Arlington

That's the optimistic view

It used to be that a solid starter would face more batters in a season than a starting position player would get at bat. Wonder if that has shifted now that pitchers are pulled so much more quickly.

The last time I really listened to a sports talk radio show the subject was Lance Parrish. Callers wanted to send him down and give that kid Marty Castillo a chance.

JObe got the surgery with the quicker recovery. We could see him pitching in June next year.

And if "it hurts" he gets to stop. I don't want to be too snarky here but I couldn't resist.

My 2 cents... Turn center field over to Baez. He's a natural athlete and he'll man CF like he's been playing there for years. In fact, call me crazy but my spring training prediction is that he'll start the all-star game in center.

Checking in. Heard a rumor the Tigers scored and actually are in the lead.

Wait until the new power rankings come out. The Tigers will be 13th or so with a bundle of told-you-sos and you-can't-keep-over-performing-forever isms.

We have to figure out who among us caused this and punish them severely.

It's the one position that everyone can play.

I think they would rather go for it all in 2026 and receive a compensation pick as worse case scenario. I expect them to go all out on signing him this winter. He's money.

Stat of the day - Riley Greene (31.7%) has a higher K% than any Tiger pitcher except Tarik (33.4%). The two stars are close. Imagine striking out like you're always facing a Skubal.

Fangraphs gives the Twins a 2% chance of winning the division. Cleveland 1% and KC .5% Combined those odds are 17.5 times more likely than what the Tigers did last year.

I think someone in payroll actually asked that question.

Yes, but I don't think the Pirates would. Four promising prospects for three established starters. They probably could do better.

Like on MLB.com when they give you a 30-second ad before playing the 15-second clip.

Can't think of his name, but they have that starter from Hinch's Houston days that may become a contributor in the later half. And then there's Cobb. He might be ready by the middle of September. LOL

Just struck me how many All-Star position players were once Cubs prospects. Eight in total and one even plays for the Cubs. Move Javy back to short and they have the field covered. Pete Crow‑Armstrong Current Cub Kyle Schwarber Willson Contreras Javier Báez Michael Busch Isaac Paredes Jorge Soler Gleyber Torres You can add McKinstry too as he once played like a minor leaguer for the Cubs.

If the Tigers didn't make the playoffs last year after 0.2% odds, and they were chasing MN or KC this year I would still be over the moon about the future. This wealth of talent in the minors is comparable to the early 1960s when Freehan, McAuliffe, Lolich, Sparma, Northrup, Horton, and Wert were coming up and the later 1970s with Kemp, Fydrich, Peaches, Morris, Tram/Whit, Parrish, Thompson, Gibson and Rozema. What's in Erie right now is going to make it's mark, not just because of its talent but because these guys are developing a unique comradery. They are winners, they are exciting, and they are going to take Detroit by storm.

Where's the bat boy. Talk about missed opportunities. He's a hero to some fans

That seems to be the case. With rentals though, you're getting a little over 60 days of service plus the post season. Getting a rental at the beginning of July rather than the end gives you 50% more playing time. A smart GM would cut through all that and grab some players early

Wonder if he was a sympathy pick. Don was beemed about 2 weeks before the All-Star game and reportedly was never the same again. I started following in 1968 too so he never seemed good to me, but he was averaging a little better than 2 WAR from 1964 - 1967, a solid starter. In his 3 years after '68 he had a -1.5 WAR. Imagine getting a very serious life changing concussion with 2 days in the hospital and being back in 9 days.

Since he's starting today I thought this was appropriate here. From The Athletic - "Opposing hitters have batting averages under .200 against him whether they’re left-handed, right-handed, playing at home or on the road. Opposing cleanup hitters have a .120/.151/.140 slash line against him. No. 3 hitters? They’re hitting .170, with a .185 OBP. The 5-6-7 hitters are at .191, .152 and .125, respectively." https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6487364/2025/07/11/mlb-awards-races-2025-midseason-judge-ohtani-skubal (paywall)

Riley has a strange stride, with a stiff upright back while landing on his heels. I see a little VMart in him. I wonder if he could be trained to run differently. I read someone's opinion that he will age fast and may be a risky long-term signing, something VMart was not. Who knows where he is going to peak. It seems like he just put it together last year and he's like 25?

You're telling a different story. These are the power rankings and should reflect the best based on performance to date. As for being able to predict the future yours is more intelligent. It's like playoff odds. 162 games is a long season and it gives you a pretty good indication of how good a team is. When you take a playoff series for example, and you have the league's best team which won a little over .630 of their games and pit them against a team that won .520 of their games you end up with a result statistically of the better team winning the series less than 6 times out of ten and the lesser team winning close to 5 times out of ten, so yea. The lesser team has a much better chance than people tend to assign them. Anyone in your tier could beat anyone else in the tier and in any series the outcome pretty much could go either way.