Latest news with #LeviWeaver
New York Times
7 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Catch up on a frantic MLB Trade Deadline Eve, plus Ohtani's status
The Windup Newsletter ⚾ | This is The Athletic's MLB newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Windup directly in your inbox. We got some answers yesterday: The Reds, Red Sox and *sigh* I guess the Angels are buyers. The Cardinals and Giants are sellers. Eugenio Suárez is a Mariner. Jhoan Duran? Phillies. The deadline isn't until 6 p.m. ET today, but it was a wild Deadline Eve, with more than a dozen trades involving big-league players. I'm Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal — welcome to The Windup! By the time you read this, check your texts: It's possible you've been traded. Here's a list of all the deals that went down Wednesday: Other trades: The Yankees picked up Austin Slater from the White Sox, the Tigers are the latest destination for Rafael Montero and Tyler Kinley is going from the Rockies to the Braves. Get the latest: Our live blog is being updated constantly, and if you need a one-stop repository for trade reports, grades and analysis, here ya go! Barring a dramatic shift today, the 47-62 Pirates are likely to keep right-hander Mitch Keller, according to major-league sources briefed on their discussions. A trade of Keller represents perhaps the Pirates' best chance to acquire impact offensive talent. But The Athletic reported last Friday that the Pirates were torn on moving Keller, who is in the second year of a five-year, $77 million contract. Advertisement An executive from a team interested in Keller, granted anonymity for his candor, said his team has not 'even bothered' continuing its pursuit of the pitcher, citing the Pirates' reluctance to seriously engage. There are multiple reasons the Pirates might balk at trading Keller, 29. The difficulty of replacing his performance could be one. The lack of quality offers from teams that perceive him as nothing more than a mid-rotation starter might be another. Moving Keller would clear his salaries of $16.5 million, $18 million and $20 million the next three seasons. But the Pirates also could seek to fill their offensive void by moving right-hander Bailey Falter, 28, or Braxton Ashcraft, 25, and others. None of the Pirates on expiring contracts — outfielder Tommy Pham, infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa and left-hander Andrew Heaney — are likely to bring back hitters who would bolster the 2026 roster. Closer David Bednar and setup man Dennis Santana, both of whom are under club control for an additional season, carry greater value, but perhaps not enough to land a difference-maker. More Rosenthal: A.J. Preller hasn't struck yet, but the Padres are still pursuing a fascinating trio of names: Steven Kwan, Jarren Duran and Mason Miller. Miller, for what it's worth, was 'unavailable' for a save situation last night. One interesting rumor that has surfaced in recent days: the 62-47 Astros have interest in bringing back SS Carlos Correa from the Twins. Sentimental? Sure. But big-picture, it doesn't seem like a logical move for the Astros. First of all, Correa is signed to superstar money, but between injuries and just-plain struggling, he has thus far failed to produce at a superstar level in Minnesota, alternating good and bad years. Correa is signed through 2028 (at least; there are team options) with just under $100 million owed over the next three-plus seasons. There's space on the active roster for him, thanks to injuries to SS Jeremy Peña (who is expected to start a rehab assignment on Friday) and 3B Isaac Paredes. But unless the Twins were willing to eat a lot of Correa's contract (spoiler: they're not), Correa would put the Astros over the luxury tax threshold for a second season. Advertisement If they're up for that, why wouldn't they bring in a player whose immediate impact and contract situations more closely align with their situation? Other rumors and implications: The last time Shohei Ohtani left the mound with a trainer, it was August 23, 2023. Facing the Reds as a member of the Angels, Ohtani walked Spencer Steer in the second inning, then got Joey Votto to pop out before leaving the game. He didn't pitch again until June 16 of this year. Last night, again facing the Reds, Ohtani threw six consecutive balls in the fourth inning, including two wild pitches. In the middle of yet another Steer at-bat, manager Dave Roberts came to the mound, accompanied by a trainer. Ohtani left the mound with a 2-0 count, and the baseball world held its collective breath. There was a bit of an exhale when he came out to take his next at-bat, remaining in the game as the designated hitter. During the sixth inning, the team announced that Ohtani had left the game with 'cramps.' That was a welcome diagnosis, since the Dodgers have already suffered a slew of pitching injuries, with 11 pitchers on the IL — including starters Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Tony Gonsolin, River Ryan and Gavin Stone — along with swing guys like Michael Grove and the aptly-named Kyle Hurt. We'll see if they add more pitching before the deadline, and we'll keep you posted on if this will impact Ohtani's ability to continue to pitch. More catastrophe averted: It's not 'good news' that Ronald Acuña Jr. is injured, but given what was feared — an injury to his Achilles tendon — it is at least 'much less bad' news that it's 'only' a Grade 1 strain in his lower calf. It was curious that the Cubs called up Moisés Ballesteros, rather than Owen Caissie. But Ballesteros had a big hit in the Cubs' 10-3 win over the Brewers. Now they can turn their attention to the deadline. In light of Bryce Harper's recent verbal altercation with Rob Manfred, Max Scherzer says he's looking forward to the commissioner's visit to the Blue Jays clubhouse. He just wants to ask some questions! Advertisement Conor O'Neill spoke to Billy Beane about Moneyball, sports' data revolution, and his role as a Trojan horse. On the pods: On Rates and Barrels, the crew discusses deadline trends and the heating-up Cincinnati Reds. Most-clicked in our last newsletter: The awesome interactive graphic showing how often each team has traded with every other team. 📫 Love The Windup? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters.
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Pitcher traded from one dugout to the other, plus MLB's messy standings
The Windup Newsletter ⚾ | This is The Athletic's MLB newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Windup directly in your inbox. Yesterday put the 'dead' in deadline, as the most interesting development was a trade that wasn't. That'll likely change today. Plus: determining MLB's most (and least) frequent trade partners, Ken on the Astros' pursuit of Dylan Cease, and… who is the best team in baseball, anyway? I'm Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal — welcome to The Windup! I grew up in Texas, where we learned pretty young: There's a tornado watch (which means, 'The conditions for a tornado are present, so keep an eye out'), and then there's a tornado warning (which means, 'AHHH! There's a tornado!!'). 'Hug watch' has, in the social media era, been a way for fans, broadcasters and writers alike to get a heads up that a player might have been traded in the middle of a game — they go around hugging their teammates goodbye, and off they go. Advertisement Last night, Twins closer Jhoan Duran was caught on the broadcast giving a hug to his bullpen catcher Frank Nigro. And look, Minnesota is 51-56. Duran is a top-tier closer having a great year. He's one of a few Twins whose names keep popping up in trade rumors. 'The conditions for a trade are present, so keep an eye out …' But sometimes a hug is just a hug. Duran is still a member of the Twins. For now. There was one trade yesterday, though. Between games of a doubleheader, the Blue Jays and Orioles made a swap — Baltimore sent reliever Seranthony Dominguez to the visitors' clubhouse in exchange for 23-year-old RHP Jauron Watts-Brown who — believe it or not — was also playing against the team to whom he was traded. (Here's Keith Law with analysis.) By the way, if it seems like yesterday was a calm-before-the-storm day, you're not wrong. Chad Jennings and Will Sammon tell us why that's been the case — and why it's about to change. And once it pops off … We have all the significant trades and grades, all in one place! Feel free to bookmark this, especially over the next 36 hours or so. From my latest story, with Chandler Rome: Astros owner Jim Crane fancies star power. Padres right-hander Dylan Cease is one of the biggest stars available on the trade market. Perhaps it should come as no surprise, then, that Cease is at the top of the Astros' wish list as the trade deadline nears, according to sources briefed on the team's discussions. Cease, 29, would stabilize the Astros' injury-depleted rotation for the rest of the season, and join All-Star right-hander Hunter Brown and left-hander Framber Valdez to give the team a potentially dominant trio in a postseason series. The Astros, while dealing with lingering injuries to designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, All-Star shortstop Jeremy Pena and All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes, also are in the market for a hitter. Advertisement The challenge for the Astros might be finding a suitable match with the Padres, who are only interested in trading the pitcher if they can improve their current major-league roster. Acquiring Cease and the remainder of his $13.75 million salary also would almost assure the Astros will cross the luxury tax for a second consecutive season. With a league-leading 17 players on the injured list, the Astros would prefer not to trade young, controllable major leaguers. Yet their farm system, according to Keith Law, ranks 29th in the league. More here. This three-part series has been one of my favorite things to read this year. First, it was Andy McCullough outlining the various personalities of MLB front office executives. Then he gave us the four simple rules for GMs to navigate the trade deadline without irking their peers. Today, it's Zack Meisel, who dove deep on a topic I've always found fascinating: Why do some teams seem to hook up on trades regularly, while others seem not to even have each other's phone numbers? I'm not sure I've ever given our graphics department a shout in this newsletter, but I need to do just that today. Look at this cool thing, showing how often teams have hooked up on trades since 2024: And what's more: In the article itself, you can hover over any of those squares to get more details. I love it. After watching the Blue Jays drop both ends of a doubleheader to the Orioles yesterday, I had the thought: 'Wait, didn't they have the best record in baseball recently?' First of all, yes they did. But it sent me down a rabbit hole, with two questions in mind: To the first question: I built a spreadsheet, and I have an answer. Here's the list of who has spent the most days this season with the best record in baseball. But while the Tigers have been the best team more often than anyone else this year, they've been in the middle of a rough stretch lately. That left a void at the top, meaning that in the 13 days since the All-Star break, we've seen the 'best record' change hands or become tied seven times. That includes three teams — the Cubs, Brewers and Blue Jays — who took the throne for the first time this season, all within a seven-day period. Advertisement So, what does all of this mean? I'm not sure, I just thought it was really interesting. If there needs to be a point, maybe it's that the commissioner picked a bad time to talk about how the league needs more parity? Speaking of which: Ian O'Connor talks about Curt Flood's legacy, and lays out the reasons why MLB should never have a salary cap. Jacob Wilson of the A's was looking like the AL Rookie of the Year. Now he's on the IL with a fractured left forearm, and his teammate Nick Kurtz — who hit four home runs in a game last week — might be the new favorite. The Ryne Sandberg memorials keep coming. After losing 12 of 13, the Tigers have now won three straight. Was it random variance? The return of Kerry Carpenter? Or was it Riley Greene's mustache? Who can say? An NL East star outfielder left the game early with an injury. Choose your own link: Ronald Acuña, Jr. or Juan Soto. The Reds need a bat. Their positional flexibility means they can cast a wider net than most. The Dodgers need to acquire a reliever at the deadline? OK, but the Dodgers already have a recently acquired reliever at home. Bad news: the Royals DFA'd Rich Hill. Good news: maybe now he'll break an MLB record and pitch for a 15th team? On the pods: It's a podcast-heavy day. Check this out: Most-clicked in our last newsletter: Framber Valdez questioning the Astros' defensive positioning after a fifth straight loss. 📫 Love The Windup? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
MLB trade deadline week underway after very busy HOF weekend
The Windup Newsletter ⚾ | This is The Athletic's MLB newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Windup directly in your inbox. It is officially trade deadline week. We do our best to get you ready for that, while also looking back at a weekend that was jam-packed with action, from the Hall of Fame inductions to a historic night by an A's rookie. I'm Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal — welcome to The Windup! We've already seen a few big moves, with the Yankees picking up not just one (Ryan McMahon), but two (Amed Rosario) infielders, the Mets making their first bullpen move (Gregory Soto from Baltmore) and Seattle scooping up one of the best available bats (Josh Naylor from the DBacks). Also, a major deadline development: Seth Lugo is off the market, having signed a multi-year extension with the Royals. Advertisement But Wednesday and Thursday (until 6 p.m. ET) should still be very chaotic, with multiple teams making a final call on whether to buy, sell, or 'thread the needle.' I wrote a deadline primer this morning, trying to differentiate between the legitimate possibilities and the noise. Here's an excerpt — one move I think will happen, and another that seems less likely: Likely — Rangers add … but where?: Texas is 9-1 in their last 10 games, and look at that: they're tied for the third AL wild-card position. The question is … where will they add? The previously-anemic offense has been clicking in July, and Joc Pederson just came off the IL. Jake Burger will be back soon, too. The bullpen recently lost Chris Martin, but essentially replaced him when Jon Gray returned from the IL. Something tells me injury returns won't be the extent of the additions. My guess: a closer, a la Ryan Helsley, Jhoan Durán or a reunion with Pete Fairbanks. Unlikely — Red Sox trade Jarren Duran: I could squint and see if two weeks ago. But after the injury to Marcelo Mayer — which will likely mean Ceddanne Rafaela playing more infield, meaning Duran will be needed more in center field. Read all the rest of the rumor assessments here. More Deadline: From my latest column: Here's the conundrum for the Dodgers, Blue Jays and all the other contenders with at least a passing interest in adding a top reliever: Do you overpay for an elite, controllable late-inning weapon like the Athletics' Mason Miller, Cleveland Guardians' Emmanuel Clase or Twins' Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax? Or, for maybe 30 percent of the price, do you acquire the Cardinals' Ryan Helsley as a rental? Relievers are so volatile, so prone to fluctuate from season to season, even month to month, additional years of club control matter less than they do with more stable performers. The teams peddling those pitchers, of course, see it differently, valuing them as long-term assets in trade discussions and asking for big returns. The game of chicken, particularly in the bullpen market, is on. Will the Dodgers, who placed five prospects in Keith Law's latest top 60, leverage their deep farm system for a Clase or Duran when they spent more than $100 million on their 'pen last offseason precisely to avoid making an uncomfortable trade? Will the Blue Jays take the plunge to address their most glaring need in what is shaping up to be a special season? How about the Tigers, whose bullpen ranks 28th in strikeout rate? The Yankees, who face the potential losses of Devin Williams and Luke Weaver in free agency? The Phillies, who still need help after signing free agent David Robertson? Advertisement The only other potential free-agent closers known to be available are the Padres' Robert Suarez, who leads the majors in saves and is expected to decline a pair of $8 million options at the end of the season; the Braves' Raisel Iglesias, whose results are poor even though his strikeout and walk rates are similar to what they were the past two years; and the Nationals' Kyle Finnegan, who has a declining strikeout rate and 4.50 ERA. Predictably, teams seeking late-inning help are complaining that the prices for the long-term options are exorbitant. What else would they be with the deadline still days away? More here. And more reliever market: Baseball got wild during Hall of Fame weekend: An MVP hit the IL, a rookie had an unprecedented night, a catcher is on pace for (more) records and … well, let's get to it, shall we? It was — as always — a special weekend in Cooperstown, as Dick Allen, CC Sabathia, Ichiro Suzuki, Dave Parker and Billy Wagner were inducted into the Hall of Fame. Jayson Stark and Tyler Kepner were there for the festivities. There's a definitive roundup here, telling us how each player got there, and featuring highlights from each player's speech — including Dave Parker's son (David II) speaking on behalf of his dad, who recently passed away, plus Ichiro's playful swipe at the one voter who didn't vote for him). Speaking of which … it's not the first time Ichiro was left off one ballot. The last time was in 2001, when a lone voter prevented Ichiro from being the unanimous Rookie of the Year winner. Zack Meisel spoke to that writer for this story. Other coverage from Cooperstown: More Hall of Fame: Sabathia's arrival in Cooperstown was delayed briefly. The cause? Car trouble! Mike Trout expected to be playing the field long before now. His knee still won't let him, and it's causing complications for the Angels roster. Is it time for him to be a full-time DH? From last Friday: An MLB pitcher walked away from $12 million in 2011. He spoke to Jayson Jenks, and said he doesn't regret it. Advertisement We love a good-natured prank between friends. Reds manager Terry Francona struck the most recent blow in his prank war with Rays skipper Kevin Cash. (Meanwhile, the Reds' slow climb into wild-card troublemaker continues.) A Venezuelan youth baseball team was denied entry into the U.S. for a tournament. So that's all going super great, yeah? Most-clicked in our last newsletter: Jayson Stark's look at which active players are on their way to Cooperstown. 📫 Love The Windup? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters.
New York Times
22-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
A walk-off catcher's interference deep dive. Plus: Rich Hill returns
The Windup Newsletter ⚾ | This is The Athletic's MLB newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Windup directly in your inbox. I bet you haven't ever seen this play before. Plus: Ken has notes on the Nats and O's, Rich Hill is back again and the Brewers are … the best team in baseball?! I'm Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal — welcome to The Windup! Just how strange was the end of the Phillies-Red Sox game? It featured something we haven't seen since 1971. Here's the situation: It's 2-2 in the bottom of the 10th inning, with Brandon Marsh on second base. Red Sox pitcher Jordan Hicks walked Otto Kemp, then both runners advanced on a wild pitch, leading to an intentional walk to load the bases. And then… *To the tune of 'That's Amore'* 'Whennnnn thaaaaa bat hits the mitt, it's the same as a hit: in-ter-ference.' Edmundo Sosa's bat hit the glove of Carlos Narváez. That's catcher's interference. Free base. Run scored. It was, per Sarah Langs, the first walk-off catcher's interference since Aug. 1, 1971, when Johnny Bench made the mistake against the Dodgers. Advertisement I did a little digging on that one … wanna learn some real baseball sicko information with me? The Dodgers trailed by a run going into the 11th inning of that game, scoring the tying run when Bill Buckner was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. After a forceout at home plate, the box score shows the pitcher (Joe Gibbon) balking with the bases loaded, but the runners did not advance. Then came the catcher's interference, allowing the run to score. Wait, what? Why didn't the Dodgers score on the balk? Here's the answer, thanks to the folks at Baseball Toaster (h/t Retrosheet). The runner at third (Manny Mota) attempted to steal home on the play. Bench stepped in front of the plate, triggering Rule 7.07: If, with a runner on third base and trying to score by means of a squeeze play or a steal, the catcher or any other fielder steps on, or in front of home base without possession of the ball, or touches the batter or his bat, the pitcher shall be charged with a balk, the batter shall be awarded first base on the interference and the ball is dead. So both a balk and catcher's interference were called! Mystery solved. More Phillies: Did you know they have a pitcher named Max Lazar? Also, he's gaining his manager's trust. More weirdness: A fan fell into the basket at Wrigley Field last night. From my most recent notes column: Nats' DeBartolo aiming to keep young players: Mike DeBartolo, the Nationals' interim GM, told reporters Saturday that he is not looking to trade any of the team's better young players — left fielder James Wood and left-hander MacKenzie Gore, both of whom were first-time All-Stars, as well as shortstop CJ Abrams and outfielder Dylan Crews. Gore, with two additional years of club control remaining, is at the same level of service as Juan Soto when the Nationals sent him to the San Diego Padres at the 2022 deadline. But the Nationals are in a different place now than they were then. A more uncertain place, even though by now they should be coming out of their rebuild. Advertisement The firings of president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez on July 6 left the Nationals in need not just of a new, permanent top executive, but also an organizational direction. Ownership must decide whom to hire, what the future payrolls will be, how in general it wants to proceed. DeBartolo obviously will need to listen if teams call on Gore. But barring a mammoth offer, trading the lefty in advance of such determinations would be ill-advised. As one rival executive put it, if the Nationals were going to entrust DeBartolo with such a move, they might as well make him permanent GM. The Nationals aren't ready to do that just yet. Aside from closer Kyle Finnegan, who had back-to-back nightmarish outings before rebounding Saturday, the Nats' most attractive trade chip might be right-hander Michael Soroka. Rival clubs view Soroka's 5.10 ERA as misleading. Entering Sunday, his 3.22 expected ERA was in the top 25 percent of the league, and his strikeout and walk rates were in the top 30 percent. Rutschman's future in Baltimore in question? The Orioles' selections of two players listed as catchers with their first two draft picks did not reflect a lack of confidence in Adley Rutschman, according to a source briefed on the club's thinking. Still, Rutschman's long-term future in Baltimore is not as certain as it once appeared. He is under club control for only two more seasons. The Orioles' interest in signing him to an extension might be waning. Their top prospect, Samuel Basallo, also is a catcher. The draft, at least, was a separate matter. While some picks get to the majors more quickly than in the past, most still take years to develop. So, teams generally focus on the best available players rather than target specific needs. The Orioles' top pick, Ike Irish at No. 19, is not purely a catcher. He played 41 games in right field and four in left at Auburn this season, and caught in only 12. The Orioles love his bat. They'll figure out his position later. Advertisement The team's second choice, Caden Bodine at No. 30, is strictly a catcher, but the Orioles simply saw him as good value. The Athletic's Keith Law, in his final mock draft, projected Bodine going to the Tampa Bay Rays at No. 14. had him going to the Diamondbacks at No. 18. More notes here. I know; we've been writing about the Brewers an awful lot lately. But with their 6-0 win over the Mariners last night, a couple of milestones were crossed. I've harped on how many players the Brewers have lost in the last half-decade, but I should be fair: It's not like the players they have left are a bunch of anonymous nobodies. Christian Yelich: NL MVP in 2018 (and second in 2019) before injuries walloped him, but his 223 home runs rank him 27th among active players (between Juan Soto and Rafael Devers). He's thriving as their DH. Jackson Chourio: No. 2 on Keith Law's top 100 prospects list in 2024. Brice Turang: I've been telling you about him since last May! Rhys Hoskins: Former Phillies star with 186 career homers. Freddy Peralta: Two-time All-Star, leading baseball with 12 wins. Brandon Woodruff: Also a two-time All-Star who finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting in 2021 and has been brilliant since returning from injury. Yes, there are also lesser-known names — let's talk about Caleb Durbin and Isaac Collins soon. But it's not like this roster is the Bad News Bears. More underdogs: The Blue Jays cannot stop beating the New York Yankees. Rich Hill is 45 years old. He has pitched for the … *deep breath* Cubs, Orioles, Red Sox (first time), Guardians (under their former name), Angels, Yankees, Red Sox (again), A's, Dodgers, Twins, Rays, Mets, Red Sox (thrice), Pirates and Padres and Red Sox (just get married already). That's 13 big-league teams, one short of the record set by Edwin Jackson. But according to reports last night, it appears Hill will tie Jackson's record very soon: Kansas City signed Hill to a minor-league deal in May, and he is expected to make his Royals debut as early as tonight. As for what role Hill will play, we won't know until the move is officially announced and Royals manager Matt Quatraro is able to speak to the media about it. The Royals currently have six pitchers — including Michael Lorenzen, Cole Ragans and Hunter Harvey — on the IL. Do we believe in the Mets' youth? Tim Britton makes the case that we should. Dennis Lin says the Padres' deadline moves should keep 2026 in focus, too. Spencer Jones' name has been kicked around in a lot of trade rumors. Chris Kirschner spoke to the Yankees prospect, who says he wants to make his big-league debut in pinstripes. Advertisement Jim Bowden has a league-wide deadline rundown with what each team is looking to accomplish. Pete Crow-Armstrong's knee bruise is a reminder for the Cubs: depth is important. On the pods: On 'Rates & Barrels,' Eno is back to discuss a sneaky pitcher waiting in the wings for the Rangers, and the inconsistency of Jesús Luzardo. And on 'The Roundtable,' they discuss that Acuña throw and whether the D-Backs should be buyers or sellers. Most-clicked in our last newsletter: Once again, the story behind the viral photo of Billye Aaron during the All-Star Game.
New York Times
22-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
MLB Power Rankings: Tigers. Cubs. Brewers. Sheesh! Plus: second-half storylines to watch
By Grant Brisbee, Chad Jennings and Levi Weaver Every week, we ask a selected group of our baseball writers — local and national — to rank the teams from first to worst. Here are the collective results. Ah, the start of the second half. Inexperienced baseball fans pay far too much attention to the first week of the season, but the seasoned nerds among us know that it's the first week of the second half that deserves outsized scrutiny and complaints. There's a gap of almost a full week between real games, which builds the anticipation up like a kinked garden hose. And then, whammo, all the baseball you can handle, and now every game means twice as much. It feels that way, at least. Let's rank powers and see who is up and down to start the second half. Record: 60-41 Last Power Ranking: 2 Second-half storyline: How many of these breakout seasons will last? Twenty-two players have taken at least one plate appearance for the Detroit Tigers this year. Of those 22, seven are on pace for (or have already surpassed) their career high in bWAR. Of those who have not, you have Riley Greene, who is on pace for 4.4 bWAR (still pretty good!) and Javier Báez, for whom — after the last couple of years — 'on pace for 3.2 bWAR' feels kind of like a miracle. Advertisement Let's do the pitchers: 23 (not counting position players) have thrown at least one pitch for Detroit. Of those, you have nine on pace for new career highs. To be fair, that number includes some first-year rookies, but it also includes Tarik Skubal, who won the AL Cy Young Award last year. Of the pitchers who aren't on pace for career highs? Casey Mize, who had a pretty good 2021 but has been mostly derailed by injuries since. Like Báez, his 'on pace for' 2.4 WAR seems like a big win for Detroit. — Levi Weaver Record: 59-41 Last Power Ranking: 4 Second-half storyline: Now if they can just stick the landing… The Cubs have had a lot of things go right in the first half: Pete Crow-Armstrong is a legitimate star, Matthew Boyd is an All-Star, Seiya Suzuki is roughing up opposing pitchers; literally Drew Pomeranz — who, again, last pitched in the big leagues in 2021 — is pitching like a bullpen bully. They've also had some bad luck. Justin Steele is out for the year. Shota Imanaga has also spent some time on the IL. Matt Shaw hasn't fully blossomed. Ian Happ has been good-but-not-great as a leadoff hitter. So it has to feel good to come out of the gate in the second half by winning two of three, laying claim to the best record in the National L— excuse me, what are you guys doing here?!?! — Weaver Record: 59-42 Last Power Ranking: 1 Second-half storyline: Just how much can they get out of Shohei Ohtani (the pitcher)? Before the season started, the idea of Ohtani returning to the mound for the Dodgers seemed like a quaint midseason development. Certainly, they weren't going to need him, and they could use him however they wanted. Then 80 percent of their rotation fell into a wheat thresher, and suddenly he's looking like the best option to start one of the first two games of a postseason series. He just needs to ramp up his strength and go through the command funkiness that every Tommy John recovery comes with. Advertisement No pressure. But also, all of the pressure. Let's get stretched out, and don't stop hitting dingers along the way. — Grant Brisbee Record: 60-40 Last Power Ranking: 10 Second-half storyline: Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? There's a philosophical belief that all pain and suffering comes from the inability to let go or release. Whether that be hopes and dreams, people, possessions, desires — the need to cling to whatever you believe will bring you fulfillment is where the problem begins, and true enlightenment comes from understanding the temporal nature of all things, and your relationship to all things (which is also temporal). If you can explain what the Brewers are doing in any simpler terms, I invite you to fill in for me next time I'm responsible for their blurb in these Power Rankings. In last Friday's Windup, I added up the bWAR of 12 former Brewers around the league, and it added up to 14.5 bWAR, or — at the time — the combination of Aaron Judge (7.1) Shohei Ohtani (4.3) and Jacob deGrom (3.1). So maybe they've figured out something the rest of us haven't. Or maybe they'll crash and burn in the second half. For now, after Monday's win over the Mariners, they have the best record in baseball, and it's blowing my mind. — Weaver Record: 57-43 Last Power Ranking: 3 Second-half storyline: Is this the year? The Phillies have been one of the best teams in baseball the past three years, and they're making it four in a row this season. Once again, the Phillies have arguably the best rotation in baseball; their offensive trio of Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and Trea Turner is also among the best. According to FanGraphs, only the Dodgers have meaningfully better World Series odds. But the past three seasons have ended in disappointment, and the Phillies have been eliminated earlier and earlier in the postseason. This is a championship-or-bust era for the Phillies. They've been very good, but they're still missing a ring. Is this the year it changes? And how aggressive will they be at the deadline in pursuit of a championship? — Chad Jennings Record: 55-45 Last Power Ranking: 7 Second-half storyline: What does 'going to town' mean? A little before the All-Star break, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman addressed the team's approach to the trade deadline by saying, 'We're going to town. We're going to do everything we possibly can to improve ourselves and try to match up.' With the Yankees, 'going to town' can mean a pretty big splash. Their farm system isn't great, but they're always a threat to take on salary to make big-ticket acquisitions possible. They've also been, at times, really good this season (at other times, maddeningly inconsistent). Undoubtedly, the Yankees will do something, and probably something substantial. But will it be enough to make them World Series favorites down the stretch? Clearly, they need help. The Yankees got back to the World Series last year but haven't won a championship since 2009. — Jennings Record: 59-41 Last Power Ranking: 8 Second-half storyline: Is this team this good? Pretty basic question, really, but the Blue Jays are a puzzle. A 10-game winning streak in the weeks before the All-Star break boosted them into first place, but as of late May, they were a sub-.500 team with a roughly 70 percent chance of missing the playoffs. Even now, their run differential is somewhere between that of the Reds and Giants, which isn't exactly elite company. The Yankees, Rays and Red Sox have been far better at outscoring their opponents. To be in first place in the AL East is impressive, and usually a sign of a legitimate World Series contender. Should we really think of the Blue Jays that way? And can they do something at the trade deadline to convince us one way or the other? — Jennings Advertisement Record: 58-42 Last Power Ranking: 5 Second-half storyline: Will there be an AL West race? For a second, it looked like the Astros were going to run away with the sucker, leading by as many as seven games in the week before the All-Star break. A brutal homestand against the Guardians and Rangers, followed by a series loss against the Mariners on the road, has changed the calculus. The Mariners aren't nipping at their heels, but they're close enough to start tensing their jaw muscles. They'll need deadline help, and it'll probably be on the offensive side, even though they have nearly a full rotation on the 60-day IL. They'll worry about the pitching, but someone else is going to bring the hitting. — Brisbee Record: 57-44 Last Power Ranking: 6 Second-half storyline: Is the rotation good enough? As of June 13, the Mets had the second-best record in baseball — best in the National League — in large part because of their rotation, which was elite with a 2.78 ERA. No other big league rotation had an ERA below 3.00. Kodai Senga was the league leader in ERA at that point, with David Peterson and Clay Holmes also in the top 20. But the Mets' rotation stumbled in the second half of June and into the All-Star break. Its ERA jumped to 5.31 with Senga and Tylor Megill hurt. Now, Senga is healthy again, Sean Manaea is finally active and Peterson is a first-time All-Star. With Holmes and Frankie Montas, do the Mets have enough starting pitching? If not, does this trade market have the front-end arm that could make a significant difference? — Jennings Record: 54-48 Last Power Ranking: 14 Second-half storyline: Is their outfield a wasted logjam or valuable depth? This storyline could extend into the offseason, but in the short term, it's a fascinating factor in the team's approach to the trade deadline and the final analysis of all that comes after. The Red Sox are an interesting but imperfect team (as evidenced by their stunning Rafael Devers trade in June). They need pitching (again), their first baseman is hurt (again), and their middle infield is a weird combination of talent without immediate results. But their outfield is overflowing, especially since the arrival of top prospect Roman Anthony to play alongside Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela. Advertisement The Red Sox could trade from that depth to address a more glaring need. If they do, and someone gets hurt, they'll look suddenly thin. If they don't and miss the playoffs, they will have perhaps missed an opportunity to improve. The ball's in your court, Craig Breslow. — Jennings Record: 53-47 Last Power Ranking: 13 Second-half storyline: Forget the all-time record for catchers — can Big Dumper get to 60 homers? Salvador Pérez holds the record for 48 catcher home runs, a record he set in 2021. Cal Raleigh is just 10 homers behind that with more than 60 games to go. Assuming regular health, that's a record that's as good as broken. Can he get to 60, though? That's much trickier. Every slugger hits a dry patch; Raleigh's just hasn't come yet. Maybe it'll never come, and he's certainly on pace. Another storyline to watch is with the Mariners' postseason chase, but in a way, that's a part of the same storyline. — Brisbee Record: 52-49 Last Power Ranking: 9 Second-half storyline: Is Shane McClanahan the sport's biggest trade deadline addition? No one is suggesting the Rays are going to trade McClanahan, but they should get him back off the IL right around the trade deadline. That's a potential ace joining a team on the playoff bubble. And if McClanahan is at his best, he could push the Rays into a wild card spot with a rotation that should worry everyone — McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen, Ryan Pepiot, Zack Littell, Shane Baz — along with a sneaky good offense that's top five in the AL in runs per game. Adding a homegrown ace to fuel a second-half playoff run would be one of the most Rays things imaginable. And it could happen (or they could sell at the deadline and try again next year). — Jennings Record: 55-45 Last Power Ranking: 11 Second-half storyline: Where are the runs going to come from? Advertisement The Padres are a sneaky-awful offensive team. They're ranked 24th in adjusted OPS (OPS+) and have an unadjusted OPS under .700. They've hit just 86 home runs, which is behind the Marlins, Giants and, gasp, Rockies. This is pretty remarkable, considering that Manny Machado and Fernando Tatís Jr. have each hit 16 homers or more. They'll hope to get those dingers from Xander Bogaerts, in year X of a billion-year contract, and Jackson Merrill, who is still growing into his power. The real cavalry might come at the deadline, though. You know A.J. Preller won't be idle. — Brisbee Record: 52-49 Last Power Ranking: 12 Second-half storyline: Is Rafael Devers OK? One thing we know about Devers: He has an emotional component to his game. His displeasure with his old organization bled into the start of the regular season, and he was striking out at a record-setting pace. Then he turned his season around with a lot of thumping. Sometimes it takes a bit for his head to clear. – Brisbee This is hardly sabermetrics, but it sure seems like he's in a similar funk with the Giants, who acquired him to single-handedly fix the offense. They were polite about it, but quite insistent. The pressure hasn't helped him, and he's been a dud in his limited time in San Francisco. Back and leg problems might be the culprit more than brain problems, but either way, the Giants still need him. That hasn't changed. — Brisbee Record: 51-50 Last Power Ranking: 17 Second-half storyline: Regression works both ways, doesn't it? The pitching has been extremely good. Maybe a little too good. It wouldn't surprise me if they came back down to earth just a little bit in the second half. The hitting has been extremely bad. Maybe a little too bad. It wouldn't surprise me if they came back to life just a little bit in the second half. Advertisement The problem is that if both of these things happen, it's not going to change their outcome much after a disappointing first half. For this season to be a success in Texas, they will need one order of regression to the mean (offense), hold the regression to the mean (pitching). And it's probably going to need to happen fast. The deadline is nigh. — Weaver Record: 50-51 Last Power Ranking: 16 Second-half storyline: Will they be sellers at the deadline? As always, the Golden Rule of Selling is in play: If you have a lot of good players to trade in a selling effort, it's possible that you have a sneakily good team and don't need to rebuild at all. Patience is more valuable in those situations than prospects. The Diamondbacks are on the fringes of the wild-card race, and they have a lot of pending free agents, so they could go either way. Don't think of it as a rebuild, but an early start to free agency, just with more prospects. This is the likeliest course, but we're still at a stage of the season where a hot week could change everything. — Brisbee Record: 52-49 Last Power Ranking: 18 Second-half storyline: Will they learn from the past two deadlines? If you're not a Reds fan, you might not have noticed that the Reds were pretty good when the deadline came in 2023. They made some minor moves, but nothing splashy, and finished two games out of a wild-card position. Last year, they had a losing record at the deadline, didn't do much, and faded down the stretch, finishing 12 games out. This year is a weird combination of both. Yes, their record is 52-49 but they're only one spot (and 3.5 games) out of the final wild-card position. Will GM Nick Krall seize an opportunity to make a second-half run, or will the team slow-play it again, hoping to build for progress in 2026? — Weaver Advertisement Record: 52-49 Last Power Ranking: 15 Second-half storyline: What kind of team are they? Hot, cold, hot, cold, hot, cold. Pick an identity, you freaks. The Cardinals got obliterated in their first series out of the break, getting blown out by a Diamondbacks team looking to reestablish itself as a contender. The Cardinals would like to do that, too, building on some of those wins they banked in May. They just might be a mediocre team, though. They have five starters who have made all but two of their starts this season (good) and they all have an ERA over 4.00 (bad). They could go for it, but in the service of what goal? This is the franchise and fan base that knows better than anyone else that every postseason has a Jered Weaver, and you just need to get there to find out who it is. Easier said than done. — Brisbee Record: 49-50 Last Power Ranking: 22 Second-half storyline: Will we see Chase DeLauter this year? Could the Guardians get hot and leapfrog five teams in the second half to make it into the playoffs? Sure, it's mathematically possible. But it's not probable enough to make it my second-half storyline. Instead, I'm curious if we'll get to see DeLauter, who was ripping it up in Triple A before a hand injury that may have delayed a big-league call-up. He's seeing a hand specialist, so when he's healthy, we'll get to see if he extends his on-base streak in Columbus (34 games) or if he'll get a chance to start a new one in Cleveland. Beyond that, the Guardians appear to be slowly sinking into a light sell-off at the deadline. — Weaver Record: 48-52 Last Power Ranking: 19 Second-half storyline: At what point will we have seen enough? It was technically less than a week ago when Dan Hayes' second-half storylines article ran with a headline asking if the Twins were buyers or sellers. Advertisement Well, they're 5-5 in their last 10 games, which doesn't really scream one or the other, but two of those losses were to the Rockies, sooooo it seems like maybe we have our answer? Probably? These are the Twins, though — just as likely to catch a good vibes wave and ride it to a 10-game winning streak as they are to (metaphorically) put their phones on silent and spend a week in bed while the bills pile up. As fun as it would be to see them hit one of those hot streaks in the playoffs, I just don't think this squad has the juice. So when does the front office pull the plug? — Weaver Record: 49-52 Last Power Ranking: 21 Second-half storyline: Who sticks around for next year? Last year, the Royals made the playoffs. They had a sneaky-busy offseason, headlined by the acquisition of Jonathan India from the Reds — finally, a leadoff hitter to get on base ahead of Bobby Witt Jr. India entered last night's action with an on-base percentage of .328, or exactly the same as Eugenio Suárez (but about 250 points lower on slugging). On the upside, Maikel García seems to have put it together, making his first All-Star team and finally turning all that hard contact into productive numbers. Barring some miracle, the Royals won't be repeating last year's October performance. These games are for sussing out the future. Fortunately for the Royals, they can know this in time to make some trades and bolster the farm system, rather than waiting until mid-August to find out. — Weaver Record: 44-55 Last Power Ranking: 20 Second-half storyline: Are two catchers too many? The story of this Braves season seems already written. They're disappointments. Maybe the biggest disappointments in baseball. If they can change that in the second half, it'll be one of the most exciting storylines in the game. But let's not count on that one. Instead, the Braves are probably doing to do some version of selling at the trade deadline Will they trade veteran catcher Sean Murphy, or keep him and find at-bats for both Murphy and rookie Drake Baldwin (in which case, they could trade DH Marcell Ozuna)? This still looks like a talented roster. But what's it going to look like come Aug, 1, and how is that going to impact our expectations heading into 2026? — Jennings Advertisement Record: 49-51 Last Power Ranking: 23 Second-half storyline: What will they get at the deadline? There was a hot minute in April when it looked like Mike Trout had a shot at a second postseason series. Alas. They're not without players to trade, though. They'll keep onto the young players, of course, but they have relievers to interest the masses, from closer Kenley Jansen to lefty Reid Detmers. They've resisted trading their menagerie of Useful Tylers thus far, but this is probably the deadline that changes. The Angels, for the first time in a while, look like they're actually emerging from a morass. Patience. It'll be a couple more seasons, but this deadline could kickstart those efforts. — Brisbee Record: 44-55 Last Power Ranking: 24 Second-half storyline: Something to believe in? This was supposed to be the Orioles' heyday, when their young talent would make them consistent contenders. They won 101 games in 2023, got back to the playoffs last year and their FanGraphs playoff odds were basically identical to the Tigers on Opening Day (perhaps lower than expected due to concerns about their pitching). Instead, the Orioles have been a complete flop, setting the stage for a potentially massive fire sale at the trade deadline (Ryan O'Hearn, Zach Eflin, Cedric Mullins, et al.). Can the Orioles turn a bunch of rentals into meaningful talent? And perhaps more importantly, can their young core perform well enough in the second half to suggest all the hype and expectation is warranted (assuming they don't skimp on pitching in the future). — Jennings Record: 46-53 Last Power Ranking: 25 Second-half storyline: All about Sandy This story is all about the main character. With all due respect to Kyle Stowers and Otto Lopez, there's no bigger fish in the Marlins clubhouse than Sandy Alcantara. And after another underwhelming start on Friday, he currently has a 7.14 ERA. Three years ago, he won a Cy Young award, and in two or three years, he's going to be a free agent. Miami has to decide whether to trade him, and some contending team has to decide whether to believe in him. Whether he stays or goes, Alcantara will be the biggest Marlins story of the second half. — Jennings Advertisement Record: 42-60 Last Power Ranking: 27 Second-half storyline: So, how's the ballpark during the Sacramento summer? The A's have scheduled as many night games as possible in the Sacramento heat, but they're limited on Sundays and travel days because of the CBA and ESPN games, and we're about to get into the real Northern California summer. July is for weenies; real heads know that August and especially September is when the heat gets here. That's more of a Bay Area dynamic — it's already been plenty hot in Sacramento — but it still applies. It's a long baseball season for the new turf, too. We'll see if there's any physical fatigue, for players or otherwise, as the months drag on. — Brisbee Record: 40-61 Last Power Ranking: 26 Second-half storyline: Why do we watch baseball, anyway? I mean look, if you're reading a section about the Pirates, it probably means you care about the Pirates, which means you could tell me a half-dozen reasons you'll keep watching their games this year. Paul Skenes is stupid-good at pitching and gets robbed of a loss about every fifth day, which is sad or funny, depending on if you root for Skenes. Oneil Cruz hits the ball 120 miles an hour once in a while (which is neither sad nor funny, unless you are a nervous laugher). Andrew McCutchen is baseball's version of a wizened old monk atop a mountain, and you never know how much longer he'll stick around, so you should take that in while you can. All of these are worthwhile reasons to watch baseball, and I'm not going to tell you otherwise. Life is fleeting, and so very precious, and if watching the Pirates brings you any shred of joy, you should keep doing it. — Weaver Record: 40-60 Last Power Ranking: 28 Second-half storyline: First chapter of a fresh start Advertisement The Nationals already made their biggest decision of the year, firing manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo. They haven't been any better since, but at least they did … something. Last week, they picked first in the draft. Later this month, they'll sell at the deadline (though their valuable chips are few and far between unless they want to trade a trio of potential cornerstones). Whatever happens in the second half, it's all about starting over. The Nationals aren't starting from scratch — James Wood is a pretty good foundation — but they're clearly turning a page. Their second-half storyline is just an introduction to whatever comes next. — Jennings Record: 36-65 Last Power Ranking: 29 Second-half storyline: When does Bears training camp begin? I know what I just said about the Pirates up there. I could lean into that sentiment again here, or we could give equal time to an opposing philosophy, one passed down to us by a 'semi-professional racecar driver and amateur tattoo artist.' It goes like this: 'If you're not first, you're last.' OK, OK, that's terrible advice, but in the case of the White Sox, it has been a while since they were first … or second, or third… The last time they finished anywhere other than last was 2023, but they still lost 100 games that year, so … fourth place in that division still feels pretty last-ish to me. The last time they were respectable? It was also the last time they had a winning record (not counting 1-0 on Opening Day) — they finished second in the AL Central in 2022, losing on the last day to fall to exactly .500 at 81-81. The league that existed on that day did not yet include 14 players who were All-Stars this year. It makes me wonder — not counting Opening Week, when do we think the White Sox will have a winning record again? I'm setting the over/under at May 12, 2028. — Weaver Advertisement Record: 24-76 Last Power Ranking: 30 Second-half storyline: Can they avoid the 2024 White Sox? C'mon, folks. We're all in this together. It can't be possible for a team to set a modern record for losses that stands for just one year. It has to wear that shame for at least another year, but they'd preferably do it for a decade, if not a century. That is simply too many losses for the record to last just a year. Back of the envelope math: The Rockies were 24-75 as of Monday morning, a 39-win pace, breaking the White Sox record by two games. They're 15-20 since the start of June, which is just normal worst-team stuff, not historical worst-team stuff. Keep it up, fellas. — Brisbee (Top photo of Pete Crow-Armstrong: Matt Dirksen / Chicago Cubs / Getty Images)
