#HIGHFIVE | Top 5 MLBbros (Week 8)

Mookie Betts had a month of May for the record books and takes top spot Week 8 of our #HighFive List for the second time in a row.

1. Mookie Betts

 

Mookie Betts put up numbers during the month of May that have only been seen by seven players in Major League history including Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth.

He should win the National League Player of the Month Award after finishing with a .342 average, 12 home runs, 27 RBI, 31 runs, 10 doubles, 13 walks and a .411 on base percentage.

 

 

Betts’ power surge at the plate has led to a National League leading 16 home runs while his league leading 51 runs have him on pace for almost 170 this season.

Voting for the 2022 All-Star Game which will be held in Betts’ home ballpark of Dodgers Stadium opens early next week and it’s certain he will be in right field batting leadoff for the National League.  The only question being whether or not he can lead all players in total votes.

 

 

This weekend Betts and his Dodgers host the New York Mets who have the best record in baseball for a four-game series.

2. J.P. Crawford

 

Entering Thursday J.P. Crawford only trails Mike Trout and his teammate Ty France for the highest Wins Above Replacement rating in the American League, as he is keeping his Mariner team above water.

 

Crawford is on pace to have the best season of his career, this coming off 2021 where he put up the best numbers he has produced in almost every hitting category including a .273 average, nine home runs and 54 RBI.

 

Crawford hit his fifth home run of the season Wednesday and is batting .375 with a .483 on base percentage over his last seven games.

This weekend Crawford travels to Texas to take on Marcus Semien and the Rangers in Arlington.

3. Ke’Bryan Hayes

 

Ke’Bryan Hayes’ three-run game winning home run in the 9th inning last week against the Padres was perfect timing for his first of the season.

Hayes is the face of the Pittsburgh Pirate franchise and has put up numbers to earn that title.

Entering Thursday his .293 average was fourth highest of all Major League third basemen and he is starting to get back on track on defense after starting the year with an uncharacteristic amount of errors.

 

 

This week Hayes and his Pirates made history by sweeping Mookie Betts and the Dodgers in Los Angeles for the first time since 2000. 

He finished the two-game set going 4-for-9 with a stolen base and a run scored as his team has won four out of their last five ballgames.

Over his last seven games Hayes is batting .300 with five RBI and will travel to the desert to take on the Arizona Diamondbacks this weekend.

4. Triston McKenzie

 

In five starts during the month of May Triston McKenzie posted a 2.12 ERA and held batters to a mediocre .155 batting average and earned a record of 3-2.

Each start McKenzie threw at least six innings and gave up no more than three runs.

His best start of the stretch happened to be his last start where he went a season high 7.2 innings allowing just four hits and two runs on eight strikeouts last Saturday against the Tigers.

Another impressive bit from McKenzie’s month is that four of his five starts were all on the road as he begins to show some signs of comfort in his third career season.

McKenzie’s next start will be another road test, this time in Camden Yards against reigning American League Silver Slugger and starting All-Star outfielder Cedric Mullins.

5. Nick Plummer

 

Nick Plummer came up big in Primetime this week and earns a spot on our #High/Five after the first week of his career.

Down by one in the ninth inning on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball against the rival Phillies, Plummer hit a game-tying home run on the first pitch of the at-bat, becoming the 14th Met to hit a home run as the first hit of their career.

 

For an encore the next day Plummer followed with a 3-for-4 game, hitting another home run to go along with a double and four RBI.

After the demotion of Dominic Smith earlier this week Plummer’s roster spot will be his to lose.

This weekend the Lathrup Village, Michigan native will play his first Major League game at Dodgers Stadium as he looks to outdo this weeks #High/Five leader Mookie Betts.