The Buzz — Monday, July 27

Jacob Misiorowski

The take Historic 12-K gem with multiple franchise/MLB records

All 66 of his four-seam fastballs Sunday registered at least 100 mph — every one — setting a pitch-tracking era record and breaking his own mark of 58. He struck out the first seven Rockies for a franchise mark, fanned 11 of the first 12 men he faced, and became the first pitcher since the divisional era began in 1969 to record 11 strikeouts without allowing a hit through four innings. The solo homer in the fifth is the only blemish; the hook after five at 83 pitches is workload management on a starter at 120 innings, not a crack.

The season line settles it: 11-4, 1.58 ERA, 185 strikeouts, 0.75 WHIP — all three leading MLB. The Brewers are in first place, and their ace is the best pitcher in the game right now.

Jacob Misiorowski cards on eBay →(paid link)

Munetaka Murakami

The take Two-homer six-RBI day on bobblehead with parents pitching

Sunday's bobblehead commemorated his first career home run — an Opening Day solo shot — and his parents threw the first pitches, Fumiyo to the interpreter, Kimiya to his son. Then Murakami hit two more and drove in a career-high six. What makes it more than a feel-good story is what it snapped: 13 games and 42 at-bats without a home run, 10 games without an RBI. The first-inning two-run shot off Ronel Blanco ended both droughts, and he kept going — a two-run single in the seventh, a solo homer in the eighth.

He is at 22 home runs, 48 RBI, a .378 OBP and a .921 OPS despite missing 35 games with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. The White Sox sit 2 1/2 games up in the AL Central, and the rookie who lost a month is hitting like a middle-of-the-order bat.

Munetaka Murakami cards on eBay →(paid link)

Pete Crow-Armstrong

The take MVP buzz built on WAR, power, speed, and defense

The MVP case is built on arithmetic. Crow-Armstrong leads baseball with 6.3 FanGraphs WAR, and his +20 Fielding Run Value also ranks first. ESPN's model puts him at 6.52, ahead of Shohei Ohtani at 5.56. The best all-around player in the National League plays center field for the Cubs, and the numbers say so regardless of which formula you prefer.

The power-speed blend is what makes it visible: 23 home runs and 26 steals, the only player in baseball at 20-20, on pace for a second straight 30-30. His 33rd five-star catch set the Statcast era record for plays with a 0-25% catch probability. The glove was always the calling card. The bat caught up.

What changed is the plate discipline. His walk rate jumped from 4.5% to 11.8% — the largest increase among qualified hitters — and his swing rate fell from 60.1% to 49.8%, also the biggest drop, lifting his OBP to .384. In June he hit .381 with 11 home runs, 17 walks, and 8 steals, becoming one of three players ever with a calendar month of at least .375 AVG, .775 SLG, 80 total bases, 15 walks, 10 homers, and 5 steals. The other two are Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

Ohtani's left knee has paused his pitching, and that opens a window. The MVP argument is the leaderboard now.

Pete Crow-Armstrong cards on eBay →(paid link)

Dylan Cease

The take Cease CG 12-K one-hit shutout fuels Cy Young buzz

12 strikeouts, one hit, 120 pitches on Saturday, and the only baserunner was a sixth-inning double by Andruw Monasterio. Cease threw the Blue Jays' first complete game of 2026 and their first complete-game one-hitter in 16 years, at a career-high pitch count that says his manager trusted him to finish it. The Cy Young case was already live at 2.46 ERA and 167 strikeouts over 113 1/3 innings; this is the start that puts a flag in it. He has thrown a no-hitter and two one-hitters — the pattern is not luck.

Dylan Cease cards on eBay →(paid link)

Rafael Devers

The take Devers multi-hit multi-homer weekend for Giants

The trade was 13 months ago, and a .249 average says the adjustment is ongoing. But this weekend was the clearest sign yet that Devers can carry a lineup. On July 24 he hit a two-run homer in his first at-bat and delivered a walk-off two-run single in the 10th to snap a five-game losing streak. The next day he went 3-for-4 with a three-run shot — his team-leading 22nd — and four RBI.

He has three home runs since the All-Star break and a .296/.367/.704 slash over his last seven. The season line of .249/22/60/.808 OPS is solid power on a team that has struggled, not peak Devers. But the back-to-back multi-hit, multi-homer games are the first time the Giants have seen the bat they traded for on consecutive days. This is a hot streak, not a turnaround — and the difference matters.

Rafael Devers cards on eBay →(paid link)