The other baseball team in Chicago.

[Morbius]

Yeah, the Cubs are disappointing this year. But we also have another team in Chicago. They're called the White Sox, and they're surprisingly good. After finishing 2024 with 121 losses, the team traded basically every asset they had for prospects, and now some of those prospects are playing major league ball. None of them look like Hall of Famers just yet, but they're pretty damn good.

And they're in first place, albeit in the mediocre AL Central division. This team has had no less than 12 players make their major league debut this year, most recently Braden Montgomery, who had two hits in each of his first two games in the big leagues, including a walk-off home run in his debut (he's only the fifth player in history to pull this off). They probably don't have the pitching to contend all season, but they're a fun watch. Especially when Munetaka Murakami returns from injury; he had 20 home runs before the end of May. And then there's Kyle Teel, a terrific catcher who's been hurt all season. It's a pretty good lineup without these two; if the Sox get them back they might be fearsome.

You may want to scope them out.

[Diamond_Dog]

1. My Guardians as usual are giving away first place.

Got swept at home by the Yanks, ugh

[True Dough]

2. I have to agree with this post

The White Sox are exciting underdogs all of a sudden with an injection of young talent. Sam Antonocci is another up-and-comer.

Miguel Vargas has been one of the better 3Bs in baseball this season with an .863 OPS. He and Colson Montgomery both have 16 dingers so far.

And where in the heck did starting pitcher Davis Martin come from? He was on nobody's radar, and yet he's exploded onto the scene at age 29. His ERA was over 4.10 the past 3 seasons but he sits at 2.41 right now. Maybe some second-half regression coming for that guy.

The Sox are in a series with the Dodgers this weekend. Might not be the best time to start watching them. Tough competition.

I must add, I felt similarly about the 2024 Reds. They had a bevy of young talent moving through the ranks and I figured they were destined to be a contender. But a good number of of those players fizzled out. You just never know.

[Morbius]

3. Davis Martin is a rarity.

He has six pitches. Six. Most pitchers have three, or four. Martin has six and he has command on all of them. On any given night, if he's having trouble with one he can just rely on the other five! The reason he has erupted this year is that he spent the last off-season adding two more pitches to his arsenal.

I agree it's unlikely he will keep this up, but can you can any other starter who is so versital?

[True Dough]

4. Got one for you right here:

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-seven-pitches-of-seth-lugo/

He's had some good-ish seasons. Not spectacular, but solid.

[Morbius]

5. Okay.

Ya got me. In my defense, he plays for the Royals. It has been some time since I thought there was any reason to pay attention to the Royals. Still, he's impressive too. I like pitchers with a wide selection. Makes it really hard for hitters to prepare.

[Morbius]

6. ...and they just beat the Ohtani-less Dodgers 8-2.

It's like they're too young to realize they have no business winning like this.

Good pitching today.

[MIButterfly]

7. I have to admit I was surprised when I checked the standings yesterday

and they were in first place. I thought, when the heck did that happen? Last time I checked before yesterday they were last place. They must have slowly but surely moved their way up.

I check that division daily on account of the Tigers, but I usually don't pay that much attention to the other teams. And you're right, the American League Central is pretty mediocre.