Happy Friday, everyone! The Tigers will continue their lengthy weekend series against the Astros tonight, but while we wait for that game to get underway, let’s get caught up on all the baseball news that’s fit to print. FanGraphs has good reason to believe that Dillon Dingler is the best catcher in baseball at the moment, and we’re inclined to agree. Plus, Sports Illustrated has some glowing things to say about yesterday’s tremendous young starter, Troy Melton.
In broader baseball news, there’s drama
brewing in LA and it’s not in Hollywood, it’s between Shohei Ohtani and rookie catcher Dalton Rushing, who has been getting a lot of attention lately for all the wrong reasons. I think it’s safe to say that if you run into the bad side of Ohtani — a bad side exists??? — you’re likely the problem.
We’ve got that and more below, so let’s get right into it.
Detroit Tigers News
- Ben Clemens does a deep dive into how the “best catcher in baseball” is constantly in flux, but posits that the title currently belongs to Dillon Dingler.
- Tom Verducci spotlights Troy Melton in an article, sharing that Tarik Skubal isn’t the only Tiger throwing gems. Of Melton, he said:
Melton’s fastball is a tick down from the 97.1 mph average velocity he showcased last season. But he is leaning more into a much-improved cutter. He threw a career high 27% cutters against the White Sox Saturday. On 69 cutters this year he is holding hitters to a .100 batting average and no extra-base hits.
The keys for Melton’s cutter are getting more on top of the baseball to have it more resemble his four-seamer and throwing it more to right-handed hitters than he did last year.
- Celebrating the Tigers’ Black in Baseball weekend.
- Loved to see Make-a-Wish kid Matt become a Tiger for a day.
- Keider Montero shared how difficult it is to handle what’s happening in Venezuela.
- Skubal had a bit of a, um, equipment issue…
AL Central News
MLB News
- Davy Andrews looks at how Cedric Mullins could improve his performance.
- A look at some bad news and potential good news for the Cubs and their rotation.
- The Rays pioneered The Opener, and using one on Wednesday, they almost got a no-hitter.
- A look at the results from Phase One of All-Star voting. (No Tigers have made the popular vote shortlist.)
- Shohei Ohtani was the NL’s top vote-getter and will start the All-Star Game as DH.
- After some conflict with rookie catcher Dalton Rushing, Shohei Ohtani took over his own pitch calls.
- A deeper dive into some of the issues with Dalton Rushing and why the Dodgers might need to give him a reset.
- A look at the latest CBA offer.
- How the new proposal by the owners could actually stifle the growth of the game. ($)
- The top players under 25 by position.
- A look at the Rafael Devers trade by the numbers, one year later.
- Some front offices are facing a lot of scrutiny as the potential lockout looms. ($)
- What are the best and worst organizations, by reputation, according to players? ($)
- Some major Yankees memorabilia is poised to go to auction. ($)
- The exact two players I would have assumed would be the leading vote getters.
- How the MLBPA responded to the newest CBA proposal.
