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Archives for August 2025

Rays Re-Sign Logan Driscoll To Minor League Deal

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The Rays re-signed catcher Logan Driscoll to a minor league contract, according to the MLB.com transaction tracker. Tampa Bay had released him a couple weeks ago. Driscoll has been battling an ankle injury and hasn’t played all year, and the Rays wanted to take him off the 40-man roster without paying him an MLB salary.

Driscoll, 27, is a former second-round draftee of the Padres. The Rays acquired him in a 2020 trade that sent Emilio Pagán to San Diego. Driscoll has spent six seasons in the system and got a brief major league look last season. He played in 15 games, batting .171 with one home run. The lefty hitter owns a solid .287/.362/.460 slash in 370 plate appearances over two seasons at Triple-A Durham.

Nick Fortes and Hunter Feduccia are splitting the major league catching reps. They’re now the only two catchers on the 40-man roster. Matt Thaiss, Tres Barrera and Dominic Keegan are all active for Triple-A Durham. Thaiss would probably be the choice if either Feduccia or Fortes suffer an injury before the end of the season. Tampa Bay will need to decide this offseason whether to add Keegan to the 40-man roster or expose him to the Rule 5 draft. The Vanderbilt product is hitting .239/.311/.383 in 52 Triple-A games.

Pirates Release Andrew Heaney

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August 29: Heaney has officially been released, according to the MLB.com transaction tracker.

August 26: The Pirates announced Tuesday that veteran left-hander Andrew Heaney has been designated for assignment. His spot on the roster will go to center fielder Oneil Cruz, who has been reinstated from the injured list. Pittsburgh also optioned infielder Ronny Simon to Triple-A Indianapolis and recalled right-handed reliever Dauri Moreta from Triple-A.

Heaney, who turned 34 in June, signed a one-year deal in the offseason, guaranteeing him $5.25MM. Early in the 2025 campaign, it looked like one of the best low-cost pickups of the winter by any team. The veteran southpaw raced out to a strong start, tossing 78 1/3 innings of 3.33 ERA ball in his first 14 trips to the bump. Heaney posted a sharp 7.5% walk rate in that time, and while a pedestrian 18.5% strikeout rate and somewhat elevated 1.26 HR/9 mark pointed to some degree of regression — he had a 4.47 FIP and 4.51 SIERA in that time — the reckoning was more emphatic than anyone could’ve reasonably anticipated.

A pair of consecutive seven-run drubbings in mid-June proved to be the beginning of a two-month spiral from which Heaney simply hasn’t been able to recover. Over his past 42 innings, he’s been trounced for 43 earned runs (9.21 ERA) with just a 12.1% strikeout rate. Opponents have averaged a staggering 2.79 home runs per nine innings pitched during that span.

The Pirates recently demoted Heaney to the bullpen, but the change in roles didn’t prove beneficial. He’s surrendered six runs in 1 1/3 innings across his two most recent relief outings, including five runs in just two-thirds of an inning last night.

Some onlookers might cynically liken Heaney’s DFA to the Pirates’ much-maligned 2024 decision to designate Rowdy Tellez for assignment when he was just four plate appearances shy of a $200K bonus. Given the prolonged nature of Heaney’s struggles, this looks to be a much different scenario. In fact, last night’s two-thirds of an inning proved to be just enough to push Heaney over 120 innings on the season (120 1/3 overall), which unlocked a $50K bonus.

Had the Pirates kept trotting him out there, Heaney could’ve unlocked further incentives. (He’d have taken home another $100K at 130 innings and $150K at 140 innings pitched.) However, based on his past two months, there’s no incentive for the team to keep giving him opportunities. Heaney had ample opportunity to pull himself out of the slump and wasn’t able to do so. In the end, he’ll wind up earning $5.3MM this contract, and the innings that would’ve gone to him will instead go to younger arms whom the Bucs can control beyond the current season.

Pittsburgh surely tried to find a trade partner prior to the deadline, but even then, Heaney was riding a streak of 28 runs surrendered in his past 28 2/3 innings. He’d been tagged for 15 home runs in his past 50 innings. It’s easy to imagine most teams seeking pitching felt they could get comparable or better results simply sticking in house.

With Heaney now off the 40-man roster, he’ll be placed on waivers. It’s largely irrelevant whether that’ll be outright waivers or release waivers, as it’s unlikely anyone will claim the remaining $932K on his contract after struggles of this magnitude, and he has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency while retaining the remainder of his guaranteed salary. Barring what would be a very surprising claim, he’ll be a free agent within the next few days. He could latch on with a new club as pitching depth for the final month of the season and could technically be postseason-eligible if he signs with a new team prior to Sept. 1 — though he’d obviously have to turn things around in a hurry to be considered for a spot on anyone’s October rosters.

Randy Rodriguez Recommended To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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A breakout season for Giants reliever Randy Rodríguez has come to an unfortunate end. The team announced that multiple doctors have recommended the All-Star righty undergo Tommy John surgery (relayed by Justice delos Santos of The Mercury News). Rodríguez will make his decision this weekend, but it’s tough to see this going any other way.

The procedure will almost certainly cost him the entire 2026 season. Rodríguez had taken over the ninth inning after San Francisco traded Camilo Doval to the Yankees at the deadline. He would’ve been the favorite for the closer role going into next year. The 25-year-old turned in a 1.78 earned run average while striking out more than a third of opponents over 50 appearances. He collected his first four career saves and picked up 13 holds.

There are 102 pitchers who have thrown at least 50 innings out of the bullpen this season. Rodríguez is seventh among that group in ERA and eighth in strikeout percentage. He has the fifth-highest gap between his strikeout and walk rates. He’s among the top 30 relievers in swinging strikes. He had emerged as one of the league’s best young relievers.

Elbow injuries have been the only real concern over his first two big league seasons. Rodríguez missed six weeks in the second half of the ’24 campaign to elbow inflammation. He avoided surgery at the time, and his 97-98 MPH fastball and wipeout slider carried him through the first five months of this season. An elbow sprain sent him back to the injured list this week, and it seems the ligament damage is severe enough that he’ll need to go under the knife.

Rodríguez entered this season with 148 days of service time. He picked up a full service year in 2025 and will do the same in ’26, assuming he indeed undergoes surgery and spends the entire season on the injured list. He’ll qualify for arbitration for the first of four times as a Super Two player during the 2026-27 offseason. The Giants will need to carry him on the 40-man roster over the offseason but can place him on the 60-day injured list at the beginning of Spring Training.

The injury is a massive hit to a bullpen that already looked like a weakness going into the offseason. Ryan Walker, who will finish this season in the closer role, has had a strong second half after a rocky start. He’ll be back in high-leverage spots. José Buttó, acquired from the Mets in the Tyler Rogers trade, will be in the setup mix. They’re the only two locks.

Joel Peguero has huge stuff but has made three career appearances. Journeyman lefty Matt Gage has pitched well, yet he’s a 32-year-old without big velocity. Erik Miller, their top left-hander in the season’s first half, has been rehabbing an elbow sprain of his own. The Giants could look at putting Hayden Birdsong back into the bullpen after he struggled to throw strikes as a starter. Even if they do that, they’ll need to add multiple arms from outside the organization during the winter.

Drew Millas Undergoes Finger Surgery

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August 29: Millas underwent season-ending surgery on his left index finger, interim manager Miguel Cairo tells reporters (including Bobby Blanco of MASNsports.com). He’s expected to be ready for Spring Training.

August 27: The Nationals announced today that catcher Drew Millas has been diagnosed with a fracture and dislocation of his left second finger. He had been removed from today’s game after Austin Wells made contact with his hand on a swing.

At this point, it’s unclear how much time Millas is expected to miss, but a stint on the injured list feels assured. That will inevitably lead to a roster move of some kind. Millas and Riley Adams are the only two healthy catchers on the 40-man roster right now.

Keibert Ruiz is currently on the concussion IL. His last game was July 5th and he still hasn’t begun a rehab assignment. Just over a week ago, Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com provided an update on Ruiz. He had begun doing some first base drills, not for a positional switch, but just to get him on the field and tracking baseballs without putting him at any real risk of exacerbating his situation.

The Ruiz injury opened up playing time for Millas and he had been making the most of it. He has a .313/.365/.458 slash line in 54 plate appearances this year. He likely wasn’t going to hit at that level forever but it’s nonetheless frustrating for him to have this injury get in the way of his progress.

The Nats are off on Thursday but will need to provide Adams with a backup by Friday. Their non-roster options aren’t terribly inspiring. Francisco Mejia in in Triple-A and has major league experience but he’s hitting .178/.222/.287 this year. CJ Stubbs and Brady Lindsly are also non-roster options but they have no major league experience and are also having poor seasons. Stubbs has a .148/.279/.240 line this year and Lindsly’s is .137/.267/.216.

Perhaps the Nats could look to find a catcher outside the organization. The trade deadline has passed but deals can still happen under certain conditions, such as for players on minor league deals that have not been selected to the majors this year. The Nationals could therefore try to trade for someone like Jakson Reetz of the Orioles, Payton Henry of the Phillies or Brian Serven of the Tigers.

It’s also possible that some catchers end up on waivers this week. Late August is a popular time for waiver activity. That’s due to the fact that a player claimed in September is not postseason eligible with his new club. For clubs falling out of contention who would like to save some money, this time of the year is the best to put a guy on the wire and hope another club grabs his contract. Though for the Nats, they may not want to spend thousands of dollars for a Band-Aid in a lost season.

Photo courtesy of Rafael Suanes, Imagn Images

Diamondbacks Recall Jordan Lawlar

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The Diamondbacks announced that they have recalled infielder Jordan Lawlar and left-hander Brandyn Garcia. First baseman Pavin Smith has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to August 28th, due to a strained left squad. Right-hander Taylor Rashi has been optioned to Triple-A Reno in the other corresponding move.

Lawlar, now 23, has been one of the top prospects in baseball for a while now. He forced his way up to the majors late in 2023, just after his 21st birthday. However, he didn’t immediately hit the ground running, producing a .129/.206/.129 line in is first 34 plate appearances. The Snakes were in contention then and weren’t in a position to just throw him out there as an experiment.

Going into 2024, the Diamondbacks weren’t quite ready to just hand him a big league job, given his youth and those numbers. They already had Geraldo Perdomo and Ketel Marte at the middle infield spots. They could have tried Lawlar at third base but instead acquired Eugenio Suárez from the Mariners. At the time, he had one guaranteed year remaining on his contract.

Lawlar could have forced his way into taking the job from Suárez, especially when Geno struggled badly early in 2024. However, Lawlar required thumb surgery in March and was out of action for several months. Then a hamstring injury cost him more time. He would only play 23 minor league games that year. Meanwhile, Suárez had such a strong surge in the second half that the Snakes picked up his $15MM option for 2025.

That left Lawlar fairly blocked for big league playing time this year. He did his best to unblock things, as he slashed .336/.413/.579 in Triple-A through mid-May and basically forced the Snakes to call him up. They believed that they could spread the playing time around but it didn’t really work out. He was recalled on May 12th but optioned back down on May 29th. In that stretch of barely over two weeks, he got into eight games and received 22 plate appearances. He didn’t take to the sporadic playing time, not recording a hit in that span.

The Diamondbacks fell out of contention and sold at the deadline, which included sending Suárez back to the Mariners. Ideally, Lawlar would have come up to take over at the hot corner but he had suffered a hamstring strain in late June. He got back on the field a couple of weeks back. After ten Triple-A games to get back in shape, he’s now coming up.

The Snakes can now use the final month of the season to finally give Lawlar some regular big league playing time and see how he handles it. His performance could then impact their offseason moves. He will still have one option season after this one, so they don’t have to give him the job in 2026. However, he doesn’t have much left to prove in the minors, so it’s probably time to let him sink or swim in the show.

That’s perhaps especially true given the club’s other priorities. Arizona traded away impending free agent Merrill Kelly at the deadline. Zac Gallen is still on the club for now but is an impending free agent himself. Corbin Burnes is had Tommy John surgery and will miss at least part of 2026. The bullpen lost Justin Martínez and A.J. Puk to UCL surgeries. The front office will definitely be looking for pitching this winter. Outfield upgrades might also be on the menu, given the struggles of Alek Thomas and Jake McCarthy.

With all of that going on, the front office might lean towards going into 2026 with Lawlar and Blaze Alexander competing for the third base job, as opposed to spending money or prospect capital to bring in someone else.

Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images

Padres Place Xander Bogaerts On IL With Foot Fracture

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The Padres announced that shortstop Xander Bogaerts has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a non-displaced fracture in his left foot. Shortstop Mason McCoy has been recalled in a corresponding move. Per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Padres think Bogaerts has a chance to be back for the postseason, which implies he will miss the remainder of the regular season.

The Friars haven’t yet announced how Bogaerts injured himself but it seems likely it happened on Wednesday. As seen in this clip from MLB.com, Bogaerts fouled a ball of himself in the eighth inning and collapsed in pain. He managed to stay in that game and then the Friars were off yesterday, but it seems they did some recent testing that found the fracture.

Bogaerts isn’t quite the same hitter he was at this peak but is still a solid everyday player. His .262/.330/.387 batting line this year translates to a 103 wRC+, just 3% above league average, but he has 20 stolen bases and seven Outs Above Average at shortstop. Despite the tepid offense, FanGraphs has credited him with three wins above replacement this year.

The options to cover shortstop in his absence are far less inspiring. Veteran Jose Iglesias will probably get the bulk of the playing time there now. He’s a solid defender but is hitting just .228/.303/.276 this year. McCoy is also considered strong with the glove but has a .182/.250/.218 line in 63 big league plate appearances. His Triple-A work is better but still not great. His .265/.341/.413 line since the start of 2024 translates to a wRC+ of 80 in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

That’s a notable drop-off for a club still playing meaningful baseball. The Padres are trying to chase down the Dodgers in the National League West, currently just two games back. They are holding onto the second Wild Card spot, seven games clear of the Reds, the top team not in playoff position. Their odds of making the postseason are still good but no club wants to lose its starting shortstop going into the stretch run. It also sounds like it’s not a guarantee that Bogaerts is back by October.

With the trade deadline having passed a month ago, the Padres have fewer options for finding external solutions. It’s possible they find an upgrade they like on waivers. For instance, the Pirates have reportedly put infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa on the wire. The Padres could grab him and he would be postseason eligible if claimed prior to September 1st, though doing so would mean taking on the roughly $1.21MM still remaining on his contract. That’s not a huge amount in the larger context of MLB payrolls but the Friars have been dealing with a tight budget for years now.

It’s possible that other players have been put on waivers without reporting reaching the public, though teams are usually making such players available as a way to try to save money, so those other guys might have similar salary obligations to Kiner-Falefa.

Photo courtesy of Denis Poroy, Imagn Images

Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript

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Anthony Franco

  • Hey everyone, hope you've enjoyed your week! Looking forward to another of these, let's get going

Dave Dombrowski

  • How much has Kyle Schwarber raised his salary now? Does 4/140 keep him in Philly and away from FA? Does the uncertainty regarding Wheeler push me to make a strong offer to Ranger Suarez? And will there be enough left to resign JTR, the real rock of the pitching staff? Do you think that John Middleton will back a payroll approaching $400M?

Anthony Franco

  • Yeah I have to imagine 4/140 would get it done before he hits the market. Still don't see Philly going to 35M annually especially at their luxury tax status, but I do think he's got a shot at five years that could approach that guarantee
  • DH who is soon to be 33 is a profile the market hates but Schwarber's pretty clearly in a different tier from the Santander/Teoscar group. You could point to Alonso's quiet market last year as a counterargument, but Schwarber's walk year is so much better than Alonso's 2024
  • I don't think the Wheeler injury dramatically changes things on Ranger. Never seemed all that likely to me that they'd re-sign him for nine figures, even after trading Abel. I think they're just more likely to be in on an Adrian Houser type who can serve as a fifth starter or long man once Painter is in the rotation

Slick

  • Are the Nationals looking at another five years of rebuilding?  From top to bottom this team appears to be in disarray.

Anthony Franco

  • I'm not as pessimistic on a core with Wood, Abrams, Gore, etc. but based on Steve's forthcoming Front Office post this week, I think he's more in your camp
  • He's about to drop like 2000 words on this topic

Mariners

  • What are your thoughts on the Robles suspension? Fair? Too long? Too short?

Anthony Franco

  • Start at 10, drop to seven seems fine. I feel like Contreras should have been at that level as well though, so I guess you could argue it's inconsistent

Chris

  • More likely to rebound in 2026: Braves or Orioles?

Anthony Franco

  • Tough one. I think I'd take Baltimore. Atlanta's got more high-end talent coming back, especially on the pitching staff, but they're probably going to put a lot on Sale, Schwellenbach and López to stay healthy in a way that concerns me
  • The O's have a lot of heavy lifting to do this offseason, especially in the bullpen, but I think they're a little more well equipped to navigate 162 with in-house depth

JeffyM82

  • Bo Bichette 2025 total hits over/under Bo Bichette total free agent contract (millions).  Where are you putting your money? Bo Currently has 169 hits with 28 games remaining.

Anthony Franco

  • Ha yeah I'll take the hits. I like this one though, reasonable argument either way

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Orioles Outright Vimael Machín

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The Orioles announced that infielder Vimael Machín, who had been designated for assignment earlier in the week, has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. He had the right to elect free agency since he has a previous career outright but has accepted the assignment.

Machín, 31, signed a minor league deal with the O’s in the offseason. He was selected to the roster a week ago when Jordan Westburg landed on the injured list. He hit a home run in his first game but didn’t do much apart from that. That homer was his only hit in 12 plate appearances, with one walk as well, leading to a .091/.167/.364 slash line.

He also got some criticism from fans for a play against the Red Sox on Sunday, seen in this video from MLB.com, where he either forgot how many outs there were or simply didn’t act aggressively enough to turn a double play. Playing third base, he fielded a sharp grounder, lightly jogged to tag the bag for a force out but then threw too late to record the out at first. Instead of the inning being over, a wild pitch and double followed to knock in two more runs.

He was designated for assignment the next day. The 29 other clubs passed on the chance to grab him off waivers. By accepting the assignment, he’ll continue to provide the O’s with non-roster depth. He has a .204/.286/.264 line in 373 big league plate appearances but a .289/.367/.449 line in 1,341 Triple-A plate appearances since the canceled 2020 season. He has minor league experience at every position on the diamond, though just one inning at catcher, two on the mound and just one in center field.

Photo courtesy of Gregory Fisher, Imagn Images

Yimi García To Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery

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The Blue Jays announced to reporters, including Mitch Bannon of The Athletic, that Yimi García will undergo surgery to clean up scar tissue in his throwing elbow. He won’t return this year but is expected to be ready for next year’s spring training. He’ll be transferred to the 60-day injured list whenever the Jays need a roster spot.

It’s the second straight season marred by elbow issues for García. He hit the IL in June of last year for right elbow ulnar neuritis. He was reinstated from the IL in July, just in time for the Jays to trade him to the Mariners for outfielder Jonatan Clase and catcher Jacob Sharp. A few weeks after that trade, right elbow inflammation put García back on the shelf and he finished the season there.

He hit free agency and the Jays brought him back via a two-year, $15MM deal. A shoulder impingement put him on the IL in May. He was reinstated in early July but went back on the IL a few days later due to a left ankle sprain. While on the IL, his experienced a recurrence of ulnar nerve symptoms in his elbow. This surgery now wipes out any hope of him returning to the club.

Despite the injury problems, the results have still been decent, to varying degrees. Last year, he tossed 39 innings with a 3.46 earned run average, 32% strikeout rate and 7.8% walk rate. This year, in 21 innings, his strikeout and walk rates regressed to 27.8% and 13.3% respectively. However, he also increased his ground ball rate from 27.3% to 41.2%, leading to a 3.86 ERA.

The Jays presumably knew they weren’t likely to get García back for the stretch run. Ahead of the deadline, they added Seranthony Domínguez and Louis Varland to bolster their bullpen for the stretch run.

Domínguez is an impending free agent, so that opens up a spot in next year’s bullpen. If García can return to health as hoped, he could slot into that opening, though Ryan Burr and Nick Sandlin are also on the IL and could be back in the mix next year.

The Jays also provided an update on outfielder Anthony Santander, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. Santander is progressing well enough that he could begin a rehab assignment next weekend with a chance to return later in September.

Toronto fans haven’t yet had a chance to see Santander at his best. Signed to a five-year deal in the offseason, he slumped to start the season and then tried to play through a left shoulder subluxation. He was eventually placed on the IL in late May with a .179/.273/.304 line on the year. But just last year, Santander launched 44 homers for the Orioles, which is why the Jays signed him. If they can get him healthy and clicking again, the switch hitter could be a difference maker down the stretch.

The Jays have largely been using George Springer as their designated hitter but he has also been playing the outfield on occasion. If Santander is able to come back, those two would presumably take turns as the DH. That could lead to less playing time for corner outfield guys like Nathan Lukes, Addison Barger and Davis Schneider but Lukes can also play center while Barger can also play third and Schneider second. The distribution of playing time will likely depend on who is healthy and playing well a few weeks from now.

Infielder Ernie Clement recently got spiked on a slide, which led to a hairline fracture of his left middle finger and some stitches in his leg, per Nicholson-Smith. He hasn’t yet gone on the IL and could be fully healed up by the time Santander is back but those minor scrapes are the things that could impact lineup decisions down the road. Santander is on the 60-day IL and will need a 40-man spot when he’s activated. He could take García’s spot if the Jays don’t use it on someone else in the coming weeks.

Photo courtesy of Dan Hamilton, Imagn Images

Poll: AL Cy Young Race Check-In

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While a few of this season’s awards don’t appear to be terribly competitive headed into the final month of the season, one race that still appears to be wide open is that for the AL Cy Young award. MLBTR last checked in on the race back in June, at which point Tigers ace Tarik Skubal was viewed as the heavy favorite to capture his second consecutive Cy Young, with nearly 46% of the vote and nearly double second place finisher’s total.

Skubal is still a strong contender for the award, of course, and perhaps even the favorite. Through 26 starts this year, the southpaw has logged 166 innings of 2.28 ERA ball. He’s struck out 33.5% of his opponents with a phenomenal 3.9% walk rate, giving him the best K-BB% in baseball this year. That mix of strikeout stuff and pinpoint command is Skubal’s bread and butter, as his other metrics this year have been closer to average than exceptional. His ground ball rate is a cromulent 40.7% this year, and his 8.7% barrel rate ranks 15th among 30 qualified AL hurlers. Skubal’s last start was an unusual one, as he surrendered six runs in 6 2/3 innings of work but only one of those six runs was considered earned. Even with those five runs not countered against his ledger, he’s posted a 3.05 ERA and 3.55 FIP in the month of August. That performance is strong but not quite on the level of some other contenders.

While Skubal’s numbers haven’t changed too drastically since June, he’s found a rival for his position as the AL’s best lefty strikeout artist in the form of Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet. The 26-year-old has more or less matched Skubal in virtually every stat. He had 166 1/3 innings of work to Skubal’s aforementioned 166 through 26 starts, though Crochet’s six-innings of two-run ball against the Orioles yesterday pushed his total up to 172 1/3. His 2.40 ERA is within spitting distance of Skubal’s own figure, and his 31.1% strikeout rate is just a couple of points behind. Where he falls more significantly behind Skubal is his walk rate, as he’s allowed free passes at a 6.1% clip.

He makes up for the gap in K-BB% somewhat with stronger batted ball numbers, however. He’s generating grounders at a 48.5% clip, and his 7.2% barrel rate is the sixth-best figure in the AL. For those inclined towards more traditional metrics, Crochet also sports an AL-best 14 wins on his record. Crochet’s 3.19 ERA in August didn’t separate him from Skubal significantly, but his peripherals (including a 2.96 FIP) are significantly better over that span. If he can turn those peripherals into production in September, perhaps that will be enough to separate himself from Skubal.

Of course, Crochet and Skubal aren’t the only two options to consider. Astros right-hander Hunter Brown is in the midst of a breakout season that deserves serious consideration. Through 26 starts, Brown’s 155 2/3 innings of work lag behind the totals of the two lefties, but his numbers are undeniably impressive. He’s posted a 2.37 ERA with a 46.0% ground ball rate and a 29.1% strikeout rate. Brown’s 6.1% barrel rate is the second-best figure in the AL this year, though he’s held back somewhat by his 7.6% walk rate.

When looking at Brown’s recent work, it’s something of a mixed bag. His 1.71 ERA in August is obviously fantastic, but it comes with an asterisk after he allowed four unearned runs in his most recent start. His 22.2% strikeout rate is also far below his typical norms, but his 2.71 FIP is nothing short of excellent. Brown seems to be a step behind both Skubal and Crochet at this point, but it’s easy to imagine him pushing himself more firmly into the conversation with a strong September.

Brown, Skubal, and Crochet seem like the top three players in the race at this point, but there are some other arms who deserve acknowledgment as well. Nathan Eovaldi has a sensational 1.73 ERA in 22 starts this year, but with just 130 innings of work and a rotator cuff strain that’s likely season-ending, it would be a shock if he got more than down-ballot consideration for the award. Jacob deGrom’s first healthy season in half a decade has been extremely impressive with a 2.79 ERA, but the 37-year-old’s peripherals pale in comparison to the other top starters in the league. Max Fried’s season with the Yankees started out incredibly impressive, but his 5.33 ERA since the start of July has likely pushed him out of the conversation for the most part.

With just a month left to go in the season, who do you think will come out on top in the AL Cy Young race? Have your say in the poll below:

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