Join us on a journey, inspired by the words of Leonard Cohen, where we explore the ‘minor fall and major lift’ through the lens of Sam Blum’s experience. We also discuss the standout performance of Cal Raleigh this season, alongside the tale of a first-round draft pick whose career didn’t reach the heights he anticipated. Sam Blum attended a rare event—A’s game hosted in Sutter Health Park, Sacramento which ordinarily is a minor-league park.
Seizing upon the opportunity, Blum didn’t simply observe from his seat munching on fast food and nursing a cold beer. He decided to interact with other fans at the stadium, garnering their sentiments about the A’s managing to be hyper-local. Reflecting on the ticket prices, it appeared as if the relationship between the city and the team mirrored that of temporary roommates in a European hostel, rife with mediocre living conditions, limited interactions, and an apparent end-date.
The love and passion for the ‘Oakland’ roared through the crowd with enthusiastic chants by the eighth inning. Here’s Luis Severino, the starting pitcher’s perspective on the unusual circumstances: ‘The field and stadium fall short of expectations. Playing at home hasn’t been easy, and we haven’t been as successful as we thought. However, it’s our current reality’.
The A’s home record currently languishes at 9-19, while they perform better on the road with a 14-13 record. Distilled thoughts from the recent Dodgers-Mets game lead to the projection of Shohei Ohtani finishing with 59 home runs and 32 steals. Anticipating Ohtani to conserve his energy on the running track due to his additional duties as a pitcher might be misguided, given his track record. In fact, Ohtani has shown 80 percent success during his career with 156 stolen bases in 197 attempts.
The intensity of the NL West race has influenced the Dodgers’ strategic decision to shake up their team composition. Their longest-tenured veterans have been swapped for young talents, keeping the team on their toes despite injuries plaguing them. Given the prevailing injuries, a grueling schedule, and the competitiveness of the team, there is no shortage of motivation among the players.
Francisco Lindor, Carlos Beltrán, and Mike Piazza exemplify luminaries who had initial difficulties transitioning to the Mets, and Soto’s challenge appears to be even more complex. His $765 million contract puts him under the spotlight, especially with Aaron Judge no longer around for support as he experienced with the Yankees last season. After shifting to the Mets, Soto felt the full force of his decision last weekend at Yankee Stadium, where the booing reached such decibel levels that some Mets insiders believe it unnerved him.
However, Soto remained resilient, saying, ‘I’m progressively settling in.’ He commended the Mets’ coaching staff for helping him become more familiar with his new setting. David Peterson is finally realizing his potential thanks to successful surgery in November 2023 which repaired a torn labrum in his left hip. His current ERA stands at 2.79 in 10 starts since the surgery helped him improve his stability on the mound. He can now keep his back foot connected longer, significantly enhancing his performance.
Peterson emphasized that improvement came from focusing on the basics: ‘Everything begins from the ground up. Fine-tuning the feet and legs significantly helps with the upper body.’ The introduction of the automated ball-strike system in major leagues seems to be the key to pushing catcher’s offensive productivity up. Until that happens, Cal Raleigh’s 2025 season remains a standout anomaly.
At the age of 28, Raleigh, the Mariners catcher, has been in smashing form, racking up 18th and 19th homers of the season last night. He is only a home run short of topping the league and four ahead of Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe. Raleigh’s 3.0 fWAR rank also solidifies his standing among the best catchers in the big league. However, his 2.0 FRM (FanGraphs’ pitch-framing stat) tells us a different tale, where he ranks 8th out of 19 qualified catchers.
Reflecting on his splendid stats this season, it appears Raleigh has been performing exceptionally well without riding his luck. Back in 2006, the Padres chose Matt Antonelli, a second baseman from Wake Forest with promising career stats. However, Antonelli only ended up playing 21 games in the major leagues back in 2008 and did not live up to the lofty expectations.
Currently aged 40, Antonelli looks back on those years with a sense of acceptance tinged with relief. He explains, ‘After retiring from with the game, for the first time in a long while, I experienced a strange sense of calm. It led me to introspect about my life beyond the diamond, my aptitudes, my passions, and my aspirations.’ Antonelli embodies the essence of acceptance, understanding that a perceived loss may in fact be a hidden gain.
Meanwhile, Matt Vierling’s much-anticipated return was cut short due to shoulder inflammation, with a stint back on the IL. However, Wenceel Pérez’s return added some excitement to the roster. Pete Crow-Armstrong’s exceptional performance this season has resulted in the Cubs considering an in-season contract extension.
In other news, while the Yankees have taken to superstitions related to facial hair, the Pohlad family is reportedly making strides in the sale of the Twins. The stumbling block remains: nobody has stepped up to match their $1.7 billion asking price. Michael Conforto surprised fans with a homer last night, but his overall season has been disappointing. How much longer will the Dodgers maintain patience?
Lastly, an interesting development has been the noticeable improvement in Blue Jays prospect Gage Stanifer’s pitching. Gage attributes the improvement to better vision. From the unfolding events, we can conclude that in the world of baseball, a day can make a big difference.