As we gear up for the weekend, here are three things to watch around baseball…
1. Winn set for big league debut:
The Cardinals selected the contract of infielder Masyn Winn last night, and he’ll make his big league debut today against Joey Lucchesi and the Mets. Selected with the No. 54 overall pick in the 2020 draft, the 21-year-old Winn is widely regarded as one of the sport’s most promising prospects, ranking No. 30 overall at Baseball America, No. 32 at MLB.com and No. 47 at FanGraphs. A sensational athlete and former two-way player, Winn focused solely on his development as an infielder in 2021. He’s soared through the minors, spending the entire season to date in Triple-A despite just turning 21 at the end of spring training. He’s more than five years younger than the average player in a .288/.359/.474 batting line with 18 home runs, 15 doubles, seven triples and 17 stolen bases in 498 plate appearances. Scouting reports tout his above-average hit tool, plus speed and 80-grade arm at shortstop. And, given that he’s still somewhat recently honed in on the position-playing side of his game, there’s still a chance for him to grow into some more power as well.
2. Bichette return:
Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette has now played in a pair of minor league rehab games, serving as the designated hitter for Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday before playing shortstop in the Bisons’ game yesterday. Bichette’s previously ailing knee doesn’t appear to be bothering him, as he pounded an opposite-field two-run homer in his first plate appearance Thursday and potentially finished up a brief two-game rehab stint with a 4-for-5 showing. The Jays haven’t formally reinstated Bichette just yet, though they’d previously informed beat writers that the hope was for him to play one rehab game as a designated hitter and one as a shortstop before evaluating him for a possible return this weekend. Even if Bichette heads back to Buffalo for another game or two, it seems likely he’ll be back this weekend — with a return in tonight’s series opener against the Reds a distinct possibility.
3. McCutchen, Altuve approaching notable milestones:
Multi-time All-Stars Andrew McCutchen and Jose Altuve are both closing in on key milestones, with the latter standing a particularly good chance at reaching an impressive round number this weekend. Altuve is sitting at 1,997 career hits and will look to become just the 297th player to ever tally 2,000 hits in his big league career. He’ll look to do so in a road series against the Mariners, squaring off against Bryce Miller, Logan Gilbert and Emerson Hancock along the way. Meanwhile, another former MVP who also collected his 2,000th hit this season, Andrew McCutchen, is three long balls shy of becoming just the 158th player in MLB history to swat 300 homers. The 36-year-old will face off against Twins starters Pablo Lopez, Sonny Gray and Dallas Keuchel this weekend in Minnesota. Reaching 300 this weekend after connecting on only 10 homers all season to date seems unlikely, but Cutch could still chip away at the milestone and seems likely to get there at some point in the near future.
Mason Winn rated at a 80 grade arm. Well I guess so when he launched across the diamond at 102mph in the 2022 futures game!
Wth is a 80 grade arm?
An elite throwing arm. Scouts grade on a 20-80 scale.
They grade hit, power, arm, run and Feilding on a scale that goes from 20-80 in increments of 5, 20-80 seems strange but I guess it’s no mlb player is perfect and no one in the sport is that bad to be lower then 20 or above 80. The very very best prospects are 60-65 with very few being 65 grade my Blue Jays for instance have 2 55 and 3 50s with a middling farm system. Check out MLB.com top prospects and look into your fav teams top 30
Jose Altuve is a Hall of Famer
Agreed. If healthy he should be pushing 3K hits. I used to think he could get close to 4K but slowed down a little, and a shortened season didn’t help either.
4k hits? Is that a typo? Only two players have reached that mark in 149 years of major league history. I wouldn’t put Altuve in the same category as either Ty Cobb or Pete Rose. Even 3k is a stretch considering Altuve is 33 years old.
Ty Cobb was my stepdad
Avenger, Altuve js a better hitter than Pete Rose. And don’t give me that crap about accumulation stats
Cause he knows what pitch is bing thrown..
Not a chance. Cheaters don’t belong.
Drunks, wife beaters, racketeering, drug abuse, etc. is okay though? If the player performed, let ’em in. Barry Bonds and all of them included
Your list sounds more like politicians than MLB players.
Jim Bunning, Vinegar Bend Mizell, Magglio Ordonez, and Bobby Avila were both. Curt Schilling and Steve Garvey tried.
Brooklyn62: it’s like 6 of one & half a dozen of the other.
Forgot the steroid Yankees in there. Pete rose not being in is the biggest miss though
BizzyDat, mrmackey never mentioned anything about wanting those others in the HOF. If you lack the ability to defend your guy without deflecting then you’re basically admitting he is right.
Devil Rays: It doesn’t matter if Rose is in the HOF or not. Anyone who knows bb knows that he’s a HOFer and one of the greatest players in bb history. The one who really belongs in the Hall without question is Shoeless Joe Jackson.
So which steroid Yankees are you referring to?
If you are talking about the HOF the only one would be Pudge Rodriguez though he was only there a half of a season and sucked. Gaylord Perry played one season with the Yankees but he didn’t make the HOF based off of that season.
If you are talking about the WS and the steroid era, steroids were rampant and nearly half the league was doing it. The Yankees just did it better.
Oh please, how long are you and other people going to keep on with the “cheaters” BS? ALL teams steal signs! Teams have been “stealing” signs since the 1890s Orioles. Good teams know how to keep their own signs safe.
Lol
Altuve’s 15 ABs during the 2017 season in which he was given signals should be removed from the records. The other 6500 ABs he’s had in his career speaks for itself… he’s a hall of famer
The 1890 Orioles had to cheat. They only played in 34 games whereas the Louisville Colonels got 132. Hard to compete when a team has more wins than your team played!
At the very least until all the 2017 Asterisks players are retired and Jim Crane is long gone. Only way Altuve get into the HOF is by buying a ticket.
So why is it the Astros are targeted but not the cardinals Yankees or Red Sox? All three of those teams have been caught cheating, in the Yankees case how many of those titles are because of steroids? Oh but I see you gotta be biased for it to fit your agenda. What a clown
“Good teams” don’t expect other teams to use technology to steal signs.
There is a HUGE difference between the entire Astros organization using technology to steal signs and transfer the information before the pitch to the hitter so they know what pitch is coming and a rogue operative in the Cardinals front office looking up another teams draft rankings.
That’s like saying somebody stealing a pack of gum is the same as shooting three people, the scale here is so incredibly different.
The NY Giants used to steal signs in the 50s with a guy using binoculars in CF Polo Grounds to relay them back to the dugout. That was “technology” back then. What’s the difference?
He meant the 1890S Orioles, specifically 2nd half of decade, when they basically ran the table year after year relative to rest of league
Stan lee you are downplaying the Cardinals violation pretty bad. It was a high ranking employee who had a lot of input on the organization that was committing actual crimes. The hacking went on for over two years, and it was not just draft rankings. It was literally everything the front office uses. Analytics that the team uses and concepts they were implementing were also taken.
yo Brooklyn, you are rapidly becoming one of my favorite commenters – have you ever read the book “Intentional Balk: Baseball’s Thin Line Between Innovation and Cheating”? $1.07 on kindle – brilliant! You will laugh out loud at many of the stories
btw, sorry about your Mets, but what Cohen tried to do for this season almost NEVER works
steal signs?or put a door bell under your shirt?.. I think there is a difference!
@ Astros Hot Takes. Thanks for the props,I appreciate it! I try to lend some humor and insight whenever I can. I’ll look up the read you recommended.
Cohen/Eppler panicked in the off season when 3/5 of the rotation went FA, and they threw money at JV and tried to patch together a relief corp. This year’s Mets do not have good team chemistry, and the bullpen is full of arsonists.
Brooklyn 62: You’re right. Stealing signs has been going on since the game began. The only difference is that the Astros did it electronically, a higher level of stealing, which they then relayed to batters using the lowest form by banging on a garbage can lid. But is stealing signs electronically any worse than stealing them manually?
GoRav114: You should read up on the 1896 Orioles. They are considered the dirtiest team in bb history.
brooklyn62:At Wrigley Field there was a cameraman stationed in CF. He used his camera to zoom in on the catcher’s signals. Then he would pass that along to the cubs players. I guess that would qualify as electronic cheating as well.
My family surname is Hanlon and the manager was Ned Hanlon. He grew up with my family but aren’t related so I’m always fascinated by the history
He was the scouting director. He didn’t let anyone know because he didn’t want anyone to know he was stealing his scouting reports. He wasn’t very bright. Calling it hacking is a stretch. They were using the same passwords in Houston that they shared with him when they were with the Cardinals. It’s over. He spent almost four years in prison for it. How about we go ahead and move on?
I didn’t say a word about the Astros. If anyone needs to get over anything, that should start with you getting over yourself.
You have a long way to go but with the proper help I’m sure you can improve. I hope you’re getting the proper help.
Nope, I just recognize mental issues when I see them. Good luck with your journey to recovery. I wish you well.
Lol at the internet warrior.
@jdgoat a lot of what you stated is not true. Correa accessed the Astros files between 2013 and 2014 and did not have access to their analytical systems. He downloaded a file containing all player rankings for the 2014 draft and viewed notes on trade discussions and bonus/injury information on Astros players. This was taken directly from an ESPN news article.
The Cardinals investigation wasn’t an MLB investigation and whitewash. It was a very thorough FBI criminal investigation. Go peddle all your angry conspiracy theories somewhere else. It discloses far more about you than anything you are trying to get across.
Whataboutism is always the last refuge of those with weak arguments. All things should be considered on their own merits without bringing in a bunch of unrelated issues. The weak start seeking refuge elsewhere when they can’t accpet the truths of the issue in front of them.
Altuve is easily going into the hall, probably first ballot. Even if he was a main perpetrator, which all evidence points to that he wasn’t, the writers know how wide spread sign stealing was.
He’s too “shy” to be in the HOF anyway.
Cheating is bad, mmkay. Bad sportmanship keeps players out of the HOF.
If his feeling are hurt he can always try a bandaid.
now do Durocher, McGraw, Whitey Ford, Elston Howard, Gaylord Perry, Juan Marichal, Bill veeck, Rube Marquard, Phil Rizzuto, Pee Wee Reese, Rogers Hornsby, Hughie Jennings, Wilbert Robinson, Drysdale, Campanella, Ned Hanlon, just for starters.
Altuve is easily going into the hall, probably first ballot. – LOL what a joke. No chance First ballot, if ever, maybe veterans committee. Then again if they Let Bid Selig in, I guess scumbags are welcome if they meet the right criteria.
wow repeat same thing in different message. You sure have a life.
Not like the Astros, mmkay. Not all players hit game winning home runs with vibrating devices under their jerseys, mmkay.
Altuve is highly tainted. If I had a vote it would be Nay.
Cheating is bad, mmkay. Just don’t be too sad when band-aid Altuve is kept out where he belongs.
Your hall of fame would be nonexistent then. You’re really going to bar half the league from entering it? You need to do some serious reading on sign stealing and just how many teams were doing it during those years. How many players and executives need to say this before you people get your heads out of the sand. It’s like you don’t follow the game if you don’t think he’s easily going to get into the hall of fame.
YAWN your life i could give 2 Mike Schmidt’s about. Go brag to some one who will actually read a word of your post, i didn’t get through it. I started to throw up a little in my mouth.
All i said said is not first ballot. 100%. second… maybe but i’d estimate 6th or 7th if not VC, put his story in there with all the other Asterisks, After Harold Baines among others were inducted it’s the hall of lame.
jdgoat: I don’t doubt it. Unfortunately the reason some deserving players get in the Hall while other players don’t has to do with the media. You could have stats that compare favorably with some of the greats but if you refuse to give an interview or say something the interviewer didn’t like, they won’t vote you in. That’s why the press shouldn’t be allowed to vote for anything: Cy Young, MVP, HOF. I can’t remember which player it was (Mays? Aaron?) had one person not vote them into the HOF so that they could get attention for being the only media person to keep the player into the HOF. The players should be the ones doing the voting for all awards.
Possibly. Depends on how much weight voters put on the cheating scandal, it’s too early to tell how they are going to feel about that.
Too early. Wait a couple of years.
Willie Mays cheated in the same way as the 2014-2019 cheating era teams did and he’s in the HoF. Recency bias is affecting your ability to think rationally.
Ok…other HOF “cheaters”…Carl Yastrzemski was a “cheater” for lifting weights after the 1966 season and winning the Triple Crown in 67. Senile old Casey Stengel is a “cheater” when he managed the Mets and yelled out,”Butcher Boy” to the Mets hitter at the plate to have them hit a Baltimore chop, even though they didn’t know what the hell he meant.
It’s been an absolutely lost season here in StL. Hopefully they’ll call up some more of the kids from the minors and inject some life into the team. Looking forward to seeing Winn play. (Oh and fire Marmol)
Mo won’t fire Marmol. Instead he’ll blame the circumstances of the season (which can be split between him and Marmol). He’ll probably even consider extending Marmol because today it’s all the rage to double down on your failures.
Marmol must have some kind of dirt on Mozalock or something? This is how other teams play!
So, using the same “cheating ” rationale, any player/team that notices a pitcher tipping his pitches is a “cheater” also, correct? Any player that uses slightly more pine tar on his bat is a “cheater”, correct? Well hell,the entire Major Leagues are nothing g but “cheaters”, correct?
Not sure if this is bait – but players/teams that break written rules are cheaters. Telling a batter a pitcher is tipping their pitches is part of the game, with no written rule.
Rules/laws – If you give a cashier $10 for an $8 item, and they give you $3 back – and you walk out with the extra money is much different then walking into a store and robbing them at fun point.
so you go all moral police on spitballers?
No – just bringing logic into the conversation. I am past the “Houston cheats so they are all bad people” and agree that Altive is quite a talent. But in a world of false equivalencies we all need to find a base line to agree on, and in my opinion that is rules. Houston broke them, got caught, was penalized, and mostly owned it.
And Blue Baron – great catch on grammar. I would prefer humorous bullets over real ones
@luclusciano: What gets shot from a fun? Is it a special kind of humorous bullet?
No. It’s cheating to use video cameras in the dugout for watch the signs. I have no idea how you can be confused about that. It is explicitly against the rules. It’s a lot different than even just too much pine tar.
Oh, I forgot, ANY batter that plays his home games at Coors Field is a “cheater”,correct?
Every OF that wears sunglasses is cheating, too. Elbow and shin guards for batters taint the integrity of the game every day
MLB, makes sure to bring out the special juiced balls so McCutchen can get that milestone.
Good to see Bichette hitting because Paul DeJong has been an utter disaster. 3/44 with 18 k and 0 bb.
There’s been ‘greenies’. spitballs. sign spotters with binocs, corked bats, thrown games, steroids, etc. Competitors + money = all kinds of shenanigans. Chances are there are guys in the Hall of Fame right now that just never got caught. I wonder how they feel on the inside looking out at Bonds, Arod, Palmeiro, Clemens, etc? And enshrine Pete Rose before he dies already.
If Keuchel is off his game McCutchen might be able to do it in one game. Seriously though it’s crazy to see Sonny Gray has only surrendered 5 HR’s all season so far
In all seriousness, without being sarcastic or a shock jock, based on the information available is wander Franco guilty innocent or somewhere in the legal gray area?
I really want to believe that someone with such a promising future and the whole world at his fingertips would not make such a disastrous decision!
Cutch will get the few homers. I’d like to see him get another triple too. still has the legs for it.
He is still a quality player. I could see him playing a couple more years if there is a place for him. Looks like there could be in 2024.
Side note mason martin is in AAA now and short sample looks okay. Nunez is back too. One or both should get a call by the end of the year.
Joe-The question is whether Cherington or Shelton or both is so stupid that they have not promoted someone in AAA with an on base plus slugging average of over 1.000,especially with this anemic offense.
Can someone please explain to me why in the world is Dallas keuchel is still in the majors? And starting at that? The man once again has an era over 9 in two starts where he’s pitched only 6 2/3 innings with 0 strikeouts and 4 walks? I’m pretty sure the twins have a minor leaguer who could pitch better than that, especially while in a playoff hunt? It’s like they want to lose games with him pitching.
Mason Wynn is awesome, we’ll see him with the Cards for a long time
Any way to move DeJong to the bench permanently is what the Jays need. That and a bat.
You ask why? Keuchel has an arm, period. Almost every team’s rotation has been decimated by injuries this year. GMs roll the dice and hope a tweak with a pitching coach can help him regain his form. Just a body with MLB experience to fill in a gap.
I miss seeing Yankee stories… the Bronx Bummers are in last place, playing below .500 ball with the highest payroll in the American League. . Who will I root against this post season?
If you use “and” to start a sentence, it should NOT have a comma after it. Seriously, how come you MLBTR writers won’t learn this basic punctuation rule?