Ah, September. For a few teams at the top, it’s a month to iron out the kinks while lesser foes battle beneath. For a good many, it’s a time for every-game-matters; for heartbreak and heroics. But for a host of others, September is Spring Training, the Prequel. Time for next year’s positional battles to emerge as prospects get their first taste of rarified MLB air.
There are approximately 30 games left before the playoff brackets are set. Of the six teams leading divisions, only the Reds and maybe the Nationals really fall into the “cruise to the finish line” group, with 8.5 and 5.5 game leads respectively. Of the remaining teams, 4 lead divisions, 4 lead Wild Card races, and 5 have legitimate shots at the postseason (games back < 5). There are 14 teams with 10+ game deficits in the standings (and Seattle, with 9.0). Those under the poverty line are where you’ll find that Spring Training-esque call-up culture.
If your team is one of the unlucky, the call-ups could mean a reason to carry on. You’ll find here a handy guide to the interesting storylines you might see play out on those all-but-eliminated teams. We’ll go worst to first.
Houston Astros, 31.0 GB
Depending on how you look at it, what transpires in Houston over the next few weeks could make a dismal year a whole lot more depressing, or a whole lot more interesting very soon. Of course, we’re talking about the possible “September call-up” of The Rocket, Roger Clemens. Whether it’s a HOF ploy, a mid-life crisis, or his portfolio ain’t doin’ so hot, Clemens in Houston could inject a semblance of intrigue to an otherwise listless month. In terms of real baseball, look for top prospect Jonathan Singleton to displace Brett Wallace and his 42 strikeouts in 38 games. I’d love to see Domingo Santana get some starts in right field. It might be stretch for management to bring up the 19 year old, but his line at high-A was an impressive .295/.377/.516 with 20 homers and 93 RBI in 115 games.
Chicago Cubs, 20 GB
The Cubs have already called up many of their top positional prospects, so one might think to look mound-ward this September. However, the Cubs top pitching prospects are largely young or hurt, making it unlikely that we’ll see too much of them this year. The most interesting story in Chicago will be at shortstop. When Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer committed to Starlin Castro with 7 years, $60 million, Double-A shortstop Junior Lake became expendable. It might behoove the Cubs to show the 22 year old off at the major league level in preparation for off season movement.
Colorado Rockies, 17 GB
Coors Field will see some call-up action this year for sure. Top prospect Nolan Arenado will likely see significant time at third base. With Michael Cuddyer down, Tim Wheeler will get some reps in the outfield, and if Coors can jolt his power outage (33 HR in 2011, 2 HR in 2012) he might just stick.
Miami Marlins, 12 GB
Miami doesn’t have a whole lot knocking on the door right now. Look for Christian Yelich to play left field, where he’ll likely find himself next year. The Marlins are thin a catcher with John Buck’s .192 average belying his $6.5 million contract. Though he’s still quite young, they may elect to play J.T. Realmuto, fresh off an above average campaign in high-A ball (.259/.322/.351). He should be competing with incumbent youngster Rob Brantley come Spring Training.
San Diego Padres, 10 GB
The Padres mirror the Cubs in their early promotions this season. Casey Kelly and Yasmani Grandal are up, and with them much of the intrigue from the Padres’ system. The big question is what to do with Jedd Gyorko. He mashed at triple-A, but he’s a third baseman, and Chase Hedley has been the Padres best offensive performer. Hedley is arbitration eligible, but it may be time to move him. The Padres have started to spend some money, but the coffers are not overflowing.
New York Mets, 9 GB
The Mets are an odd team, and something tells me we won’t see many new contributors in Queens. One unlikely call-up might be Danny Muno. It’s doubtful, especially as he’s just back from a 50 game PED suspension. The Mets might utilize Jeurys Familia out of the pen with some regularity. If he can show the ability to get major leaguers out, he’ll likely feature out of the Mets’ bullpen next year.
That’s your preview, however cursory, of the storylines that might make September more bearable for fans of the down and out.
-Ari Glantz
Stat Of The Day: The Astros active roster features just one player making over $1 million
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