Listen, we know it's tough to catch up on everything happening in the baseball world each morning. There are all kinds of stories, rumors, game coverage, and Vines of dudes getting hit in the beans every day. Trying to find all of it while on your way to work or sitting at your desk just isn't easy. It's okay, though, we're going to do the heavy lifting for you each morning, and find the things you need to see from within the SB Nation baseball network as well as from elsewhere. Please hold your applause until the end, or at least until after you subscribe to the newsletter.
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
★★★
The Astros have the best record in the American League and are tied for the MLB lead in wins at 30 with the Cardinals -- the one difference is the Astros have one more game played, and one more loss to show for it. Houston leads the AL West by 6.5 games, are two up on the Royals -- who have lost three straight -- for the top record in the Junior Circuit, and most importantly, the Astros actually belong here. The lineup has just been average thanks to some slow starts and scattered injuries, but the pitching has been absurd, with only the Royals possessing a better team ERA+.
It looks like Dallas Keuchel is doing things on his own in the rotation, but Collin McHugh has been wonderful as well: he had one terrible start where he allowed seven runs, but in his other eight starts combined, he owns a 3.23 ERA. and has averaged 6 2/3 innings per outing. Those two plus a phenomenal bullpen have carried the staff, so they might need to add another starter, things are looking good on that front even so.
The lineup could end up with a new addition soon as well: Carlos Correa, arguably the top prospect in baseball now that Kris Bryant has ascended, has batted .283/.353/.500 with seven walks against nine strikeouts in his first 14 games at Triple-A. He might not hit exactly that well in the majors, but the 20-year-old can field, meaning he could help the pitching out in two ways were he promoted. It’s unknown if the Astros will be this aggressive with Correa, but the time seems right given the team as a whole is ahead of schedule, too.
- The Dodgers and Braves agreed to a trade on Tuesday only to have Alberto Callaspo nix it. After realizing he was requesting to stay with a team trying to get rid of him, Callaspo changed his mind. A six-player deal went through to send Juan Uribe to Atlanta and a number of minor-league players -- and Callaspo -- went to Los Angeles.
- Grant Brisbee tried, but he failed to fall out of love with baseball cards forever.
- Bryce Harper thought he flew out so he threw his bat, but the wind smiled upon him that day and granted him a dinger.
- Remember when the AL East was unquestionably baseball’s top division for years? Which division has that title these days?
- Casey McGehee was terrible in his almost two months of Giantdom, but there have been worse Giants seasons in the 2000s.
- The Yankees need a pitching rental of some kind to keep up in the AL East.
- The Red Sox graduated Mookie Betts and Blake Swihart from their farm system, but have three of the top 25 prospects in the game thanks to the international market and a July deadline trade.
- One of those prospects, Eduardo Rodriguez, might end up promoted into Boston’s rotation, with Joe Kelly taking his place in Triple-A.
- Johnny Cueto’s MRI on his elbow showed no structural damage, just inflammation. That’s good news for the Reds, because every conceivable plan they have for the rest of 2015 goes up in smoke if Cueto goes down.
- The MLB Draft is getting closer by the day, so check out Baseball Prospectus’ list of the top 100 draft prospects. If you want to feel old, Mike Cameron’s and Terry Shumpert’s sons are on that list. If you don’t want to feel old, well, it’s too late, you already read that, oldie.
- Advanced defensive metrics have their place, and maybe someday they can be super accurate. But right now, even some sabermetric-minded folks are having trouble believing that credit for a defensive play is being accurately split up between pitchers and defenders. With wins above replacement gaining more and more acceptance, that’s the kind of problem that needs to be fixed, and soon.
- Using some new data, Jeff Sullivan takes a look at Robinson Cano’s disappointing season.
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