The American League Wild Card picture keeps getting tighter, and after yesterday’s results the pressure has shifted squarely onto the Rangers. At 61-63, they’re clinging to the third spot, but they’ve got company everywhere. The Blue Jays, Orioles, Tigers, Twins and Guardians are all sitting within a game of that final berth, and for a short stretch after Baltimore beat Tampa Bay, five clubs were deadlocked for it.
While the standings keep compressing, Joshua Báez stole the show in St. Louis.
Called up from Triple-A Memphis and thrust straight into the spotlight, the Cardinals prospect delivered a debut that belongs in the record books. Báez finished 3-for-4 with three home runs and five RBIs in an 8-4 win over the Cubs.
He opened with a two-run blast off Matthew Boyd in the first inning, followed it with a solo homer in the fourth, and capped the night with another two-run shot in the sixth. That last swing put the game away, and according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, Báez became the first player in MLB history to hit three homers in his debut.
In Milwaukee, Jacob Misiorowski kept making life miserable for hitters, and especially for the Dodgers. The Brewers beat Los Angeles 4-1 behind another overpowering outing from the hard-throwing right-hander, who struck out six over six innings of one-run ball and trimmed his ERA to 1.75.
The eye-popping part was the velocity: Misiorowski unleashed 53 four-seam fastballs that registered 100 mph or better. Against Shohei Ohtani, he came out aggressive right away, firing his five hardest pitches in a six-pitch first-inning battle, all of them at least 103.7 mph.
Across three plate appearances, all but two of his pitches to Ohtani were four-seamers at 100 mph or higher.
Cleveland also reached a milestone worth remembering. The Guardians knocked off the Padres 6-1 behind seven strong strikeouts from Joey Cantillo, and the win was the 10,000th in franchise history.
That stretch goes back to the birth of the American League in 1901, and as Zack Meisel of The Athletic noted, Cleveland is now just the third American League franchise to reach that number, joining the Yankees and Red Sox. The Tigers are next in line with 9,819 wins, and they’re projected to get there sometime in the 2028-29 seasons.
In Other News...
Josue Briceo Is Giving Tigers Fans A New Reason To Trust Scott Harris
Scott Harris has spent most of his time as the Tigers president of baseball operations sending the same message in a few different ways: patience matters, and the best young talent is not going anywhere unless the deal is overwhelming. Since taking over in 2022, he has generally avoided moving top prospects, including at the 2023 trade deadline and beyond, preferring to let the organizations own players grow into the core of the next contender. That approach has become a defining part of how Detroit has rebuilt its roster, and it is one reason fans have been willing to buy into the long game.
Josue Briceo is starting to make that patience look a little more justified. After a recent promotion to Triple-A, the young hitter has made an immediate impression, adding another reminder that the Tigers may have real homegrown impact talent on the way. Harris has resisted the temptation to cash in those kinds of players for short-term help, and Briceos emergence only sharpens the stakes around that philosophy. If Detroit keeps holding onto its best prospects, the payoff may come from within rather than from a splashy trade. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Already Have A Worrying Skubal Trade Problem
The Tarik Skubal trade already carried the kind of long-term scrutiny that comes with sending away a frontline arm, and one of the young pieces Detroit received is now adding another layer of uncertainty. Brady Smith, a recent addition to the Tigers organization, has barely had a professional track record since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2024, and the development path was always going to be slow even before any new hiccups.
What makes it more frustrating is that Smith is not the only name from the deal dealing with setbacks. River Ryan and Zyhir Hope have also run into injuries or performance issues this season, which leaves the trade looking murkier by the week from Detroits side. For a front office that was hoping to restock the system with upside, the early returns have become more about survival than progress. [Read more 🡒]
Kerry Carpenter Update Leaves Tigers Facing A Brutal Stretch Run
Kerry Carpenters absence has quickly become one of the more significant developments in the Tigers stretch run, with the left-handed bat landing on the 10-day injured list July 27 because of left foot plantar fasciitis. For a Detroit lineup that has leaned on Carpenter for impact at key spots, the injury shifts the burden to a group of players who now have to absorb his at-bats and keep the offense moving while the club tries to stay on course.
A.J. Hinch said Carpenter has been sent to see a foot specialist, adding another layer of uncertainty to a situation that already carried plenty of concern. The Tigers do have options to cover his role, but the bigger question is how long theyll need to do it, and whether Detroit can navigate a difficult finish without one of its more dangerous bats back in the fold. [Read more 🡒]