Zac Gallen Leads Breakthrough, Forgotten Players in NL Wild Card Race
The National League Wild Card race has been nothing short of, well, wild. Eight teams currently are within five games of each other, vying for three postseason positions. And the National League Central is up for grabs with the Cubs and Cardinals tied for first and the Brewers one game behind. In races this tight, often times, the difference is an unknown or breakthrough player, whether young, random or forgotten. Here are some candidates for each of the contending teams.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Zac Gallen
While all the hype was the Diamondbacks trading Zack Greinke, a forgotten move was them trading for another Zac—Zac Gallen—who has succeeded this season. Zac Gallen was one of the pitchers the Marlins acquired when they traded Marcell Ozuna, and now he was swapped again to Arizona. Zac Gallen is 2-3 with a 2.58 ERA this season, a 1.26 WHIP and 52 strikeouts. With Greinke gone, the Diamondbacks will need somebody to step up in the rotation alongside Robbie Ray. Zac Gallen has been a steady force all season, even for the lowly Marlins, and he has continued his success with the Diamondbacks within his first two starts. Zac Gallen is no Zack Grienk, but if the Diamondbacks want to be that surprise team, they will need one Zac to replace another.
San Francisco Giants: Stephen Vogt
Veteran catcher Stephen Vogt, notorious for playoff teams on the other side of the Bay Area, has been a surprise this year for the San Francisco Giants. The Giants leveled out since a massive winning streak before the All-Star Break, but Vogt still is producing in more ways than one. In 69 games, Vogt is hitting .282 with 6 home runs and 22 RBIs. But more importantly, he’s been used in different roles on a team that isn’t very deep or versatile. He has caught a lot with Buster Posey being out most of the season, and he has played left field in an outfield that isn’t overly talented. Lastly, he gives them a viable option to not rush top prospect Joey Bart up to the majors this year, giving them a veteran presence for the last month of the season. Bruce Bochy has found these gems to work on his World Series teams, and if they do get in, Vogt will be a very big part of why, no matter what role.
New York Mets: Justin Wilson
A forgotten man in the Mets bullpen due to injury, Justin Wilson quietly has been their second-best relief pitcher this season. In a small sample size with the Mets, Wilson has a 2.78 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. Another reason I like Wilson is his versatility. He can be a lefty specialist but also a guy who can stretch for more than three outs in different spots in the game. With the struggles of higher-profile relievers Jeurys Familia and Edwin Diaz this season, the Mets will need someone to step up so they don’t overwork Seth Lugo, who has been their best and most versatile relief pitcher all season. I believe Lugo’s success should give Wilson a more prominent role in that bullpen.
Philadelphia Phillies: Cesar Hernandez
In a lineup highlighted by offseason prizes Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto and Jean Segura, one of the Phillies most pleasant surprises has been their previously light-hitting second baseman Cesar Hernandez. Hernandez leads all Phillies position players with a .285 batting average, and is fourth on the team with 52 RBI, despite hitting low in the lineup. With down years out of Segura and Maikel Franco and extreme streakiness out of Harper, Hoskins and Scott Kingery, the Phillies need Hernandez to continue his consistency if they want a Wild Card spot, especially with the underperformers and injuries on their pitching staff. In an era of home runs and strikeouts, contact hitters like Hernandez may be a dying breed, but are still vital to a lineup. He’ll need to be if the Phillies want to make the postseason.
Milwaukee Brewers: Trent Grisham
Probably the most disappointing of these teams, based on last year’s success, is the Milwaukee Brewers, who still have a fighting chance. Statistically speaking, the same lineup depth they possessed last year has not produced this year, with Travis Shaw, Hernan Perez and the now-traded Jesus Aguilar having rough years. Trent Grisham has been a recent surprise to help out, hitting .314 with 8 RBI so far in 11 games. It’s surprising Grisham has been this good since he struggled in the minor leagues all season, with the exception of Class-A plus. He has sparked the lineup, and can continue to contribute in the outfield and off the bench for a team trying to bolster its offense.
Chicago Cubs: Kyle Ryan
Since Joe Maddon arrived, the Cubs seem to always have big names in their bullpen, but often times it is unknown guys who outperform the stars. This year has been no different. Kyle Ryan, a failed starter and decent reliever with the Tigers, has been this year’s surprise with a 2.98 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 44 strikeouts in 45.1 innings pitched. Maddon has recognized that success and pitched Ryan just as often as Brandon Kintzler, Pedro Strop and Steve Cishek, who have had consistency issues this year. Ryan hasn’t had issues, and he is versatile, too, which is always a big part of a Maddon-led squad.
Washington Nationals: Matt Adams
Another team lacking lineup depth compared to previous years has been the Washington Nationals. They’ve contended this year due to overperforming veterans helping stars Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto in their lineup, and Matt Adams has been one of them. Adams is hitting .244 with 18 home runs and 49 RBI in a part-time role, and he was a big reason the Nationals had a big stretch of wins in June. Adams also has postseason success with the Cardinals, which could help during key games down the stretch.
St. Louis Cardinals: John Gant
Another failed starter turned reliever, John Gant has been a pleasant surprise in the Cardinals bullpen. While it was supposed to be Jordan Hicks and Andrew Miller dominating this season, they’ve been down this year, but Gant is a big reason the bullpen has been decent. Gant has a 2.77 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 55 innings, as well as 3 saves. His versatility helps even further in a not overly deep bullpen, and being a former starter, he also has the stamina to provide some length as a spot-starter or opener. The Cardinals organization has always found ways to make young pitchers work, at least short-term, and if they want to win the NL Central, Gant will have to keep bolstering that bullpen.
