FRONT STREET

FRONT STREET

by | Jul 17, 2021 | FRONT STREET

Aaron Judge among six Yankees to test positive in COVID outbreak. It just gets worse for the Yankees. 

Turnt Up 10 | Top Black & Brown Bros Through First Half Of 2021 MLB Season

Turnt Up 10 | Top Black & Brown Bros Through First Half Of 2021 MLB Season

by | Jul 16, 2021 | CLEAN UP

The people better recognize, these Bros have game.

They have shined as some of the brightest stars in the Majors this season and we are ready to see what they do in the grueling second half chase.

Here’s our “Turnt Up 10” consisting of the top MLBbros through the first half of the 2021 season.

 

1.Cedric Mullins


CM STORM gets the MVP belt for the Bros after his first half performance.

The 2021 starter in center field for the American League is one of three players in the Majors to lead his team in batting average, home runs and stolen bases this season.

The other two being Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ronald Acuna Jr.

 


Mullins, the American League leader in hits, proved he belonged among the game’s elite when he got on base and scored a run to help the American League win the All-Star Game.

 

2. Marcus Semien

 

This season Marcus Semien has not only proven he is one of the best hitters in the game, but also that he is one of the most versatile.

 

 

Last season he played a damn good shortstop for the Oakland A’s but made the move to second when he got to the Blue Jays.

That paid off well for May’s American League Player of the Month.

Semien will be paid well when he negotiates his next contract during the offseason.

Semien was named the American League starter at second base after posting a .277 batting average with 22 home runs, 56 RBI, an .873 OPS and 10 steals.


3. Black Knights Taijuan Walker and Marcus Stroman


The Met’s have the fourth-lowest earned runs average in the Majors and two of the main reasons for that are their Melanated Mound Marauders (Marcus Stroman and Taijuan Walker). 

Stroman has always been a beast on the mound and is one of the most entertaining and agitating pitchers in baseball.

 


This year he has a 2.75 ERA and 83 strikeouts while Walker has been the best free agent acquisition.

He has the 11th lowest ERA in baseball and was selected to the National League All-Star team.

 

Taijuan Walker’s New York Mets Move Was Golden

 

4. Aaron Judge


Judge has put the city of New York on his back this season in an effort to keep them in contention.

He started his third All-Star Game this year and his 21 home runs have him just outside of the league’s Top 10.

Judge will have to do even more for the Yankees to have any legitimate chance at winning a 29th championship.

 

MLBbro All-Star 2021 Coverage | All Rise For Aaron Judge

 

5. Michael Brantley


Michael Brantley is as professional a hitter as you will see in baseball. 

 

He is second in the American League in batting average and swatted  .410 with 15 RBI and a .566 Slugging Percentage for the month of June.

He was named an All-Star but did not make the trip to Denver.

 

6. Tim Anderson

It feels good to call Tim Anderson, who is one of the faces of baseball, an All-Star.

At first, he was left off of the All-Star list, but then went crazy at the plate over his last seven games hitting .484 with 11 runs and four RBI.

Anderson currently has hits in 12 straight games.

 

MLBbro All-Star 2021 Coverage | Tim Anderson

 

7. J.P. Crawford

 

 

Last season’s American League Gold Glove shortstop made his bat come alive in 2021.  He was the biggest All-Star snub this season as he posted a first half statline including 92 hits, 31 RBI, 46 runs a .279 average and a 1.4 Defensive WAR which is the highest in all of baseball.

 

8. Mookie Betts


Despite not putting up his typical MVP type numbers, Mookie Betts was named an All-Star for the fifth time in his career.

However he decided to skip the game in order to rest up for an attempt at winning back-to-back World Series.

 


Betts is fifth in the league in runs scored and has an .839 OPS.


9. Jazz Chisholm


Jazz is the first Bahamian player in the Majors and a perfect representation of black culture in baseball. 

 


The Bahamian Blur’s swag is unmatched and he is one of the electrifying newbies in the game with speed, power and multi-colored hair choices.

Chisholm would have easily been in Denver for the All-Star Game if not for injuries. He’s batting .257 while slugging 11 home runs and stealing 11 bags.

 

10. Giancarlo Stanton


Stanton still has one of the most powerful swings in baseball and has hit some of the hardest home runs this season.

He has 42 RBI, 15 home runs and a .270 batting average entering the second half of the season.


The Yankees other “Tower of Power”rounds out our list of the Top 10 Black and brown MLB players so far in 2021.

 

#HIGHFIVE: Top 5 Black & Brown MLB Players (Week 14)

#HIGHFIVE: Top 5 Black & Brown MLB Players (Week 14)

by | Jul 9, 2021 | THE THREE SPOT

Tim Anderson had a lot to say this week after being left off of the American League All-Star roster. 

But instead of words, the White Sox shortstop used his bat to campaign for why he should be in Denver. 

And Anderson’s bat spoke volumes. He batted over .430 this week, including going 4-for-4 in Wednesday’s game against Minnesota.

For that, he claims the top spot for Week 14 on our #HighFive list.

 

1.Tim Anderson


T.A. is one of the anointed faces of the game of baseball, and the sport will be missing out on something special by not having the R.B.I. Baseball cover boy at this year’s All-Star game.

He has the second-highest batting average for all American League shortstops at .307 and has added 29 RBI, 14 steals and a .768 OPS on a first-place White Sox team that has been riddled with injuries since spring training.

 

 

This week, T.A. went off! 

Over his last seven games, he has a .433 batting average with seven runs and a .485 OBP.  Anderson also has recorded multiple hits in three of his last four games and is riding a nine-game hitting streak. 

He’s reached base safely in his last eight plate appearances, including three walks, four singles, and a double. 

 

 

Even legendary Hall of Famer Frank Robinson had a lot to say about Anderson missing out on the 2021 All-Star game.  His batting average is currently the ninth highest in all of baseball and hopefully, he will use his snubbing as fuel to the fire during his quest for a second batting championship.

 

 

2. Cedric “CM STORM” Mullins 

 


We have pleaded his case this entire season, and last Sunday we finally got what we wanted; Mullins is a Major League All-Star.

The 5-foot-8, multi-faceted phenom started celebrating his achievement mid-game during a matchup against the Los Angeles Angels Sunday by hitting a game-tying, pinch-hit single then following that with a go-ahead home run. 

 

 

This week, Mullins hit three home runs while batting .321 with six RBI, five runs and a stolen base.  He is leading all American League outfielders in hits, total bases, OPS, and his 3.9 WAR is the highest for all outfielders and sixth-highest in the Majors. 

 

 

Mullins will be participating in next Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Denver and has a chance to enter the starting lineup due to an injury to Mike Trout. 

 

3. Dom Smith

 

 

Mets’ outfielder Dominic Smith is making his first appearance on our #HighFive list this season.  His year has been up and down, but lately, he has become one of the most consistent players in New York’s lineup.

Smith had the first two-homer game of his career last Thursday against the Braves. Then followed that with a home run off Yankees ace Gerrit Cole a few games later. 

 

He batted .375 with six RBI and eight runs over his last seven games and added a web gem when he jumped into foul grounds to snag a ball out of the air.

 


This weekend, his Mets welcome MLBBro Ke’Bryan Hayes and the Pittsburgh Pirates to CitiField for a four-game series.

 

4. Aaron Judge

 


This season for the Yankees has been disappointing, but the Tower of Power Aaron Judge has responded to the bright lights and been one of the best players in baseball this entire season. 

Last Thursday night, he was named an All-Star starter for the American League outfield and also became just the fifth Yankee ever to hit 20 home runs before the All-Star break in three straight seasons.

 

 

One of those home runs came during a Bro-on-Bro crime when he launched a ball to the right-field bleachers of Yankee Stadium against Taijuan Walker to break up his no-hit bid in the sixth inning.

 

 

Judge is one of baseball’s top sluggers so it is a little disappointing he is not participating in one of the most anticipated Home Run Derby’s in recent memory, but he needs his rest as a big second half by him is a must if the Yankees, who currently sit just two games above .500, want to get back into contention for the American League East pennant.

 

5. Andrew McCutchen

 

 

This season has been a resurgence for Andrew McCutchen and after what he’s done to Chicago Cubs’ staff during this series, he may want to get a permanent residency in their batter’s box and on our #HighFive list.

 

 

On Tuesday, he hit his second grand slam of the season in the game’s first inning, and then he added a two-run shot Wednesday night.

 

 

He is 5-for-14 with two home runs, two doubles, seven RBI and four runs with a game still to go Thursday night.