Aaron Judge has put up video game numbers through the first half of 2024.  He became the first player to reach 30 home runs and 75 RBI and has exceeded the pace he set in all major hitting categories from his record breaking 2022 MVP year.  The King of New York sits atop of the #HighFive throne for Week 13.

 

1. Aaron Judge

The gap between Aaron Judge and the rest of Major League Baseball becomes more and more laughable by the day. His average, OPS, and extra base hit total far exceed the competition and he is outdoing himself compared to his MVP season in 2022.

Through his first 81 games he has 15 more RBI and 11 more doubles to go along with a higher batting, OBP, slugging and OPS.

In game two of Wednesday’s Subway Series Judge hit his 30th home run of the year.

That gives him four homers in his last seven games with a slash line of .429/.538/1.048 with 13 RBI and three walks.

 

Three The Hard Way | Yankees Slugger Aaron Judge Could Walk Away With The Triple Crown

 

With his bash bro Giancarlo Stanton out with an injury for at least a month, the Yankees need Judge to stay in his mode so they can hold off the Orioles from taking first place in the American League East.

2. Josh Naylor

Josh Naylor added to his resume for the position of starting first baseman at the All-Star Game with a pair of multi-hit games this week, including a three-hit performance Sunday afternoon.

 

The Guardians have the highest winning percentage in the American League in large part to Naylor who ranks in the top five for RBI and home runs in the A.L. with 58 and 21 respectively.

 

Josh Naylor Is A Star On The Diamond And A Treasure To The Fans

 

He will continue making his case for his first All-Star appearance this weekend in the great state of Kansas during a four-game weekend series against the Royals.

 

3. “Black” Jack Flaherty


Jack Flaherty was on his game the entire month of June, posting a 3-0 record with a 0.57 ERA and only allowing one run in three starts ahead of taking the mound Thursday night against the Angels in his hometown of Los Angeles.

 

In his last start “Black Jack” went 5.2 innings and struck out eight, giving him 108 strikeouts on the year which puts him eighth amongst all Major League pitchers.

 

The sole earned run he gave up came on a solo homer.

 

On the year Flaherty has a 2.98 ERA in just over 83 innings.

 

3 Possible Trade Destination For Detroit Tigers Ace Black Jack Flaherty: Posting Historic K-to-Walk Ratio

 

Since he is only on a one-year deal, he could be a prime target when the trade deadline arrives, but with Detroit in contention for a playoff spot, it may be best to keep him for the stretch run and make him a permanent part of their rotation.

 

4. Byron Buxton

Slowly but surely, Byron Buxton is starting to put together a solid season, posting a .400 average and a 1.412 OPS over the last seven days. The Twins five-tool star hit homers in back-to-back games this week for the first time this season and has finally gotten his average over the .250 mark for the year.

I expect Buxton to continue his upward trend throughout the year. If he and Royce Lewis are both healthy and, in the lineup, Minnesota has a chance to contend this summer.

 

Minor Setback, Major Comeback | Byron Buxton Heats Up Post-Injury, Dominates Nationals 

 

5. J.P. Crawford

J.P. Crawford is another player who has begun to trend in a positive direction after an injury-filled beginning to 2024. Crawford has hits in eight of his last nine games including seven straight dating back to June 18th.

 

Over that seven-day stretch, he has a .314 average with two steals, five walks and four RBI. Although the Mariners may have the best pitching rotation in their lineup has continued to underachieve, even dating back to last season when they missed the playoffs by a single game.

 

Crawford needs to continue slugging for big hits and getting on base in order for Seattle to hold off the Astros and keep the top spot in the American League West.

 

“I Never Start Off Good, So I Never Really Trip About It” | JP Crawford, Seattle Heat Up In AL West

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