The gap between Aaron Judge and the rest of the field stretches further apart with each passing week. As he keeps hitting, the Yankees keeps on winning and this week he swung his bat to the tune of a .423 average with four home runs and 13 RBI to earn the top spot on our Week 11 #HighFive list.
1. Aaron Judge
The King of New York sits atop of the #HighFive list for the fourth time in the last five weeks and by the looks of it, he may never give up his spot on the throne.
Right now Judge is leading the Majors in home runs, RBI, OPS, walks and a slugging percentage that sits at .702. That number would be the highest in the league since Barry Bonds had an .812 in 2005.
In the much anticipated matchup between the Dodgers and Yankees last weekend, Judge was at his best.
He finished the three-game series 7-for-15 with three home runs, five RBI, three walks and a double.
2. David Hamilton
Rookie shortstop David Hamilton, who is becoming a fan favorite in Boston, was known most for his defense during his time in the Red Sox Minor League system, but he cracks his first ever #HighFive list due to his excellence at the plate.
Hamilton, who was one of the pieces in the trade that sent former Gold Glover Jackie Bradley Jr. to Milwaukee has been hitting over .300 for a month plus now.
He recorded multiple hits in five of his last six games and four in a row entering Thursday, and his 13 steals put him in the top eight for the American League.
Over the last seven games, he is slashing .379/.400/.724 with two home runs, four RBI and four steals.
Hamilton will get his first taste of one of the biggest rivalries in sports: Yankees vs Red Sox this weekend.
3. Marcus “Stro Show” Stroman
Marcus Stroman lowered his ERA to 2.82 after another solid outing, this time against the Kansas City Royals to grab a spot on the #HighFive for a fourth week in a row.
He is tied for the league lead in starts allowing no earned runs with five as he went 5.2 shutout innings allowing four hits and walking three Tuesday night.
Stroman, who got 11 of those outs via his sinker, spoke to reporters postgame on its effectiveness:
“The sinker has always been my bread and butter,” said Stroman.
“I always rely heavily on that and feel that the pitching staff have done a great job helping me pair it with my other pitches as well.”
Stroman will bring his “Stro Show” into Fenway Park for Sunday Night Baseball Sunday in his next start against fellow #HighFive member David Hamilton and the Red Sox.
4. Royce Lewis
Royce Lewis was one of my picks for breakout player of the year in Major League Baseball.
A quad injury put a hold on that campaign, but he has returned with a vengeance since being taken off the Injured List to earn the four spot on the #HighFive.
Lewis is hitting .321 with a .821 slugging percentage, four home runs and seven RBI since his return from that 10-week absence.
“For me it is a matter of doing what all my teammates, staff and family have been telling me, which is stay healthy,” Lewis told reporters after going 3-for-5 with a homer and double Wednesday against the Rockies.
“Obviously I know that, so the goal is to keep fighting to be out there every day and have fun with my teammates.”
5. Jazz “Bahamian Blur” Chisholm
All eyes were on Jazz Chisholm Jr. this week after an anonymous player poll by The Athletic rated him as the most overrated player in Major League Baseball.
From being the cover boy for MLB The Show 2023 to being singled out by Marlins veteran players for his pregame outfits and on field style last season, this is not Chisholm’s first rodeo when it comes to his skills being put into question on the national spotlight.
He responded with a solid week at the plate, hitting .294 with a home run and two RBI in his last five games.
There is major star power inside of Chisholm, who I believe will be the Marlins’ representative at this year’s All-Star Game.
The problem has been getting him to reach the level of focus needed to obtain that on a nightly basis.
He can play just about every spot defensively on the diamond minus catcher, first and pitcher while having power to all fields on offense but will need to cut his strikeout numbers down tremendously.
This weekend Chisholm and his Marlins visit the Nation’s Capital to face the Nationals.
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