL Central teams that made it this year rode huge waves of hot streaks, and the Royals couldn't really do that in the second half. The Royals were also without Cole Ragans for a lot of the season, and had a limited version of Seth Lugo. Plus, the Brady Singer for Jonathan India trade, which I could have told you was short-sighted to begin with, robbed them of a crucial workhorse. With the pitching depleted, not even the best closer in the AL could keep them in the divisional race. With no fault of Witt, Garcia or Bubic, the Royals stayed home this October. That doesn't mean the Quantaro era is through, and considering the young talent taking over it may just be taking off.

On the plus side, the Royals got another great season of offensive production from their captain, Salvador Perez. From the looks of things his ability to play great defense behind the plate is pretty much gone, and all that remains is an above average power bat to play DH everyday, which isn't a bad thing. This year marked Salvy's third 100+ RBI year [100 exactly], and his second year of 30 or more homers [30 exactly]. This season put him over not only the 300 homer mark but the 1000 RBI mark, both very good things, even if Perez isn't exactly a lock for the Hall of Fame.

2026 Prediction: So his contract is up, but I don't think Salvy has any desire to play somewhere other than KC, so I think they're gonna give him the Kershaw/Cutch track. Just keep re-upping, as long as you wanna play for. Next year won't exactly be a 100+ RBI year but he'll be relied upon as a power bat for sure.

Cole Ragan has been so good since coming over from Arlington that a mediocre season felt like a huge blow to the Royals' plans. And it's weird to say that about a year where Ragans still had 98 strikeouts in 13 games. He obviously can still outsmart batters, and he's still very dominant, but he had a 4.67 ERA this year, and whatever went wrong was clearly enough to sideline him for the rest of the season almost. The good news is that he was strong for his first few starts, and his September starts were a big part of why his ERA went below 5. But man that April-May stretch where he was clearly hurt wasn't fun.

2026 Prediction: As I write this, the Royals have been rumored to be shopping Ragans, potentially gauging Boston's interest considering that Jarren Duran might still need to be moved as well. I don't think Ragans will end up being moved though, and he'll have a stronger, fuller year for the Royals.

Kyle Isbel has been a steady, reliable outfield choice for the Royals for the last several years. In 135 games this year, Isbel hit .255 with 33 RBIs, but the offensive angle is not the takeaway, as he's such a great option in center field that it makes the team more well-rounded. Witt, Garcia, Isbel, Michael Massey to a degree- they're all excellent defenders that are helping the Royals stay in it and stay formidable. Yes, the power hitting helps too, but you can't outscore opponents if you don't have a Kyle Isbel.

2026 Prediction: The hope is that eventually they get someone who'll relegate Isbel to a Myles Straw-esque substitution, but I don't think that happens next year. Does more of the same.

Ever since coming back from his injuries in Cincinnati, Michael Lorenzen has made a name for himself as an underrated, durable starting option. In Anaheim, Detroit, Philadelphia, Texas and now Kansas City, Lorenzen has eaten innings, had nice starts and done exactly what's been asked of him. 2025 was something of a setback for Lorenzen, as he went 7-11 with a 4.64 ERA in 26 starts, but he still made 140 innings, and, miraculously, he led the team in strikeouts with 127, beating his nearest competition [Lugo and Wacha] by only one or two Ks. 

2026 Prediction: Why stop now? There's tons of teams that could use Lorenzen. Arizona maybe? Milwaukee? Baltimore? St. Louis? I think he'll have a better year for any of 'em. 

For the second year in a row, one of the most effective relief specialists for the Royals was Lucas Erceg. In a full year with this team, he doubled his output and wired in, with an 8-4 record, a 2.64 ERA and a 1.174 WHIP. He did miss a smidge of time midyear but still made 61 appearances. 

2026 Prediction: I think with Erceg the magic is more likely to keep going than fade off now. The Royals will be better next year, and Erceg will continue his strong work, complete with an averted close call in October.

It is the year 2025, the game is ruled by a guy who was at LSU like two years ago, the Royals called up Jac Caglianone, and Rich Hill, who is 45, still pitched in MLB games. The Royals had him on for two starts this year in between some roster moves, and Hill...well, Hill pitched like a 45-year-old man. Not everyone can be Philip Rivers. He had a 5 ERA over 9 innings, gave up 5 earned runs and lost both games. Yet he still struck out 4. 

2026 Prediction: I know logically he's probably done, but this man still probably thinks himself indestructible. He is, after all, a New England Patriots fan. Look, if the Pats miss the AFC Championship, he might decide there's still more to do. If Drake Maye isn't there yet, he can just keep holding out til he is. So uh...screw it, Sox invite him to camp, makes 4 starts, has one insane scoreless outing. Why not, man? 

Adam Frazier, who was a good depth infield piece for the Royals last year, made a return before the deadline after spending a bit more time in Pittsburgh and remembering why he was grateful that he left. In 56 games in KC, he made up for a slow spring and hit .283 with 4 homers and 23 RBIs. Frazier, despite his best efforts, has become one of the more in demand utility infield helpers in the game, and the Royals clearly know that.

2026 Prediction: Why do I feel like the Royals already re-upped him? If they haven't already, they really should, it's nice to have security for Michael Massey.

In a move that shocked a lot of people, especially me, the Giants traded Mike Yastrzemski to the Royals. All that goodwill, all he'd done for the team, gone. Yaz only did so much to help the Royals' similarly doomed stretch run, but in 50 games he hit .237 with 9 homers and 18 RBIs, amounting to an .839 OPS. Clearly this one panned out for them, in addition to boosting Yaz's free agency case.

2026 Prediction: It's not gonna initially feel like it, but the Braves made the absolute correct choice nabbing him. It'll kick in very late.

In exchange for catcher Freddy Fermin, who, as I'll explain, they may not have needed anyway, the Royals got two more depth starting options to plug in for injured aces. Stephen Kolek had a 4.18 ERA in San Diego this year, and while he only got 5 starts in Kansas City, they were very sharp starts. Kolek had a 1.91 ERA, a 0.758 WHIP, 21 Ks and a 1.1 WAR after that month of work.

2026 Prediction: I think of the two guys they got, Kolek has more of a chance of getting flexed to a long relief position, but he'll have some nice starts when needed.

Ryan Bergert, at 25, has the higher ceiling of the two, and looked like the better choice in San Diego, with a 2.78 ERA in 11 appearances, 7 being starts. His KC work was less sharp, with a 4.43 ERA and 39 Ks in 8 starts. Cumulatively it's a 3.66 ERA, 1.4 WAR, 73 K season, which isn't awful to be fair.

2026 Prediction: Big year. Makes all his starts, becomes a really strong third man in this rotation.

After a certain point this year, there was really no avoiding it. Jac Caglianone, one of the top prospects in baseball, needed to come up. Unfortunately, as ready as he was in triple-A, his perks weren't all immediately evident in the majors in 2025. In 62 games, Caglianone hit .157, with 7 homers and 18 RBIs. He is 22 years old, just getting the hang of things, and will be fine. Not everyone can be Bobby Witt and have a rookie year that still looks better than 98% of rookie years even if, for Witt, it's mediocre. 

2026 Prediction: It won't be a full smash, but I think for three months we're gonna see some high quality offensive performance from this guy. I just don't know if it'll be right out of camp.

Dealing Freddy Fermin away lampshaded the fact that the Royals had another option at catcher in the wings, and eventually Carter Jensen was deployed. In 20 games he bat exactly .300 with 3 homers and 13 RBIs, already showing promise as a contact bat in addition to fine catching skills. 

2026 Prediction: The Royals are going to sign a career backup, somebody like Elias Diaz or James McCann, as a security measure, but Jansen will be the starter and he'll be ASG-quality.

Coming Tomorrow- A lot of auxiliary members of a Tigers team that couldn't quite follow up on the promises of their 2024 run.

Yaz I Was Saying..

 

Mike Yastrzemski, especially when you compare his numbers to his grandfather's, might have one of the most fascinating careers of the moment. Yaz didn't make his MLB debut til he was 28, after years of toiling in the minors, and since then he's averaged 3.5 WAR and .241 per season while still being one of the most respected Giants of the current regime. His best statistical season was during the pandemic-shortened 2020, and it would have given him an All-Star nod that has still evaded him. He's never played a season with more than 148 games, and he's never hit more than 57 RBIs in a season. Yet whenever he's healthy he always hits well, plays great defense and is well liked.

Yaz...feels like he would have been more at home in the time his grandpa Carl played. Back then, they called you up at like 21, you played for 20 years, you didn't have to swing at every pitch and you didn't get hurt as often. It's just upsetting that the second he really finds his sweet spot in the majors is right around the end of his peak. Not that he's not an exciting and crucial player, even at 34, but I suppose the Giants wish they got more of 20s Yaz rather than the guy who many get injured right when he really gets going.

Yaz is a perfect summation of the Giants to this point: a guy capable of great things who does very well but for an infuriatingly narrow period of time. Thankfully Yaz, like the Giants, are widening that period this year, being a very strong third place team with aspirations of dethroning the top two.

Are there disappointments this season for the Giants? Of course. Willy Adames is not playing as well as promised, LaMonte Wade simply isn't hitting, Justin Verlander has been simply passable, Ryan Walker's dominance is absent, and Patrick Bailey, the catcher so promising that the Giants traded Joey Bart to Pittsburgh to keep him as the starter, hasn't hit above .200 yet. There are definite flaws, places where the answer hasn't shown up yet, and some close recent losses. But ultimately, this is a team that can hit, and has a lineup where nearly everyone has over 10 RBIs. 

Yaz, alongside Matt Chapman, Heliot Ramos, Jung Hoo Lee and Wilmer Flores, make up a very strong, potent, powerful core. Lee is definitely for real, leading the team in hits and still managing 24 RBIs. Chapman continues to be one of the best third basemen in the game and also consistently hits home runs. Flores, for a period, led the league in RBIs, and his 33 is still a great mark. And yes, with Robbie Ray and Logan Webb in peak form, and enough young guys that will eventually get the idea, the pitching is in great shape as well.

The Giants just look very good, and have managed some excellent wins, even in spite of having two teams that are better in the same division. The upset is possible, and if this lineup keeps producing at this rate, it will become more and more of a certainty.

Coming Tonight: The Orioles are down a lot of their best pitchers right now, meaning one of their rare offseason signings is actually coming in handy right now.

Yaz If

In 2022, Mike Yastrzemski played in 148 games with the Giants. While it wasn't his best season, it was his most consistent one to date, and his fullest in his entire career. So far, thanks to injuries, it is the only year of Yaz's career to hit this mark. Comparatively, another Yastrzemski family member hit that mark fifteen times over the course of a 23-year career. 

Obviously there's a lot of factors at play here, like the frequency of injuries in this stage of baseball, the fact that Carl started his career at 21 while Mike was first called up at 28 [after years in the minors], and really the ultimate reality that Carl is just a better all-around player because he could hit for average more...and back then you weren't instructed to swing at everything. But it is kinda sad that Mike Yastrzemski hasn't achieved the level of consistency that his grandfather so memorably got to legend status with for the Red Sox. 

There are still perks, of course. Mike is off to a 2.0 WAR start, with excellent defensive numbers, in addition to 8 homers and 31 RBIs. He's not as overpowering as he was in 2019 or 2020, but he's also nearing his mid-30s, and he's already missed time this year. I really wish the O's would have let us see some of his peak years, but...y'know...apparently he wasn't ready for the 2017 Orioles, guys. 

Yaz is one of many very wild 'what would have happened?' stories on this current Giants team. Cause I do think about what would have happened if some of these guys had developed with the teams that drafted them. If Thairo Estrada actually got reps in New York at 2nd. If LeMonte Wade Jr. actually got to play 1st regularly in Minnesota. Hell, I even think about what would have happened had Heliot Ramos started playing like this in 2022 rather than just now. Things would look a lot different. But as it is, they're all playing for this halfway decent Giants team that's just trying to make something happen.

You're seeing them try to lift off again. Blake Snell's suddenly sprung back to life and has been peak Snell. Hayden Birdsong is already looking like a pro. Chapman and Conforto have had some hero moments. It just makes you wish that Lee and Soler had worked out the way some of these other guys have, because they're really almost there. They're just not catching fire like other NL West teams are, and it might do them in, even with Bob Melvin there.

For now, Yaz will have to make do with what he's got, and hope that it's enough. As usual.

Coming Tonight: From the talk of the baseball world to looking at where he's gonna be pawned off to. 

On the Injury Windfall

 

I think yesterday might have been the biggest day for injuries all season, which honestly says a lot considering how frequently players have been getting hurt.

Just yesterday alone, the Giants put Mike Yastrzemski and Brandon Crawford on the IL, the Yankees put Aaron Judge on the IL, Ronald Acuna was listed as day-to-day, the Astros put Jose Urquidy on the IL, and the Phillies announced Cristian Pache, one of those 'magic hat' players if I've ever seen one, needs surgery. 

That's...a lot of big people going out on the same day. And I don't even think it's the only big day for injuries we've had this year.

Look, it was already clear that pitchers were gonna keep getting injured, because I don't think many of them realize that throwing this hard every 5 days is gonna need surgeries to sustain. So, like, Jacob deGrom landing on the IL, yeah, that was gonna happen either way. Various other pitchers getting injured, sure, everyone throws hard and they're not figuring out that it's not sustainable. 

But now, because everyone's throwing this hard their entire college and minor league careers, the injuries are happening even earlier. It's been well reported that Hunter Greene got his Tommy John surgery while he was still in the minors, so now that he's throwing this hard I don't have to worry about him needing it anytime soon. But now we have Easton McGee, who had an incredible start on Sunday, only allowed one hit, and this was his first ever MLB game, and then like 24 hours later the Mariners announce he's going on the IL. 

It was...IMMEDIATE. Pitches game, then it's like he went FROM THE GAME TO THE IL. Like, okay, great work kid, now sit here for 15 more games. Jeeeez. You think, like, there might be an issue with how people are playing if they get injured this easily?

The initial response to something like this is 'well, don't players get injured this frequently every year?' And most people say that without registering it. Like, 'hey, people hurt themselves really easily less than a month into the season on a perfectly normalized rate'. That's...bad. Maybe we should figure out a way for people to not get hurt as much. Because you look back about 30 years and the injuries weren't this frequent. Pitchers didn't have 2 great seasons and then miss a year and a half and come back serviceable. You can say 'oh well they're hustling and playing harder', they were hustling then and the injuries were fewer. Ozzie Smith did backflips and he rarely got hurt. Ronnie Acuna has some athletic prowess that's honestly par for the course for him and he still gets scratched and possibly put back on the IL.

Is it also possible that some of the new rules have contributed to this? I'm not one to do the math, but if it's a quicker game, people are exerting themselves more and with less time in between, so that may be wearing out the players quicker. I don't think the league brass would ever see themselves as the culprit here, but maybe if someone were to compile stats and compare to how things were before the rule changes and submit them to the MLB, that might get it through to them? Who knows. Until then, take your bets for which beloved MLB star is gonna get injured next.

Coming Tonight: This, folks, is what it looks like when your rotation stays healthy and, for the most part, meets expectations. 

Yaz You Were

 

After a fairly human stretch, not only have the Padres caught up to the Dodgers, but the Giants have done so as well. Which means once again, the NL West race is gonna be an all-out battle for a bit. Which...I'm certainly not complaining about. It's entertaining, they know it's entertaining, they aim to deliver. And so here we are again.

The Giants, unlike last year, are the lowest seeded fighter in this race. The Dodgers are the alpha, with their better record and unbelievable contracts, the Padres are the successor, with their improved rotation and nice rollout of prospects, and the Giants right now are the spoiler. This year they do not have the flashiest team, and with Buster Posey retired, Belt and Disco injured and the prized catching prospect Joey Bart still unable to make it work at MLB level. But they still have a lot going for them, and it's enough to still be a formidable piece of the NL West race.

For instance, as basically expected, with Posey down as the leader, the team has now built itself around Mike Yastrzemski, who's stayed pretty consistent the last few years. Right now he's hitting .275 with 22 RBIs and 6 homers, not an earth-shattering start but enough to be high up on the leaderboard for the team. Most of the people doing well at the plate for this team are similar contact, 'hit-em-where-they-ain't' guys like Austin Slater, Luis Gonzalez, Thairo Estrada and Curt Casali, though having a solid power hitter in Joc Pederson is also helping exponentially. I think that this is one of the first lineups that isn't completely based around members of the 2010s runs, as Crawford has a smaller role here and Belt is out, and it's working to enough of an extend right now. I do wish Darin Ruf was a little more on, but he's been prone to heat up later on.

Unsurprisingly, the rotation's been succeeding as well, even if Jakob Junis is on the IL. Rodon, Webb and Wood are all in good shape right now, and while they may need to do some bullpen games to fill the void before Junis or perhaps even Boyd [is that a thing that can happen? Is he ever gonna pitch this year?] gets activated, the bullpen is good enough that I'm not immediately worried. I also think giving Camilo Doval the ninth full time was a good idea, as he's got the sort of smoke and flashiness one needs to be a good closer.

This isn't a perfect team right now, but it's an underrated, low-key charmer that can do some serious damage if teams keep underestimating them. I would love to see what circumstances lead to this team taking 1st, but this three-team battle could go so many different ways.

Coming Tonight: It took him a month...but this guy isn't quite done punishing baseballs.

Yaz You Like It

 

It's mid-July and the Giants are still in first. I'm kinda cool with this.

First of all, they're so many games over .500 that it's downright impressive, being 61-35. They've also done this while sustaining a minimal lead over the Dodgers [now at 3 games], and have only had two losing streaks longer than 2 games. They also have 11 players with at least 1 WAR, 6 players with at least 2 WAR, and 3 players with at least 3 WAR, two of which being Kevin Gausman and Anthony Desclafani, two rather cheap pickups that most teams passed on.

And also, yes, the Giants still have Buster Posey, Mike Yastrzemski, Steven Duggar and now suddenly Wilmer Flores and Darin Ruf all surging. It's a very good time to be a Giants fan.

There is a worrying detail, though, in the injuries to Evan Longoria, Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford, three big pieces of the Giants' infield [all of which are over 30]. Add that to the already-out-for-the-year Tommy La Stella and you have a less-confident infield for the first time in years for this team. The good news is that Ruf has done perfectly well covering at 1st, and his average is approaching last year's levels finally. Flores has mastered the third base gig and is now hitting .251 with 33 RBIs. And of all people, former Yankee Thairo Estrada has been the most helpful taking over for Crawford. Like Mike Tauchman, Estrada was cut from a bulging Yanks team and his bringing his bench talents to SF to great results so far.

Also, it looks like Jake McGee has finally got the hang of the closing gig, with a lower ERA in addition to his 20 saves. Pretty much the whole bullpen right now is sharp, with choice performances by Dominic Leone, Zack Littell and Tyler Rogers. The highest starting ERA is Johnny Cueto's 4ish one, and even he's still doing decently enough. Gausman and Disco have brought some rotation firepower to this team that no one could have predicted, and even Logan Webb and Alex Wood have complemented them well. 

Plus, Taz may not have a very high average, but he's power-hitting really well, and having another strong season in SF. I was worried he'd be a fluke after his 2019 debut, but he's really settled in for the Giants, and has become a mainstay there, even surrounded by contracts and such.

The stretch will yield big players coming to NL West competitors, and the Giants may grab one to stay hot themselves. I'd like to see them upset the Padres and Dodgers for the gold, though any outcome will probably be a thrilling one.

Coming Tonight: Former young standout, now watching his team both buy and sell simultaneously at the deadline.

2020 Topps Final Edition: Cards #109-117

As we come closer to the beginning of the season, the slow roll of 2020 Topps Final Edition customs continues. Some of these players have been picked up and are on new teams. Some haven't. Some are already in minor league camp. But still, they were important enough during the 2020 season to have needed a Topps card that never came. 

Here are the next 9 cards.

 Card #109- Brian Moran, Miami Marlins

The story of Brian Moran in the MLB is a strange but exciting one. In 2019, he made his debut for the Marlins in a game against the Pirates, and the 30-year-old sidearmer from Port Chester, NY came face to face with a familiar adversary...his brother, Brian. With one strikeout, the legend was born, and the relief talents of Brian Moran, while not quite as starry as the power numbers of Colin Moran, were known. He was supposed to start the 2020 season with the Toronto Blue Jays, but after COVID broke out at the Marlins' base, a call was made to any possible relievers who needed work. So Brian Moran returned to Miami. In 5 days he was eaten up by batters, and had a 12+ ERA by the time he was demoted, but this would have been the Topps Marlins card that Moran never got for his 2019 efforts. Moran is currently in camp with another Florida team, the Tampa Bay Rays.

Card #110- Pablo Sandoval, Atlanta Braves

One of the feel-good stories of 2021 was jumpstarted last fall. After being released by his longtime San Francisco Giants, Pablo Sandoval was surprisingly picked up by a new team, the playoff-bound Atlanta Braves. Unfortunately, Kung Fu Panda didn't have much luck at the plate in one game during the regular season, nor did he make any progress during the NLCS. But the Braves seem to have faith in Sandoval, as he's made the team for 2021, so he could have a comeback year this year. At least I hope so, this guy is fun to root for.

Card #111- Chris Stratton, Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates' quest for pitching gave them relief options from all over the league, even people predominantly known for starting. Enter Chris Stratton, the former Giants low-rotation man, who was used as a big relief piece for the struggling Bucs in 2020. He did a nice job for himself, with a 3.90 ERA in 27 games, and 39 strikeouts. It's looking like Stratton will have a similarly large role in the Pirates' plans this year.

Card #112- Jarlin Garcia, San Francisco Giants

Meanwhile at Stratton's old team, the bullpen was trying new and interesting things in an effort to make a playoff spot that wasn't theirs. One of their tactics was using Marlins relief weapon Jarlin Garcia as a setup/middle relief man in tough situations, and Garcia delivered, with an 0.49 ERA in 19 appearances, meaning he only gave up one earned run in all that time. With a potentially feistier Giants team in 2021, Garcia could be a ninth inning option for a team that desperately needs one.

Card #113- Andrew Kittredge, Tampa Bay Rays

Yes, another member of the mighty Rays bullpen from last year. For everything it accomplished on the road to the postseason, every strong piece counted, and Andrew Kittredge was another one of those. Appearing in 8 games, Kittredge posted a 2.25 ERA, and was a solid midseason option.

Card #114- Dan Altavilla, San Diego Padres

While the primary reliever picked up from Seattle in the Austin Nola Deal, Taylor Williams, wasn't very useful, the secondary one, Dan Altavilla, managed to drastically improve his 7+ ERA with the Mariners to a 3 ERA with the Padres. In 10 appearances, Altavilla knocked 9 strikeouts, helping the Padres make the playoffs, and notched 2 more in the NLDS against the Dodgers. 

Card #115- Tyler Clippard, Minnesota Twins

Who would have thought that this guy would have become one of the most durable relievers in the game? I say that as he's on the IL for 6 weeks, but he's still at it, and still pitching for new teams every year. 2020 was his year in Minnesota, and Tyler Clippard did not disappoint, with a 2.27 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 26 games, a season that seemed like a companion to his strong numbers in Cleveland in 2019. Once he gets healthy, the Diamondbacks will hopefully get more strong stuff out of Clippard.

Card #116- Mike Yastrzemski ASG, San Francisco Giants

For Yaz's incredible start in 2020, one that put him onto the radar of so many baseball fans, he'd have at least gotten a reserve nod for a potential ASG roster. But Mike Yastrzemski getting an All Star Game appearance would have been a fitting moment, and a great piece of baseball history considering how many his grandfather made. Hopefully he makes another All-Star team this year while we still have Carl.

Card #117- Caleb Ferguson, Los Angeles Dodgers

I gave you a Rays reliever, so here's a member of the Dodgers' bullpen as part of equal time. 2020 was Caleb Ferguson's best season since coming up in 2018, it was his lowest ERA with 2.89, and his lowest WHIP with 1.018. Unfortunately he didn't make the postseason roster, and he's still on the IL starting the 2021 season, but his relief numbers helped the Dodgers win a World Series. Simple as that.

On Friday, we get another 9 cards from this set. A few good ones for East coast teams in here. 

A Yastrzemski Hitting Over .300? Been There.

Caught this guy playing for Norfolk a few years ago. It was at the point where he was in his mid-20s and it looked like he'd just be a career minor leaguer, so my dad and I just enjoyed the novelty of seeing Carl Yastrzemski's grandson  playing ball.

Fortunately, the Giants have continued their uncanny ability to save minor league farmhands from extinction. They did it with  Ryan  Vogelsong back in the day,  they did it with Alex Dickerson last year, they're doing it with  Darin Ruf this year apparently, and...now Mike Yastrzemski is the best player on the Giants. How do they do it?

It's great that Yaz is hitting .300, because the veteran-based lineup the Giants had been going  with is finally beginning to cave in  on  them. Crawford, Sandoval, Pence and Belt are not hitting. Jeff Samardzija is tanking and now injured. Buster Posey isn't even playing this year. The Over-30 strategy has failed for the Giants, and they are pretending it's not. Meanwhile, the younger guys  in the lineup, like Yaz and Austin Slater and Donovan Solano, are doing great. The pitching youth movement is succeeding finally, as Logan Webb has turned into a great starter and Connor Menez is sharp in relief. Hell, some of the younger recent signings, like Wilmer Flores, Kevin Gausman and Tyler Anderson, are working for this team as well. They're just trapped under so many impenetrable contracts.

There's a younger Giants team trying to squeeze through, and there are parts of this team that will, and do, actually work this year. But the reality exists that the Giants will probably have to wait until all of these contracts expire to really make a run at things, and for everyone that's doing well NOW, that's kind of sad.

Coming Tonight: Second-baseman for a team that just reduced  my Yankees to low-scoring.

Yaz, Part II

The reason why September is such a fun month is that the rosters open up a little and you get to see all these minor-league lifers finally given a chance to join the show, take some reps, and audition for next year. And you're seeing that all over- big time prospects like LA's Gavin Lux and Toronto's Michael Kay are getting their shot at the bigs, because they've got nothing else to lose.

The most interesting AAA-lifer to make it this year debuted back in May. Mike Yastrzemski, a guy I saw play for Norfolk against the Toledo Mud Hens, finally got called up to the majors at age 28. Apparently it wasn't enough for some people that Mike was Carl Yastrzemski's grandson- he had to walk the walk too, and with 83 games in the majors, he's batting .265 with 18 home runs and 48 RBIs, which isn't too bad.

The reason why Yaz is making such a splash in San Fran is...with the exception of the mainstays from the early part of the decade, like Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt and Madison Bumgarner, a lot of the team isn't set in stone, and a lot of the roster is subject to trying shit. Like, Alex Dickerson was thrown into a outfield spot after a few years of kicking around San Diego, and now he's hitting .325 in 44 games with a 1.004 OPS. With Buster Posey injured, the Giants brought on Stephen Vogt to see if he had anything left in the tank, and Vogt brought his lovable everyman qualities back to the bay area, with 8 home runs and a .272 average as backup. After deciding that neither Scooter Gennett nor Joe Panik was good enough for 2nd base in San Fran, the Giants settled on former Miami backup infielder Donovan Solano, and he's hitting .339 in 61 games.

A lot of this team doesn't occupy normal logic. Did you honestly expect it to?

I mean, you do get some call-ups, like Logan Webb and Connor Menez, who subscribe to normal rookie customs, but...other than that, this is a weird-ass team. They're not making the playoffs, and they're barely below .500, but...there's still some compelling, weird bits of this team that are refusing to stay quiet, which is kinda nice.

I kinda wanna know how this breakneck philosophy will translate to 2020. What Giants team will be left then? And will it be as weird as this one?

Coming Tomorrow- A guy named Eddie who's been more consistent than either David Price or Chris Sale this year.