Josh Naylor has had an impressive year so far with the Cleveland Guardians. The 27-year-old was selected to his first All-Star Game and he will have the opportunity to make his third appearance in the postseason. Through 148 games this season, Naylor is hitting .240 with 31 home runs and 105 RBI. We have had the opportunity to see that power displayed in full force at the plate.
The 30-plus homers are a first. Since joining the Guardians in 2020, Naylor has steadily progressed and shown why he deserves to be in the big leagues and that he’s an important piece to this Guardians team.
Cleveland has had a lot of success this season, and Naylor has been a big part of that. Now, as the postseason is approaching, Naylor will have the opportunity once again to help his team make a run at a World Series title.
The Guardians clinched the American League Central Division this year and the last time they clinched was back in 2022, making that two times in the last three years.
Cleveland’s last World Series appearance came in 2016 when they lost to the Chicago Cubs in Game 7.
Naylor is no stranger to the postseason. In 2020, he made a huge impact while only playing in two games. In those two games, he went five-for-seven at the plate with a home run and three RBI.
He saw more action during the 2022 playoffs, posting a .194 average in seven games.
Time after time, Naylor has proved himself to be a threat at the plate this season. He has come up clutch in numerous situations to help put his team in a position to win games.
#MLBbro Josh Naylor is putting the Land on his back this game accounting for 100% of their runs with 2 Bro Bombs💣💣🔥 https://t.co/XNSj9WZlMy
And his teammates love the energy he brings each and every day.
“Josh is our guy, that’s our heart and soul,” Will Brennan said. “He goes into demon mode like that, you’ve got to just let him do his thing.”
Naylor plays with a lot of passion and he’s not afraid to show that.
This will be a season that Naylor will not forget, setting career-highs in home runs and RBIs.
“What a cool accolade for him,” said manager Stephen Vogt. “It’s a huge milestone for players. It’s something special to have two guys in our lineup with 30 and 100.”
Josh Naylor isn't far behind José Ramírez in home runs this season, and Josey says he hopes Nayls can catch and beat his numbers because that's what's best for the team. #ForTheLandpic.twitter.com/0907HpwbWa
With Naylor and Jose Ramirez in the Guardians lineup, that is a recipe for runs to be scored. And even with all the individual success that Naylor has achieved this season, he is more focused on the team.
“Team wins mean more to me,” Naylor said. “Just the production we have as a unit, that’s more important to me, and to get into the postseason.”
Don’t be surprised if Naylor goes on to have a productive postseason. If Cleveland wants to make a deep run, Naylor will be one player who will need to come out swinging and have consistent production at the plate.
The Washington Nationals have a future all-star in James Wood. Wood has had an impressive season so far, after making his MLB debut on July 1st.
While the Nationals have no shot at making the playoffs, they have had the opportunity to see what the future looks like with the addition of Wood.
At 21, Wood has already become a fan favorite in the nation’s capital and he has shown why he belongs in the big leagues.
Through 66 games, he is hitting .273 with seven home runs, 36 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. And he also has a .429 slugging percentage.
Since the start of the month, he has hit safely in 10 out of 13 games and has had four multi-hit performances during that stretch.
On Sunday, Wood cemented himself in the Nationals history book, going two-for-three at the plate with two homers.
He became the fifth player in Nationals/Montreal Expos history to record a multi-home run game before turning 22.
“It felt good to have some things click for me today,” Wood said after his performance against the Miami Marlins. “And I was able to see the results on the field.”
Nationals manager, Dave Martinez enjoys watching the young and talented hitter at the plate and seeing that power he possesses in that bat.
“I love the swings,” Martinez said. “He was behind the balls really well. He stayed in the middle of the field, which was awesome. Let’s see if we can keep him there until the end of the year, and he hits a few more for us.”
Many people across the league know how talented Wood is and know that he is only going to get better and better as his career progresses.
The saying, “the sky is the limit” fits very well for Wood. You just don’t come across a player like him every day.
“The kid’s gonna be a superstar for a long time in this game,” said Marlins manager Skip Schumaker after Sunday’s game. “He had two home runs. … One was a really well located pitch, the other one unfortunately broke Cronin’s streak.”
Wood has all the tools to be an all-star one day. Just looking at him you can tell that he’s super athletic and has a lot of power.
Standing six-foot-seven, he has a big presence at the plate and opposing pitchers have to be careful with the young hitter, because any mistake they make, Wood will make sure to take advantage and make them pay.
The Nationals have a talented group of young players, including Wood. In three to four years, the Nationals could find themselves in a position to make a postseason run, and Wood could be a significant part of that.
It’s safe to say that Wood has been one of the Nationals’ top players, and it will be exciting to see how he finishes up the remainder of the season. And it will be even more exciting to see how he does during a full season
Statistically, the Texas Rangers still have a chance to make the postseason this year and defend their World Series title. But a lot will need to happen.
With the regular season coming to a close at the end of the month, each game is important for the Rangers.
The defending champs are currently in third place in the American League West division. A lot can happen in the next 18 games for the Rangers.
One good sign to note is that Marcus Semien has had a good stretch at the plate recently, and that’s something he will need to consistently do if the Rangers want a shot at the postseason.
He went 2-for-5 at the plate with a home run, two RBI, and a stolen base. Semien led the game off with a bomb, which marked his 19th long ball of the season. It also was his sixth leadoff homer of the season and the 30th leadoff homer of his career.
After struggling at the plate toward the end of August and the first two days of September, Semien has locked in and turned things around.
Marcus Semien Coming Out Of Slump
Before going on his hitting streak, he was 1-for-26 at the plate. Struggling like that can take a toll on a hitter, but Semien knows how to battle through adversity and he’s the type of player who when he’s in a slump, it won’t be for long.
Through 141 games this season. Semien is hitting .238 with 67 RBI and 88 runs scored. Though the Rangers aren’t in talks of postseason play, they have played some of their best baseball of the season recently, and our MLBbro has been an integral part of the team’s success.
Semien has established himself as one of the best overall players in the game. And there’s no question that he’s one of the best leadoff hitters in the game as well.
The three-time all-star has blossomed into an impactful player since entering the league in 2013. Texas sought to acquire in with hopes of putting together a World Series team, and that’s what they did.
Now the question is, can the Rangers get back to that level of baseball?
With Semien in the lineup, there’s always a good chance that your team will be in a position to win games.
Since the start of September, the Rangers have won six of their last eight games and they have a tough schedule ahead of them.
They will have an opportunity to gain some ground in the division with two upcoming series against the Seattle Mariners. If the Rangers can win both of those series, that could put them in a position to be in second place and based on how the Houston Astros perform, Texas could sneak into first.
The Rangers will just need to control what they can control and continue to play good baseball throughout the remainder of the season and Semien will continue to go out there and play hard and make sure his team is in a good position to win ball games.
Outfielder Tommy Pham is now on his third team this season. The Kansas City Royals claimed the veteran off waivers a few days ago. Pham is now on a team that is competing for a spot in the postseason.
Tommy Pham went 2-for-5 in his first game with Kansas City Royals (Getty Images)
But what else is new? With a nickname like “Playoff Pham” there’s no mistaking what the veteran has become known for.
Tommy Pham has a.313 batting average with 36 hits, 6 homers, 10 RBIs and 15 runs scored in 31 games in the postseason in his career. The Royals are looking for him to add his veteran presence and hot bat to a team looking to shock the world this postseason.
Tommy Pham Was Lone Bright Spot On Chicago White Sox
The 36-year-old started the 2024 season on the Chicago White Sox, a team that currently has the worst record in all of baseball. Despite the team’s struggles, Pham put up some productive numbers during his stint with Chicago. Through 70 games, he had a .266 batting average with five home runs and 19 RBI and he also had a .380 slugging percentage.
After his time in Chicago, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. In his brief stint with St. Louis, he hit .206 through 23 games. It’s safe to say Pham will finish out the season with the Royals and he is a player who can make an immediate impact. The Royals were interested in Pham earlier in the season.
“This time of year, you’re very limited in how you can acquire players, and waivers is one way to do it,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “We had interest in [Pham and Grossman] at the Deadline. Obviously, we didn’t get them, but we just kind of kept monitoring … what they were doing, along with others, and we put in the claim the other day.
“It’s rare you get two guys in one day, but this is one of those cases that went our way. It should provide a lot of depth.”
Tommy Pham thanks his former team for giving him the chance to join a contender: "I'm just thankful the Cardinals granted my request to get put on waivers so that this could happen. Ultimately, man, they did me a good deed." #Royalspic.twitter.com/lEvO7Kuh3a
In his debut with the Royals on Sunday, he went 2-for-5 against the Houston Astros.
With the addition of Pham, the Royals have a player who can play any position in the outfield and is a solid hitter at the plate.
“He makes you a better team by his intensity,” said manager Matt Quatraro. “He comes here with one purpose every day, and that’s to kick your butt.”
Tommy Pham Helped Arizona To Surprise World Series In 2023
Pham also has postseason experience as well. He was on the Arizona Diamondbacks team that went to the World Series last year. He put together an impressive postseason performance last year, hitting .279 in 16 games and had three home runs.
If the playoffs started today, the Royals would be the final team to make the wild-card spot. But this team is in a unique position.
They have a chance to win the American League Central division. It’s a very close race between the Royals, Cleveland Guardians, and Minnesota Twins.
And it will be an exciting finish when the season comes to an end.
From starting the season off with the White Sox, to being on a potential postseason team, Pham knows the importance of going out there no matter what team you’re on and leaving it all on the field.
When you are talented and can make an impact on a team, someone will notice you and seek to get you.
In his first season with the New York Yankees, Marcus Stroman has been a contributing piece to the Yankees pitching rotation.
After struggling during the middle of the summer, Stroman has bounced back and put together dominating performances in his recent outings. In his last three starts, Stroman has a 2.25 ERA after posting a whopping 6.32 ERA in his previous 10 starts.
On Sunday, Stroman, pitched five innings and allowed three runs in securing the Yankees a 10-3 win. He also got a front row seat to witness Juan Soto, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton accomplish a feat that had not been done since Sept. 17, 2020. The tanking-trio went back-to-back-to-back.
Soto smoked the ball for 418 feet to right-center field, Judge bro bombed one 377 feet and Stanton followed up with the most majestic shot, a 425-foot to center field.
After the game, Stroman, who remains one of the go-to voices on the team in both tough and triumphant moments, said, “I mean, it’s hard to put into words, to be honest. It’s truly special. I think we take it for granted what these guys are doing each and every day. What Cap is doing is truly incredible. You know, it’s historic, and it might never be done again. It’s just very fun to witness, amazing to be around, and I try not to get lost in taking it for granted, like I feel we all do.
It just seems like hitting a home run every day is very normal for him [Aaron Judge]. And obviously, what Soto’s been doing before him is scary, scary. So, Stanton obviously going back-to-back-to-back, that’s incredibly fun. Like I said, having those guys swinging it gives the pitchers and the whole team more confidence.”
With the Yankees clinging on to the top spot in the American League East Division, Stroman will look to continue to put his team in positions to win games as the season is winding down.
Marcus Stroman Can Reach Career-High in Wins
The two-time All-Star has a 9-6 record with a 3.88 ERA and 97 strikeouts. His nine wins are third best on the team and he has the opportunity to set a new career-high in wins before the season is over.
His current career-high in wins is 13, which he set back in 2017 with the Toronto Blue Jays. During the last four seasons, Stroman has ended the season with an ERA under four.
With the Yankees being one of the top teams in the AL, there’s a strong chance that Stroman gets another opportunity to appear in the postseason. He’s only appeared in the playoffs two times in his career, coming in 2015 and 2016, both with Toronto. In five postseason starts, he is 1-1 with a 4.40 ERA.
One thing about Stroman is that he’s a competitor. Whether he’s coming off a bad performance or one of his best outings, he’s going to go out there and compete.
Marcus Stroman Struggled In July
During the month of July, Stroman made four starts and finished with an 0-2 record and finished with a 5.50 ERA. Not an ideal stretch for a pitcher, and it didn’t get any better in his first start during the month of August.
Against the Blue Jays, Stroman allowed seven earned runs on eight hits and did not make it out of the second inning. Going through a rough patch like that can have you asking a ton of questions, wondering what you need to do to change the outcome.
As mentioned before, Stroman will always compete no matter the situation. And during his start on August 11th against the defending World Series champs, he did just that. He went five innings against the Texas Rangers allowing just one run as he picked up his first win in six appearances.
Stroman Slump Over: Rounding Into Playoff Form
After that performance, he locked in and followed up with two impressive starts.
He made the start in the Little League World Series Classic game against the Detroit Tigers. Even though the Yankees lost to the Tigers in walk-off fashion, Stroman was on the money in that game.
He was signed to help the Yankees go deep in the playoffs. When Gerrit Cole was out at the beginning of the season, Stroman picked up the slack by pitching almost lights out through first five starts.
The playoffs will determine his Yankees legacy and Stroman knows this well. He’s hoping to be at his best when October rolls around.
Aaron Boone’s been pleased with Stroman’s last few starts.
“I thought he was just real sharp,” Boone said. “I thought he was better this time even than last time. Real efficient. Was attacking the zone but also with command.”
If he can continue to remain consistent, attack the zone, and keep hitters off balanced, Stroman will be in a good position once the postseason comes and he’s pitching in a must win game for the Yankees. When the pressure is one, he wants the ball in his hands.
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