#HighFive |Top 5 Black & Brown Players (Week 20)

Giancarlo Stanton has been the hottest hitter on the hottest team on the planet as he has his Yankees back in playoff contention.  For that, he takes the top spot on Week 20 of our #HighFive list.

 

 

1. Giancarlo Stanton

Since the trade deadline last month the Yankees have been one of the best teams in baseball and that’s in large part due to the play of former National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton.

Stanton took the number four spot on our #HighFive list last week, but climbed into the top spot after hitting four home runs with eight RBI, a .348 batting average and .957 slugging percentage.

 

Entering Thursday Stanton has recorded hits in 12 out of 13 games and he torched the Atlanta Braves pitching staff during their quick two game series, including roping a two-run double down the left field line in the 6th inning of Monday’s game to break a 1-1 tie.

 

Stanton has made the move from full time Designated Hitter to playing Left field in order to get the best out of what now is a deep Yankees roster, and his ability to not be a liability on defense has been just as key as his play with the bat in his hand.

 

This weekend Stanton and his Yankees will play four against Bay Area Bros Josh Harrison and Tony Kemp in Oakland.

 

2. Marcus Semien

The American League starter at second base in this year’s All-Star Game deserves to take home an American League Silver Slugger award this season.  Marcus Semien takes the number two spot on this week’s #High/Five list after putting on a power display Wednesday.

 

Semien gave Blue Jays fans a show when he hit two home runs in a three hit performance during Thursday’s game, giving him 32 on the season.

Over his last seven games Semien is batting .276 with a .621 slugging percentage and five RBI as Toronto sits just five games back of a spot in the Wild Card play-in game.

 

Semien and his Blue Jays are heading to Motown for a series against the Detroit Tigers and Rookie of the Year candidate Akil “The Real Deal” Baddoo.

 

3. Tim Anderson

The hero of the Field of Dreams Game takes the number three spot on our Week 20 #HighFive list.

Tim Anderson has recorded his in 11 of his last 12 games with seven of those being multi-hit performances including getting three in four different games.

Anderson has a batting average of .375 with six RBI, a home run and 12 total hits over his last seven games.

He dealt with a few Injury List stints earlier this season, but for the most part has been one of the most consistent players in the Majors while helping his White Sox cruise into the final month of the season with a lead in the American League Central.

 

He is currently 7th spot in the MLB Batting Title race and his .303 batting average is the highest for any shortstop in baseball.

This weekend TA7 AKA “Timmy Spice” will participate in the Battle for Chi-Town as his White Sox take on the Cubs.

 

4. Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge seems to always find himself on our #High/Five list and each honor has been well earned as he has been a legitimate American League MVP throughout the entire season.

This week Judge batted .273, hit a home run and drew six walks as his Yankees have been in the win column 11 games in a row.

 

During this season Judge and Stanton have been the most important pieces in the Yankees lineup, and they will have to carry the offense over the last month of the season if they want to secure a playoff spot.

 

 

5. Josh Bell

Josh Bell has quietly had an impressive season despite the overall performance of the Nationals.

He struggled at the beginning of August, but over his last nine games he has seen his average rise a bit.

 

Bell decided to show he was a savage in the batter’s box Wednesday in sunny South Beach against the Miami Marlins when he hit his twenty first home run of the season to end a shutout and tie the game at two a piece in the seventh inning.

Over his last seven games Bell has six RBI, drawn five walks, hit two home runs and has a .393 on base percentage.

 

This weekend Bell and his Nationals will travel upstate to New York to take on the Mets where it is likely he will face Black Knight Marcus Stroman on Saturday