Daily Briefing: 17 Cards Wild

The FanGraphs Newsletter, September 29, 2021 [READ IN BROWSER]( By Jeffrey Bellone - September 29, 2021 WILD CARDS: The St. Louis Cardinals might never lose again, or so it seems after winning 17 games in a row, including yesterday's 6–2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers that clinched a National League Wild-Card berth. While the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants reach above 100 wins to claim the NL West title, the loser gets to play the hottest team in baseball in the play-in game. []( 103: Speaking of the Giants, they matched a San Francisco, franchise record for most wins in a season by securing their 103rd victory last night against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Both the 1962 and '93 Giants won 103 games, with the '93 team missing the postseason by one game behind the 104-win Atlanta Braves, and the '62 team losing in seven games to the Yankees in the World Series. The Giants hold a two-game lead in the NL West over the Dodgers with five games to play. []( HR KING: Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez is now tops in the league for home runs after cracking his 47th long ball of the season on Tuesday against Cleveland. []( 1 UP 1 DOWN: New York Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard returned to a major-league mound for the first time in nearly two years (to the day), and was effective, striking out two batters in a 1-2-3 inning of work. Meanwhile, the Mets decided to shutdown ace Jacob deGrom for the season; he has been sidelined since July 7 with right arm issues. []( PROTOCOLS: Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Albert Pujols was placed on the COVID-19 injured list on Tuesday, while outfielder Cody Bellinger was activated after missing eight games due to a broken left rib. []( This newsletter is made possible due to the generous support of our members. If you are reading this email or use FanGraphs in your daily baseball routine, please consider supporting us. [BECOME A FANGRAPHS MEMBER]( KYLE TUCKER has evolved into the elite hitter the Astros and scouts believed he could be. The outfielder, who graduated from prospect status in 2019 with a 60 Future Value grade and [ranked 10th on our top 100 that preseason]( is slashing a robust .290/.355/.548 in 548 plate appearances, good for a 144 wRC+ — tops on the team — and 4.5 WAR. David Adler of MLB.com recently wrote about [how good Tucker has been this season]( but I want to focus on how he’s being used, and whether the Astros are giving away an advantage with where they’re hitting him. 👉 [Kyle Tucker Is Hitting Seventh and That's Fine, by Owen McGrattan]( NL MVP RACE: With five days remaining in the 2021 regular season, it’s abundantly clear that there won’t be much clarity offered in the National League Most Valuable Player race. Yes, [Bryce Harper]( Phillies still have a mathematical shot at a postseason spot per our [Playoff Odds]( unlike [Fernando Tatis Jr.]( Padres and [Juan Soto]( Nationals, but not everybody is of the belief that an MVP needs to hail from a postseason-bound team or even a contender. 👉 [The Fascinating and Still Unsettled NL MVP Race, by Jay Jaffe]( 📚 RECENTLY PUBLISHED [Ryan Mountcastle Talks Hitting]( by David Laurila [Discussing Five Recent Triple-A Hitter Recalls]( by Mike Podhorzer [Bullpen Report: September 29, 2021]( by Jon Becker [Roto Riteup: September 29, 2021]( by Justin Mason ⚾️ ROSTER REPORT For the latest roster information, please visit our [RosterResource]( pages. [Passan's early MLB free-agency tiers: Which stars are going to get paid this winter?]( by Jeff Passan, ESPN [The 17 Reasons for the Cardinals’ 17-Game, Playoff-Clinching Win Streak]( by Zach Kram, The Ringer [Noah Syndergaard Is BACK – Pitcher Video Breakdown]( by Nick Pollack, Pitcher List [Minor League Rules Changes: What Worked, What Didn't And What's Next]( by J.J. Cooper and Kyle Glaser, Baseball America ($) [How Max Scherzer has gotten on top of the curve with the Dodger]( by Fabian Ardaya and Eno Sarris, The Athletic ($) [@fangraphs]( [FanGraphs]( [FanGraphs]( [RSS]( [FORWARD]( [SUBSCRIBE]( Copyright © 2021 FanGraphs Inc, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the FanGraphs Newsletter. Our mailing address is: FanGraphs Inc 1200 N Hartford St. Apt 312Arlington, Va 22201 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](