MLB's Best Team Gets 'Big Upgrade'; Tigers Outfielder Activated For Season Debut
One of the biggest surprises of this season has been the fact that the best team in baseball so far is the Detroit Tigers. Not only did they head into Friday's home game against the Cleveland Guardians at 33-18 -- an MLB-best .647 winning percentage -- the Tigers reached the top of ESPN's power rankings released on Thursday.
Detroit started the season at No. 18 in the ESPN rankings, but has vaulted up the chart, winning 15 of its last 21 games.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 02: Matt Vierling #8 of the Detroit Tigers reacts after striking out against the Houston Astros in the first inning during Game Two of the Wild Card Series at Minute Maid...
HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 02: Matt Vierling #8 of the Detroit Tigers reacts after striking out against the Houston Astros in the first inning during Game Two of the Wild Card Series at Minute Maid Park on October 02, 2024 in Houston, Texas. More"Plenty is going right for the Tigers: the resurgence of Javier Baez ... in center field; Tarik Skubal's sterling defense of his AL Cy Young Award; former No. 1 picks Spencer Torkelson and Casey Mize finding their way; and the bullpen's dominance," wrote the ESPN power rankings staff. "Lost in those headlines is Gleyber Torres having a solid season, continuing where he left off down the stretch in 2024 with the Yankees."
And yet, the Tigers have done it all while dealing with a series of injuries that would slow down many teams. Their $15 million free agent pitching acquisition Alex Cobb has yet to take the mound. Centerfielder Parker Meadows has also been out since spring training. Torres missed almost two weeks with an oblique strain. Those names are just a few of the Tigers' walking wounded.
But one outfielder (who doubles as a third baseman), Matt Vierling, is finally ready to take his place in the Detroit lineup. After missing the entire season so far with a right rotator cuff strain, the 28-year-old, fifth-year player was finally activated from the injured list on Friday.
More MLB: Tigers Trade Idea Gets $3 Million Phillies Outfielder For 1.00 ERA Relief Arm
Vierling played an important role in last season's Tigers comeback, getting into the playoffs despite being two games under .500 as late as Aug. 22. With 16 home runs and a .735 OPS, Vierling's 3.0 WAR was second-highest of any position player on last year's Detroit team.
Other than 32-year-old veteran Javy Baez, who has converted to a center fielder due to the multiple outfield injuries and has so far produced his best performance at the plate since 2021, the Detroit outfield has been a patchwork product. Vierling and Meadows have missed time with injuries, and Manuel Margot and Wenceel Perez have served IL stints as well.
Despite being eligible to play, Vierling was not in the Tigers' starting lineup on Friday.
More MLB: Braves Urged to 'Pull Plug' on Yankees Castoff Alex Verdugo as Numbers Plummet
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New York Times
20 minutes ago
- New York Times
Phillies takeaways: Mick Abel's place in rotation, outfield slugging, Seth Johnson impresses
PHILADELPHIA — There were no runs on the scoreboard, two outs, and Mick Abel had San Diego's No. 9 hitter in an 0-2 count. It was the second inning in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader. He threw Padres catcher Elias Díaz an elevated fastball for ball one. He bounced a curveball. He fired a slider that was a ball out of hand. He countered with a fastball that was even higher than the one before it. Advertisement That was the beginning of the end. 'I got in some leverage counts and was trying too hard to make the pitches, if that makes sense,' Abel said. 'Just not naturally letting it happen.' Two more walks and a double later, the 23-year-old rookie righty had experienced his harshest big-league lesson yet. Abel is the fifth starter in a rotation that has carried the Phillies to the Fourth of July. The Phillies have seen some good — against Pittsburgh, Toronto and Miami — and some bad against tougher lineups. But, before Wednesday's 6-4 loss, Abel was at least attacking hitters. He did not walk a batter in his first two big-league starts. He wasn't missing as many bats in recent outings, but at least he was competitive. Five walks in 1 2/3 innings — the first Phillies starter to do that since Garrett Stephenson in 1998 — will only prompt larger questions about where Abel fits. The Phillies expect Aaron Nola to return in August, with the possibility of him throwing from a mound as early as this weekend. They have always targeted 'July-ish' for top prospect Andrew Painter, but have indicated they would rather wait until after the All-Star break. The Phillies need one more start from the No. 5 slot before the break (Tuesday at San Francisco). They could give it to Abel. They could replace him on the roster with a reliever, go with a bigger bullpen until the break, and do a bullpen game in San Francisco. Or they could summon another starter. Maybe the Painter plans change. Probably not. 'We'll talk about it,' Phillies manager Rob Thomson said when asked about Abel's next start. At times in the minors, Abel had trouble preventing the big inning. Things spiraled too fast. He could not avoid it against San Diego. 'He was kind of missing all over the place,' catcher J.T. Realmuto said. Thomson needed to cover 18 innings Wednesday, so he let Abel go a batter or two longer than he normally might have. Advertisement 'It's not easy,' Realmuto said. 'I mean, there's a lot of pressure in that situation. So you just try to calm them down and slow things down for them a little bit. Mick's obviously got great stuff. But sometimes it's not easy to come into this scenario and be successful right away. He's done a great job for us. That's just part of the growing pains of being a young pitcher.' All of that will factor into the club's decision about next week. Moments after the first game ended, Thomson pulled Brandon Marsh aside for a dugout chat. Marsh explained why he risked making the game's 27th out at third base with the potential winning run coming to the plate in Kyle Schwarber. He knew his run didn't matter, so he figured he could go first to third because center fielder Jackson Merrill would lob the ball to second base to prevent Trea Turner, the tying run, from zooming into scoring position. It was sound thinking — except Marsh had to know there wouldn't be a play at third. He miscalculated. Merrill made a strong throw. Marsh was called out, but a replay review showed he beat the tag. Barely. 'Probably wasn't the best decision to go there, to be honest,' Marsh said. 'But I got away with it.' In the end, the play didn't matter. Schwarber struck out. A lesson, maybe, for Marsh. He started in the second game, a 5-1 Phillies win, and launched a solo homer to center. He's raised his season slash line to .262/.333/.384. 'I like the way that I'm attacking,' Marsh said. 'Definitely can improve a lot more on a lot of things. But, for what it's worth, I like where I'm at personally.' The Phillies are off Thursday, then will face a lefty starter Friday and Saturday. Marsh probably won't play. Neither will Max Kepler, who also homered in Wednesday's nightcap. Got the Maximum height on this one — Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 2, 2025 It marked the first time the Phillies had two homers from their outfield in a game since March 31 — the fourth game of the season. This homer was Kepler's first extra-base hit in 50 plate appearances (since June 16). He should have had one earlier in the week, but Merrill made a spectacular catch to rob him of a three-run homer. Advertisement That was the second time this season a center fielder has taken back a potential Kepler three-run homer. Without those plays, he'd have a .718 OPS for the season instead of his .685. Either way, the Phillies need more from Kepler, who hasn't had a consistent power stroke. He's hit the ball harder than last season and doubled his walk rate. However, many of the underlying metrics are unfavorable to Kepler. The Phillies will see it through, for now. This was Seth Johnson's third big-league appearance, and he's had a large gap between each one. So, when he caught Trenton Brooks looking, on a curveball, for his first strikeout in the majors, he did not think to throw the baseball out of play to preserve the keepsake. 'I forgot,' Johnson said. The rookie was just happy for another chance to make an impression. It was a good one. He was summoned for a day as the 27th man permitted in doubleheader rules. He tossed two scoreless innings in Wednesday's first game with two strikeouts. His fastball almost touched 100 mph. He threw some decent curveballs and changeups along with his slider. 'He was really good,' Thomson said. 'I mean, really good. Throwing strikes. He broke out that curveball, and it's sharp. It's a swing-and-miss pitch. So there's a lot of things we have to talk about.' It didn't take the Phillies long; they sent Johnson back to Triple A after the doubleheader ended. The Phillies' search for competent relief continues; more swing-and-miss stuff would help. They entered Wednesday's doubleheader with one reliever among the top 50 (of 174 qualified relievers) in strikeout rate. That was Jordan Romano at 27.3 percent. Matt Strahm ranked 58th, Tanner Banks 73rd and Orion Kerkering 107th. Last season, the Phillies had two relievers — Strahm and Jeff Hoffman — who ranked in the top 15 in strikeout rate. Kerkering was 32nd. Advertisement They are desperate for some whiffs. Johnson didn't exactly feature that; he had only three swings-and-misses in his 33 pitches. San Diego did not swing-and-miss at any of the 18 fastballs he fired, although the pitch sat 98.6 mph and topped at 99.8 mph. Maybe that's why the Phillies opted not to keep him around. 'That's actually the first time I've gotten to catch him,' Realmuto said. 'I was impressed with his stuff. It was really good.' As far as stuff goes, Kerkering showed some of his best in Wednesday's second game. He struck out two Padres in a scoreless inning. His four-seam fastball averaged 98.8 mph — the hardest it's been in an outing all season. Kerkering has allowed one earned run over his last 22 appearances, dating back to May 9.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
How Otto Kemp went from undrafted D-II prospect to key bat for first-place Phillies
PHILADELPHIA — Whether it was during his famed playing career, managing days or in his current advisory role with the Philadelphia Phillies, Larry Bowa has seen his fair share of baseball. That makes it even more impressive that Otto Kemp's performance since his recent call-up stood out. "He works for everything. Nothing's given to him. He does everything well. ... He's a baseball player," Bowa told USA TODAY Sports. "He's a student of the game. He handles himself unbelievable. "If you want to think about it, all odds are against him never getting drafted." REQUIRED READING: Death of MLB's three true outcomes? Explaining why strikeouts are down in 2025 The odds, in fact, were against Kemp from the jump. Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Phillies following the 2022 MLB Draft out of Division II Point Loma Nazarene University, Kemp has extended his fill-in opportunity by becoming a consistent – and much-needed – presence in the lineup. "It speaks to just going one day at a time," Kemp told USA TODAY Sports. "I truly believe that you have opportunities every single day and as long as you take advantage of those opportunities, work your butt off and do everything that you can on that day, you rinse and repeat and do it the next day, you're going to end up in a good spot." Kemp's uphill battle to the big leagues started slow as he had only reached High-A by the end of his first full minor league season. On top of his inner support group, one thing kept Kemp's mindset of reaching the Majors in check: the Phillies being the only MLB team to see something in him. "I hold onto that because you need chips as a player,' Kemp said. "You've got to have a why." Otto-matic More: Aaron Nola injury update: Phillies pitcher's rehab status nearing mound return Then came the 2024 season when he swiftly moved up the Phillies' system and became one of the organization's top 30 prospects ranked by MLB Pipeline. A breakout year earned him an invite to the Arizona Fall League, where he finished with an OPS of 1.193 at the plate to rank second among all hitters. Kemp attributed it to a mixture of adjustments at the plate, seeing the work over the two previous seasons paying off and then growing in the mental side of the game. "At that point it became like, 'Okay, this dream is real and this dream could be a reality soon. So, how do I put myself into the best possible perspective and mindset as we go to exceed?' It was just the combination of the both that got me pushing me over the edge." Kemp carried that momentum into the spring as a non-roster invitee for spring training, and then to Lehigh Valley where he got off to a hot start for the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate. A .330/.421/.711 line in April made Kemp a candidate for a call-up. That opportunity came knocking on June 7 when the Phillies placed Bryce Harper on the injured list. Noted by The Athletic's Matt Gelb, with his call-up Kemp became the first non-foreign undrafted hitter signed by the Phillies to reach the majors with the club since Jeff Grotewold in 1992. He further made history with his first career knock against the Chicago Cubs on June 9, becoming the first Point Loma player to record an MLB hit. Two Sea Lions have made it to the big leagues, but both were pitchers. Since his call-up, Kemp has split most of his time between first and third base. In 21 games, Kemp is hitting .264 at the plate with five extra-base hits. He hit his first career home run, a 3-run shot to left-center, on June 27. He increased his batting average from 18 points with a 2-for-3 night in Game 2 of a split doubleheader vs. the San Diego Padres on July 2, his first start since Harper returned from the injured list. "He's a grinder, man," Harper told USA TODAY Sports. "It just goes to show it doesn't matter where you are, where you play or anything like that. Scouts are going to see you as long as you're playing well and playing hard. He had the opportunity to come in here and do his job and we're fortunate he's done that for us. He deserves the opportunity. He deserves the moment." OTTO KEMP'S FIRST MAJOR LEAGUE HOME RUN! Kemp's production on the field has also gotten the respect of his manager, Rob Thomson, who like Bowa called him a "baseball player' in mid-June. Those endorsements from a pair of baseball lifers have served as reassurance for Kemp, which has allowed him to "just go out and play." "That's what I try to be, to be a baseball player. I pride myself in trying not to be a one-trick pony and a guy that can only do one thing," Kemp said. "It just confirms that I just need to be myself and keep playing baseball the way I know how to." With Harper being activated from the injured list on June 30, Kemp's everyday playing opportunity has changed. A way to keep himself in the lineup will be learning to play left field. But Kemp is viewing his new role as a true utility player. "However I can chip in is where I'll chip in," Kemp said. "If that's playing first for a game, if Bryce needs a day, or if that's platooning in left, whatever it needs to be, I'm going to step in there and fill in whenever I need. ... Whatever can help this team win some baseball games." That Otto help! Kemp is the first to admit that the outfield is a bit new for him. He only played the outfield nine times in his minor league career, seven of those in left. "I feel comfortable in the outfield. It's just a rep thing and that's the mentality behind it. As long as I'm aggressive out in the outfield, I can live with that," Kemp said. The more positions Kemp plays, the more fun he has and is a better player for it. 'The more you understand all the positions on the field, the better off you're going to be as a baseball player,' Kemp said. It's that mentality and willingness to do whatever is asked of him that makes Bowa certain of one thing about Kemp. "Whether it be (here or not) … He's a big league player in my mind," Bowa. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Yankees have blown 7-game lead in AL East. Here's how they can reclaim the division
TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays have been one of the most aggressive clubs in MLB when it comes to intentionally walking Aaron Judge. They'll do it in almost any scenario, so it was surprising when Blue Jays manager John Schneider did not put up four fingers in the eighth inning of Wednesday's game. Advertisement By then, the Yankees had made a stunning comeback. They trailed by eight runs after three innings but had cut Toronto's lead to 9-7 when Judge stepped in the batter's box to face Blue Jays reliever Yimi García, who was activated off the injured list earlier in the day. García hung a sweeper to Judge, who clobbered it 440 feet to tie the score at 9-9. In their history, the Yankees had only pulled off 14 comebacks of eight or more runs. This would have been a much-needed win for the Yankees, who have been one of the worst teams in MLB since the beginning of June. But Judge's 31st home run of the season wasn't enough of a jolt of momentum for the Yankees. Yankees reliever Devin Williams allowed two runs in the bottom half of the eighth inning, one on a wild pitch and one on a single. The Yankees have lost 13 of their last 19 games. With Wednesday's 11-9 loss to the Blue Jays, the two clubs are tied atop the American League East at 48-38. Technically, the Blue Jays have the lead because they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Yankees. The Captain comes through! 🫡#ALLRISE — New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 3, 2025 The Yankees had a seven-game lead in the AL East on May 28. It's now erased, and the Tampa Bay Rays, in third place, are just a half game back of the Yankees. Judge said he has no concerns about the Yankees no longer being in first place in the division. 'It's a long season,' Judge said. 'We got to play better. That's what it comes down to. You play better, we'll put ourselves in a better position. We're not concerned about what's going on around us. We got to control what we do in this room and what we do out there on the field. We're not getting the job done right now.' New York was in an immediate 7-0 hole after the first inning. Yankees starter Will Warren gave up six hits, two home runs and allowed two walks in the first inning. With how the Yankees had been playing of late, it felt over after one frame. But the Yankees started chipping away at Toronto's lead in the fifth inning, scoring six runs, three of which came on Giancarlo Stanton's first home run of the season. Despite the Yankees' resiliency, it still goes down as another loss. Advertisement 'It's never fun losing three in a row, especially to a division opponent, but our guys competed their asses off, battled and never got down or deflated no matter what we're going through right now,' Aaron Boone said. Even when the Yankees were cruising in the AL East, flaws with the roster were readily apparent. They've come into focus more over the last month. Here are internal and external moves the Yankees can make to reclaim the division: Jazz Chisholm Jr. committed his fifth error at third base in Wednesday's game, a throwing error that got by Paul Goldschmidt at first base. The error did not cost the Yankees, but it's just the latest miscue from the out-of-position Chisholm, who told The Athletic on Tuesday that 'everyone knows I'm a second baseman.' Chisholm's five errors are the ninth most among all third basemen this season, and all but two of those ahead of him have at least 200 more innings played there. The easy fix is to move Chisholm back to second base, where he's been well above average this season. The plan was for DJ LeMahieu to play third base, but since returning from the injured list with a calf injury, he has exclusively played second. That decision has led to the Yankees having two negatives at second and third base. Most of the Yankees' games are close, putting an even greater emphasis on cleaner defense and fundamentals. The Yankees should try putting their best defensive infield alignment on the field. It could make a difference in tight games. This flows right from the last section. The Yankees need an actual third baseman on their roster. It's clear there's hesitancy with moving LeMahieu to the position he was expected to play entering the 2025 season. The issue with adding a third baseman is that options may be limited before the trade deadline. If the Arizona Diamondbacks decide to sell at the deadline, the Yankees should try adding Eugenio Suárez, who could be the best player available. If Arizona decides to move him, it'll likely be pricey because the competition to land Suárez will be fierce. Suárez comes with defensive concerns, but the Yankees would live with them because he has a 137 wRC+ and would provide right-handed pop in the middle of their order. Eugenio Suárez hits his 11th home run in the month of June 🤯 — MLB (@MLB) July 1, 2025 If the Yankees can't add Suárez, who's a free agent at the end of the year, Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon might be the next best option. He's an above average fielder, but there are concerns with his bat. He has elite exit velocities but hasn't been able to find much success away from the hitter-friendly Coors Field. Away from home, McMahon's OPS is below .600. He's under contract for two more years at $16 million each season. Advertisement Other third-base options to consider include Willi Castro from the Minnesota Twins, Nolan Arenado from the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Pittsburgh Pirates' Ke'Bryan Hayes and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. All four have concerns ranging from performance to bad contracts. The Yankees' bullpen is in rough shape. It took a major hit earlier this week with the loss of Fernando Cruz, who will miss a lengthy chunk of time with a high-grade oblique strain. Cruz is the Yankees' leader in fWAR among their relievers, and losing him takes away one of their most impactful high-leverage arms. Without Cruz, Mark Leiter Jr.'s importance has only grown. Leiter has a 1.59 WHIP, the 10th worst among all MLB relievers, but he's gotten extremely unlucky this season. His BABIP this year is .418, the highest among relievers. It's almost impossible to have such terrible luck on batted balls as Leiter has. Leiter is in Boone's circle of trust, along with Williams and Luke Weaver. Outside of them, it's a mixed bag. Tim Hill can be hit-or-miss, as can Ian Hamilton and Jonathan Loáisiga. JT Brubaker and Clayton Beeter are depth options and nothing more. The Yankees need at least two bullpen arms in the next few weeks. Williams has pitched well lately, outside of him not having his best command in Wednesday's loss. But it's still fair to wonder if he'll hold up in October when the pressure and attention are intense. One intriguing arm for the Yankees to consider is Rockies reliever Seth Halvorsen. His average fastball velocity is 100.2 mph, and he has an elite whiff and ground-ball rate, two important areas the Yankees like to target. Plugging all of the holes on the roster likely won't be achievable at the deadline. Few teams are projected to sell, so some of the fixes the Yankees must make will have to be internal. Advertisement They need to start being more aggressive with their base running. It can be an easy way for them to manufacture runs. It's exactly how the Blue Jays took the lead in the eighth inning. Williams walked George Springer, who immediately stole second base. The Yankees then intentionally walked Vlad Guerrero Jr. Alejandro Kirk hit a deep fly ball, advancing both Springer and Guerrero 90 feet. Williams' wild pitch scored Springer, which was the deciding run. That was all started by stealing second base. The Yankees had a similar situation in the seventh inning. Chisholm walked to begin the inning. Jasson Domínguez singled, and Chisholm only advanced to second. If he had stolen second base, he would have scored on Domínguez's hit. Instead, no runs scored in the inning after Anthony Volpe hit into a double play. The Yankees are an above average team in sprint speed and yet rank below average in Statcast's Baserunning Runs Above Average stat. The Yankees wanted to be better on the bases this season — and while they are — it's still not good enough. (Photo of Will Warren: Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images)
