Week 2, July '22
Yanks @ Sox, Baker, & More
MLB
American League
First Place: Yankees (60-23), Astros (54-28), and Twins (47-38).
Wild Card: Rays (45-37), Red Sox (45-38), and Blue Jays (45-39).
National League
First Place: Dodgers (53-29), Mets (52-31), and Brewers (47-37).
Wild Card: Braves (49-35), Padres (48-36), and Phillies (44-39).
Yanks in Boston
In some ways, the Yankees’ season just began last night in their 6-5 victory. It was the first game of a four-game set, this being the first time the Yanks have traveled to Fenway. I’m sure the Sox fans loved walking into their stadium with a giant Derek Jeter billboard in their face (which would never happen in the Bronx). - Game Highlights
Check out the Youtube Rabbithole below if you’re interested in the rivalry that dates back a century.
Primetime: Saturday Night Baseball, 7 PM ET on Fox, and Sunday Night Baseball, 7 PM ET on ESPN.
Who Says No?
The Yankees replace Joey Gallo with Ian Happ. Happ gets on base at a 38% clip, switch-hits, can play center, and even some infield in a pinch.
The Mets need an upgrade at catcher. Contreras has a World Series ring and is starting for the NL in the All-Star Game for a reason (MLB Breakdown). Andujar is a throw-in who can play LF and DH. Deserves a real shot of at-bats and could at least provide depth for Eduardo Escobar and J.D. Davis.
The Cubs are undergoing another selloff trade deadline. Everson Pereira and Matt Allan are the prospect prizes in this deal. My thinking is maybe the Mets could give up a lesser prospect if Cohen eats the Gallo contract. For Gallo’s sake, this change of scenery is necessary. Estevan Florial has been on fire of late and is the kind of low-risk high upside player they can see right away what they have.
Judge Watch
83 games into the 162-game season, Aaron Judge currently has 30 home runs and is on pace for 59. No American League player has hit the 60 homerun benchmark that Babe Ruth set in 1927 since Roger Maris hit 61 in 1961.
Stars on the Rise
Spencer Strider, Atlanta Braves, Starting Pitcher: the first rookie in MLB's Modern Era (since 1900) with 11+ strikeouts and 2 or fewer hits allowed in consecutive starts (@ESPNStatsInfo). When you pitch like this, fans start showing up in mustaches.
Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates, Short Stop: the beacon of hope for Pirates fans. You don’t need to be a scout to see that Cruz has all the tools and raw talent to end up in Cooperstown. Freakishly tall (6’7”) and fast, Oneil was named after Yankee legend Paul O’Neill - his dad’s favorite player.
NFL
Mayfield-Darnold Duet in Carolina
The Cleveland Browns have shipped Baker Mayfield off to the Carolina Panthers for a midround 2023 draft pick. All Carolina needs to do is swap McCaffrey for Saquon Barkley and they would have the top 3 picks from the 2018 draft.
From the Panthers’ perspective, you’re throwing a shot at the dark that a Mayfield-Darnold QB competition will get the best out of at least one of these two high draft pedigree gunslingers entering year 5. Once the Browns were in on the Watson sweepstakes, there was no way Baker was going to play another snap in Cleveland so they must be thrilled they did not have to release him. There was a possibility he’d sign with the Steelers, not the juju Cleveland needs.
Will Baker Mayfield still be in every State Farm commercial this fall?
NBA
Yeah… I’m not covering the summer league or the 3,485th trade rumor about KD.
Golf
**Looks both ways and whispers** - “Let’s see the LIV tour do that… I mean really…Right guys?”
Youtube Rabbithole
Reasons You Can’t Blame the Red Sox owner for selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees
Munson vs Fisk
Please feel free to skip over the #1 moment.
Have a nice weekend.
Not covering all the KD rumors??? Been a boring off season so far because no teams are making moves waiting to see what happens there