#HIGHFIVE | Top 5 Black & Brown MLB Bros Week 6

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1. Kyle Lewis (Seattle Mariners) 

The reigning American League Rookie of the Year got a late start after beginning the season on the Injured List. But now he’s heating up, going 8-for-20 with a .400 batting average the past week, entering Thursday night’s game. 

 For that, he makes his first appearance this season on our #HighFIVE list — and gets the top spot. 

 

 

Lewis came to Texas and his bat was as hot as the weather.  He recorded multiple hits in each of the Mariners’ three games during their weekend series against the Rangers, including three knocks in Friday’s opener.

As the Mariners begin to call up some of their top prospects this week, Lewis will need to grow up fast and even add the role of mentor to his job description. 

If anyone knows how to successfully navigate the on-and-off the field issues a player can face during their rookie year, the recent hardware in Lewis’s trophy case would prove he’s the guy for the job.

 

2. Cedric Mullins (Baltimore Orioles) 

Cedric Mullins has been one of the top players in the game through the first six weeks of the season. 

After collecting a hit in seven straight games, including one of the most impressive triples you will ever see, we gave him the nickname “CM Storm” and he claims the second spot on our #HighFive list.

 

Mullins has begun to blossom this season. He ranks second in hits while leading all MLB center fielders with 98 putouts.  Mullins also hasn’t committed an error this season. Amazing since he plays one of the toughest positions in all of sports.

3. Jack Flaherty (St. Louis Cardinals) 

This week, Flaherty gained separation as he now leads Major League Baseball with seven wins. The next closest pitchers have five.

 

 

Thursday made it five straight quality starts for Jack as he defeated the Brewers 2-0.  He went six innings allowing no runs on just four hits while striking out six. In his two starts this week, Flaherty did not give up a single run in 13 innings.  He struck out 12 batters and his Cardinals recorded shutout wins in each game.

He’s on fire and it might be time to start talking about the possibility of Flaherty becoming MLB’s first Black Ace (20-game winner) since David Price in 2012. 

4. Taijuan Walker (New York Mets) 

The Black Knight pitcher in New York always finds a way onto our list and this week will be no different.  Walker sits in the third spot in this week’s High FIVE and has proven to Mets’ fans that he was one of the top free agent acquisitions this off-season.

Walker currently sits 13th in ERA for Major League Baseball after lowering his down to 2.20 on Wednesday after his start against Baltimore.  In his last two starts,  it seems that he’s finally found his stride as he is raking up strikeouts and going deep into games. 

 

 

In the 14 innings, he pitched, he only gave up one run, while striking out eight batters.  Importantly to Met fans, he’s only walked three batters.  He had given 13 free passes in the four previous starts before. 

The Mets are 6-1 in games started by Walker this season.

 

5. Tim Anderson (Chi-Town White Sox) 

When it’s all said and done, MLBbro.com  expects Tim Anderson to be right in the running for the second batting title of his career this season.  T.A. has collected a hit in eight straight games and recorded six RBI during his streak.

Anderson hit a home run on the first pitch of the bottom of the first, and the White Sox held off the Twins (minus Byron Buxton)  for a 4-2 victory Thursday at Guaranteed Rate Field. It was their sixth straight win and 14th in 18 games.

 

In the past five games, he’s batting .348, and his average has crept up to .315, which is Top 20 in MLB.