June 2025 in Review [ft. Trea Turner]

 

From June, I expected regime changes, Kyle Schwarber home runs, blistering heat and unforgettable feats, and from that this month did not disappoint. Already we're seeing the true storylines of this season emerge, whether I like them or not. 

So first, let's look back at the 5 predictions I made last month and see how well I did:

1. Very big comeback from an injury, and it's 100% worth the wait. I suppose Ronald Acuna counts.

2. There were a lot of streaks coming from mid-level competitors in the central divisions this month. In June there'll be a nice streak from a major metro era with a huge competitor. Not really, honestly. 

3. Topps really doesn't have a big selling point for 2025 Update Series yet, and the rookie cutoff date is fastly approaching. I predict one more mega-rookie jumps in, and even if it ends up being Cole Young I'll accept it. Well, seeing as the cutoff was like mid-May this year because Fanatics doesn't know what the hell they're doing, Young will have to wait til 2026, as will Chase Burns, Jacob Misiorowski, Roman Anthony and Christian Moore. 

4. Schwarber in June is as big as advertised. Surprisingly this was a down month for him. He only hit .214 with 14 RBIs and only 6 of his trademark dingers. This still puts him at 25 through 3 months, which is still great stuff, but not to his usual June standard.

5. The year so far has been dominated, mostly, by the Yankees and Dodgers again. In June, we may see what the real narrative ends up being. [It make take a couple months to verify this]. Well, the big standout teams of this month weren't exactly the Yanks and Dodgers..

And so, that segues perfectly into this next bit: 5 things from June 2025 that no one could have predicted:

1. The Tigers might be a new league giant. Nobody has a cushion in 1st like the Tigers do, and for a team that was the definition of ineptitude for a decade, it's a welcome feeling. The Tigers are coasting on terrific seasons from Tarik Skubal, Riley Greene, Javier Baez and Gleyber Torres, and breakout years from Dillon Dingler, Will Vest and more. People who used to doom this team, like Spencer Torkelson and Casey Mize, are filing in as integral members. Greene's going for 100 RBIs, Sku's going for 20 wins, Dietrich Enns is going for the most inexplicable comeback in years. You absolutely love to see it, and at 53-32, very few teams are doing it better than the Tigers. 

2. Jacob Misiorowski outduels Paul Skenes. I watched this game, and it was not as cut-and-dry as you might think. Going in they knew Miz would have limited innings, but he only allowed 1 or 2 hits. Skenes's hits did him in and the Brewers small-balled their way to some runs. Both pitchers are excellent right now, but Miz is working on a completely different level, and somehow made Paul Skenes look inferior during a season where he's destined for Cy Young votes. 

3. The Marlins are trending upward. The Miami Marlins have won 7 straight games, just got Derek Hill back, and could very well overtake the Braves for third place. For a team with such pitching issues, and such frequent disappointment, it's an incredible development. The new cast of young, scrappy contact hitters have given the Marlins some character, and with Agustin Ramirez, Heriberto Hernandez and Liam Hicks factoring heavily into the team, you're seeing signs of something that really could take off in the next few years. I don't expect long term damage from this team, not with this rotation, but it's more lively than they've been in a while.

4. Cal Raleigh is going for history. No catcher has had a season like this, and you'd have to go as far back as someone like Roy Campanella to see a catcher really race the leaderboard on homers. Raleigh is currently at 33 home runs, and 79 RBIs, and for this kind of defensive production to happen even before the ASG break is pretty incredible. Raleigh was always capable of a season like this, and to see him on a tear like never before is really cool. It makes comeback seasons from Julio Rodriguez, J.P. Crawford and Randy Arozarena look comparatively quaint. 

5. Boston gives up on Devers immediately. All the Giants needed to offer was Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks and a prospect. That was it. The Sox weren't looking for a king's ransom, they just wanted to get rid of the guy. Now, in 13 games since coming to SF, Devers only has 2 homers and 5 RBIs, but he's got room now. He's in a place where he's not at the management's throats. The Sox, meanwhile, have only gotten worse since Devers left. 

And on the opposite side of that, here are 5 things from June 2025 that lots of people probably predicted.

1. The back half of the rotation does the Mets in. Losing Senga made it all the more clear how much work the middle of the rotation had been doing. Then give Peterson, Megill and Holmes more prominent roles and it becomes clear that Paul Blackburn and Frankie Montas just aren't gonna be the answer right now. And thus...the Mets are sinking fast.

2. Tyler Mahle and Royce Lewis get injured. Daring, aren't we?

3. The Mariners fail to keep Houston out of first. As good as the Mariners are, and as much as they've accumulated this year, when faced with the prospect of keeping the Astros from advancing they're basically a kid tripping over his shoelaces and not thinking to tie them. You knew that a slump was coming, and of course it came right when the Astros got hot. Hopefully the Mariners can recuperate, but...knowing them it won't e easy.

4. The Phillies aren't exactly screwed without Harper for a few weeks. Trea Turner stepped up, with a .295 average, a league-leading 101 hits and 20 steals. This is the kind of hero performance we needed when we signed Turner, and he came through. Now that Harper's back the pressure's off, but he's still a very helpful presence. Plus, with Wheels rolling you don't really need to worry too much. 

5. Marcus Semien always needs a month or so to start doing Marcus Semien things. After posting .200 or under the first two months, Semien, as he does, woke up in June, hitting .324 with 4 homers and 16 RBIs. This likely means he'll be surging for the rest of the season now. 

Now, here are, for my money, the 5 Most Important Players of June 2025:

1. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers

2. Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners

3. Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers

4. Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks

5. Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates

And finally, here's 5 bold predictions for July 2025:

1. At least one late All-Star roster addition that makes absolutely no sense.

2. The Dodgers get at least one crucial pitcher back, and he makes a difference.

3. The AL Central currently lacks an underdog competitor, with the Tigers out in front, and I say one emerges next month. 

4. Rafael Devers isn't the only guy that gets unceremoniously yanked out of Boston this summer.

5. Brian Cashman does something ridiculous. 

And that was June. Hopefully July's similarly fun to follow.

Trea Per View

 

Okay. This is the guy we thought we were getting when we gave him all that money. Like Harper, it took a solid year for him to get situated in Philly, but Trea Turner is doing exactly what made him one of the best hitters in baseball back in Washington and LA.

The only thing that has managed to stop Turner this year has been a brief injury back in May, but otherwise he's been phenomenal. A .339 average on the year, 35 RBIs, 12 home runs, and only 12 steals but again, he's missed time. Turner's .923 OPS is the highest of any Phillie not named Harper. And he narrowly defeated Mookie Betts to start an All-Star Game this year. Just like we knew he would, Turner's gone on a tear at the plate, and he's become one of the most beloved Phillies on a team with so many great players and great 2024 performances. 

The issue with Turner is that he's not as good of a shortstop as he used to be. There was an idea to move him back to 2nd and move Stott to short, but I'm not sure how keen they are at implementing that. It's very clear how much the quality changes at short once Sosa's moved in there. And yes, Alec Bohm isn't a great third baseman either, so like half of your infield is a liability. I've seen Turner make errors at short, and him being an awesome hitter definitely saves that. But this Phillies team has so many 'great hitter, can't defend' types. Schwarber, Castellanos, Bohm, now Turner. People want the Phillies to deal for Rooker, and we really don't need another DH right now. At least Robert and Arozarena can play the field. 

But yes, Turner still being a .300+ hitter certainly helps, and having him and Harper in the same lineup, and both surging, is definitely keeping Phillies fans optimistic. I know it's become a little rockier lately because the Pirates series didn't go well, and the A's series didn't go well, but this team still has a ton of momentum, a ton of great assets, and a full rotation. Neither Wheeler nor Suarez needed to go on the IL, and Tyler Phillips managed to slide right into Walker's spot and immediately start pitching like he's been here for years. Wheeler and Suarez ruled the first half, and now that they're slowing down slightly Sanchez, Nola and Phillips are heating up. This is how we conserve the rotation going forward, and I love that we're noticing wear without immediately risking injury. 

I think the Phils will continue to be this strong, and the deadline will certainly help. This team has a strong chance of succeeding this fall, and it's gonna require a core that stays hot, and keeps showing up in the big game moments. If Turner can keep doing this, we might be alright.

Coming Tonight: There hasn't been a lot said about the Guardians' rotation this year, but this guy's doing pretty well for himself. 

Division Series' Day One: One League Defied Expectations

 

So, uh, congrats to Texas on a job well done in Day 1 of the ALDS's. Uh...good for Texas. Maybe not good for me because I like the Orioles and Twins better, but...y'know, more on 'em.

The Rangers-O's game was heartbreaking but understandable. If the O's are going with rookie starters with John Means likely hurt again, and the Rangers are going with Andrew Heaney and Dane Dunning, this sort of thing is gonna happen. The O's were limited all game and couldn't get much done, while the Rangers got material out of Evan Carter and Josh Jung. It was close for a bit, but the Rangers' pen held it down, and the Rangers squeaked out a Game 1 win. With Gumby on the mound today against Grayson Rodriguez, they're hoping for similar luck.

....I'm so friggin sick of this team, guys.

Hey, the Twins are surging and coming into their own, and they're starting a young pitcher against Justin Verl-this isn't gonna be close, is it? 

You know the drill at this point. Verlander was untouchable, Altuve and Alvarez hit homers...this is just reruns from last year. I am so sick of the Astros just copypasting stuff from previous teams with no decay and no league repercussions. Altuve missed several months this year, then came back and started playing like he's still in his prime, and...I want Altuve to have one consequence. Just one consequence for his reprehensible actions. Possibly more. 

The Twins have Pablo Lopez tonight, he's been solid. The Astros have Framber Valdez, who, in theory, is their best pitcher, but has been way streakier than he was in 2022. The Twins could fight back. I kinda hope they do.

It's as simple as this. The Braves were losing momentum during the second half of September. The Phillies were gaining momentum, and gained even more at home against Miami. This was bound to happen.

Even with a great pitcher on the mound in Spencer Strider, the Phils snipped some runs away in between the strikeouts, including a Harper homer. Meanwhile, Suarez was strong from the start, the bullpen was masterful, and the defense was even better than usual, with Turner pulling that insane double play late to stop the Braves' offense. The Phillies looked incredible during Game 1, a sort of ironclad performance that I hope they can keep up for as long as possible. I do fear the Braves will eventually regain the momentum, but we silenced them at home for the first time all season. Something could be happening.

Kershaw in October, folks. What else can be said?

Look, when you lose all your good pitchers to injuries, then lose even more to suspensions, and the guys you have left are a guy who gets injured every year, two rookies and a veteran who just struggled coming back from an injury less than a year ago, any sense of high seedage isn't gonna save you. The Dodgers got by for a while without starting pitching, and now they're against a team with a scorching offense, a minimal rotation that still won while starting Brandon Pfaadt, and a lineup that got the best of Corbin Burnes. This may not end well.

Judging by Game 1, they're gonna need to hope that Lynn and Miller have something in 'em. The barrage of runs from Carroll, Longoria, Gurriel, Moreno and various others was a huge wake-up call. I will say, the Diamondbacks' unsung hero might have been Merrill Kelly, who shut down one of the most consistent lineups in the game and didn't allow any runs. 

The Dodgers are gonna need to hope that they can figure out this team, because if not, it's gonna be another tough postseason for them.

More AL shenanigans today. Hoping for somebody to go 1-1.

Trea Table

 

Screw it, I'm taking ownership of this one. Since I went to see the Phillies a few weeks back, they're 12-2. They have only lost TWICE since I came to a game. Which tells me I should probably go to more games.

The other day somebody on social media did a comparison between last season's Phils start and this season's, and it's practically the same in terms of W/L ratio. I find that interesting. Last season's start was thanks to a Phils team that still felt very rudimental and not there yet. I think of so many April/May elements of that team, like Corey Knebel in the 9th, Didi Gregorius at short, Odubel Herrera leading off, and, well, Joe Girardi, that were jettisoned in favor of what would lead them to October. 

And yet I don't feel like the 2023 Phillies have needed to shed that kind of skin yet. There are players that have filled holes, like Matt Strahm and Kody Clemens, that are slowly being phased out, but I don't think there's elements of the first two months that feel like the last few years of the team struggling to let go, like last year's first two months felt. What am I supposed to say? It's not like the Phillies' infatuation with Dylan Covey and Jake Cave had anything to do with personal loyalty. 

The bottom line is they've been great since the 4th of June, and have had an excellent run, taking two from the Dodgers and three from the Diamondbacks. Wouldn't you know it, Trea Turner's figuring it out in Philly, hitting .321 with 17 hits, 6 RBIs and 2 homers since I saw them on the 5th. Now, granted, Turner has not hit a run since I was last at CBP, which is also kinda worrying, but he's beefing up his average and building towards his usual pace, which is welcome here. His stolen bases are also picking up, he's got 12 so far. I honestly think this is just an adjustment year, or period, and he's slowly getting back to what he was doing before, and maybe the WBC burned him out early as well.

A lot is working with this Phils team now. Kyle Schwarber has 20 homers again, and he's creeping up the leaderboards. Cristopher Sanchez is a much better fifth starter than he was through 2 games. Alvarado's still lights out in the ninth, and Kimbrel has improved greatly behind him. Wheeler's having yet another strong year with us, thank god. Castellanos has finally figured it out, Stott's still hitting for average, so much is coming together and the team's looking better than it has all year.

This week we play the Braves. This is a true test to our ego, cause we were doing so well, even against good teams, and now we have to play a team that's been known to kick our asses. They may also still be mad at us for last October. I hope we can keep the momentum through this series, cause it's easy to get tripped up by these guys. 

Coming Tonight: He debuted, missed two seasons, arrived, fell off, and is figuring it out again.

Tigers v. Phillies 6/5/23: Turner Overdrive

 

Going into my first Phillies game of the 2023 season [that actually counted, with no offense towards Spring Training], my cautious optimism was flanked with a dose of harsh reality.

On one hand, this match against the Detroit Tigers, a similar team with way less perks, seemed like a very winnable effort, especially with Aaron Nola on the mound. The Phils had just crushed Washington, the Tigers had just been walked off, the teams were going in opposite directions and it seemed like the exact environment this team could thrive in. On the other hand, this also seemed like the exact kind of game the Phils could blow easily. I mean, a Tigers team without Riley Greene, starting Joey Wentz, with a huge chunk of the lineup below .225, and Jake Marisnick somehow getting the start in center? It's a trojan horse. You think you can take them and they dominate you.

So I was hoping for the best while also knowing what kind of team I was banking on. The Phils have let me down before, and yet there I was anyway.

These were my sightlines, by the way. I am firm in my belief that Citizens Bank Park is still one of the nicest places to catch a game, and with a full crowd, a new scoreboard and a beautiful night for a game, it felt even better. This was one of those nights where everything felt better, the stadium fries were hot, the water ice was sweeter, and everything seemed to fall into place. Plus, in honor of ALS awareness night, Tim Kurkjian was in the house, and as much as I kid him for his useless knowledge, having him on the field, and eventually in the booth, was kinda cool.

We were with a few colleagues of my dad, and one of them got a few packs of Heritage for their kids. I peered at some of the cards, and I do think it looks cool this year. It'll be a while til it actually winds up at Target on a day I swing by there, probably, but I'll try to get some eventually.

As for the game, basically everything I was feeling about this matchup was accurate. Joey Wentz, the no-name Tigers starter, got lit up repeatedly, giving up scorching RBIs to Trea Turner and Bryce Harper, and tossing softies that almost went deep on multiple occasions. Even for a game with actual home runs in it, seeing both Harper and Kyle Schwarber deck balls only for Jake Marisnick to rob them both times was a little disappointing. Marisnick had an excellent defensive day in center, and made me despise him just as much as I did when he was with Houston.

But Marisnick didn't have much luck at the plate. Though...neither did most of the Tigers lineup. Through 6 innings, none of them even mustered a hit against Aaron Nola.

Nola was a Phils starter I'd been hoping to see, as I'd seen most of the other ones live recently [Suarez, Wheeler, Falter], and...kinda wanted to avoid Taijuan Walker seeing as he hasn't been great recently. And so we finally got a Nola start, and the big man from Louisiana delivered, going hitless up until a MAMMOTH bomb by, of all people, former Phillie Nick Maton. Nola struck out 12 Tigers, and looked better than he's been in a while. Admittedly, Thomson shouldn't have let him come back out for the 7th, as he looked tired and his high pitch count did lead to him breaking up the no-no, but seeing as both Seranthony Dominguez and Andrew Vazquez both gave up hits on the road to scorelessness, it may have been broken up either way.

The hero of the game, and it was about time, was Trea Turner. A colleague of my dad's said to me 'all I want is for him to go 4 for 5 one of these days and jumpstart it', and that's exactly what he did tonight. 4 hits, including 2 home runs, the second of which was a colossal bomb that we couldn't quite track the landing of. Then, right at the end of the game he had an incredible catch to stop a liner in the ninth, on top of all the hitting he'd done. Turner NEEDED a night like this to get in the Phillies fans' good graces, and I think he's finally coming into his own here. I'm just glad I could be there to witness it.

The Phils left with a 8-3 victory, the only runs coming from Nick Maton's homer, with great performances from almost the entire lineup. It was a welcome home win that felt earned, and kept me smiling throughout. I was bracing myself for the alternative, but the Phillies not only got the best of an easy win situation, but they made it interesting and fun. And that's all I could have asked for.

Not sure when I'll be back at CBP, but I'm voting enough for the All-Star Game that I've gotta be getting a discount code eventually.

Trea Magnifique

 

Right now, there are three divisions of six that have cutthroat back-and-forth battles at the top. The AL Central is a duel between Cleveland and Minnesota, the NL Central is the Brewers and Cardinals squaring off, and the NL West is a race between the Padres and Dodgers to see who can outlast the other. Obviously, most MLB eyes are fixed towards the NL West battle. If the Yankees aren't gonna lose the division for a little bit, it'll have to do seeing the Dodgers lose theirs.

The Dodgers, as it happens, are still a few games ahead of the Padres, and have been a bit more consistently good than they have in the stretch that started at the very end of May, but they're not out of the woods yet. The Padres, like they were in 2020, are the underdogs trying to take the crown for themselves, and the Dodgers need to prove they're as good as their reputation says they are.

And currently, even without Mookie Betts, they still look pretty good. Trea Turner has taken this month to go into overdrive, and leads the team in batting average and RBIs. Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and Cody Bellinger still make a pretty strong top of the lineup. Hanser Alberto has become one of the most versatile bench utility men in the leagues. The ENTIRE ROTATION, including Kershaw, Urias, Tyler Anderson, Andrew Heaney and the absolutely unhittable Tony Gonsolin, is keeping down opposing alliances and dominating on a major level. Losing Buehler is tricky, but getting Heaney back and having him still be really good is also excellent. And thankfully, while Craig Kimbrel has been imperfect in the ninth, Daniel Hudson is a fantastic backup closing piece.

My big issue with this team is the lack of depth in the lineup. There are so many bench pieces who aren't hitting right now. Austin Barnes, Eddy Alvarez, Zach McKinstry, all not hitting. They also brought back Trayce Thompson, whose ENTIRE THING is how much he refuses to hit. And the two bench pieces that had upsides, namely Edwin Rios and Kevin Pillar, are currently injured. And when people in the lineup like Max Muncy and Justin Turner are beginning to let the team down as well, it doesn't bode well for if more people get injured. It sucks, cause this team used to have so many backup plans, and now a lot of them are failing as well.

I still think the Dodgers are the team to beat in this division, but they need to be very careful over the next week or so, because the Padres could definitely catch them and keep them down.

Coming Tonight: The one pitcher in my division that frightens me the most.

Division Series' Day 6: Clarity and Thickening

 This was, unfortunately, bound to happen.

As the Red Sox-Rays game was balanced enough to amount for an upset...the Astros were always going to be better than the White Sox. The difference between Dusty Baker and Tony LaRussa is that Baker is going the same direction the Astros are, and is driving them further even despite cheating accusations and things like that. LaRussa is holding the White Sox back, and driving them in separate directions. And the sad part is, LaRussa has a very good chance of keeping his job this offseason, because the Sox don't realize he's a problem yet, or enough of a problem that requires replacing. 

The Astros did their thing, the whole gang was beating up Carlos Rodon and friends. Martin Maldonado joined Altuve, Bregman, Brantley and the rest in bringing the margin over 10 and making it possible for anyone other than Gavin Sheets to get anything done for the Sox. The once-mighty White Sox season ended with a whimper, setting up a Red Sox-Astros ALCS that is not one of the more interesting matchups we had this year.

As for the Sox...they gave it their all.Even without Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert most of the season, they still powered through, with an excellent rotation, some great unsung heroes throughout [Andrew Vaughn being chief among them]. They also proved that they can be a contender after a 2020 season that let a lot of false contenders into the playoffs. I really hope they can strike back in 2022 and climb further than they did this year.

Meanwhile, the Braves similarly clobbered a thought-to-be-impenetrable pitching staff, taking Eric Lauer and the bullpen for a ride, and making this a very close, very tense game, with great work on both sides, Brewers getting RBIs, Braves fighting through. If it wasn't for Freddie Freeman, we'd be going to Game 5, but Freeman got the better of Josh Hader, who just had a pretty awful postseason overall I think, and Will Smith got through the ninth without tanking himself. The Braves came into some insane momentum in September and have been riding it ever since, which should make it very interesting for whoever wins in SF Thursday night.

As for the Brewers...I really thought this was their year. The pitching looked so damn good this year that I really thought they'd get through Atlanta and be a serious favorite for the World Series. Alas, that was not the case, and heroes like Christian Yelich, Freddy Peralta and Brandon Woodruff struggled in the heat of things this week. Next season should also be a big year for them, but I foresee tight competition between them, the Cardinals and the Reds. They'll need Yelich fully back to really make a statement. 

The only team to force a Game 5 yesterday were the Dodgers, who railed against Anthony Desclafani, with big moments from Trea Turner, Mookie Betts and Will Smith. As intimidating as the Giants have looked this year, the Dodgers may be just as good, with enough punch and big players to account for some major chaos. Walker Buehler, even on short rest, was still incredible on the mound, adding another piece of evidence for his Cy Young case. Game 5 may come down to Julio Urias and Logan Webb, and it may just be a battle of which youngster will make a mistake first. And who will capitalize the most.

Excited for Thursday. Sox-Astros seems kinda simple, but this NLCS has the potential to be wild. 

One, Two, Trea

 

I think enough time has gone by that we should just accept the fact that the Nationals put all their focus onto winning in 2019, and that the subsequent last-place years aren't exactly indicative of a long-term goal. The Nats had failed so many times in the playoffs that they went for broke, the strategy worked, and it only worked once. And now they're just trying more long term tactics again that aren't exactly delivering another title immediately. 

So, we're back to the Nats being known for having three league-caliber players, Max Scherzer, Juan Soto and Trea Turner...and not a great deal else.

The trio of Soto, Scherzer and Turner have combined for 4.2 WAR. Turner is having another phenomenal season at short, hitting .317 with a TEAM-LEADING 10 homers. Think about that. This is a team with Juan Soto, Josh Bell, Starlin Castro and Kyle Schwarber, and Trea Turner of all people leads the team in home runs with ten. That's crazy. He also leads the team in RBIs with 23, and he has 8 steals. He is delivering on his five-tool promises from his call-up in 2017, and has finally figured out how to stay healthy and be consistent, and the Nats are overjoyed. With him surging, Scherz with a 2.24 ERA at 36, and Soto hitting .287 and catching up, these three are doing exactly what they were paid to do.

Which is why it sucks that the rest of the team not being much of a factor is dragging this team down. There are some good performers, like Josh Harrison, Victor Robles and a now-bench-friendly Ryan Zimmerman, but we've restocked this team with guys who are more prone to strike out than do productive things. Josh Bell has yet to truly make an impact in Washington because he still can't hit for average. Kyle Schwarber is doing better but is still hitting .223. And the youth movement that was supposed to be more prevalent this year, people like Andrew Stevenson, Luis Garcia and Carter Kieboom, still has absolutely no room to work with all the veteran presence here.

The sagging mentality has spread to the rotation as well. Corbin and Fedde are struggling, Joe Ross had a nice start but has lost a few too many, and Strasburg and Lester need to catch up while also being careful not to get injured again. 

The NL East is still relatively up in the air, but seeing as next month is the same month where the Nats started killing it 2 years ago, I'm not sensing that a similar slam to brilliance is going to happen again this year, outside of those 3 central players. 

Coming Tomorrow- Good news: he's not in last anymore. Bad news: he's still on the Tigers. 

2020 Topps Final Edition: Cards #82-90

We're very close to polishing off the first 100 cards of this set, amending the print omissions of the 2020 Topps set. I like to think this set isn't solely relievers, as this post features a lot of rookies, some of which have gotten cards in 2021 Topps. 

 Card #082- Christian Colon, Cincinnati Reds

A former Royals prospect who was a member of the 2015 team, Christian Colon found himself in between gigs after being waived by his team. The Reds picked him up in 2019, and in 2020, Colon got 11 games in covering 2nd. Colon hit .130 with 2 RBIs, meaning he's not exactly in the race for 2nd base this training camp.

Card #083- Brandon Kintzler, Miami Marlins

Brandon Kintzler is one of those relievers that just pops up in unexpected places and strikes gold. In 2019 he was a crucial member of the Cubs, and settled into a modest middle-relief role. In 2020, Kintzler went back to closing, making the Marlins out of camp and taking the ninth inning gig. In 24 appearances, Kintzler notched 12 saves with a 2.22 ERA, gaining him a 1.2 WAR, one of the highest on the team. Now that Kintzler's proved himself a valuable relief asset, he's a favorite to make the team in Philly this year.

Card #084- Trea Turner ASG, Washington Nationals

For this proposed, theoretical 2020 All Star Game, the NL would have carried three shortstops, because you try telling Fernando Tatis, Trea Turner or Trevor Story that they're not among the best in the league last year. Because Tatis would have gotten a great deal of the votes at short, Turner would have been included as a reserve member, but I reckon he'd have finished the game for the NL team and brought some contact highlights. 

Card #085- J.T. Brubaker, Pittsburgh Pirates

In a year where pitching was not the highest commodity, spots were open in the Pittsburgh rotation almost every week, meaning rookie relief option J.T. Brubaker got to start a few games as well. His starting numbers were sullied by his last-place, ineffective team, as he had a 5.53 ERA in 9 starts. Hopefully he'll have slightly better luck this year, given a starting role from the start of the season.

Card #086- Jace Fry, Chicago White Sox

Jace Fry has been a strong, reliable relief option for the White Sox even in their ineffective years. Unsurprisingly, in a season where the Sox were one of the best teams in the league, Fry's numbers also saw improvement. His ERA jumped from the 4 zone to 3.66 in 18 appearances, with 24 strikeouts in that time. His numbers are good for his team right now, but he needs a big season to become a league-wide relief talent and branch out the way Trevor May did last year. 

Card #087- Brent Rooker, Minnesota Twins

The Twins, suffice to say, have a few outfield prospects waiting behind Cave, Buxton and Kepler. While the big one, Alex Kirilloff, didn't get playing time til the playoffs, Brent Rooker was brought up for a good 7 games, and made a nice impression. Rooker hit .316 with 5 RBIs including a home run, and is currently hitting .386 in spring training camp, having a good chance of making the team and covering for Jake Cave once or twice. If this is how Rooker hits when he gets a chance, I hope he keeps it up for 2021.

Card #088- Caleb Smith, Arizona Diamondbacks

After injuries limited him to 1 start in his beloved Miami, and as Sixto Sanchez began to make the Marlins rotation his own, the writing seemed to be on the wall for Caleb Smith. Sure enough, he was the big piece headed to Arizona in exchange for Starling Marte. Reunited with former rotation-mate Zac Gallen, Smith began to build back to his 2018 numbers, with a 2.45 ERA and 12 Ks in 3 starts. He looks to factor into the D-Backs 2021 rotation, and with Bumgarner chasing a comeback and Gallen still looking good, Smith could have a nice season on his hands.

Card #089- Cole Sulser, Baltimore Orioles

A former Tampa Bay prospect, Cole Sulser was used in several roles in Baltimore this year. Initially as a closer, as well. After 5 saves, his ERA lost him the gig, and he was used in general relief, and he finished with a disastrous 5.56 ERA, putting a snag into the Orioles' bullpen reclamation project. Hopefully he rebounds this year.

Card #090- Jake Cronenworth

Brought to San Diego in the Tommy Pham trade and billed as a two-way player, Jake Cronenworth dazzled the Padres with the primary 'way', his offensive and fielding abilities, and that was enough. Cronenworth's rookie year was a smash from the getgo, hitting .285 with 49 hits and 20 RBIs in 54 games, a key member of the Padres playoff lineup, and a high WAR scorer on a team with Tatis, Machado and Lamet on it. Cronenworth came 2nd in the ROY voting last year, and seeing as he still seems to have the 2B gig down even with Ha-Seong Kim and Jurickson Profar in the mix, he's bound for another strong season in 2021. 

The next 9 come on Monday. A few fun traded players in here. 

Turner The Page

 So. Needless to say, the Nationals won't be repeating in 2020.

I dunno, I feel like the 2019 Nationals WS win was something we needed in that glittering instance that doesn't owe itself to longevity. Yes, it's a feel good team taking down all these formidable teams like LA, St. Louis and Houston. Good for the little guy! And now that it's 2020, and the underdogs are no longer starting-the-season underdogs and more 'they used to be bad but LOOK AT THEM GO NOW' teams like San Diego and Chicago, we really don't need a team like the Nats anymore.

The amusing part is they're still kind of good in places. Both Trea Turner and Juan Soto are having excellent, MVP-caliber seasons. Max Scherzer and Patrick Corbin are still having consistent, strikeout-friendly years. The carousel of veteran bench options like Josh Harrison, Brock Holt, Eric Thames and Asdrubal Cabrera is mostly working this year. But...really, the veteran-heavy presence of this team has now sort of spoiled things on a full season of it, and a lot of these guys are either struggling or injured. And the youth brought in to replace them aren't ready, and are struggling along with them. 

It's sad, because while Trea Turner was pretty good last year, he's reached his peak potential this season, with 9 steals, a .358 average, 27 RBIs and 13 doubles. The Nats are pushing for Turner to get into the MVP race, which is the equivalent of a Farrelly Brothers film pushing for acting nominations at the Oscars [man if only there were a really infuriating punchline lying around somewhere]. Turner will be facing off against Fernando Tatis, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman for top honors, so I wish him the best of luck, but I sincerely hope his huge year amounts to longevity, even if it isn't with Washington.

Btw, my spitefulness towards the Nats has nothing to do with the Washington Football Team slaughtering my Eagles after an impressive start from Carson Wentz. No sir.

Anyway the Nats suck and I hope Ron Rivera-I MEAN UH Dave Martinez, uh...trips over his shoelace or something. 

[I'm not serious. I swear.]

Coming Tomorrow- Speaking of middle infielders singlehandedly lifting mediocre squads...uh...a guy who probably wishes he was still in Minnesota right now.

Brand New Trea

The Nationals' ascent continues.

Despite having a stronghold on the first wild card spot, the Nats' week has been anything but calm. A series with the New York Mets left them hurting slightly, and looking human for the first time since that May 24th benchmark they've been clamoring about.

What happened? Well, as good as the Nats have been in the clutch, as Victor Robles was last night, the Mets are learning to be better. The Mets have guys like Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil who can get clutch hits, and took 2 out of 3 CLOSE, CLOSE games from Washington. And that's just what the Nats needed: another team EXACTLY LIKE THEM, complete with mid-year come-up.

And it's very easy for the better team, in this case the Nats, to lose the spotlight, and the Wild Card, to the streakier team. The 2015 Pirates were the better team, but on came the Cubs and they were history. The Nats may be the overdog here, but I worry what the momentum is gonna look like in a month. Will the Mets still be in it? Will the Nats still be ahead of the curve?

I mean, looking at what they've got...they'll be alright, I think. Trea Turner's hit for his second cycle this year, I think. Strasburg, Corbin and Sanchez are all strong, and are fine without Scherzer for the moment. Hunter Strickland, Daniel Hudson and Fernando Rodney have been impressive additions to the bullpen. Asdrubal Cabrera seems to be fitting right back into the Nats lineup after his stint there in 2014. And Anthony Rendon is still a bonafide star.

I'm hoping they can stay hot over the next month, because...I've grown less sour over the whole Phils thing, and I think they're in it for the long haul.

Coming Tomorrow- His first human season...is still pretty good. Cleveland's certainly not complaining.

Turner Classics

It took a few months, but suddenly everything is clicking in Washington. Juan Soto's off to an insane start! Adam Eaton's healthy and hitting! Mark Reynolds and Matt Adams are surging filling in for Ryan Zimmerman! Max Scherzer has forgotten how to lose games! It's wonderful!

Now, granted, the Nats are still tangling with the red-hot Atlanta Braves, but unlike the Braves, whose come-up has happened this year, the Nationals' come-up has been building since roughly 2012, so they've had time to cultivate things, swap younger faces in and such. Trey Turner is the new young face of this roster, in a position fostered by Danny Espinosa and Ian Desmond (who are both currently hitting below the mendoza line for other teams). Turner is a speed demon on the base paths, in the outfield, and he's a great hitter. He's very versatile, and a change of pace for a team that's been occasionally thriving on home-run hitters (which Bryce Harper predominantly is this year).

And look, even if the infield is admittedly a weak point, with Anthony Rendon pulling surprisingly human numbers, Wilmer Difo doing an effete job covering for still-injured Daniel Murphy, and the Adams/Reynolds 1B platoon is better offensively, Turner is still the bright spot, and the Nats are trying to build the infield around him. Expect gradual callups, especially if Zim and Murph remain injured, of worthy middle infielders in the minors.

The pitching staff is still rock-solid, despite the injuries to Stephen Strasburg and Jeremy Hellickson. Scherzer-Roark-Gonzalez is still powerful as ever, with emphasis on the former, who will probably be getting another Cy Young come November. Yes, Erick Fedde is decent enough as a fill in, but if they want to stay afloat with more than a 4-man rotation, they might need to dig into AAA and grab someone from there.

These are minimal problems to have, and rely on the surprisingly decent farm system. Plus, the team's still winning games. They just won one the other day vs. the Yankees. They're still a threat for 1st, which should be scaring the Braves. So while the problems aren't season-deciding, they'd still help them get back to the top spot they figured was theirs when the season began.

Coming Tonight: The ace for a team that...to be honest, should be doing a lot better than they currently are.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2017: Nationals

For a team that's perennially left the playoffs in the first round...the Nats have become pretty damn great.

I mean, they haven't made many fundamental changes, sticking with what works and slowly adding insanely talented people, and keeping the base around the MVP and Cy Young winners that bookend this post.

Bryce Harper was injured for a bit this year. But that didn't stop him from staying near his 2016 numbers when he wasn't. He's still one of the best in the league, and he's still the powering presence behind one of the best teams in baseball. So nothing's really changed.

Trea Turner moved to the infield indefinitely this year, which definitely helped mend the absence of Danny Espinosa, as well as moving the Zim-Murph-Trea-Rendon infield into even more of a legendary status then the last iterations of it. He's proving he has legs, and he's hopefully gonna keep the numbers up.

Tanner Roark was the fourth of the four deadly Nationals starters yet again this year, giving fantastic numbers and keeping his end of the bargain. At this point, I feel like they don't even need the 5th guy- the four are just so good.

Michael Taylor was the backup-outfielder of the year, in that once Adam Eaton, Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth became injury-plagued, he became one of the few constants and did a pretty nice job of it. I imagine he'd be in line to start, as Eaton and Harper will definitely be back. If they re-sign Kendrick (or Werth?), expect him to return to his backup role.

Adam Lind was a surprisingly powerful force coming from the bench, doing his best numbers since his Toronto days, and actually hitting above average for once. I don't think he'll be back with Washington next year, nor will he be anywhere near his 2017 numbers (hell, maybe some poor schmuck will start him).

Howie Kendrick was a late-season pickup for the Nats that worked like a charm, as he continued his unstoppable numbers from Philly and plugged right into the Washington outfield. It's unclear what role Kendrick will have next year, as he wasn't used in the postseason, but I hope someone will at least pick him up.

Victor Robles is the outfielder of the future for the Nats, and could very easily overtake Michael Taylor and Brian Goodwin for the last OF spot next season. His 2017 numbers weren't the greatest, but if the Nats believe in him, they could give him a shot for 2018.

Now...THIS GUY won his SECOND CY YOUNG in 2017, and proved once and for all that he's not only one of the most consistent pitchers in the game, but he's also one of the greatest pitchers working right now. He's on the way to 3000 strikeouts, he's got some amazing career numbers already, and the Nationals have him working alongside another strikeout artist, Stephen Strasburg. Couldn't be going any better for them, or for Max Scherzer.

Coming Tomorrow- They had a nice start, and...couldn't pull the rest together.

Nationals vs. Orioles 8/22/16: Not Especially a Pitching Battle...

There were a few reasons why I bought tickets to my third MLB game of the year, this one back in Camden Yards, one of those parks I've been to a billion times:

1. It was a week until I went back to school, and I wanted to fit one more in- my dad and I had planned on going to Fenway this year, but it had become clear due to a few logistical factors that this wouldn't happen. So, we compromised and went to Baltimore.
2. The O's are pennant contending, it'd been 4 years and I wanted to see them, especially in a home stand against the regional rivals the Nationals.
3. The schedule said the matchup would be Stephen Strasburg against Dylan Bundy, and there was no way I was passing that shit up.

So, my dad and I made the brief, by comparison, pilgrimage to Baltimore, and were instantly reminded why we love that stadium. It's just so homey and cool and fun, and there are a ton of elements that just make it a very relaxed place to watch a game- you can see they were trying to replicate someplace like Ebbets Field when they made it.

One of the other reasons why this was such a good game for me was that today, they were doing a giveaway for essentially everybody that made it out- they gave out free Wicker-design baseball caps, with the old 80's logo (like the one on the Britton custom) on it. As a guy who cannot have enough baseball caps, I couldn't refuse.

By the time my dad and I got to our seats, which were pretty nice, especially compared to our usual 'all-the-way-up-at-the-top' seats, we realized that there had been a slight...snag in the plan. Stephen Strasburg had JUUUUUUUST been put on the DL, and in his place, the Nationals were starting a recently-called-up AAA pitcher, A.J. Cole. And...needless to say I felt a bit betrayed. Yes, I'd be seeing Harper and Werth and Trea Turner and all those guys, but...Strasburg pitching would have been so cool.

The O's were starting Dylan Bundy, and, yes, this factor was the same when the O's actually went on the field. But...after an inning of play, it seemed like people were wishing it wasn't- Bundy allowed a run in the first inning, and he was looking more like his wild, clumsy self that he was trying to perfect when he went back to the minors in '14.

And don't get me wrong, Bundy can still throw strikes and be dominant, but when he gets you a win, it's a hard win, and he'll have given up a few home runs here and there- he's not all the way there, but he can still give strikeouts and keep the team down ENOUGH.

Around me in the seats were a nice mix of Nats and O's fans. There was an incredibly excited Baltimore fan sitting next to me, female (which is refreshing), sitting next to her not-quite-as-into-it boyfriend. She said she'd called some Trumbo magic before the game, and she was just waiting for him to do something impressive. Knowing Mark Trumbo, and how he's been this year...I wasn't exactly swatting it down.

Third inning, it wasn't Trumbo that hit the home run off of the surprisingly-dominant Cole...it was Jonathan Schoop, who was batting eighth in the lineup, yet this was his 20th home run of the year. My dad turned to me, and said "when your #8 guy is hitting 20 homers, you're doing pretty damn well."

It was actually a pretty close race- just when Schoop had homered to tie it, Anthony Rendon got up and hit one out himself, bringing the lead by one back.

And then...the magic that the section-mate had been referring to had begun to unfold. Machado hit a double that Ben Revere bobbled, and Chris Davis doubled himself to score Machado. And then...Mark Trumbo got up. The girl next to me already knew what was about to happen. I just didn't believe her yet.

BAM.

The ball looked like it was just reaching an arc by the time it had already crossed over the fence. The entire place went wild, and I turned to the girl, who had this 'what'd I tell ya' look on her face. The score was 4-2, and things were looking pretty nice.

As the game sort of gelled into a routine, and as Bundy began to lose steam, the Nationals fan, bluntly honest with a beer in his hand, sitting in front of us began to throw this game into the routine. When Danny Espinosa hit a one-run home run to bring it to 4-3, he was astonished. 'ESPINOZA hit a homer? Espinosa SUCKS!' he exclaimed, mostly in jest. When Revere got him, he turned to me and went 'this guy's even worse than Espinosa.'

For a while, it turned into a battle of the relievers. Brad Brach did get in there and got himself out of an incredibly tight squeeze in the eighth, after Daniel Murphy fouled up the potentially tie by trying to steal on a play that...he had no business stealing on. After Brach got out of the eighth, to quote the Nats fan, now embittered, 'game's basically over now.'

And then 'For Those About to Rock' by AC/DC began to play at the top of 9...and every O's fan knew exactly what was about to happen. Zach Britton, one of the best, most horrifying closers in baseball, entered the field. And just the stuff he started shelling out when he was warming up...if I had to bat against that, I'd probably wet myself.

It was simple enough, as he shut down Espinosa and Revere pretty easily...but then Trea Turner got up, and he gave up three straight walks. 'Come on now', my Dad said optimistically, 'let's not get off on a bad foot'.

I had a similar approach. "Come on Zach. Show 'em why all those Cy Young talks mean something.'

And then...the strikes began to show up. Until it was full count, and everybody in the house was standing. They wanted to see this with their own eyes.

Strike three. Birdland explodes.

Baltimore's one of those cities where, they win a game, and everybody in your row becomes your best friend. Cleveland's like that too. But everybody around me, every O's fan around me, was slapping high fives. It felt pretty nice.

The fact is that last year, I went to four MLB games, and this year I went to three. And the home team won every single one, all seven. I like to consider myself the good luck charm.

Still...hell of a game all around, and I'm glad I went. I hope the O's can build on this one.