Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Cubs

 

Okay...so the Craig Counsell era in Chicago hasn't gone as well as expected so far. Yes, they made the playoffs this year, but the guy who inherited Craig's old team has turned it into a mega-competitor that may have a stronghold on the NL Central for a while. The key word there is 'may', as the Cubs definitely have enough going for them long term to compete with them. Granted, the potential loss of Kyle Tucker wounds them somewhat, and the short-lived specter of a Zac Gallen trade cast doubt on how cutthroat the team will be this offseason, but perhaps providing room for Kevin Alcantara and Moises Ballesteros is a step in the right direction.

Case in point: with Patrick Wisdom gone, and Isaac Paredes in Houston, the opening at third left room for rookie Matt Shaw, who was the starter at third from the very beginning of the season, the Japan series. Granted, he wouldn't have much luck til he got to the states, but Shaw had a decent rookie year. May was his best month at the plate, in 11 games he hit .359 with 14 hits and 4 RBIs, but his power numbers would increase as the season went on. In the second half alone he hit 11 homers and 29 RBIs, all while providing great defense at the hot corner. Shaw didn't fare well at all in the playoffs, though. 

2026 Prediction: Begins to figure the majors out a bit more, at least at the plate.

The primary closing option for the Cubs this year, in a year without Adbert Alzolay, or without Ryan Pressly's better numbers, was organizational stalwart Daniel Palencia, a decent reliever who just needed a chance. This year, despite some injury-plagued stretches, Palencia gave a nice taste of his talents in the ninth, with a 2.91 ERA, 22 saves and 60 Ks. He also went 3-0 in six playoff appearances.

2026 Prediction: 30+ saves, holds it the whole year.

There were several backup catching options up for the Cubs this year, like Miguel Amaya and Reese McGuire, but in the absence of them, the Cubs also had the absolute tank that is Moises Ballesteros chilling in Iowa. Ballesteros is 21, plays catcher and 1st base, and is built like a brick shithouse. Dude punishes the ball whenever he can. In Iowa alone he hit .316 with 13 homers and 76 RBIs. That Ballesteros only had 20 games in the majors mostly meant the MLB roster was pretty full, but even in limited opportunities he proved himself, hitting .298 with 2 homers, 11 RBIs and a .868 OPS, only .010 higher than his Iowa OPS. This kid is looking pretty inevitable at this point.

2026 Prediction: Well if he's not up at some point they're gonna look pretty bad. I mean, letting a supercharged, big hitting prospect toil around in minor roles for two years? Who are they, the Yankees? So yeah, he plays 100 games in the bigs next year, passes his Iowa RBI mark and finds a place to play everyday.

I think the sneakiest thing the Cubs did at the deadline was stealing Andrew Kittredge from Baltimore, because Kittredge was quietly having a small comeback season and not everyone had noticed yet. The former Rays setup man finished the year strongly in Chicago, with a 3.23 ERA, 32 Ks and 5 saves filling in for Palencia. He was a little shakier in the playoffs, but famously got out of some scrapes against Milwaukee. 

2026 Prediction: A reunion with the O's, this time with a better manager and a healthier team, should go great for Kittredge, cause I know the fans enjoyed him this year. Not quite Rays quality, but he'll be able to handle a lot of the workload.

Finally, Willi Castro was a pretty nice pickup for the Cubs, as they needed a good utility piece, and Castro has been among the best of those lately. His Cubs numbers were a disappointment compared to his Twins run, as here he only hit .170 with 17 hits in 34 games. Very odd that Jose Caballero ended up being the pickup that Castro should have been for the Cubs.

2026 Prediction: Y'know honestly it wouldn't shock me if the Twins bring him back. They certainly need all the help they can get..

Coming Tomorrow- A small crew of Diamondbacks that tried, and failed to slip into the playoffs at the last minute. 

It Pays to Stay Flexible

 Carlos Correa, Jose Miranda and Royce Lewis all had amazing runs for the Twins at different points this season, and all three of them [until very recently two cases] were on the IL. Meaning the infield needed to look completely different for several weeks this year. And yet, because this deficit happened A.) during a relatively uneventful stretch for the Twins, and B.) with the All-Star break right in the middle, the Twins didn't really lose much ground. 

So now Lewis and Miranda are back and they're playing comparable teams with 4.5 games separating them and the Guardians. Things are about to get good.

The relieving thing about the Twins losing Correa is that they still had Willi Castro to play either middle infield position. Castro is mostly known for his contact bat, but his utility flexibility has made him a very trustworthy piece in Minneapolis. Castro leads the Twins in hits with 94, and in stolen bases with 10. He's also just an extremely valuable hitter due to just how frequently he can put the ball in play. Even if the Twins still have a lot of power guys, the contact mentality is prevailing, and people like Castro, Correa, Miranda, and arguably even Santana and Buxton, are good enough at just smacking balls away. Castro and Lewis can hold a strong enough infield line til Correa gets back, though hopefully it's not another 10 or 20 games til Lewis gets hurt again.

It's very cool how much this Twins team has come into its own despite losing some big pieces. Ryan-Lopez-Ober-WoodsRichardson is an extremely strong rotation schematic. I'm so happy Simeon Woods-Richardson is finally performing consistently at an MLB level. Ryan is the crowdpleaser but Ober's had some nice starts. I firmly believe the Twins have a plan for that fifth spot. They will trade for somebody, and it'll be someone you're not expecting them to get.

The Guardians may be a favorite for the division, but the Twins are not going to make it easy for them, as they usually tend not to. The Twins have looked so ferocious in points this season, and for a solid point from mid-June to early July they were one of the best teams in baseball. It can happen again. Now that we know Buxton's staying around it very well might be soon.

Coming Tonight- Yeah, Paul Skenes is nice and all but even the guys in his rotation who aren't Paul Skenes can kick your ass.

Wild Card Series' Day 2: Well, That Was Easy

 

I mean, I kinda assumed one of these Wild Card series' would go all three, but damn. Two days of games and we're out. Alright then. Makes it a lot easier.

I think the MLB guys knew that the Rangers-Rays series would have the most obvious outcome, which is why they played 'em so early. The Rangers came within inches of a division title, as did the Rays, but of the two teams that petered off after the first half, the Rangers still felt the most like a contender. Meanwhile, the Rays' starting pitching paled in comparison to the Rangers', and just putting up Nate Eovaldi and Jordan Montgomery, ironically two ex-Yankees, was enough to silence the Rays for good. The biggest takeaway from this wild card series was Evan Carter, the rookie who homered his way into legitimacy among Rangers fans, and made himself just another big part of the team's future. The Rangers may not meet with their sworn enemies immediately, but I see this Rangers-Orioles series being tough, potentially going all 5 games, and taking the most out of both teams. Honestly? The Rangers might be able to win this one, if the pitching stays as solid on their end.

The Twins winning rights two MLB wrongs. One is the obvious, giving them a series win for the first time in two decades. The other has been bugging me for years: the last time a central divisional team won a playoff series was 2019, and it was those stinking Cardinals. All of the 2020, 2021 and 2022 campaigns went without a single playoff series win by any of the ten teams from the central divisions. The 2019 Twins, 2020-21 White Sox, 2022 Guardians, and LITERALLY ALL FOUR CENTRAL TEAMS THAT MADE THE 2020 PLAYOFFS, could not advance. So having the Twins finally break that streak felt really good. 

It's also cool that somebody like Willi Castro got to play a big part in this win. The Twins have gotten material out of their stars, but they've let Donovan Solano, Willi Castro, Bailey Ober and Edouard Julien have their moments as well. This is a very fun Twins team, and them advancing was honestly a foregone conclusion after their September. I just hope they have enough to take down Houston. Could you IMAGINE an ALCS year for Minnesota? Wouldn't that be awesome??

The Diamondbacks taking their Wild Card series was one I sort of saw coming, even if I still figured the Brewers could sneak up when they least expected it. But somehow the Arizona bullpen shut these guys out in later innings, and the D-Backs lineup kept raining down on this once-strong Milwaukee team. Evan Longoria had the big moment last night, and tonight Tommy Pham brought in an RBI and cemented his place on this team. Pham's had a troubled few years, but I think he's evaded some of his rotten luck and is back to doing things right. 

The D-Backs will need a lot more of this luck to evade the Dodgers, who, like usual, seek to claim an easy playoff spot. I see a slight chance of an upset, but the D-Backs will have to work for it.

And, once again, we have the hometown team. I was a little nervous when Thomson put up Nola for this game, as he's only briefly shown true greatness this year. I shouldn't have worried. Nola went 7 strong without allowing any runs, and worked some true postseason magic while Realmuto, Schwarber, Turner and Stott made swiss cheese of the Marlins' pitching. Braxton Garrett getting lit up I could have guessed, but the bullpen as well? Andrew Nardi, who's been excellent this year? This team really is legit. 

The Phillies will need to hope lightning strikes twice against Atlanta. Miami was very much the easy part; the Braves have one of the most ferocious offenses in the majors, and while there is the factor of lessening momentum, which did cloud their September, the Braves still could be trouble. I could see this series going either way. I just want to believe the Phillies can make this happen. The stars look like they're aligning. They just need to keep fighting.

And as for the fallen:

The 2023 Rays team were...a Tampa Bay Rays team. They're all the same to me at this point. They all do the same things, use the same kinds of players, have the same issues. This year's had a ton more pitching injuries and the single most unfortunate thing to come out about a guy they have signed for 10 years. I assume there will be players traded this offseason to offset costs. Manny Margot, I hope you haven't signed a lease in St. Pete..

The one sad part of the Twins advancing is that the Jays, who will once again end their surefire playoff run right after it's started, still can't deliver on their promises. They have the team, they have the foundation, they certainly have the pitching...they just can't get it done. And yanking Jose Berrios, thereby undoing the thread that held this game together for the Jays, was the most heartbreaking part. Had he stayed in, there's a chance they would have legged it out.

I hope next year is the year things change. Though, again, if everybody in the AL East competes, it still could be very difficult for them. 

Similarly, since 2018 the Brewers haven't gotten anything done in October either, and this team, despite a strong regular season finish, fell to a wild card team, the only division leader this year to do so in this round. Sal Frelick was one of the few people that made me think the Brewers could make it close, as he contributed to an early offensive boost before the 5th and 6th innings. 

The Brewers need to ensure that the team consistently succeeds at the plate. Cause having 3 guys that can hit isn't gonna cut it going forward. Not when the Cubs and Reds also exist.

I genuinely thought the Marlins were gonna make it a 3-game series. Out of all of them. With Josh Bell hitting as well as he was, I thought they could drum something up against the bullpen. But with no Sandy Alcantara, no Eury Perez, and the feeling that something was missing from this lineup, there was no chance for them. Aside from Bell, no other Marlins really did anything too special this series, and it saddens me, because they looked so fun during the heat of the season.

It will be tough for the Marlins to try something like this again, but not impossible, especially if everyone stays healthy. 

So now we've got our division series' matchups. Some I think I can predict, some I don't want to even try. I just know they're gonna be interesting. The absolute worst case scenario is getting a boring outcome. We do not want Astros-Dodgers again, or even honestly Astros-Braves. I wanna see something I've never seen before. Two teams that haven't been here in a while, or have NEVER been here, and can make an entertaining, enjoyable World Series experience. I just hope that isn't too much to ask. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2022: Tigers

 

The Detroit Tigers went into 2022 with some very additions, including free agent signings, such as Javier Baez and Eduardo Rodriguez, trade acquisitions, such as Tucker Barnhart and Austin Meadows, and up-and-coming prospects, such as Spencer Torkelson and, eventually, Riley Greene.

These new elements combined were responsible for 3.5 WAR. Six Cleveland Guardians have individual WARs greater or equal to that. And that's not even mentioning that Torkelson's -1.3 WAR had to be factored into it. 

The Tigers gambled big, and while Baez and Greene had nice seasons, they both paled in comparison to expectations, and the Tigers once again had to rely on tons of replacement players and reinforcements. While, somehow, the Tigers did not finish the season in last place, they only finished 1 win above the Royals, and 96 losses still isn't a lot to smile about.

Austin Meadows, to his credit, was actually doing fairly well through 36 games, as he hit .250 with 11 RBIs and, mostly shockingly for a 30-homer man, no round-trippers. The edge for Meadows was surprisingly his defensive work, which was never particularly on display in Tampa. However, in mid-May he went on the IL and would be out for the remainder of the season. The outfield and the lineup would never recover.

2023 Prediction: I think he goes back to power hitting, and makes a name for himself by the time the deadline deals start happening.

I had thought that Tucker Barnhart going to Detroit was a great deal for all involved parties, as it allowed the Tigers to get a true gold-glover behind the plate to relieve Greiner and Haase, and it allowed the Reds to start Tyler Stephenson. Unfortunately, Barnhart's year in Detroit was a down one at the plate, as he hit .221 with 16 RBIs in 94 games. As it has in the last year, his defense is also still slipping. Eric Haase, yet again, had to step in and be the more valuable catcher.

2023 Prediction: Will be the completely inoffensive, efficient catcher Chicago needs. I think he'll start more than Yan Gomes.

The other free agent signing that sparked attention was Andrew Chafin, whose 2020-2021 run between Arizona, Oakland and Chicago was nothing short of brilliant. His 2022, not only slightly-injury-shortened, was waterlogged by the mediocrity of the Tigers themselves. In 63 games, Chafin held a 2.83 ERA with 67 strikeouts and only a 0.3 WAR. 

2023 Prediction: Not to be crass, but...maybe Chicago brings him back? They could use a guy like him.

In the absence of reliable star players, it was once again up to people named Castro to be thrust into starting positions. This year, Willi had the slightly better year than Harold, with 31 RBIs and 8 homers, in addition to a team-high 9 steals, tied with Baez and Akil Baddoo. He's still a nice defender, a great utility guy, and...someone who really shouldn't be starting as often as he is. 

2023 Prediction: The Tigers plan on using Meadows, Baddoo, and Riley Greene in the outfield picture. That should, in theory, be enough to ensure that Castro isn't heavily utilized next season. This, however, is a Tigers team. So he'll be starting by July.

Speaking of outfielders, Akil Baddoo, after a strong start to the season in 2021, was primed for a great year this year. In 73 games, Baddoo hit .204 with 9 RBIs. On one hand, he is 23 years old and is finding his way around the majors. Still, a lot of Castro's second half work was spent making up for Baddoo's drop-off. Hopefully he can get his mojo back, but the Tigers are prepared for either outcome.

2023 Prediction: He figures it out and is the Tigers' star in the second half. 

With the trio of Manning, Mize and Skubal all being injured at some point, in addition to zero innings from Spencer Turnbull and Rodriguez going AWOL for a month or so, there were a lot of openings in the Tigers' rotation this year, and a lot of rookies were given the ball at different points. Beau Brieske was an earlier call-up, in 15 games he had a 4.19 ERA with 54 Ks. Ultimately, though, Briske ended up injured for a period as well, perhaps wanting to fit in.

2023 Prediction: In an ideal scenario where nobody's hurt, the Tigers rotation includes Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, Matt Manning, Eduardo Rodriguez and Spencer Turnbull. If they're all good and ready, they won't need Brieske, but I do think he will get at least 17 starts next year, because...I mean, if this season is any indication, it won't all go right.

Then as more starters dropped, Joey Wentz entered the picture. Wentz had a 3.03 ERA in 7 starts, striking out 27 in 32 innings. Those are great starter numbers, but they happened because the Tigers' first 9 or so choices were hurt. 

2023 Prediction: Dare I say this guy gets dealt or handed off at some point? I don't know if they have room for him AND Brieske, and I feel like they'll give Brieske a chance first.

And then there's the big rookie prospect Kerry Carpenter, who popped by in August and September and hit .252 with 6 homers and 10 RBIs in 31 games. Those 6 homers made 2022 a 36-homer year for Carpenter, who hit the other 30 between 2 different minor league teams. The Tigers need a guy who can hit for power when he's supposed to, as he'll add to a whole bunch of power hitters that will hopefully be on next year.

2023 Prediction: Third or fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting.

Tomorrow, some remnants of a Twins team that nearly made the playoffs.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2021: Tigers

 

The 2021 Detroit Tigers. Uh...look, if it weren't for Miguel Cabrera, pretty much every Tigers team from 2015 til now would just be the mid-to-late-90s Brewers. Who the hell came out of those teams? Nobody even close to a Hall of Famer hiding in there. Jeff Cirillo? Jeromy Burnitz? Mike Matheny? Just a wasteland for people who are kinda good but never really get anywhere.

The Tigers made it to third this year on the strength of performances like Casey Mize, Jeimer Candelario, Akil Baddoo and Robbie Grossman. Aside from them, there wasn't a ton going on. The Tigers' usual band of young players tried making an impact, and a lot of them failed.

Willi Castro was the starting 2nd baseman this year, essentially warming it up for Niko Goodrum, who'll probably be starting there as Javier Baez takes short. Castro hit .220 with 91 hits in 125 games.

2022 Prediction: Will fade into the background as a utility backup and maybe have some contact moments.

Harold Castro had the better season of the two, and hit .283 with 37 RBIs in 106 games. He's clearly not at the level that he was a few years ago when coming up, but he's become a relatively useful piece, with a bit more upsides than Willi Castro and Victor Reyes.

2022 Prediction: A smaller role, then waived somewhere for him to get very hot in August. 

A surprising starting tool for the Tigers was former Brewers starter Wily Peralta, who made his way up around midyear and went from a bullpen piece to a starter. In 18 starts he had a 3.07 ERA, using small-ball, less Ks and more control to stifle opposing batters, despite a 4-5 record.

2022 Prediction: He'll make camp with somebody, maybe even the Tigers again, but I doubt he'll make the team.

And the last of the highly-touted Tigers starting prospects to make the bigs was Matt Manning, who joined Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal in the rotation this year. Manning went 4-7 with a 5.80 ERA in 18 starts, and, like Peralta and Mize, not a ton of strikeout numbers. 

2022 Prediction: A few more-big game starts, and 10 wins to boot.

Tomorrow, some reasons why the Twins came in last. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Tigers (Part Two)

 

Continuing with the 2020 Tigers, we focus now on the actual rebuilding effort, and the glut of rookies and second-year players sent in to fix this team in progress.

The starriest name of this bunch is Casey Mize, the former #1 overall pick who burned through the minors in record time and made it to the majors in August. Unfortunately, perhaps the prospectors were up to something in suggesting a more prolonged minor league tenure for Mize, as his 7 game, 6.99 ERA, 3 loss run was the result of a rushed come-up for a player simply not ready for the bigs yet. I can only hope that he'll get his stuff together by 2021, cause...I can't have Mize flame out, he's looked so good.

2021 Prediction: Some time in the minors, but 100 strikeouts once he eventually gets back to the majors, and a better sign of what's to come.

Going slightly better was the other rookie pitcher brought up alongside Mize, Tarik Skubal. In 7 starts, he posted a 5.63 ERA with a 1-4 record, marginally better than Mize's, and with more Ks with 37. 

2021 Prediction: Of Mize and Skubal, Skubal will spend more time in the majors and have better, sharper stats.

Victor Reyes, a guy who started 100 games in 2018 yet has become more valuable the less games he plays, is still a valuable outfield bench bat. In 57 games, Reyes bat .277 with 56 hits and 14 RBIs, still working with contact ability while also making a case to start again next year.

2021 Prediction: Will start for the first half of the season, but is eventually gonna fight for Daz Cameron and Riley Greene for a starting spot. 

Willi Castro was taking some much-needed shortstop starts away from Niko Goodrum, and proved to be a formidable replacement with great defensive numbers. He also hit .349 with 24 RBIs in 36 games, an impressive spread that should put a good word in to start at SS next year.

2021 Prediction: His first season as a starter will make him a crucial piece of the Tigers going further, and land him some post-season accolades.

Meanwhile, the other Castro on the Tigers, Harold Castro, had only 22 games as a utility OF/3B type, but made the most of them, hitting .347 with 17 hits. I don't know if he'll be starting anywhere next year, but his bench numbers are still very crucial.

2021 Prediction: Of the young guys in this post, Castro has the biggest chance of getting dealt sometime during next season.

And finally, Daz Cameron, Mike's son, made his debut this year after a few seasons getting prospect accolades in the minors. The 17-game minor stint, despite landing him the starting left field gig, wasn't a lucrative batting sting, as he only hit .193 with 11 hits. But the Tigers are putting a lot of trust in Daz Cameron, and 2021 may be a breakout year for him.

2021 Prediction: Will finish in the top 3 ROY voting, with some outrageous outfield defense numbers and a 150-hit year.

Coming Tomorrow- Though they weren't as huge of a playoff contender, this was still a decent Twins year.