Josh Naylor will go down as the best trade deadline acquisition this season after helping punch the Mariners’ playoff ticket as American League West winners. The big-bashing first baseman may have found a permanent home in the Pacific Northwest as he claims the top spot on our Week 26 #HighFive list.
1. Josh Naylor
The Mariners need to bring out the Brinks Truck and hand Josh Naylor a blank check after this year ends.
Being a team that struggles to add in free agency and plays in a ballpark that is unfriendly to most hitters, when you find someone who loves it, you must keep him.
Naylor was the missing piece in Seattle as he helped them clinch their first American League West title since 2001 with an 8th inning bases loaded three-run double Tuesday night.
At the biggest spot of their season he played his best baseball, slashing .462/.500/.654 with six RBI and two steals over his last seven games. Those two steals add to his career-high which has now reached 29.
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We will see if he can get to 30 steals, which would put him in the top 10 for the most in the American League before the season ends.
The Mariners take on the Rockies Thursday night before hosting the Dodgers in a three-game weekend series.
2. Aaron Judge
Aaron Judge has done all he can to secure his third American League MVP award after another dominant week at the plate.
Maybe voter fatigue will play a factor, but I think the only way Aaron Judge can lose out on winning his second consecutive MVP award is if Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh breaks his American League home run record of 62.
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Even so, the case against Judge is nearly impossible to deny.
Not only do his Yankees have a chance to clinch the best record in the American League, he leads the Majors in nearly every hitting category outside of home runs at which he is over 50, a milestone he has reached for the third time in four years.
Judge will make his closing arguments during the Yankees last regular season series as they welcome the Orioles to the Bronx.
3. Taj Bradley
Taj Bradley ended an up and down third year on a high note after having one of his best starts of the season, earning himself the three spot on our Week 26 #HighFive list.
Bradley had struggled since being acquired by the Twins at the trade deadline before his Wednesday night start in Arlington against the Rangers.
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He allowed two hits in six innings, walking two, striking out nine and giving up his only earned run on a solo homer.
Bradley, who has only been pitching for a little over four years now posted a 5-6 record with a 5.05 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 27 starts. He was able to stay healthy for most of the year but will have to work on location with his secondary pitches as well as game plan better against opposing lineups, as he announced he is just now beginning to learn how to read scouting reports.
4. “Money” Michael Harris
(Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
After being one of the worst hitters in baseball through the first half of the year, Michael Harris finished strong as he is nearing his first career 20/20 season.
It was an extremely disappointing year for the Braves who are set to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2011 but Harris’ performance during the second half gives hope that they still have pieces in place to compete in a loaded National League East division.
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This week Harris became the first player since 2013 to have three hits, three RBI and three steals in the same game and has a .321 average with four steals, two homers and six RBI in his last seven games.
5. J.P. Crawford “Mr. Rager”
What a year it has been for the Seattle Mariners shortstop who after seven years with the team finally got to celebrate winning the American League West crown.
This week he hit a grand slam on the final night of ESPN Sunday night baseball to help the sweep the Astros.
Crawford posted a .304 batting average with four doubles and three homers in September, a streak that coincides with the Mariners going 16-5 in the month.
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They will finish the year with a three-game set against the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers as they look to beat out the Yankees and Blue Jays for the best record in the American League.
