Actually it is in a sense.
As long as the games are close, they're getting closer to becoming a winning team.
When you can be competitive in every game against top teams, your talent level is decent.
The bullpen is back in its funk, and has cost them at least a half dozen games this year.
Franco is starting to look like he gets it, even his last AB was a great battle.
Lively did a nice job battling after a bad first inning, Another quality start. Like all the young pitchers, he's a work in progress, his ball moves so much he may have to work with different grips and get better command, and of course his secondary stuff needs work. But his FB is tricky and as he works on it, could be a solid weapon to set up hitters. Whereas Eickhoff has that straight FB that has to be located perfectly, Lively's has so much movement he just has to stay away from the center of the plate.
Six solid young starting pitching prosects with ML experience, and a bunch more a year or two away.
A lot of bullpen arms at Reading and Lehigh.
There's a lot to work with down the road.
