pitching

Vargas's pitches haven't changed, but by making small tweaks around the margins, the Royals' journeyman starter has become one of the best pitchers in baseball.

The official reason is a scheduling conflict. The actual story... is probably about the same, but let's dig a little deeper anyway.

The 22-year-old would amaze anywhere he pitched, but his major league debut is even more impressive given the Mariners' bullpen history.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' prized deadline acquisition has spent a month recovering from a blister on his middle finger. How can such a small injury be so damaging to MLB pitchers?

The Cleveland Indians have as good a shot at a World Series berth as any team in the AL. If things had worked out better at the deadline, it'd be even better.

Kyle Lohse was never a great pitcher, and needed St. Louis Cardinals magic to become a good one. But he did a lot with nothing much for years. That's something.

The Yankees got a great prospect haul for Aroldis Chapman. The Royals, who have holes to fill and a closer worth more to other teams than them, could do even better.

Steven Wright has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this year. He's also a knuckleballer, which adds a satisfying edge of weirdness to his success.

The Texas Rangers are getting Yu Darvish back at exactly the right moment. It's not just that he steadies a shaky rotation. He brings an element of magic to it, too.

The Red Sox have one of baseball's best offenses, but the back half of their rotation is a disaster. That is going to have to change, but it won't fix itself.

The New York Mets had an especially Mets-y week, even by their standards. You don't need to be a Mets fan to understand what that means, or why it's frustrating.

The New York Yankees of the 1980s were an exercise in expensive mediocrity. When Andy Hawkins threw a no-hitter in Chicago and lost in 1990, it defined the era.