Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Messick to make MLB debut:
The Guardians are bringing southpaw Parker Messick up to the majors for his MLB debut today. The club’s second-rounder back in 2022 has climbed the minor league ladder fairly quickly to emerge at Triple-A this year, where he’s posted a solid 3.47 ERA and 29.1% strikeout rate across 98 2/3 innings of work. Those are impressive numbers for the 24-year-old, and now he’ll get the opportunity to see if his high strikeout rate can translate into the majors. The Guardians have managed to hang around the AL Wild Card picture despite soft selling this summer, but with Shane Bieber in Toronto and Tanner Bibee in the midst of a tough season they’ll need contributions from young arms like Messick if they’re going to stay relevant down the stretch.
2. Harper, Castellanos race towards milestone:
Phillies veterans Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos are both a considerable way into their respective careers at this point. While Harper’s status as a two-time MVP far eclipses Castellanos’s resume as a two-time All-Star, both have had impressive careers where they’ve generally served as above-average hitters across their combined 27 years in the major leagues. Now the two teammates are chasing the same milestone: 400 career doubles. They’ll likely become the 199th and 200th players in MLB history to reach that benchmark in the coming weeks, as Harper currently sits at 397 career doubles while Castellanos sits just one behind him at 396 two-baggers for his career. The pair will look to tee off of Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo (3.48 ERA) as the Phillies go for the sweep against Seattle this afternoon.
3. Royals pushing for Wild Card spot:
Kansas City made the somewhat surprising decision to buy at the trade deadline despite being slightly below .500 at that point and on the periphery of the AL Wild Card race, but that decision is paying off to this point. An 11-6 record in the month of August has put them just 2.5 games back of the Red Sox and Mariners in the race for a playoff spot with a 65-61 record. Deadline additions have improved the club considerably, with Randal Grichuk, Adam Frazier, and Mike Yastrzemski all injecting life into a previously weak offense while Ryan Bergert has settled in as a quality rotation arm with a 2.70 ERA in three starts for the club. Today they’ll go for their second consecutive series sweep when they face the Rangers and an as-of-yet unannounced starting pitcher. Whoever starts for Texas will have to contend with rookie Noah Cameron, who has a 2.47 ERA in 17 starts.
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