HOME BOI HIGHLIGHTS | Aaron Judge Becomes First MLBbro To Post Three 50+ Homer Seasons
Aaron Judge continues to prove why he’s a Top 5 power hitter in the history of the game. His 2024 MVP campaign is one for the ages.
#HIGHFIVE (Week 20): Aaron Judge Rolls, Stro Show Returns, The Wood Is Good, Springer Dingers
Aaron Judge is on track to have one of the best offensive seasons in Major League history.
His two-homer game Wednesday highlighted another week where he finished with a batting average above .400, earning him his regular place atop our #HighFive list for Week 20.
1. Aaron Judge
With offense down across the Majors, what Aaron Judge is doing at the plate in 2024 is much more special than I think most people realize.
Consider this: Judge entered Thursday leading the Majors in home runs, RBI, OBP, slugging percentage, extra base hits and total bases while sitting second in batting average and walks.
Comparing his numbers now to his record-breaking 2022 season through 127 games, he has driven in more runs and has a higher in average, slugging percentage and OPS while sitting just two home runs off his pace.
Judge homered three times in the first two games of the Yankees series against the Guardians, including two on Wednesday night to raise his league leading total to 47.
Aaron Judge Has AL MVP In The Bag, But Can Mookie Betts Make A Late Run At Shohei Ohtani?
The “dog days” of August do not seem to be slowing him down as this has been the best month of what will likely be his second career MVP season.
With a little over a week to go this month, he is slashing .450/.577/.933 with eight home runs, 18 RBI and 17 walks (eight of them being intentional.
2. Simeon Woods Richardson
Simeon Woods Richardson makes our #HighFive list for a second straight week thanks to two quality starts that led to two Twin wins.
Friday, in his home state of Texas against the Rangers he threw five innings and allowed just two runs on three hits.
Then on Wednesday, in hostile territory against a playoff hopeful San Diego Padre team, he went five innings allowing only one run on four hits and added seven strikeouts.
Woods Richardson continues to stack good starts together in what has been somewhat of a surprising rookie year.
Minnesota Twins Skipper Rocco Baldelli On Contributions Of Simeon Woods Richardson and Royce Lewis
Through 22 starts he has a 3.69 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 112.1 innings.
His next start is scheduled for Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves.
3. Marcus “Str0 Show” Stroman
Marcus Stroman celebrated reaching 10 years of service time with a solid start in the Little League Classic Sunday night against the Tigers.
Marcus Stroman Is Showing Why He’s A True Jedi On The Mound | He’s Already Conquered The BX
That makes two solid starts in a row for Stroman, who struggled to end July and to begin August.
On Sunday he went six shutout innings, giving up just four hits and striking out five.
This after allowing just one run in five innings against the Rangers in his previous start.
Stroman also shined off the field last week when he awarded two $25,000 scholarships to two New York area college freshmen for his HDMH Foundation.
Although no date has been set, he should be slated to start against the Rockies in Yankee Stadium this weekend.
4. James Wood
With each passing week, James Wood gets more comfortable at the Major League level, leaving me to believe that by next season, he will find himself in the conversation for the best outfielders in the National League.
In his last seven games he is slashing .409/.500/.636 with four RBI, a home run and a stolen base.
Woods had his fourth career three-hit game on Wednesday and has hit baseballs harder than most of the Majors since he was called up.
At the young age of 21 he is fifth in the league in average exit velocity, trailing only Aaron Judge, Ohtani, Juan Soto and O’Neil Cruz
5. George Springer
George Springer takes the final spot on Week 20 of our #HighFive list on the back of a six-game hitting streak and a strong series against Cincinnati.
George Springer Is Doing Everything He Can To Keep Toronto Alive In Tough AL East
Tuesday night Springer launched two homers against the Reds then Wednesday he hit the 60th leadoff home run of his career.
Those 60 bombs trail only Rickey Henderson, who hit 81 in his 25-year career for the most All-Time.
Springer is hitting .286 with a 1.047 OPS and those three homers over the last seven days.
He will get a few more chances to cut into Henderson’s lead when they welcome the Ron Washington led Angels to “The Six.”
Aaron Judge Has AL MVP In The Bag, But Can Mookie Betts Make A Late Run At Shohei Ohtani?
Aaron Judge is the leader in the American League MVP. Judge made history in recent weeks with his 300th career bro bomb and is the youngest Yankee to do so. Of course, the American League is stacked with heavy hitters in the race such as Gunthar Henderson, Bobby Witt Jr, and even his own Bronx teammate Juan Soto are all in the conversation.
With all those big names in the convo, we could be looking at a two-time MVP. The 2022 season was Judge’s MVP season where he broke the AL home run record and carried a batting average of .311. This year, he is on pace again for 60 home runs; his batting average is through the roof at .331.
Hurlers don’t even want to pitch to him, which is why his walk rate is at a career high as well.
Aaron Judge is on easy street, but the National League race is up in the air. The Los Angeles Dodgers have Shohei Ohtani leading the conversation. Mookie Bett is just now getting back from the injury that he obtained near the All-Star Break, so he’s fallen out of the race. Ohtani has surpassed him since then.
Betts, however, returned from his injury in MVP form, even hitting a game-tying double to left field, which inspired fellow Bro Jason Hayward to hit a three-run home run to win the game. Betts coming back and producing like he never left, is all the more reason why his name will always at least be mentioned. Betts won the AL MVP back in 2018 when he was playing for the Boston Red Sox and won a World Series title that year.
Betts and Judge are both searching for their second MVP award, in the very near future we could be witnessing two Black Major leaguers win this award which hasn’t been done since 1993 (Frank Tomas & Barry Bonds).
These two will continue to carry their teams to plenty of wins and World Series contention. The New York Yankees and Dodgers are also favorites to meet in the World Series, so you know the Bros will continue to bring their A-game to the field.
#HIGHFIVE (Week 19): The Best Bro Is the Best In The Game…Aaron Judge Stays In That No. 1 Spot
Aaron Judge sits atop Week 19 of our #HighFive List after becoming the fastest player in Major League history to reach 300 home runs. The Bronx Bro Bomber did it in just 955 games.
1. Aaron Judge
On last weeks #HighFive we discussed how teams were intentionally walking Aaron Judge on a nightly basis to avoid him doing damage. This time around, Judge was the one being disrespected, as the White Sox decided to give a free pass to fellow All-Star outfielder Juan Soto to take on Judge with two runners on; and he made them pay for it.
On a 3-0 count in the eighth inning, he hit his Major League leading 43rd homer of the season and the 300th of his career. He reached the benchmark in just 955 games, 132 faster than any player in history of the Majors. Over his last seven days Judge has a .480 batting average with two home runs, three doubles, six RBI and seven walks.
He currently has 110 RBI, which is on pace to be the most in his career, bettering the 131 runs he drove in from 2022.
2. Hunter Greene “Machine”
Hunter Greene’s National League Cy Young campaign is full steam ahead for the final six weeks.
He now finds his name amongst the top five for all Major League pitchers in ERA with a 2.83 following his seven innings of one run baseball in his start against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday. Greene struck out eight while only walking one and surrendering four hits.
Related: Hunter Greene Is A PopStar | His 104 MPH Heater Is About To Hit The Show | mlbbro.com
His lone run was given up via a home run by Nolan Arenado in the seventh. His .185 batting average against is the lowest in the National League and his 162 strikeouts tie him for fourth in the N.L.
Greene’s next start will be Monday when his Reds travel across the border to face George Springer and the Toronto Blue Jays.
3. Andrew “Cutch” McCutchen
Despite a tough stretch for his Pirates, Andrew McCutchen has done his part to keep their ship afloat by collecting hits in 10 of his last 11 games and slashing .348/.464/.739 with three home runs and eight runs batted over his last seven.
Two of the homers came in an extra inning loss to the Dodgers over the weekend, giving him 16 on the season. That leaves him only four away from his first 20 home runs season since he did it as a Philly in 2021 and the 10th time he reached the mark in his Hall of Fame worthy career.
Related: “He’s A Gamer”: Andrew McCutchen Returns To Pittsburgh Pirates Lineup Bro Bombing | mlbbro.com
This weekend McCutchen’s Pirates will host the American League Wildcard hopeful Seattle Mariners in what will be a make-or-break series for Pittsburgh’s playoff chances.
4. Simeon Woods-Richardson
Woods-Richardson threw a career-high seven innings allowing just two runs while issuing no walks and striking out seven in his start last Saturday against their American League Central rival Guardians.
He has been one of the better rookies in Major League Baseball this season, posting a 3.78 ERA through 102.1 innings in his 20 starts.
The stability he has given Minnesota by staying healthy has been a boost to a team that seems to always be dealing with the injury bug in their clubhouse: their latest victim being center fielder Byron Buxton who was placed on the 10-Day Injured List Thursday with a hip injury.
Woods-Richardson’s next start will be Friday night in his home state of Texas against the defending World Series Champion.
5. Devin Williams “The Airbender”
Devin Williams, the inaugural winner of the MLBbro.com “Bob Gibson Pitcher of The Year” award winner makes his first appearance on the #HighFive this season after a back injury sidelined him until late July.
Since then, he has only given up two hits and one earned run in his six appearances while striking out 10 and walking none. The highlight of his week came in his two scoreless and hitless outings against the N.L. West leading Dodgers.
Wednesday night he got out three former MVPs in a row, shutting down Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
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