Monday, July 31, 2017

Top 10 Trade Deadline Deals of 2017

...whew, that was a nice one, wasn't it?

Unlike previous years, where everything kinda kicked into high gear towards the end, this trade deadline-era deals went from post-ASG-break up until the wire, with a ton of huge deals along the way, and no real lulls or disappointments. This list is kinda an odd-one, because there's a clear division between 'nice pick-up that rectifies a hole' and 'HOLY SHIT THIS CHANGES THE ENTIRE PICTURE' deals. 

This year had so many nice ones that I had to include a few Honorable Mentions.

-Jeremy Hellickson to the Orioles, Hyun-Soo Kim and prospects to the Phillies. 
Nice little swap here, as Hellickson gives the O's some much-needed rotation help, but all-in-all the deal doesn't mean much if the O's aren't especially going to compete as much as the top 3 this year. Nice deal, but won't really impact the season's finale.

Brandon Kintzler to the Nats, prospects to the Twins.
While this takes a big tool away from a heavy favorite and gives it to a team that desperately needed a closer, I honestly preferred another deal Washington made this deadline, one that made the list. 

AJ Ramos to the Mets, prospects to the Marlins.
Like with the O's deal, while this definitely helps the Mets by FINALLY handing them a closer (even better now that Addison Reed's headed to Boston), it doesn't make an impact as the Mets aren't really a favorite to win this year, and have sold a few players away anyway. 

Pat Neshek to the Rockies, prospects to the Phillies
While this was a nice little move for the Rox, what worries me is that Neshek, a lights-out reliever in a pitcher-friendly park like Citizens Bank, is gonna get swallowed alive in Coors Field, a place more in favor of bats. I don't know, he could be fantastic, but I'm not 100% certain. 

Trevor Cahill to the Royals, prospects to the Padres
While this, in theory, was a nice deal to finally get the Royals some pitching help, the quality of Cahill's first start as a Royal worries me greatly about the quality of the rest of his starts. 

Alright, enough of that. Onto the countdown.

#10- Lucas Duda to the Rays, prospects to the Mets
Who wins? Rays
The Rays have been the most under-the-radar competitive team this year. Even when the Yankees and Red Sox have been battling it out for the title, the Rays have slowly been creeping up and stocking their team with prospects and cheap veterans. Adding Duda adds a steady bat that needed to be around the numerous base-runners and great fielders- the triple threat now of Duda, Dickerson and Morrison is probably going to make things a ton harder for Boston and New York in the coming months.

#9- Jamie Garcia to the Yankees, prospects to the...TWINS (?!?!?)
Who Wins?: Yankees
Even if the Yankees show up a few spots later on the countdown, this is the deal that I'm still kinda surprised they were able to pull. The Twins had already procured Garcia, after a painstakingly long deal with the Braves. Then, over the next few games the Twins slipped lower in the standings, figured they wouldn't be competing after all, and Cashman was the first to give them a call. Jaime Garcia isn't supposed to be the first starter in New York, but he's definitely been brought on to help the rotation become even stronger, and iron out some kinks in order to bring the heat in one of the biggest stages in baseball. 

#8- J.D. Martinez to the Diamondbacks, prospects to the Tigers
Who Wins? D-Backs.
In concept it looks simple, give the surging NL West team another bat, but when you look closer it gets even better. Chris Owings and Yasmany Tomas are on the DL, and the D-Backs have a hole in the lineup that can definitely be filled by JD Martinez, while giving another member of the team's large depth of a bench a chance to jump into the roster full-time, without there being a real decrease in quality. Martinez is still a nice home run hitter, and a great all-around player who was kinda wasting away in Detroit, so getting him into the Arizona lineup was a nice move.

#7- Eduardo Nunez to the Red Sox, prospects (and incidentally Pablo Sandoval) to the Giants
Who Wins? Giants
Never thought I'd see the day where the GIANTS would be selling at the deadline. Nunez was one of the few parts of the lineup that was working, and the Red Sox needed a third baseman before things got truly out of hand with Deven Marrero. So, in concept, this one was a fantastic fit. The reason I moved this one down a bit since I initially drafted the list is because Rafael Devers came up, hit beautifully, and brought into question whether going for Nunez was the best idea. Now Devers is hitting beautifully, Nunez...I guess can float around the infield or outfield. It complicates the situation a bit, but it's still a nice enough deal.

#6- Jonathan Lucroy to the Rockies, prospects to the Rangers
Who wins? Rockies
Lucroy makes his second consecutive appearance on this list, and while he doesn't rank as high this year, his deal is still an important one, as it gives a borderline competing team like the Rockies another reason to chase the Wild Card spot. Their only option at backstop up to this point was Tony Wolters, and while he was doing alright, he wasn't really screaming 'starter', so Lucroy was added, in the midst of an alright season. This is a nice deal, and bolsters an already-packed lineup. The question remains of whether or not the pitching staff is going to hold long enough for the Rockies to gain a playoff spot, but Lucroy gives them a bit more assurance. 

#5- Howie Kendrick to the Nationals, prospects to the Phillies
Who won? Nats
I loved seeing Howie Kendrick on my team, so while this one stung a bit, I can definitely see why the Nats did it. With Jayson Werth, Adam Eaton and Michael Taylor injured, the Nats needed outfield help fast, and with Howie Kendrick, they get outfield help...AND infield help...AND lineup help. It's a three-for-one, essentially. Kendrick's been having a great season, hitting like he's not hit in years, and he'll be a great fit for Washington. My worry is that Kendrick's not great at staying healthy, but hopefully DC will be a better environment for him in terms of healthiness.

#4- Todd Frazier, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to the Yankees, Tyler Clippard and prospects to the White Sox.
Who won? Yanks
Talk about a blockbuster. Not only does Todd Frazier give the Yanks the third baseman they've needed since the beginning of the season, but it gives them two insanely strong relievers to wield alongside some of their already-accumulated strong relievers. It bolsters one of the best lineups in baseball, and fine-tunes one of the best rotations in baseball. Plus, Robertson obviously knows the team, knows the roster inner-goings-on, and will fit right back in with Betances, Adam Warren and Aroldis Chapman (ironically only Betances hasn't been traded to another team, then immediately back to the Yankees). It looks like a simple bat-bolstering, but it's so much more, and is probably the most complex trade on this list.

#3- Jose Quintana to the Cubs, prospects to the White Sox
Who wins? Cubs
The Cubs didn't especially need to do much at the deadline, as their lineup was juuuuust coming back to life after a murky first half, but they needed a slight bit of rotation reassurance. While Eloy Jimenez is another top-prospect inexplicably sequestered in the South Side, Jose Quintana's a grade-A starter, and his numbers as a Cub are already just what the doctor ordered. Putting him with still hot Jon Lester and improving Jake Arrieta was a nice idea, and if everyone else will continue the momentum, Quintana won't have to change things up too much to finally see playoff action.

#2- Yu Darvish to the Dodgers, prospects to the Rangers
Who wins? Dodgers.
The Dodgers were already the best team in baseball, and on top of everything, now they get one of the nastiest pitchers in the game to cover for Clayton Kershaw while he's on the DL. Darvish is already having a great season, but combining him with Alex Wood, Rich Hill, Kenta Maeda and the eventually returning Clayton Kershaw (and Brandon McCarthy) is absolutely brutal. The Dodgers' rotation is going to be absolutely unhittable going into the playoffs. 

So, what tops the best team in baseball becoming even better? Well...a great team becoming a truly great one with just one move.

#1- Sonny Gray to the Yankees, Jorge Mateo and 2 other prospects to the A's.
Who wins? Yankees
I don't know HOW they did it. I have no idea Brian Cashman convinced Billy Beane to do this. But after hours of deliberation, it happened, in a huge way. To put it simply, this deal pushes the Yankees over the edge. They were already a good team, but adding Gray gives them a definitive ace, and some leverage over the Sox in order to make the playoffs. Their rotation's a ton stronger now, with all five guys playing really well right now, and combining with the retooled bullpen and re-jiggered lineup, we may have an indestructible Yankees team heading towards the last two months of the season. 

So...those are the 10 best trade deadline deals. Let's see how they change things. 

"The Price is Wrong, Bitch!"

Okay, I'm pretty sure I've used that line a million times since starting the blog, but today I think it makes a bit of sense.

See...David Price and Dennis Eckersley...don't seem to like each other all that much. There's been this petty brawl between the Sox lefty and the former Sox reliever going on over the last week or so, over some small stuff that honestly shouldn't have incited a petty brawl. One person's calling the other classless, the other says the one should show their face, and it keeps going back and forth. It makes sense that it's happening in Boston, because Boston's the birthplace of meaningless disputes.

The Price-Eck feud is made even more relevant considering the fact that right now, I'm sitting in a beach house in Barrington, Rhode Island, in the heart of Sox country, and this is all the sports fans seem to care about. Not how well the team's doing, not Chris Sale's Cy Young caliber season, not the fact that the Sox just completely STOLE Addison Reed from the Mets, but this...for lack of a better word, bullshit, between a broadcaster and an overhyped lefty. Price isn't even having a terrific season, at least not by David Price terms, and Drew Pomeranz and Chris Sale are out pitching him. So if this is his idea of jumping back to relevancy...WHY?

I mean, I get that the Sox are in second, and they need anything they can get to stay popular, but this isn't really the way. Continued bad publicity like this will ensure they wind up in third rather than back in first. And it'll ensure that Price never has a grade-A season ever again.

I'd like to point out that while I am in Rhode Island, a good 45-minutes from Boston, in a beach house with relatives who've never been to Fenway...that I actually hadn't even begun thinking about a pilgrimage. Hm. That WOULD be a good idea...

Coming Tonight: His team's beginning to get picked apart by buyers, and he's the last healthy young starter they've got left.

Sunday, July 30, 2017

No One Team Should Have All That Power

And now, another moment with the 73-31 Los Angeles Dodgers. Have you heard how amazing they are?

The Dodgers are one of those teams that have been really good for the past 10 years, have made dozens of playoffs attempts, and have never made it to a World Series. Not since 1988. Even with Kershaw, ruling the world, Kenley Jansen being one of the best closers in the bigs, and the amazing farm system that's been popping out rookie gold for 5 years, we've yet to see the Dodgers hit the World Series this decade. And with the amount of talent they've amassed, even with Clayton Kershaw taking a DL break, if they're gonna make a run any year, it has to be this year.

Just look at the guys that people aren't even talking about. Chris Taylor's having a monster rookie year, hidden behind Cody Bellinger. Austin Barnes is a great backup for an even better catcher, Yasmani Grandal. Justin Turner is STILL having one of the best seasons in baseball, and I don't think anybody's noticing. Alex Wood has a 12-1 record that you didn't know about because you were too busy watching Kershaw.

This team has an insane amount of depth, and an insane amount of talent. And I'm just anxious to see what's gonna happen next.

Coming Tomorrow- Loves pitching. Hates Eck.

So You Wanted to Compete Again, eh Cole?

I don't wanna assume too much, but I feel like the move to Arlington has helped Heidi Hamels more than it's helped Cole Hamels.

I mean, Cole's still a fantastic pitcher, and he's still having a really nice season, but you'll notice that, despite the 2016 season, the Rangers are beginning to go the way of, well, the Phillies. They're having a down season, the kids aren't stacking up, and Yu Darvish is probably gonna be traded within the next few days. So, while Cole Hamels came to Arlington to compete again, the Rangers are slowly fading back into a middle-of-the-road team again. Just his luck.

Like, there are reasons to watch games, like Adrian Beltre's hits watch, and Elvis Andrus running the whole world, but the spirit's lost. The momentum they had in 2016 is kinda gone, and the bulk of the team isn't really capable of keeping the streaks going. The Astros are about 20 games ahead of them, and the Mariners have them cornered for second. So things aren't exactly looking good for them.

All Cole and the gang is keep defying the stats, keep having nice little games. They're not gonna be the best in the AL West, but if they can at least be memorable, they'll weed themselves out of the bottom of the barrel.

Coming Tomorrow- One of the best closers in baseball.

Saturday, July 29, 2017

Morning Bell

As a onetime resident of Pittsburgh (for two weeks), as a fan of underdogs, and as a fan of baseball, I've consistently been a fan of these 2010s Pirates teams. It took them a while to become one of the teams to watch, because they had to build on McCutchen, and build a team around him. Now that Cutch is hitting like himself again, the Pirates, while still not perfect, are playing some pretty fun baseball.

Josh Bell's a perfect example of this. He's a rookie first baseman, essentially filling a role that Pedro Alvarez made famous in Pittsburgh, and arguably doing it better this season. Him, Josh Harrison, Jordy Mercer, and *sigh* David Freese are making up a surprisingly potent infield. I've never really been a fan of Mercer, but if he's hitting, and...if he's not a felon like their other option, then it's all good.

The pitching's flawed but cool. Jameson Taillon and Ivan Nova are pitching well, Gerrit Cole's finally balancing his record back out, and Trevor Williams and Chad Kuhl are doing...adequately. Felipe Rivero's stepped up as closer, and he's been doing pretty well.

Again, thanks to some firesale deals, and I'm guessing there might be more in a few days, the Pirates aren't as strong as they could be, and are currently volleying for third with the Cardinals. They're far out of the playoff picture, and while there's a chance they could make it back, it's not a great one. Still, it's hella fun to root for them, and I'm always hoping for good things.

Coming Tomorrow- Two years ago, 'round this time, he was pitching for my team. Now, back from an injury, he's been pitching well for a struggling AL West team.

Friday, July 28, 2017

Break Time's Over

So, the All-Star Break happened, we came back, and now the Minnesota Twins would prefer it if we went back to how things were at the break.

They've lost a bunch of key matchups, and now the Kansas City Royals have snuck back up to second, leaving the Twins to fall to third place, which is essentially where they were going to end up anyway if none of this had happened.

You have to commend the Twins, though. They came to first place in a division of teams that didn't really decide they were going to be good until roughly May, which isn't necessarily the best time to decide things, kind of like going out and getting that centerpiece Christmas Present, on December 25th.

They're not out of this yet, though. They now have Jaime Garcia pitching for them, and with his record as an Atlanta Brave, and his inflated ERA, how could he possibly disappoint them? With Phil Hughes returning to his summer home, also known as the DL, and Kyle Gibson forgetting how to throw strikes after a chance meeting with a baseball card blogger known for customs and wry humor that nobody else gets, the Twins' rotation is holding onto whatever it has. Ervin Santana and Jose Berrios can only do so much before becoming absolutely spent. And I'd rather not have this rotation turn into that of the White Sox.

At least they have Brandon Kintzler pitching better in the ninth than Glen Perkins ever dreamed of, and Miguel Sano and Max Kepler still hitting insanely well, so there's a chance of a return. With the Royals and Indians as they are, it's not a great chance, but 'not great' is something the Twins have been associated with for a while, and damn then if they're gonna change now.

Coming Tomorrow- Rookie for the Pirates who might give them a shot at the top two spots??

Catching Fire

Well, it's 4 months into the season, and the Washington Nationals are still one of the best teams in baseball. I report this as if people were expecting a change. While some other competitors have risen to power, like the Dodgers and Astros, the Nats have remained one of the main threats in baseball right now. Even if Stephen Strasburg is missing a week, even if Trea Turner and Jayson Werth are still injured, and even if the bullpen had to be rebuilt from a few acquisitions. They're still fantastic.

The core of the lineup hasn't been harmed. Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, Anthony Rendon and Ryan Zimmerman are still fantastic, and Matt Wieters has been holding down a nice force at catcher. Even Michael Taylor, perpetually pegged as the backup outfielder, and Brian Goodwin have been having a great year in the absence of Werth, Eaton and Turner. Yes, the team has needed to rely on a ton of offensive backups, but the depth of the organization is showing, as the backups are definitely helping the team stay in first.

The pitching staff isn't really a problem either. Scherzer's still the best pitcher in the NL. Gio Gonzalez is having another really nice season. Tanner Roark is doing a well enough job. AJ Cole had a nice start before heading back to the minors. They even got Edwin Jackson back to fill the void until Strasburg comes back next week, and he hasn't been doing too badly.

The bottom line is that this team leads the league in disaster preparedness. They've lost two staple outfielders, and their staple shortstop, and they're still the best. This could mean a lot heading toward the end of the season.

Coming Tonight: Closer for the surprisingly still good Minnesota Twins.

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

It's Only a Down Year

Manny Machado, like the rest of the Orioles, isn't having a great season. Sure, he's still got a high WAR, and he's still doing great little fielding things, but he's not hitting, and he's not playing like Manny Machado. And when the star that your whole team has built itself around suddenly starts having a down year...there's definitely a cause for alarm.

Now, the main idea here is that Manny's value should not really be decreased by this season, and he's still a truly great player regardless of his 2017 season. But it's become the kind of thing where the rest of the team is struggling as Manny is, and you have to wonder if the two are connected. With the exception of new additions to the fold, like Trey Mancini, the core of the team is struggling, and the pitching is getting obliterated, even with Zach Britton in the ninth.

The rumors are going around about whether or not someone is going to deal for Manny Machado now, and while these rumors have gone down with Boston's acquisition of Eduardo Nunez (and the Yankees' acquisition of Todd Frazier) there's still a possibility that somebody could swoop in and grab him, but there's a chance that Manny's case has gone down, and there's a chance that someone would rather wait until the end of the season to deal for him.

The O's are looking like they want to hold onto everybody this week, but if they do it's gonna be a bumpy 2nd half of the season everyone's gonna have to hold on for.

Coming Tonight: A guy who got out of Baltimore at the exact right time, now catching fire in another part of Maryland.

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Shark Week

I did not plan to post a card of Jeff Samardzija on Shark Week. It just turned out that way. That's just an insane coincidence.

Right, so Samardzija. The Giants. The Giants are still terrible.

I don't know how it happened, but everything just fell apart for the Giants, a team that won a World Series only 3 years ago. The base of the team is practically the same, but a lot of the beats that made a winning team aren't really working anymore. The core's aging, the replacements aren't up to the task, and people are getting to them. Jeff Samardzija, as per usual, is throwing a ton of strikeouts, but still giving up a ton of runs.

Even worse, the Dodgers, Rockies and D-Backs are so powerful this year that everything the Giants do looks effete by comparison. Even if Buster Posey's having a nice season, it's nothing compared to what Cody Bellinger or Charlie Blackmon is doing. Plus, now the Giants are thinking of giving up some of their lighter players at the deadline, which is sad but necessary.

Not a great deal to say about the Giants. You gotta hope things get better, though.

Coming Tomorrow- Last year he was one of the best in the league. This year he's hoping a down season doesn't wreck his career.

Somebody Has to be in Second

The AL West and the NL East are very similarly structured this year. They're both 'one guy in first, and everybody else towards the back' divisions. I'm not saying this to discredit the 2nd-place Mariners, but if you're in second place, you should be doing better than a 50-51 record.

It's odd, because this is a pretty great Mariners team this year. Cano and Cruz are playing well, as per usual, but the throng of new kids, like Mitch Haniger and Ben Gamel, as well as a truckload of acquisitions like Jean Segura, Danny Valencia and the guy at the post, Jarrod Dyson, are powering this team. Dyson's not even having the greatest offensive season, but his defensive capabilities, and a ton of other tiny statistical details are what's keeping his WAR so high.

The Mariners have enough momentum to keep them momentarily higher than the Angels and the rest of the gang, but not enough to propel them further past .500. They've made a ton of mistakes, and their parade of injured pitchers is probably the biggest flaw. Even if everybody's starting to come back, and even if Ariel Miranda's been doing pretty well for himself, the flaws existed for long enough to hinder the Mariners' season, and I'm not sure if they can fully come back from it.

Still, they're a fun team, and it's nice to see them in second.

Coming Tonight: This weekend marked the end of Shark Week, so here's a guy they call Shark.

Monday, July 24, 2017

What Happens When You Finally Drop to Second

Let's face it, as good as the Brewers were for a few months, there was no way they were gonna be a legitimate first-place team. They got lucky for a while. They have a ton of okay players, some streaking pitchers, Eric Thames, and some nice momentum. This is, to be honest, a mediocre team that for a brief instance was playing astonishingly well. They lost just enough games back there to convince me that they might not be for real.

Right now the Cubs are in 1st. Alright, it's technically a tie, but the momentum is lapping. The Cubs have been streaking since the All Star Break, and to be perfectly honest they're the team I'd rather have on top right now. Yes, the Pirates are 3 games out of second place, and seeing them come back is a rather nice pipe dream, but the Cubs have the redemption arc here, and the Brewers need to go back to the 'so close but loses' arc that was staying steady since 2014.

To be fair, I do respect the Brewers, and the rise of people like Domingo Santana, Manny Pina, Chase Anderson and Corey Knebel into the fold is much appreciated. However, the Cubs are structurally the better team, and they're more capable of keeping a stranglehold on the division. There's still a tie for first, but the Brewers will need to reverse things to keep the momentum going.

Coming Tomorrow-From a World Series Champion reserve outfielder to a starter on one of the most underrated teams of the year.

Guaranteed Hate

In 2015, I saw the Chicago White Sox play at a home game, and what I saw was kinda nice. There was definitely a foundation building, with a number of young stars like Adam Eaton, Jose Abreu and Matt Davidson helping established stars like Melky Cabrera, Adam LaRoche and Alexei Ramirez. They weren't a first place team, but I sensed that something was coming.

Two years later they've shat away all their 2015 foundation and are even worse than they were then. Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia are still great, but this is a scattered mess of has-beens and failed prospects. There's not a ton salvageable, and anything that is will be traded in the next few days. Matt Davidson's leading the team with 18 home runs, and he's barely even having a good season. Yoan Moncada's been brought up, and the team's hoping he's gonna singlehandedly bring them back from obscurity which...never especially happens when you want it to.

The White Sox are banking on people like Moncada, Eloy Jimenez and Lucas Giolito to pan out and save the team, like the prospects that saved the Yankees and Cubs. Seeing as how they've screwed up a perfectly good lineup plan in two years, I'm not exactly sure if this is going to work out for them.

Coming Tonight: Catcher for the Brewers.

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Shaved Fish

So to recap- the Washington Nationals, now with a better-stocked bullpen, are still really good. Despite other placings, it's not a great idea to get too invested in any of the other four teams. Thanks to injuries, inexperience, and...well, just plain ineptitude in the case of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Marlins have fallen into the trap of having a really nice starting lineup and not having the greatest rotation. The injuries are hitting here, as well.

Edinson Volquez, Jeff Locke and Wei-Yin Chen are injured, Justin Nicolino's not playing like himself, and without Jose Fernandez, the Marlins rotation has no anchor, no leader, no consistency. It's become a free-for-all. Some people, like Jose Urena and Dan Straily, are doing pretty well, but the youth movement they tried to align last year with Fernandez at the helm is falling apart, and Tom Koehler and Adam Conley are really disappointing people. Even AJ Ramos, the closer, is suffering a bit.

The Marlins' lineup is still great- JT Realmuto, Justin Bour and Marcell Ozuna are building the strong core that they were going for a few years ago when they all came up. Giancarlo Stanton's having a well-deserved comeback season. Christian Yelich and Dee Gordon are doing fairly well. There are some holes in the lineup, and the lack of roster depth is juuuust beginning to get to them.

This is a heavily flawed team, but it's one I secretly want to succeed.

Coming Tomorrow: A DH for a last-place team.

Over-Extend it Like Beckham

Yeah, that's a Daily Show-worthy title. I'm kinda proud of that one.

The Rays had me worried for a second. Yes, they're a great team,, that's exactly it. They're a great team this year. For a little while, they were ahead of the Yankees in the standings. As if we needed anymore things to worry about as Yankee fans, besides the Red Sox' lead, now the Rays jump into high gear and decide to challenge us. Greeeeat.

The Rays actually have a nicely-assembled gang. The core is hard-hitters like Evan Longoria, Corey Dickerson, Logan Morrison and Steven Souza. The outskirts are filled with speedy devils like Kevin Kiermaier, Tim Beckham and Maliex Smith. Plus, people like Wilson Ramos, Adeiny Hechavarria and Trevor Plouffe are coming out of the woodwork and performing in smaller roles. The pitching staff is small but mighty. Alex Colome's pretty intimidating. This is a surprisingly great team, that's making big things come from small places.

And yes, their problem is that they have to be a good team in the AL East when two GREAT teams, the Yankees and Red Sox, are trying to establish dominance against each other. It's like Rocky vs. Drago being interrupted by a third challenge, that being Paulie. You just don't wanna see that.

Again, you can only hope for good things from the Rays, but with those big two teams on the horizon, it's hard to be too sure.

Coming Tomorrow- Hard-hitting catcher for a weak, but still fighting, NL East team.

Saturday, July 22, 2017

Walker, Arizona Diamondback

Now back to the Arizona Diamondbacks show. They may not be in first, but with power like this, they don't need to be in order to make a statement.

They're 11 games behind the Dodgers, but they're still way out above 500, and they still have a pretty remarkable roster, even after the breakout of April. The rotation is still strong- Greinke-Ray-Walker works as well as it did then, now with the addition of Zack Godley to the fold (plus, Patrick Corbin is still kinda there!) Taijuan Walker is currently on the paternity list, which is a ton better than what I originally figured when I saw his name unbolded on Baseball Reference.

The lineup depth is definitely helping as well. Ketel Marte's finally come back up, Chris Iannetta and Daniel Descalso are doing well off the bench, and JD Martinez, despite being the umpteenth recent acquisition to get beaned in his first game with his new team, is a welcome presence that will make up for the absence of Yasmany Tomas. With Peralta, Goldschmidt, Lamb, Owings and Pollock all doing insanely well, this is a team that, if they stay hot, could be insanely sneaky in October.

The challenge is coming from above (the Dodgers) and below (the Rockies). It's gonna be hard for them to coexist with at least one of those other two, but with the caliber they've shown so far, it's not showing.

Coming Tonight: Infielder for the team that's somehow ahead of the Yankees in the standings.

And Now, A Really Cool Shot of Eric Young

Awesome, eh? Even if he's not really a part of the team anymore since Mike Trout's been back, you gotta love this one.

Not much else to report at the moment. Carry on.

Friday, July 21, 2017

Red Scare

I keep thinking I have a different problem about the last-place Reds to report, but it's the same exact one as the last few posts. It's just gotten exponentially worse.

Brandon Finnegan. Anthony DeSclafani. Bronson Arroyo. and now Scott Feldman. All four of those guys are established arms...and they're all injured. So the people coming into the Reds rotation are inexperienced, struggling, and...the next guy to start pitching well might join those four.

They're relying on people who would be good in concept, like Tim Adleman and Homer Bailey, but just can't seem to make it work this year. The farm system in Cincinnati might be pretty alright, but the number of arms that are coming up aren't the greatest ones, especially compared to what the system's been dealing into the lineup recently.

The only saving grace so far has been Luis Castillo, who has a good record, a good amount of strikeouts, and seems like he might have his stuff together, unlike most of the pitching staff. Plus, Rasiel Iglesias has been lights-out whenever he's been given the opportunity to save games, so at least 1/9th of the innings are basically taken care of. But the pitching staff is so sparse, so flawed, that they're rubbing off on a truly great lineup of players.

I want it to get better for the Reds, but I'm not thinking it will.

The Moose That Roared

For a third place team, the Royals are producing some surprisingly phenomenal stuff.

The lineup's pretty on, Mike Moustakas has 25 home runs, Jason Vargas and Danny Duffy are red-hot, Eric Hosmer's having the best season of his career, and, even better, it's not looking like they're gonna have to trade anyone away this week! Yes, they're not perfect, and yes, they might not be able to make the playoffs, but I wouldn't call them a bad team, and I certainly wouldn't call them sellers.

I feel like the Royals have come to terms with the fact that they're not World-Series-caliber as a team anymore. Yes, a lot of the core is still there, but a ton of the extraneous factors that made them great, bit players like Kendrys Morales, Jarrod Dyson and Johnny Cueto, are gone. The sense os spontaneity has left as well. Yes, rookies are coming up and taking positions, but there aren't, like, out of nowhere players that have games. They're not the everymen anymore, and they've come to terms with that. Now they're just trying to win games and be a great team, instead of trying to be the 2015 Royals, which, admittedly, was most of 2016 for them.

Ton of respect for the Royals. Hoping for good things, even if the Twins and Indians have the upper hand at this point.

Coming Tonight: Pitcher for the Reds?!!?

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Summer Kemp

Last year, around this time, Matt Kemp found himself swapped from one bad team to another, in the hopes that his career wouldn't be completely doomed. Now...he's doing pretty alright for himself.

True, the Braves are still a flawed team, and even the youthful additions of Dansby Swanson and Rio Ruiz haven't exactly done jack shit for the team, but the veterans, especially Freddie Freeman and Matt Adams, are succeeding in droves. Kemp's presence on the team brings a steady bat, much steadier than the last few years, and someone who can perform in the clutch. With so much going on in Atlanta's lineup, the fact that Kemp's being relied upon less is a good thing, as he's part of a unit rather than a standout star.

The Braves are an odd case- they're doing well in the standings, but there's no chance of them catching the Nationals, and the deadlock between them, Miami and New York still stands strong, with all three teams sort of blocking each other. Calling the Braves the best of the three is a lot like saying the first Transformers movie is the best one- yeah, it's a statement, but it's barely a compliment.

With the departure of Jaime Garcia, and...maybe one or two other departures, the Braves will be given the necessary tools to finish strong, though not necessarily on top.

Coming Tomorrow- Sports Illustrated foretold the rise of this guy's success down a T- now hitting home runs left and right and bringing his once-limp team back to relevancy.

Blaster of 2017 Stadium Club: Let Down/Redemption Song

It's often discouraging to get a blaster full of a product you loved, that happens to have a ton of cards you already have. I'll present this one pretty simply, as there's a nice little treat towards the end.

Pack 1:
163- Don Mattingly. Have it
208- JA Happ. Have it.
64- AARON JUDGE...GOLD PARALLEL. I mean, it's a dupe, but it's a lovely dupe.
128- Luis Severino. NEEDED IT!
200- Dave Winfield. Have it.

Pack 2-
22- Adam Duvall. Have it
Contact Sheet insert of DANIEL MURPHY! Nice, despite the blandness of the design
50- Todd Frazier. NEEDED IT
21- Randy Johnson. NEEDED IT. I love how all the base cards I've needed so far are current/former Yankees.
71- JT Realmuto. Dupe.

Pack 3-
248- David Ortiz. Great card, but dupe.
54- Kevin Pillar...ORANGE AND SEPIA PARALLEL. Again, goes back to my luck of getting great cards from teams I hate. Also, this is a dupe.
229- Jordan Zimmerman. Needed this one
138- Renato Nunez. Dupe
149- Andrew Benintendi. Dupe

Pack 4-
2- Mike Moustakas. Dupe.
POWER ZONE insert of MIKE TROUT. So at least there's that.
161- Tyler Glasnow. Dupe
209- Hisashi Iwakuma. Needed this one.
268- Jacob DeGrom. Annnnnd needed THIS one, too.

Pack 5
5- Aroldis Chapman. Dupe
300- Eddie Rosario GOLD..and it's I needed
7- CJ Cron. Needed it.
87- Tony Cingrani. Dupe
44- Jacoby Ellsbury. Dupe. Damn, now I'm getting all the Yankee dupes...

Pack 6-
112- Michael Lorenzen. I've pulled 3 versions of this card. Dupe
ANNNND...I got a REDEMPTION CARD, FOLKS. This (hopefully) will redeem a Beam Team autograph insert of KYLE SCHWARBER, which is a pretty solid pull from a product that keeps giving me no-name St. Louis rookies as autos. So that's pretty nice, if Topps delivers, and if Schwarber delivers. Doesn't make up for this blaster's ineptitude, but still.
130- Jonathan Villar. Needed it.
257- Daniel Murphy. Got it
188- Reynaldo Lopez. Got it.

Pack 7-
197- Tyler Skaggs. Dupe
Scoreless Streak insert of ZACK GREINKE. Nice one, too.
57- Josh Bell. Needed it.
267- Hunter Dozier. Needed it
26- Eric Hosmer. Needed it. So, that's 3 right there. Not bad.

Pack 8-
176- Dustin Pedroia. Got it
178- Zach McAllister. Got it
227- Jose Canseco. Got it.
177- Robinson Cano. Got it
8- Yu Darvish. Okay, at least I needed this one. And it's a black parallel..

So, that was a blaster of Stadium Club. I got 12 base cards I needed, a couple nice inserts, and a redemption card that I'm PRAYING that Topps won't foul up. I got dupes, but...don't we always?

The Other Frazier

Yes, I understand who's playing third base for my team right now, but I'd like to talk about one of the other rookie Yankees who's doing really well this year. Yes, someone other than Aaron Judge and Todd Frazier.

It's this guy. Clint. He's actually really nice.

This is a guy that was brewing in the Indians' farm system for a year or so, and wound up in the Bronx thanks to a trade for Andrew Miller. People were making a stir about the fact that Clint would have to cut his trademark mullety-locks in order to become a Yankee, and I was just excited to see exactly what he'd do in the Bronx, as people were saying he'd be close to ready.

Clint Frazier, in his 13 games since coming up, has had 14 hits, 3 home runs and 8 RBIs. He's on track to have the kind of second half of the season that made Gary Sanchez a big deal last year. Plus, he's one of those characters that you want to have on your team. This is a team that's been through several characters, lots of spirit, an actual Danish knight, and an actual giant, and now Clint is adding one more character to the fold. How could you not like a team with this much fun people?

Yes, the Yanks are currently in third place, behind the building-while-we-weren't-looking Rays, and the still-in-first-place Red Sox, but they seem to be on the upswing, and with the addition of Todd Frazier and David Robertson (and possibly a certain Oakland starter), they might be building to become surprisingly amazing down the stretch.

Coming Tonight: Home-run hitter for a middling NL East team.

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Well, That's One Way to Solve the Problem

The story so far: the Yankees are on the upswing, but the rotation's imperfect, and the hole at first base is so distracting that even prospects from 1st place teams are getting sucked in. Trade rumors are swirling, especially the one saying we're going after Sonny Gray, but other than a Yonder Alonso deal that I'm insisting isn't going to work out well for us, no real solution's been coming up.

Last night, before I went to bed, I read that the Yankees were looking at trading for Todd Frazier and David Robertson, and I went 'uhh...alright, sure. See if that works.'

It did.

Todd Frazier, David Robertson, and Tommy Kahnle landed in New York this morning, in exchange for Tyler Clippard, Ian Clarkin, Blake Rutherford and Tito Polo. I was uneasy about the trade until I heard the full specifics.

First of all, trading Tyler Clippard for Kahnle and Robertson is a great deal, because those two are having way better seasons than Clippard is. The way it'll probably work is that Robertson will probably fit into a four-headed-monster type of thing with Adam Warren, Dellin Betances and Aroldis Chapman. Kahnle will probably go for longer relief work, and 2017 has told us he can definitely do that. So in terms of bullpen support, I definitely get the trade.

In terms of Todd Frazier...look, loved him with the Reds, love his home run ability, but...the guy's been striking out a billion times this season. We'd already just released a strikeout machine in Chris Carter, and while Frazier hit 40 home runs last season and has already hit 16, he's got 70+ strikeouts, and he's not been having his best year.

My dad has made the argument that Yankee Stadium will be better suited to his needs, and the balls that are just barely missing the wall at Comiskey are gonna travel further in the Bronx. So hopefully my dad is right, and Todd Frazier's really gonna benefit from Yankee stadium. I hope he does, too, because he's a Toms River kid, and the folks in Toms River could use a local hero.

Right now I could be a little happier with the trade, but I'm hoping Frazier can outdo my expectations.

How Have the Padres Won 40 Games?

There isn't much else to this post other than this- the Padres have no lineup, they barely have a pitching staff, they have no depth, and they just aren't fun to watch, at least from an outsider's perspective.

I'm just puzzled as to how they've won 40 games...and not, like, 29. I imagine there are some great players on this team, but...I have no idea how they're in fourth, and I have no idea how they're better than the Reds. Yes, they have players that hit home runs, but they have bad averages. Yes, they have pitchers that win games, but the ERAs are inflated as all hell. It's just not adding up for me.

Coming Tonight: Just when you thought the Yankees were fading back into comes an outfielder who's been toiling in the minors for a bit, ready to bring them back to the top.

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

The A's Are Gonna Be Just Fine

I'm guessing that next week, we're gonna hear about how gutted the A's are gonna be. Ryan Madson, Trevor Plouffe and Sean Doolittle have already been traded, I imagine that Yonder Alonso and Sonny Gray will have been traded, and there's a chance that Khris Davis and Kendall Graveman might also be on the way out.

So...what does that leave for the A's for the rest of 2017? Well, for one thing, it leaves Sean Manaea.

Sean Manaea's pitching even better than the guy that everybody seems to be after. He's been in the leagues for two seasons, came over for Ben Zobrist, and has been pitching beautifully this year. What makes him great is his ability to work strikeouts and pummel offenses. It's difficult to have a nice record on a last place team, but Manaea's working it, and he's coming off not just 'good for 5th place', but 'good period.'

When Gray and Graveman and all those people end up leaving, Sean Manaea's still gonna start games. Additionally, the A's are still gonna have Ryon Healy, and unless something goes wrong they're still gonna have Jed Lowrie. They won't be complete...but they won't be hopeless either.

Coming Tomorrow- Someone who's allegedly doing well for the Padres.

The Narrative Shift

Well, in the four games since the break, it looks like the Cubs of 2016 might be making an attempt to come back...which is nice, as I was getting tired of talking about how pathetic they looked.

After an All Star Game featuring only one actual Cub, the real Cubs came back, thanks to some quick work from the lineup, and a KILLER DEBUT from Jose Quintana. I mean it, this guy hadn't been this electric all year with the White Sox.

The momentum's been set in place for a much more impressive second half, and as they're about to start a series with the Atlanta Braves, and that might be pretty easy.

Still, the pressure to repeat is still on, and the fans, the baseball world, and everyone wants the Cubs to be this unstoppable, unmovable force this year, even though they're just a pretty good baseball team at this point. Yes, they won a World Series, but repeating might not happen, and right now they're just trying to make it to the playoffs.

Hopefully the pressure will subside, and the momentum will keep going.

Coming Tonight: Not the A's pitcher everyone's after, but a really good, strong pitcher for the A's...that probably won't be traded.

Monday, July 17, 2017

Nothing Has Changed

A year later, and the Cleveland Indians are still one of the best teams in the AL. True, they've lost a lot of ground thanks to, you know, making it to the World Series last year, and their team isn't exactly what you'd call perfect, but a lot is working, and a lot is making a case for a postseason reprise.

Bradley Zimmer's been having a really nice rookie season, coming up in smaller places, and contributing to the team-wise pursuits of hits and runs, rather than home runs. Michael Brantley and Jose Ramirez are having great seasons, while Carlos Santana and Jason Kipnis, usually relied on for long-ball power, are contributing less. This is a changed team, a team who've discovered the main problem and are still trying to compete.

The pitching staff is still fantastic, even though things aren't as picture perfect as they were in 2016. Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Mike Clevinger are pitching beautifully, and Trevor Bauer while, as per usual, lacking in the wins category, still has racked up a ton of strikeouts. Josh Tomlin and Ryan Merritt are disappointing, while Danny Salazar's disappointing AND injured. It's a mixed bag, but the top three are still winning games.

This is still a team capable of winning games later down the stretch, and this is a team that could still be a postseason threat. We just need to figure out how things are going to go.

Coming Tomorrow- The Cubs' closer.

The Collector Finally Gets His Due

Pat Neshek's one of the most legendary card-collectors in baseball right now, and I didn't get to make a custom card of him until he joined my hometown team. Man, if he actually knew about my blog he'd be really, really pissed.

I actually do have a ton of respect for Neshek. The guy'd done a ton of work in odd places, making an All-Star team as a Cardinal but still getting all of Minneapolis to applaud, and being among the unsung heroes of the 2012-2013 Athletics. He's been one of the most unlikely heroes of baseball, and the fact that he's made two All Star Games is a great sign for baseball, in that it doesn't always have to favor overpaid stars.

Neshek's been one of the best players on the Phillies, and one of the insanely bright spots on one of the worst bullpens in baseball. The guy's got a low era, a ton of strikeouts, and already has a fan following in Philly, which proves that even doing well for a few months can get you one there.

I imagine Neshek's probably gonna get traded in a week or so, because...I mean, he's one of the few great things about the worst team in baseball, and someone's gonna have to want something of his. I hope he's traded somewhere really nice (like maybe back to Houston), and I hope his star can stay semi-high for a little while.

(Part of me thinks he's gonna get a kick out of having a custom. Just a part of me, though.)

Coming Tomorrow- A hard-hitting rookie for the well-faring defending AL champs.

Sunday, July 16, 2017

The Rivalry Goes On

Wouldn't be a Yankees-Red Sox series without some shenanigans going on.

Last night, the game in Boston lasted 16 innings. Normal rivalries can figure something out at 10 or 11, but the Yanks and Sox went all 16, and they were furious. It only took some divine intervention for the Yankees to come out on top. Today they took a game away from Boston, thanks to some sharp stuff from Clint Frazier and CC Sabathia, and right now it's looking dire for them on the second leg of the double-header.

Yanks-Sox is an incredible rivalry right now because both teams are good, both teams are competing, and modern legends are being formed in Aaron Judge and Mookie Betts. This is a year where the Yankees started strong, and the Red Sox became even stronger, and now every matchup is a chance for either team to prove themselves.

I'm not delusional. Right now, the Red Sox ARE indeed better than the Yankees. Some of the wheels have fallen off in the Bronx, and some of the pitchers haven't been performing as well as we'd like them to. The Sox are shaping up, though- Kimbrel's been tight, the outfield is just as legendary as usual, and Chris Sale is undoubtedly the best pitcher in the AL right now. All of the Cy Youngs he deserved in Chicago might be coming in Boston.

The rivalry's probably gonna heat up as we get closer to September, and as we figure out who's actually going to win the division (I know who it's looking like it's gonna be, but baseball is thankfully fickle). It'll be interesting to see how it evolves.

Coming Tomorrow- My hometown team's so terrible that only a middle reliever made it to the ASG.

The Air's Thinner Than The Lead

There was a Sports Illustrated article recently about pitching in Denver, and how they've tried everything in recent years to keep pitchers from getting chewed up. This year, they decided to try raw talent- Kyle Freeland, Jeff Hoffman, Antonio Senzatela, German Marquez, Tyler Chatwood and Jon Gray are all doing pretty damned well in Denver this year. True, Chatwood and Gray's ERAs are leaving a bit to be desired, and Senzatela's spending some time in AAA to spruce things up, but this is the first time in years that a legitimate collection of talent has been thrown into one Colorado rotation.

The Rockies have the interesting position of being right there with most of the competing NL teams...but still being 10 and a half games out of first. It's an odd position, because they're a great team, and are doing awesome things this season, but aren't even close to catching the Dodgers. They're already just working for a Wild Card spot, which...again, they basically have, unless the grand Cubs comeback that we're all secretly hoping to happen just shows up and clobbers them in September.

Freeland, Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon, Mark Reynolds and a host of others are making the Rockies watchable in a season where they didn't have to be. I'm just happy that there's at least some progress.

Coming Tonight: The Red Sox closer.

Saturday, July 15, 2017

Back to our Regularly Scheduled Trainwreck

Right. That was a nice little siesta we had back there. Now, here we are, back to the rest of the 2017 season. The Astros and Dodgers are still hot, and the 'why the Yankees won't make the postseason' articles are spilling out like wildfire. Back to the norm.

The Astros have managed to cobble together so many on-players at one time, combining a few contracts with one of the mightiest building farm systems in baseball. Carlos Beltran, though a few steps down from last year, is still playing like a Hall of Famer, and is doing a bit more than his previous legacy in Houston. And that's just a pebble compared to the exploits of Carlos Correa, George Springer, Dallas Keuchel and Jose Altuve, all of whom homegrown, and all of whom are among the most powerful players in baseball right now.

They're all 15 games ahead from the nearest competition, and seeing as it's the Angels 15 games behind them, the word 'competition' can be used loosely. Their only downsides right now are the lack of substantial pitching depth in the wake of Keuchel's injury and David Paulino's suspension, and the lack of classic production from Nori Aoki, but those are slim downsides, and they barely take away from how ferocious this team is.

You can never tell what's gonna pop up within the next few months. I feel like all the Astros need is one more solid starting pitcher, and they'll be set for October.

Coming Tomorrow- The day before the All Star Break, he flirted with a no-hitter. And that's just the tip of the iceberg that is his suddenly-amazing rotation.

Friday, July 14, 2017

Box Break: 2017 Topps Stadium Club (Part Two)

Last night I posted the first part of this box of 2017 Stadium Club. Like usual, I adore the photography, design, ripping experience. Like usual, I'm pretty underwhelmed by the hits, and there's probably some Cardinals fan somewhere rolling his eyes at pulling an Aaron Judge autograph or something.

Tonight, you'll see part two. The hits are gone, so it's all base and inserts from here on out. It's Stadium Club, so that's kinda what we're all here for.

 Pack 9- The mixed bag portion of the eight-card pack. Two cards, the Skaggs and Mauer, that I've already pulled, a pitcher that's barely even relevant this year, a sophomore that's barely played this year, and a rookie that's sort of done alright so far.

 These base cards are a bit better- Elvis Andrus' card has a cameo from third-baseman and pop-up rival Adrian Beltre.
Meanwhile, Aroldis Chapman is pictured as a New York Yankee again and I'm so happy.

And, a rather awesome insert, too. Power Zone was a great set from the late 90s renditions of SC, and this year's version is a rather fitting homage to the original one. Plus, unlike the 90s Power Zones, this set has subjects that haven't taken steroids, plus ones I adore like Miguel Cabrera.

 Pack 10-
Slumping heroes. At least Seager and Cano are enjoying their fun little leg thing there.
And, of course, Arrieta looks intimidating as hell on that mound.

 AL West heroes. Nothing insanely special about these two cards, but the way they're cropped and zoomed is a ton more interesting than most Topps flagship ones.

 Mitch Moreland seems happy to be in a Sox uniform, and the Spring Training setting is a beautiful one. Adam Conley's card is the antithesis- darkness, blackness instead of light.

These two were my favorites. The angle of this Max Kepler card made this one cool, especially the look on his face, and the distance from his 'devil horns' sign to the camera. Just really friggin' cool.
Plus, you get one of the most poignant shots in a Topps product in a very long time, of Willie McCovey. Absolutely gorgeous.

 Pack 11- Pair of catchers. Contreras gets a nice postseason card with Aroldis Chapman, and Jason Varitek...while, like Derrek Lee, is an odder inclusion, is a bit more welcome thanks to his Sox captain status.

 A quartet of sideways shots. My favorite of the bunch is probably Grandpa Rossy, but the Werth belongs to the Stadium Club school of making Jayson Werth look absolutely awesome on cards.
Inciarte's photo I used in a custom last year. How about that.

 Absolutely gorgeous backstage shot of Albert Pujols. Kinda similar to a CJ Cron shot they used last year, though this one's a ton more dramatic. It's Albert Pujols, so the mystique comes with it.

Plus, here's another really cool Power Zone insert of Josh Donaldson. If you're counting, I've pulled two inserts of Blue Jays, and an autograph of a Cardinal. I also despise both teams, if you're not keeping score of that.

 Pack 12-
A gold dupe of a Yankee, and a base card of a guy who's been injured for two seasons.

 Aqua-uniformed goodness. Cano's is a basic, 2008 UD-esque shot. Matt Duffy's is really nice, kinda poignant, even he's barely played any games in Tampa.

 Retired Stars! CHIPPAH looks pretty great, and young, in this shot. The Jose Canseco card is from the perspective of either a very frightened reporter or, you know, Trevor Hoffman
All star starters. Arenado's is a terrific behind the plate shot, and Murph's is a nice BP shot.

 Pack 13- 3 dupes. Lovely.

 This is better. Odubel Herrera's is a picture of one of the few offensive highlights in Philadelphia in 2016, while Michael Conforto's is a shot of one of the few non-strikeouts of HIS 2016 season. Hernan Perez, like this year, is just there for moral support.

Killebrew's is pretty damned cool, and Duda's is very dramatic, made even better by the behind-the-back aspect.

 Pack 14- A trio of 'meh'. Colome's is a good enough posed shot, Almora's is a standard outfield shot, and a Cardinal.

 A moment with some legends. I love the late-70s-early-80s A's uniform on Rickey, and I love the grainy B/W Duke. Making his a Brooklyn card rather than an LA one is just as classy.

 Belt's auto shot is pretty damned cool, with the helmet-hat and everything. Plus, I'm glad Tommy Joseph finally got a card in Stadium Club. Way to go! a chrome refractor, seeded every one in four BOXES. The fact that I pulled this is pretty amazing, as it's a rare hit, and it comes off pretty cool in this photo. all know what I'm gonna say.

Now I'm CERTAIN there's some Cardinals fan pulling an Aaron Judge hot box of this product. This is just karma, man.

 Pack 15- A pair of rookie/prospect types that...really haven't factored into this season.

 Lots of cool stuff here. I love how far they've zoomed back Harvey's card, I love the angle on Buxton, I appreciate the inclusion of Johnny Damon (and understand why he's wearing that wretched uniform), and love the lighting on that orange uniform of Yuli Gurriel's. Cool stuff all around.

 Heh, yeah, it's Bryce Harper holding a bunch of awards! Man, it's a shame we're never gonna see that visual again.

(That was sarcasm, Sheldon).

Ooooh, as if this set didn't already have my attention, they give a REALLY, REALLY, REALLY COOL BEAM TEAM DESIGN. Like, CHRIST this thing is awesome. Plus, it's an insert of Corey Seager, who I have a ton of respect for, and who's having another great season.

 Pack 16-
That is a fantastic shot of Reynaldo Lopez. Absolutely awesome.
Mark Melancon's is kinda commonplace, made even weaker by his non-presence in San Fran this year.

 David Peralta's shot is the best of the three, and probably the more relevant player, too.

 Two retired legends. Topps keeps pumping up Omar Vizquel in these products, fine I guess.
They can pump up Yaz as much as they'd like, though. The man was a legend in Boston, and I do have some respect for him, even as a Yankee fan.

We end this really nice box with a Scoreless Streak insert of the best pitcher in baseball. So I've got that going for me, which is nice.

So...that's 2017 Stadium Club. This set keeps getting better and better, though I would put a few aspects of the 2016 set above this one. The photography, filtering and inserts are still top notch, and this is still a Grade-A, incredibly original set from a company whose originality has been lacking lately.