Happy Wednesday, everyone. While there might not be much to celebrate if you’re looking at the Tigers’ place in the standings, we have a little good news to temper the bad in today’s links. For starters, Tarik Skubal is already throwing bullpens, which has to give anyone a glimmer of hope. Plus, the Tigers have played community heroes by visiting a few charities to show support. I’m leading with the good, because Sports Illustrated also wrote an entire article highlighting how the Tigers have become
one of the worst teams in baseball, and while we want to be defensive, they raise some valid points.
We also take a look at news around baseball, including the return of Gerrit Cole to the Yankees, and a look at one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in baseball. All that and more in today’s post, so let’s get right into it.
Detroit Tigers News
- Kyle Koster explained in a recent post why the Tigers have become one of the worst teams in baseball. Besides the obvious: injuries, not enough pitching, he also points to the delayed development of young talent, saying:
Colt Kieth is having a strong year fueled by a .293 batting average. Yet he hasn’t homered the entire year and has six RBIs in 43 games. Spencer Torkelson, already sent down to the minors once in his career, is carrying a .191 average with 61 strikeouts. Meadows, though injured, hasn’t matured into the player the organization thought he could be and Carpenter has taken a step back from solid production last season.
- But wait, there’s good news, because Tarik Skubal threw a bullpen session this week! ($)
- Tigers doing good.
AL Central News
- Salvador Perez of the Royals pushed umpire Laz Diaz to the brink after multiple ABS challenges.
- Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong will be fined an undisclosed amount for his interaction with a White Sox fan. PCA has apologized for his inappropriate language used with a female fan who was heckling him.
MLB News
- Blake Snell is the newest pitcher who will miss time due to loose bodies in the elbow.
- How the Padres managed to find themselves atop the NL West.
- A good trick play never gets old.
- Do the Brewers have the hardest-throwing pitcher in baseball?
- Could Jackson Holliday be changing positions with the Orioles?
- Some much-too-early predictions for the All-Star Game.
- Why Konnor Griffin is one of the youngest and most precocious millionaires in baseball.
- One stat to explain the weirdness of the Washington Nationals.
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is great in the postseason, but the Blue Jays need him now.
- The Yankees will finally see the season debut of Gerrit Cole this week.
- A big donation will help the Field of Dreams complete their new stadium.
- Can’t unsee it now.
- Perhaps I shouldn’t laugh, but I did.
- Two different generations of Japanese talent in one place.
- This looks fake.
