#HIGHFIVE: Top 5 Black & Brown MLB Players (Week 15)

Even though the Bros put on a post-All-Star week hitting clinic, the Met’s durag-rockin’ Black Knight from Long Island AKA Marcus “Stro Show” Stroman takes the top spot in Week 15 of our #HighFive list.

1. Marcus Stroman

 

Marcus Stroman had two very interesting starts this week, but we will start with the one that may be the best of his career:

 

 

Wednesday he was both a hit and a walk away from perfection against the Cincinnati Reds.  In eight innings he struck out seven batters while only allowing one hit and one walk.  What might have been most impressive is he accomplished this in just 90 pitches, on a day the Met’s bullpen needed off in the worst way. 

 

 

Out of the 26 hitters Stroman faced, he threw a first-pitch strike to 21 of them.  He became the first Mets pitcher with an eight-inning shutout allowing just one hit or fewer since Jacob DeGrom in 2016. 

 

 

His Black Knight partner Taijuan Walker and former Cy Young rotation mate, Jacob DeGrom, got the accolade of being named 2021 All-Stars this season, but Stroman has been the one holding it down with consistency in the rotation. 

He is one of 13 pitchers to make 20 starts this season and carries a 2.58 ERA.

Now, to Stroman and the Pittsburgh Pirates executing a classic WWE impression:

 

 

After getting Pirates John Nogowski to line out in the fifth inning of Friday night’s game, Stroman pounded his glove and tried to fire up his dugout.  Nogowski took exception to that, and after, words were exchanged and the benches cleared. No punches were thrown, but it might not be a good idea to have those two in the same room for a while.  

In that game, he finished five innings allowing just two runs and striking out three.

2. Mookie Betts

 

Lately, Mookie Betts has gotten back to being one of the best hitters in all of baseball and before a hip injury caused him to miss a few days this week, he was on an absolute tear. 

In his past five games before only appearing only as a pinch-hitter Monday night, Betts was 12-for-16 at the plate for a .750 batting average.  Over that stretch, he had three home runs, four doubles, eight RBI and 12 runs.  That earned him a spot on Rob Parker’s Home Boi Highlights.

 

 

Betts has been out of the lineup during the Dodgers’ series against the first-place Giants and manager Dave Roberts has not ruled out him requiring time on the Injured List.

 

 

3. Tim Anderson

Ever since Tim Anderson saw his name left off of the original All-Star Game Roster, he became a different animal at the plate, showing why he has a batting championship in his trophy case. 

Despite having his 16-game hitting streak snapped on Tuesday, he is batting .323 with three home runs, four RBI, eight runs and two steals.  That leaves him currently sitting in 10th place for the league’s batting title. 

 

 

This weekend Anderson leads his White Sox into the city of current title town Milwaukee to face the Brewers in what will be one of the best series this season in baseball. 

 

 

4. Akil “The Real Deal” Baddoo

 

Baddoo Mania is back, as he has been putting the throttle down on his campaign to win American League Rookie of the Year.  Over his last seven games, Baddoo has three home runs, including two during the team’s four-game sweep of the Texas Rangers.

 

 

The energy Baddoo can bring to the leadoff spot has carried throughout the entire Tigers lineup, as they have become one of the most exciting teams to watch in the Majors. 

They are the only team to not suffer a loss since returning from the All-Star break as they swept the Twins over the weekend in the Motor City. 

 

 

5. Josh Bell

 

Josh has answered the Bell at the plate lately as he lands the final spot on this week’s #HighFive list.  Since June 1st he is one of three National League first baseman to have at least seven home runs and a batting average over .300. The other two being All-Star Starter Freddie Freeman and the Cardinals Paul Goldschmidt. 

Bell had a seven-game hitting streak snapped after going 0-for-4 Wednesday but homered in back-to-back games to begin the week. 

 

Over his last 15 games, Bell is hitting .286 with 16 hits, eight runs batted in and seven runs. 

 

The Nationals are trying to tread water while trying to get their team back to full strength, but with Bell along with Josh Harrison and former World Series MVP Juan Soto holding down the lineup (and them only being six games back of the Mets for first place in the NL East) they may be in store for a run.