Outside The Confines: The Stars of the North

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• Hannah Keyser takes a look at the Minnesota Twins and the impact that shortstop Carlos Correa has had on the organization. Keyser writes that in an age of rebuilding, the Twins just “re-upped” instead.
• Sarah Langs and Do-Hyoung Park look at Twins outfielder Byron Buxton and how good he could be if he could just stay healthy for an extended period of time.
• Zach Crizer explains why the 2022 Mets are different from the 2021 team that blew a big early lead in the NL East.
• Cody Stavenhagen examines the struggles that Tigers shortstop Javier Báez is having at the plate this year and how there aren’t any answers at the moment. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Jay Jaffe writes that the Tigers’ wretched offense is just part of their problems this year. The Tigers are averaging just 2.71 runs a game this year, which would be the worst total since 1947. But the rotation is bad too.
• Kody Clemens, the son of Roger Clemens, did make his major league pitching debut for the Tigers this week. Unfortunately for the Tigers, Kody doesn’t pitch like his dad, which is probably why he’s normally a second baseman.
• Ken Rosenthal talks about the dilemma that the Angels have with Shohei Ohtani as he approaches free agency. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Matt Snyder names the 2022 MLB “All-Fun” team, meaning the players who are the most fun to watch. There are two Cubs on the team, which is odd for a team that is as little fun as possible as a whole.
• The United States Department of Justice has asked a federal court to interpret MLB’s antitrust exemption “narrowly” in a lawsuit by minor league owners who were shut out of the affiliation reboot after the 2020 season.
• Commissioner Rob Manfred warned that the Tampa Bay Rays and the Oakland Athletics need a resolution to their quest for a new ballpark “soon.”
• The commissioner also talked about rules changes including limits on shifting and pitch clocks. He said that talks with the players about this topic will start next week.
• The Mets met with a minor league advocacy group and a New York State Senator about improving wages and working conditions for minor leaguers. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Many Cuban MLB stars want their own team in the World Baseball Classic. James Wagner with details.
• The Yankees had told MLB that they want to be one of the teams that plays the first MLB game in France in 2025. It’s not like their caps aren’t already all over Paris.
• If you’re wanting to know who the next top Cubs prospect might be, Jonathan Mayo has a mock draft for you.
• Mike Axisa also has a mock draft. Man, I sure hope Cam Collier is good. And soon.
• Thomas Harrigan lists the early leaders for the Rookie of the Year Awards.
• Jayson Stark offers some possibilities of baseball feats that could capture the public’s imagination like Cal Ripken Jr.’s consecutive games streak. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Congratulations to Brewers manager Craig Counsell, who became the winningest-manager in franchise history with 564 wins.
• David Schoenfield ranks the eight College World Series teams by the major league talent that has come out of their programs.
• The Phillies have removed Corey Knebel from the closer’s role. A “Mr. Committee” will be getting all the save chances for now.
• When White Sox closer Liam Hendricks was a free agent, he specifically asked teams if they had a “Pride Night” before signing. The White Sox do indeed have a Pride Night.
• David Laurila speaks with former Red Sox Kevin Youkilis about hitting.
• The Brewers have purchased the old letters that formed the “Milwaukee County Stadium” signage at their old place. I think they’re planning to spell out “Acutely summoned Kuwaiti” at American Family Field
• Remember that rebroadcast of the White Sox game that cut out the crucial intentional walk? It doesn’t seem like it was a conspiracy to protect manager Tony La Russa after all.
• There was a scary moment when home plate umpire Nate Tomlinson was struck in the face with a broken Mike Trout bat. Tomlinson was taken to the hospital, but he escaped the incident with only cuts and bruises.
• Is this catch by Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan the catch of the year?
• And finally, indulge me here with a soccer story, because this is one of the best pieces of sports journalism that I’ve read this year. “Wee” Willie McKean was one of the stars of the United States team in the 1934 FIFA World Cup. He disappeared without a trace in 1938. Pablo Maurer and Matt Pentz discover what happened to McKean. (The Athletic sub. req.) I’ll warn you that it’s not a happy story, but it’s one that was all-too-common in mid-century America. And it’s worth your time to read.

And tomorrow is going to be a better day than today, Buster.