#HIGHFIVE: Top 5 Black & Brown MLB Bros Of Week 5

This week’s #HighFIVE is highlighted by the American League Player of the Month, a man swinging the hottest bat in baseball, and a player who committed a Bro-on-Bro crime with his grand slam last Saturday.

 

1.Byron Buxton

Byron Buxton was named American League Player of the Month for his MVP-type performance to open the season in April. He hit eight home runs and batted .426 with a .897 slugging percentage while stealing three bases to go along with 14 RBI and 15 runs scored all while playing just 18 games.  He set franchise records for the Twins with the highest batting average, slugging percentage and OPS for the months of March and April.  

 

Last Friday night, Buxton reminded us he is still a beast on the defensive side.  He made a diving catch then caught another while leaping against the center field wall in a Twins victory over their divisional rivals in Kansas City.

2. Giancarlo Stanton

Giancarlo Stanton has been stunting with his bat on his way to making his first appearance on our #HighFIVE list this season. He has been on a tear and put the league on notice during his current 12-game hitting streak.  Stanton has a home run in three straight games for the 17th time in his career and his five go-ahead home runs this season are tied with Fernando Tatís Jr. for the most in baseball.  

 

 

Stanton has been hitting the cover off the baseball during this run.  He has hit 12 batted balls with an exit velocity of 115 plus MPH — the rest of the league has just seven. He’s hit six home runs and knocked in 11, and scored 11 runs as well during the streak.

 

3. Cedric Mullins

Cedric Mullins has kicked his feet up and gotten comfortable being a part of our High FIVE list this season.  He currently third in Major League in hits with 39 and ranks 14th with a .320 batting average.

 

 

This week, Mullins made a play that will have him eating free in Baltimore for years to come as his sliding catch in center field helped preserve John Means no-hitter, which was the first solo one by an Orioles pitcher in 50 years.

4. Jack Flaherty 

Flaherty is the lone pitcher on this week’s #HighFIVE.  In his last start against the Pirates, he struck out a season-high nine batters as he pitched six innings, allowing two runs in a 12-5 Cardinal win. He sits alone at the top of the wins leaderboard with a 5-0 record. Four of his last five appearances have been quality starts and he has posted a 36 to 10 strikeout-to-walk ratio during the season.  

 

His next start will come Friday night when his Cardinals face the Colorado Rockies.

5. Tim Anderson

Tim Anderson rounds out our High FIVE by taking the fifth spot as his bat has stayed hot since his return from the injured list a few weeks ago.  He is batting.298 with four home runs, 15 runs and 12 RBI this season.

Anderson was wanted for committing Bro-on-Bro crime last Saturday afternoon. The former batting champion hit a grand slam off Indians pitcher and fellow MLB Bro Tristen McKenzie.  

 

 

TA has seven hits and seven RBI in his last six games.  Anderson must continue to be a force in the White Sox lineup as they lost several key member of their outfield to injury.