Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Yanks, Jays, Bucs, Phillies

Here’s this week’s look around the baseball blogosphere:

• Chin Music Baseball names five players who have taken significant steps backward since starting the season in red-hot fashion.
• Other League details the changes Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka has made this year.
• Baseball Hot Corner defends ex-Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi.
• PhoulBallz interviews Phillies pitching prospect Luke Leftwich as well as his father and grandfather. The latter two pitched in the majors, which means Leftwich will become the second third-generation hurler in MLB history if he makes it.
• Think Blue Planning Committee addresses how the Dodgers can improve at this year’s trade deadline.
• World Series Dreaming ponders if the Cubs should move righty Jason Hammel to the bullpen.
• Blue Jay Hunter sees big money in designated hitter/first baseman Edwin Encarnacion’s future.
• Inside the ’Zona examines the success of Diamondbacks closer Brad Ziegler and tries to find another Ziegler-type pitcher the D-backs could target.
• Now On Deck regards this as the perfect time for the Orioles to take a stranglehold of the AL East.
• Bleeding Royal Blue analyzes the adjustments Royals setup man Joakim Soria has made this season.
• Outside Pitch MLB dives into whether southpaw Drew Pomeranz has a future with the Padres.
• Bronx Bomber Blogger offers five ways toward future success for the Yankees, including selling this summer.
• Pirates Breakdown highlights the journey of utilityman Adam Frazier, whom Pittsburgh called up this week.
• Notes From The Sally lists the 20 best prospects in the South Atlantic League at the midpoint of its season.
• Brew Crew Fever looks at which Brewers deserve All-Star consideration.
• All Facets Of The Game believes Rangers center fielder Ian Desmond is an AL MVP candidate.
• Jays Journal wonders if breakout left fielder Michael Saunders has a chance to get a similar contract to Jose Bautista in free agency.
• Jays From The Couch is concerned about Saunders’ high strikeout rate.
• Wayniac Nation applauds the work of Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius.
• The Point of Pittsburgh has invented a grading scale to judge Pirates manager Clint Hurdle’s decisions.
• isportsweb scrutinizes a few in-house candidates to take over for Jeremy Hellickson in the Phillies’ rotation if the club trades him.
• A’s Farm presents its midseason organizational All-Star team for the Athletics.
• Sports Heaven suggests some new events for All-Star weekend.
• The Runner Sports updates the excellent season the Astros’ Double-A affiliate, Corpus Christi, is having.
• Pinstriped Prospects has a story on the combined no-hitter the Staten Island Yankees threw last week.
• The Ranger Report doesn’t see any reason for the Rangers to panic over the rash of injuries in their rotation.
• Rotisserie Duck has the answers to last week’s 1953 baseball card quiz.
• Halo Headquarters asks if Angels first baseman Albert Pujols should retire.

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