Josh Bell is the hottest hitter on the planet as he earns the top spot on our Week 20 #HighFive after tying his career-long on-base streak of 22 consecutive games reaching safely.
1. Josh Bell
The Minnesota Twins entered Thursday in sole possession of a playoff spot for the first time since late May, strongly thanks to the performance of their first baseman Josh Bell.
Josh Bell Discusses His Role In Minnesota Twins’ Second Half Playoff Push With MLBbro.com
Bell, whose Twins are fresh off a sweep of the Atlanta Braves, one of the National League’s top teams, reached 10 years of service time earlier this season and has been a consistent force in the lineup throughout the entire season.
He has collected hits in five consecutive games and in August has a .361 average, .435 on-base percentage and driven in 14 runs; the fourth most in the American League.
Over his last seven games, he is slashing .385/.448/.577 entering this weekend’s series against his former team, the San Diego Padres.
2. Chandler Simpson
The fastest man in Major League Baseball once again earns a spot on the #HighFive.
It’s Time For Chandler Simpson To Get His Due As Pure Hitter & Playmaker
Chandler Simpson has been on a tear since the calendar turned to August, sporting a .408 average and stealing eight bases.
Those eight steals helped him extend his American League-leading total to 35, putting him just nine behind the record 44 he had in his rookie season.
Simpson has hits in 17 of his last 18 games and continues to play a major role for the team with the best record in the American League.
3. Drake Baldwin
Drake Baldwin continues to make a strong case for MLBbro.com’s Player of the Year as he takes the three spot on our Week 20 #HighFive.
Drake Baldwin Continues to Prove He’s One of MLB’s Best Catchers
It may also be time to start calling him the best catcher in the Majors.
Among them, he ranks in the top five for home runs, batting average, on-base percentage, OPS, hits and walks.
In his last seven games entering Thursday, Baldwin has a .345 average with a home run, three RBIs and a stolen base.
4. Lawrence Butler “Law Dawg”
In what has been an all-around underwhelming season for Lawrence Butler, he earned himself a small victory by landing on the #HighFive for the first time this season.
Athletics Right Fielder Lawrence Butler Is Heating Up in the Second Half
The Atlanta native has hits in eight of his last nine games and at one point hit home runs in three out of four games. August has been the best month of the year for Butler and is hopefully the start to what could be a strong finish to his 2026 campaign.
5. Taj Bradley
Taj Bradley bounced back from a rough start, where he only finished four innings, with a solid outing against his hometown team, the Atlanta Braves, to take the final spot on our Week 20 #HighFive.
Taj Bradley Is Making A Case For Minnesota Twins Ace
Bradley is one of three players on this week’s #HighFive from the Atlanta pipeline that has become a factory for putting out Black baseball talent.
He threw five innings, giving up only one run on two hits while striking out seven and issuing three walks.
His next start will be Tuesday in Sacramento, against fellow #Highive member and Georgia native Lawrence Butler.
