The AL is pretty much decided at this point. The NL… less so. Let’s talk about playoff possibilities, big call-ups, and other stuff from the top half of the alphabet:
Arizona Diamondbacks
-The D’Backs have simply fallen apart this summer. The white flag was officially raised with the trade of Zack Greinke to Oakland…
-Not only that, but their biggest offensive contributor, Yasmany Tomas, is out for the rest of the year with a high ankle sprain…
-Young 22 year old righty Jake Woodford, who came over from the White Sox, has been just okay. An innings-eater and game manager at most, but that’s probably a very useful role for him right now…
-Robby Ray is said to be extremely unhappy about his demotion to the back of the pen, and might lobby for a non-tender this offseason…
-Could veteran starter Justin Masterson get another shot this September? His 2-10 record for triple-A Reno doesn’t reflect how effective he’s been through 122.2 IP this year.
Atlanta Braves
-Injuries have taken a huge toll on the Braves, who have played their way out of the NL East lead. The only help returning looks to be Michael Brantley…
-The team has really coalesced around the one-two punch of Freddy Freeman and Evan Longoria. Whatever the result, things are looking up for continued offensive production…
-Sean Newcomb is back from shoulder inflammation and will look to contribute in at least three more starts the rest of the way…
-Jarrod Dyson is up after a short but strong contribution for triple-A Gwinnett; yet another speed threat for this already speedy team…
-Wouldn’t be surprised to see Julio Teheran hit free agency this offseason. He’s got a $12 million team option but just hasn’t been a strong enough contributor for the money.
Baltimore Orioles
-Bad luck for Jon Schoop, who went down with a ruptured Achilles in August. An unfitting way to end his career as an Oriole…
-Whatever way the O’s continue their rebuild this offseason, count on it to be around Clint Frazier. His tiny 2.2 WAR just doesn’t do justice to his major contribution to the team since coming over in the Machado trade…
-Tanner Scott has struck out 104 and walked 91 in 23 starts this year. The control just isn’t there, and it’ll be interesting to see if he gets moved to the ‘pen next year…
-Keegan Akin made a nice ML debut this week by going five strong in Anaheim, striking out six. He had an outstanding year in triple-A after skipping double-A and should be inked in to the rotation going forward…
-Chris Davis has joined J.D. Martinez in playing his way out of the lineup. I doubt the O’s could give him away at this point.
Boston Red Sox
-With all of the excellent offensive production yet a dearth of home runs, it’ll be interesting to see if J.D. Martinez hits the block this winter. The big bat has been very bad and has played himself right out of the lineup…
-C/OF Blake Swihart is back and swinging a hot bat. Since he came over from the Padres at the trade deadline, he’s hit .337/.394/.547 through 104 PAs and has found a home in the middle of the lineup…
-Chris Sale has been as dominant as every, throwing 8 shutout innings in Tampa last week. It’s a sure thing that he’ll be with the Red Sox for years to come…
-Dustin Pedroia’s years as a contributor are likely over. Team sources say he’s been relegated to a hybrid coaching role to mentor the young players.
Chicago Cubs
-The Cubs are surging, having won 10 straight to tie the Cardinals again for the division lead. It’s likely that the runner-up ends up in the WC game though…
-Yet another excellent year for Jon Lester. The 16 wins this year bring his career total to 187, and it’s pretty certain he’ll eclipse 200 with two years left on his deal…
-For all the ballyhoo about Tyler Chatwood, he’s looked quite strong as of late. His step up in the past month is a big reason the Cubs are back in the hunt…
-The lineup’s “big three” in Bryant, Rizzo, and Happ looks to rule the north side for years to come as there are talks Rizzo is ready to ink a big extension…
-A fair amount of satisfaction among the pitching staff as righty sidearm Nolan Blackwood has been called up. He’s been money against righties with his sweeping delivery that almost puts him on the grass between the mound and third.
Chicago White Sox
-Your surprise team since the trade deadline? How about these Pale Hose? A 21-14 record since August 1st is good, but just too late to get into the hunt at 9 games out…
-They’ve been led by two very talented 22 year olds in Eloy Jimenez (1.012 OPS in August) and Austin Riley (combined 1.014 OPS since July 1st)…
-A lot of late injuries in the rotation as the youngsters Dallas Woolfork and Dane Dunning are at the tail end of their first year; Chris Devenski likely gets his first start since 2016…
-Lucas Giolito says he’s “ready to contribute right now,” but it’s likely he’ll be held out the remainder of the year…
-Nice to see IF Yairo Munoz get some playing time in his 8th full year as a pro. Hasn’t set the world on fire with his .258/.309/.403, but he’s been solid and has looked good all over the diamond…
-SS prospect Nick Madrigal is back from his torn meniscus and picked up right where he left off with four multi-hit games the last two weeks. Expect him to seriously contend for the open position at short next spring…
-Everyone’s been asking, “Who is Mike Shawaryn?” A 5th round pick in 2016, the product of Maryland was an injury call-up earlier this year. He’s stayed in the rotation because of his excellent stats: 14 starts, 70.2 IP, 7.5/2.5/1.4 pitching line. Righties have a .624 OPS against the sidearmer.
Cincinnati Reds
-They’re still battling the O’s for the worst record in baseball, but the Reds did play above .500 in August…
-A nice pick-up from SF came in Julian Fernandez; rumor was that he was highly sought after in July, with the Reds ending up the winner. He should eventually fill the void that Raisel Iglesias left a season ago…
-Poor Daniel Camarena is likely to finish the season with less than 2 runs of support per game throughout thirty starts. The .338 BABIP doesn’t help either; his advanced stats, however, are very promising…
-It’s been a while since Michael Lorenzen was sent to the bullpen but he has squared up nicely there this year. Look for him to continue his role as a setup man-cum-pinch hitter next year…
-OF T.J. Friedl is the only Red of note to earn the September call-up despite the fact guys like Taylor Trammal are knocking on the door.
Cleveland Indians
-Sitting comfortably in first in the relatively weak AL Central, the Tribe looks towards a probable matchup against the Astros in the ALDS…
-Paralleling real life, Jose Ramirez is making a big case for his first AL MVP selection. The little guy is the first Indian since Grady Sizemore in 2008 to join the 30/30 club and has an outside shot at 40/40 with 32 SBs…
-Corey Kluber is still the ace of this rotation but has had a rocky few weeks, giving up 7 ER to the A’s last week and at least four in 3 of his last 5 starts…
-Tommy Pham has been an outstanding replacement for Michael Brantley. Scary thing is he has two years of team control left…
-Not much to talk about in terms of call-ups for the Indians: the organization is bare on ML-ready talent, and this squad is already as strong as it needs to be.
Colorado Rockies
-Following an abysmal 9-19 August, the Rockies find themselves officially out of contention. Yet another team devastated by injury…
-Nolan Arenado has been a bit off this entire year as he’s battled a strained hip flexor off and on. He’s still doing well at third, but the contact we’re used to just hasn’t been there…
-Chalk up another terrific effort on the year by Kevin Gausman. He’s been eating a buttload of innings around the #4/5 spot in the rotation and has been a godsend for this beleagured pitching staff…
-Looks like Forrest Wall didn’t need triple-A at all. His line through 126 games this year: .308/.356/.500, good for third on the team in OPS…
-We said in an earlier QHB that Will Smith’s focus throughout the year was on pitch framing instead of swinging the bat. Neither has turned out particular great, however. “All part of the process,” management was quoted as saying.
Detroit Tigers
-How about the Corey Dickerson show in Detroit this year? That .888 OPS and 3.0 WAR is making his 3 year, $25.5 million contract look like a super deal…
-A bit of a fizzly start for last year’s #1 overall pick Brady Singer so far, and now word is that he’s developed a bit of a forearm strain. He’s approaching 120 IP overall so don’t be surprised if he’s shut down for the year out of caution…
-Real bad optics last week on the part of Maikel Franco oversleeping and missing team practice — on two separate occasions. That sub-.600 OPS over 477 PAs all but ensures a non-tender this offseason…
-Luis M. Castillo is another starter who has been an absolute workhorse this year. The 9.1/2.4/1.4 pitching line has “stud” written all over it in the cavernous reaches of Comerica Park…
-Nice year in triple-A for the 30-year old reliever Brian Moran, who gets a well-deserved call-up this month. He’s trying to follow in Shane Greene’s footsteps in remaking his career in the bullpen.
Houston Astros
-Fresh off a second AL Player of the Week award on the year, Kyle Tucker has added a much-needed offensive presence while Carlos Correa has been on the shelf…
-Any AL catchers looking for the Silver Slugger award are going to have to go through Victor Caratini. His outstanding line through 74 games: .345/.415/.530…
-A quick check-in on Michael Kopech: he’s been sent to the ‘pen after giving up 3 hrs in 6 apps…
-Craig Kimbrel’s ERA in 28 apps for the Red Sox: 8.22. In 28 apps for the Astros: 1.82. Look out October…
-Looks like top prospect Yordan Alvarez finally got the call. He’ll slot in behind Joey Votto at first and get a few raps here and there.
Kansas City Royals
-All four regular rotation starters are in double-digit losses this year. Tells you how desperate this team is for offense…
-Konnor Pilkington, last year’s 4th rounder, gets popped to triple-A after a serviceable season at high-A. He’ll spend the next year or so working on that control…
-Richard Lovelady, as we commented earlier, looks like the closer of the future in KC. He’s got a fastball that can hit the mid-90s with natural movement, along with a straight change that drops to the low-70s…
-Nicky Lopez finally got the call this month. The Bolingbrook, IL product smashed triple-A this year to the tune of a 126 OPS+ over 81 games…
-Their last series win? Against the Indians last month. Since then they’ve lost 11 straight.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
-Looking more and more like Shohei Ohtani is going to be a position player for the long haul. He hasn’t pitched since July 20th…
-J.C. Ramirez is having a good bounce back season. He’s been the swingman for the staff but has posted a respectable 7.1/4.0/1.0 pitching line through 128 IP…
-It’ll be interesting to see how Corbin Burnes recovers from his partially torn UCL. Team doctors said they had briefly considered completing the tear and sewing it back up anew, as recovery from a partial tear can ultimately weaken the ligament…
-Kole Calhoun is probably lumped into the Chris Davis camp of non-production. If it weren’t for his terrific RF play, he’d be out of the lineup for sure…
-Good chance Bo Bichette gets at least some ROTY votes, though probably not overwhelmingly so. Fans want him to be the next Mike Trout, but the team would settle for a productive regular at this point.
Los Angeles Dodgers
-They’re #1 in just about every category, and they’re on pace for 117 wins, which would just beat the Mariners 116 in 2001…
-Not only that, but three of their lower-tier MiLB teams will be in their respective playoffs…
-C Keibart Ruiz earned a September call-up and will spell Sally Perez from time to time, who has been in and out of the lineup with sore knees…
-Cody Bellinger continues to mash the ball. His .705 SLG alone should put him in the MVP conversation…
-Beyond the excellence of this season, three big bats in Goldschmidt, Puig, and Blackmon are set to be FA’s at year’s end. Look for at least one of them to enter extension talks, with Puig the most likely to do so.
Miami Marlins
-Even being 12 games under .500 is a huge step forward for these Marlins, who clocked in at 51 wins last year…
-#2 overall pick Mike Grawl has been excellent in low-A ball with the bat, but even more so with the glove. It seems like he makes a highlight reel play every night…
-Really bad luck for Nathan Karns, who was having a solid year out of the bullpen for the team. He’s eligible for arbitration, but by being set to miss the opening month next year, he might be non-tendered…
-Very nice to see Hamlet Marte gnash his way from double-A to a September call-up. Quite an amazing story he’s written for himself after overcoming opioid addiction a few years ago.
Milwaukee Brewers
-With the Brewers out of the playoff hunt, they can afford to devote time for developing the young stars. Keston Hiura has been first priority there…
-Bad break for Lorenzo Cain, who tore his left meniscus in a freak accident running for a ball…
-It’s somewhat surprising to see Eduardo Escobar manning CF, given his age and lack of raw speed, but this looks to be another case of spreading things around while out of the race…
-Jordan Zimmermann would be a great candidate for comeback player of the year. He owns a very respectable 4.0 K/BB ratio and only strikes out 6.4 K/9…
-Look for Grant Holmes to get a start or two before the year is out. He’ll be Rule V eligible so it would make sense to just start the clock now.
Minnesota Twins
-Yasmani Grandal has been a tour de force behind the plate, despite a .310 OBP. Would be surprised if he wasn’t tops in Gold Glove voting…
-The Twins have a very relaxed schedule the rest of the way with only the A’s in real contention, so it’s quite vexing to see no September call-ups…
-Kyle Gibson is the only real big FA this offseason. If you’re a team looking for an innings eater, look no further than Gibson’s 164 IP this year…
-Don’t look now, but Zack Littell looks to be the next man up in the highly productive Twins MiLB system. Though his overall stats at triple-A don’t scream superstar, he’s only 23 and has a lot of development left.
Joey Fats is the LL manager of the Chicago White Sox. He is a 30-year old married white male living in Illinois.