Your takes on the All-Star Game swing-off. Plus: How do the Brewers keep doing this?

New York Times

4 days ago

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So the swing-off was a big success. Let's overreact a little bit?
Plus: The NL Central should be a fun battle in the second half, the Orioles might make gold out of some strong first-half performers, and … do the Blue Jays have the juice? I'm Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal — welcome to The Windup!
The biggest non-ASG news in baseball yesterday: The Pirates traded Adam Frazier (back) to the Royals for Cam Devanney. You don't need 1,500 words from me on that trade!
And besides: The swing-off was new and exciting and novel! It was fun!! So fun, in fact, that a few players suggested (joking, we think) that allextra-innings games should be decided that way.
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Ooooookay, tap the brakes. Let's not propose after one good date. But if players are bringing it up, we decided it was worth asking our readers: How do you feel about it?
Polling is still open, but as of last night, with more than 3,000 votes in, here's where you stood:
Would you be in favor of MLB changing the rules so regular-season games tied after nine innings are decided by a swing-off?
No: 67 percent
Yes: 33 percent
That feels right. It was fun, but so was 'two teams made up of the best players in the sport.'
The All-Star Game is an exhibition, a bit less serious than a regular-season game. I think the swing-off added to the fun, but I agree with you: Let's keep it to the exhibition.
How would you prefer regular-season games be decided after nine innings?
Extra innings, just like the first nine: 37 percent
Extra innings starting with a runner on second base: 34 percent
Swing-off, like the All-Star Game: 30 percent
I'm not surprised that 'go back to the old way' won. In fact, I'm surprised it was this close. I hated the ghost-runner idea when it was first proposed, but (sorry) I've come around — so long as it is neverimplemented in the postseason.
Do you think MLB will bring a version of the swing-off to regular-season games at some point in the future?
No: 61 percent
Yes: 39 percent
The fact that 67 percent said you didn't like it, but only 61 percent don't think MLB will do it, tells me that about eight percent of you are about as cynical as I am.
Yes, they've implemented the ghost runner, banned the shift and put in a pitch clock, and it appears that the ABS 'robot umps' are next. But surely they wouldn't do this, right?
Right?!
From my latest notes column:
Baltimore Orioles right-hander Charlie Morton and left-hander Trevor Rogers are examples of how quickly a player's trajectory — and trade value — might change.
Morton, 41, was the symbol of the Orioles' early season collapse, posting a 10.89 ERA in his first five starts. But over his last 59 innings, dating to April 29, his ERA is 3.05.
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One of many Orioles on an expiring contract, Morton suddenly looks like an attractive chip. During Fox's All-Star preview show Monday, I mentioned him as a possibility for the Boston Red Sox.
Yes, the Red Sox would love to do better, and perhaps they will. But the starting-pitching market is thin, and Sox manager Alex Cora is familiar with Morton from the 2017 Houston Astros. With Bryan Bello and Lucas Giolito both on a roll, perhaps the Sox would be OK with someone like Morton rather than a pure — and possibly unattainable — No. 2 starter.
Rogers, 27, also has bounced back. His debut with the Orioles last August was so rough, the team sent him to the minors. At that point, his acquisition from the Miami Marlins looked like a bust. And when Rogers began this season on the injured list, it didn't appear much better.
Outfielder Kyle Stowers became an All-Star with the Marlins. The other player the Orioles sent to Miami, infielder Connor Norby, also seems capable of haunting Baltimore. But since joining the Orioles on May 24, Rogers' ERA is 1.53, and it isn't just luck. His expected ERA is 2.94.
The difference between Morton and Rogers is that Rogers is under club control for one more season. The Orioles plan to contend in 2026. Their current projected rotation would include Grayson Rodríguez and Kyle Bradish, both of whom could be hard-pressed to carry significant workloads coming off major injuries.
The Orioles are listening on Rogers, just as they are listening on closer Félix Bautista, who is under club control for two additional seasons. A source briefed on the team's plans, however, said it was unlikely either would be traded. The Orioles have nearly a dozen potential free agents to work through, including All-Star designated hitter Ryan O'Hearn. Trades involving some or most of those players will be the priority.
More notes here.
In yesterday's Windup, I listed three storylines (and three honorable mentions) that I will be watching closely in the second half. What you don't know is that I originally had the Cubs/Brewers in the NL Central as one of them (but then got sucked into the 'Wow, the Brewers have a lot of pretty good rookies' vortex).
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Fortunately, Patrick Mooney has my back, so I get to talk about it anyway. His story today focuses on Cubs manager Craig Counsell — who formerly managed the Brewers — and how his current team is a legit World Series contender this year … but his old team is still just a game back in the standings.
It is truly mind-boggling to me how the Brewers can keep shedding talent each year, and yet somehow, improbably, continue to contend for the postseason.
Check out this list of former Brewers, just from 2020-2024: Josh Hader, Corbin Burnes, Adrian Houser, Brent Suter, Devin Williams, Drew Rasmussen, Eric Lauer, Luis Urías, Willy Adames, Hoby Milner, Colin Rea, Janson Junk …
Just those 12 (or 11, really — Williams has been worth 0.0 bWAR) have been worth 14.5 bWAR this year. That's the same total compiled by Aaron Judge (7.1) Shohei Ohtani (4.3) and Jacob deGrom (3.1) combined.
This feels like watching a car drop a muffler, two tires, an alternator and a steering wheel, and just keep on cruising toward the finish line at top speed.
If not for the spectacle of the Magic Milwaukee Speed Racer, the Cubs might be the runaway story of the National League. Kyle Tucker has proven to be a phenomenal addition. Pete Crow-Armstrong is making Mets fans curse the name of Javy Báez. Drew Pomeranz (a Brewer in 2019, by the way) somehow has an ERA of 0.70 in 29 appearances this year.
It's going to be a fun second half.
If the Brewers are the 'Wow, they're almost doing this' underdogs, you need only look about 500 miles to the East to see what success might look like.
It has been a perennial tradition of late: Which big free-agent did the Blue Jays miss out on? Shohei Ohtani? Juan Soto? Roki Sasaki? Yeah, all of them. And yet, every year, there has been a low-lying sense that maybe the Blue Jays could be good.
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But the best it got was three 2-0 wild-card sweeps from 2020-2023.
This year feels different. They've surged to the top of the AL East at the break, and Mitch Bannon has an inside look at a locker room that truly believes they've got the juice.
Some of it has been production from the Jays' stars — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer are having great years — and some of it has been that old-as-time truth: Winning breeds winning. Success makes for a looser clubhouse, and when players are having fun, they tend to play better.
It's the sort of hell-yeah halo that hovers on teams that we call 'special.' Read Mitch's missive, and it starts to feel a lot like those 'teams of destiny' we've seen cruise into the postseason in years past.
The next 2.5 months will tell if it's the real deal or a mirage.
If — OK, let's be real … when — ABS is implemented in regular-season games, should there be a buffer zone? Union head Tony Clark says maybe, commissioner Rob Manfred says, 'I don't know why I would want to do that.'
Keith Law's division-by-division draft class breakdown continues, with the AL West and the NL East.
We all love instant feedback, but a bit of hindsight is also helpful. Let's revisit some of last year's trade grades?
Arkansas' Gage Wood threw a no-hitter in the College World Series and was a first-round pick by the Phillies. Learn all about him here.
Casey Mize was a can't-miss prospect. Then he was a bust. Now he's an All-Star. Cody Stavenhagen tells you about the Tigers pitcher's journey.
A string of words I never expected to write: Livvy Dunne will not get to live in Babe Ruth's old apartment.
On the pods: On 'Rates & Barrels,' the crew welcomes Keith Law to talk about the 2025 draft.
Most-clicked in our last newsletter: Clayton Kershaw's dugout hot-mic comments during the All-Star Game.
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