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FanGraphs | Craig Edwards: If one were to compare a team’s pre-season projected winning percentage with their current, one of the most surprising teams would be... the Texas Rangers? Sure, it’s only .531 ball, but this was a pretty dreadful team in 2018 that has seemingly turned it around. Mike Minor and Lance Lynn make up one of the best top-two pairings in the league right now, somehow, and Joey Gallo has blossomed into a legitimate star.
Baseball Prospectus | Aaron Gleeman ($): Second base has really had a down year. After their best offensive season in 2016 it’s now the worst offensive season for the position since 1996, and there’s a few reasons: different players able to play it because of the shift, and a mass of injuries that wiped out most of those great hitters from 2016 like Dustin Pedroia, for example. It’s probably a blip, but it’s still something to note.
The Ringer | Zack Kram: Here’s something funny: even though Gary Sánchez is better with both the bat and blocking, his overall value has dropped, really, due to the decline in his pitch framing. So important is that skill is that it has tanked his overall defensive profile, while masking the “mistakes” he was mocked for in previous years.