10 Biggest Takeaways from Week 18's MLB Action

After last week's trade deadline craziness, the 2015 MLB season got back to plain, ol' baseball in its 18th week of action. All told, it was a nice change of pace.

Happen to miss anything? Worry not, friend. We're here to recap the good stuff.

As we usually do, we have a list of the 10 biggest takeaways from the week that was. This week, they range from a couple of standout veterans to a couple of standout rookies to one team that's very cold to a few teams that are very hot and/or possibly indestructible.

We'll go in order from least interesting to most interesting. Step into the box whenever you're ready.

10. Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke Are Reminded of Their Mortality

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

Coming into the week, the Los Angeles Dodgers' duo of Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw looked all but invincible. Actually, never mind the "all but." They looked invincible all the way. Immortal, even.

So, what happened this week was probably inevitable. Sooner or later, Greinke and Kershaw always were going to get a reminder of their own mortality. And sure enough, that's what happened.

Greinke got his at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies, who torched him for six runs in six innings in a 10-8 Dodgers win Thursday. Kershaw followed that by getting his own mortality check in a 5-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday. Gregory Polanco's leadoff home run snapped his 37-inning scoreless streak and proved to be just the first blow in an outing that saw Kershaw surrender four runs in six innings.

Inevitable? Yes. But still surprising? That too.

It wasn't just that Greinke came into the week with a 1.41 ERA and Kershaw came into the week with a 2.37 ERA. What made their mortality checks even more jarring was how abruptly they put an end to dominant pitching runs. Before the Phillies got to Greinke, he had posted a 0.86 ERA in his prior 10 starts. Before the Pirates got to Kershaw, he had posted a 1.10 ERA in his prior 12 starts. 

Granted, it's hard to see either of this week's flops as a sign of things to come for Greinke and Kershaw. But if nothing else, they're a reminder that invincible pitchers are not unlike god-kings: On any given day, even they can bleed.

9. Nelson Cruz Re-Emerges as Only Nelson Cruz Can

Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Have you tuned out the Seattle Mariners at this point? That's OK. With just a 50-59 record, there's not much to see there.

But here's one thing in Seattle you don't want to be missing these days: Nelson Cruz's at-bats.

All of a sudden, the 35-year-old slugger is in the middle of one of those stretches. In his last seven games, he's hit six home runs while racking up a 1.753 OPS+. And in his last 17 games overall, he's now hit 11 dingers. Basically, Ash from Army of Darkness has nothing on Cruz's boomstick right now.

This, granted, is nothing Cruz hasn't done before. But it's something he hadn't done in a while. Before his bat caught fire again, it went through a 50-game cold stretch in which he hit just .255 with four home runs. For a good two months, he was one of the most invisible hitters in the game.

No matter how they're produced, however, numbers are numbers are numbers. And somewhat quietly, Cruz has some damn good ones this season. With a .323 average, a .988 OPS+ and 32 home runs, he checks in as one of the season's five best hitters.

It's a shame this is all going to waste on a Mariners team that's going to fall well short of expectations. But if nothing else, Cruz is showing the Mariners he means to live up to the $57 million they invested in him. And to the rest of us, he's reminding that, at times, he can look like the game's most dominant hitter.

8. Adrian Beltre Makes a Bit of Cycle History, Is Awesome Again

Speaking of AL West old-timers being awesome, let's go straight from Cruz to Adrian Beltre.

On Monday, Beltre made a bit of history in the Texas Rangers' 12-9 win over the Houston Astros. He had a cycle in his back pocket by the time the fifth inning rolled around, making it the third time he had ever hit for the cycle.

How many other players have hit for the cycle as many as three times? According to ESPN Stats & Info, only three: Bob Meusel, Babe Herman and Long John Reilly.

So, that's cool. But what's actually important is how Beltre's cycle fits into a bigger picture. 

It's been a rough season for the most part for the 36-year-old third baseman, but not so much recently. His cycle Monday is part of a 24-game stretch that's seen him hit .319 with an .896 OPS+. He's raised his overall OPS+ up from .633 to .715 and overall has been one of the top players in baseball.

Beltre's season-long struggle thus looks like it's no more. He's back to playing like his typical should-be-future-Hall-of-Famer self. And in doing so, he's definitely provided the Rangers with a needed boost.

Speaking of which...

7. The Rangers Aren't Done with 2015 Just Yet

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Not too long ago, the Rangers looked like they were finished with the 2015 postseason race. They were six games under .500 as recently as July 20, and indications were they already had their eyes on 2016.

But in the weeks since, something funny has happened: The Rangers have gotten good again.

Before a 4-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Friday night wrecked the party, the Rangers had won four in a row and seven out of eight overall. That's why they now stand at 54-54 and just three-and-a-half games off the pace in the AL wild-card race.

Given where the Rangers were a couple of weeks ago, that they are where they are now is a bit unexpected. But with a hot Beltre leading an elite offense that now also has old friend Mike Napoli back, the Rangers have the bats to stay where they are. And if new addition Cole Hamels can help settle what's been a volatile pitching staff, the Rangers will have the arms for the job, too.

And for now, the Rangers at least have the belief for the job.

"There is a lot of energy in the dugout and on the field right now," manager Jeff Banister told T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com after the Astros sweep. "It is solidifying the belief that they can get to where they want to go."

To be sure, the Rangers do face a stiff challenge in actually earning one of the AL's two wild-card spots. One thing that should help make it a littler easier, however, is the reality that there's one team they seemingly don't have to worry about anymore...

6. The Twins Are Fading Fast

Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

As recently as July 17, the Minnesota Twins held the American League's second-best record at 50-40. That put them in a position not just to win the AL's top wild-card spot but to possibly steal the AL Central title from the Kansas City Royals.

Ever since then, however, the Twins have been doing a pretty good impression of The Titanic.

Before they were able to get off the schneid with a 10-9 win in Cleveland on Friday night to get back over .500 at 55-54, the Twins had lost five games in a row and 14 out of 18 overall to bring their record down to 54-54. They're now well behind the Royals in the AL Central race and also three games out in the AL wild-card race.

Twins manager Paul Molitor told Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com after losing to the Blue Jays 9-3 on Thursday:

"

I think right now it doesn't feel good at all. It's how you get there and we're going the wrong way. Coming out of spring training, and you hear .500 in August, you might've had some optimism there, but you just have to take a step back. I'm not feeling too good about it myself. And I don't think the players are. I think the frustration is continuing.

"

Things are bad, all right, and exactly how they're going to get better is a good question. The Twins haven't been a particularly great hitting or pitching team all season, and now they can't do either thing well at all. Heading into Friday's action, they ranked 23rd in MLB in OPS+ and 29th in MLB in ERA over the last 30 days.

So, you can probably bid farewell to the 2015 Twins. They had a nice run for a while there, but it's all coming crashing down.

5. Luis Severino Looks Like a Keeper

Depending on who you ask, one of the bigger disappointments of trade deadline season was the New York Yankees' failure to acquire the one thing they really needed: an impact starter.

But now, it looks like they may have had a plan all along. After all, why trade for an impact starter when you can promote from within?

The Yankees are taking a whack at doing so with their top prospect, Luis Severino. And one start in, the experiment is going well. The 21-year-old right-hander debuted in a 2-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, but he did his part with five innings that featured two runs on just two hits and no walks with seven strikeouts.

The last American League rookie to debut with a start that featured no more than two hits, no walks and seven strikeouts? Trick question! Severino was actually the first.

"I think he's going to be huge for us," third baseman Chase Headley said of his new teammate, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. "When you go out and trade for somebody who's a big addition or bring up someone with that kind of ability, it can really swing the needle. So we're glad to have him."

Severino could indeed be huge for the Yankees if he has more starts like that in him. And knowing that he came to the big leagues ranked as a top-20 prospect by MLB.com and Baseball America, more starts like that one may well be in the cards.

Fair warning, though: Don't count on Severino making a run at AL Rookie of the Year. There's another guy out there who might as well clear some space in his trophy case for that award...

4. Just Give the AL Rookie of the Year to Carlos Correa Already

Ben Margot/Associated Press

When the Houston Astros called Carlos Correa up to The Show back in early June, expectations were appropriately high. When you're a former No. 1 pick and one of the very best prospects in baseball, people want to see what you can do.

Knowing that, it's saying a lot that Correa is not only meeting expectations but completely blowing them away.

This week has seen the 20-year-old shortstop slug two more home runs to push his total in 51 games to 14. That puts him behind only Brandon Crawford and Jhonny Peralta among shortstops, and Correa leads his fellow shortstops with a .904 OPS+. With a 1.053 OPS+ in the second half, that number is only climbing higher.

Factor in what's been strong defense, and it's no wonder Correa is leading American League rookies in wins above replacement. As Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs noted, Correa stands alone as the best shortstop MLB has to offer if you average his production out over 600 plate appearances.

Granted, it's a bit soon to say definitively Correa is the best shortstop in baseball, especially while Troy Tulowitzki is still playing. But with each passing day, it's only becoming clearer he's headed in that direction and he could get there sooner rather than later.

3. David Price Owned His Blue Jays Debut

The Toronto Blue Jays made two impact trades last week. One was for Tulowitzki, a guy who they wanted. The other was David Price, a guy who they actually needed. The Blue Jays had an awesome lineup before Tulo's arrival, but they didn't have an ace before Price's.

As if to prove the point, Price went and did his thing in his Blue Jays debut Monday.

The 29-year-old left-hander fired eight innings in a 5-1 win over the Twins, giving up one run on three hits and two walks while striking out 11. He matched his second-best mark of the season with a game score of 81, and the home crowd packed into Rogers Centre was loving every minute of it.

"I've pitched in quite a few big games, but that atmosphere today, that takes the cake," Price said afterward, via Jamie Ross of MLB.com. "I've never experienced anything like that."

For their part, Blue Jays fans had experienced something like that before. But not for a while. The team has struggled to find an ace ever since Roy Halladay left town in 2010, so Naoko Asano of Sportsnet.ca nailed it when she wrote Price "reminded Jays fans what it's like to have a true ace to take the ball every five days, and it's a feeling many are hoping to get used to."

With Price due for free agency at the end of the year, exactly how long Blue Jays fans will get to enjoy him is a good question. But for now, they can smile at knowing he's part of what's looking like a fun ride that will last for the rest of the season.

On that note...

2. Everything Is Going According to Plan for the Blue Jays

Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

When the Blue Jays opened last week by trading for Tulowitzki, they were only at the .500 mark with a record of 50-50. A day later, they were 50-51. 

But since then? Uh, yeah. Things have been a bit better.

After sweeping the Twins in a four-game series to start the week and then taking the opener of a three-game series in the Bronx against the Yankees, the Blue Jays have now won nine out of 10 since Tulo's debut last Wednesday. And with him in the starting lineup, they're a perfect 9-0.

The Blue Jays have gotten some good pitching in this span—including Price's superb debut—but it's not surprising their primary strength has been bludgeoning the living heck out of the ball. Before the Yankees held them to just two runs in 10 innings Friday night, the Blue Jays had batted .287 with a .502 slugging percentage and league-best 15 home runs in their nine previous games.

That, folks, is a deadly offense. And thanks to its fine work, veteran left-hander Mark Buehrle says the Blue Jays clubhouse has a different vibe.

"There's just a different feeling," Buehrle told Ross. "I felt the same way in '05 when we [the White Sox] won the World Series, there were times when we'd be down two runs in the seventh inning and it was like, 'We don't care, we're going to win this game, somehow we're going to find a way to win this game,' and we do."

How much better are the Blue Jays, exactly? Well, they went into last week staring at pretty slim odds to make the playoffs. According to FanGraphs, however, they went into Friday with better than a 70 percent chance of making the playoffs.

So, in short: a lot better.

1. Break Up the Mets!

Brian Blanco/Getty Images

Hey, you there! Remember when the New York Mets were a punchline?

You should. It was only, like, a week ago. But as you might have noticed, man, oh man have things changed since then.

All of a sudden, the Mets can't lose. Their clutch 4-3 win in Tampa Bay made it seven wins in a row to run their record to 59-50. That's good for a 2.5-game lead over the Washington Nationals, who of course were supposed to be the lords and masters of the NL East.

Part of the reason for the turnaround has to do with the Mets being a deeper offensive team than they were before trades for Juan Uribe, Kelly Johnson and Yoenis Cespedes. In their last seven games, the Mets have averaged 5.7 runs per game.

But the big reason? It's all about the arms, man, particularly the big ones atop the Mets rotation. Jacob deGrom has a 1.76 ERA in his last nine starts. Matt Harvey has a 1.64 ERA in his last nine starts. Noah Syndergaard has a 1.80 ERA in his last nine starts.

"You watch Harvey pitch, and you say, 'Boy, I'd love to have that guy,'" one scout told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. "Then you see deGrom the next night, and it gets better. And then you see [Syndergaard], and you say, 'Oh my God.' When do you ever see all those No. 1s back-to-back like that?"

Short answer: You don't. Not anywhere else these days, anyway.

And right now, that's looking like it could be the No. 1 key to the Mets returning to the postseason for the first time since 2006.

Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted/linked.