Rookie Slugger Corey Julks Rips A Single In First Career Start For Houston Astros | The 2017 MLBbro Draft Pick Is Finally In A Position To Win

Rookie Slugger Corey Julks Rips A Single In First Career Start For Houston Astros | The 2017 MLBbro Draft Pick Is Finally In A Position To Win

by | Apr 1, 2023 | 5TH SLOT

People gave the Houston Astros some grief for not having any MLBbros on the World Series playoff roster last season. While Dusty Baker is an elite representative for the MLBbros, Michael Brantley AKA “The Professional”, the only prominent Black position player on the Astros, was injured and it has carried into this season as the 35-year-old MLBbro is expected to be out until late April while recovering from a labral tear in his right shoulder. 

Corey Julks Finally Gets the Call To The Show

Enter highly-touted rookie Corey Julks, a 27-year-old late bloomer of sorts, who is now a rising MLBbro making his first career start on Friday night in a 6-3 Astros win over the Chicago White Sox.

Julks went 1-for-4 in the game. The rookie, starting on the night when Houston received 2022 championship rings, wasn’t fazed by the moment, just ignited by the opportunity to play on the big stage out of the gate. 

 

 

Uncanny Raw Power: Julks Smashed 31 Homers In 2022

Julks, a 2017 eighth-round pick out of the University of Houston and Clear Brook High School brings a raw power that you can’t teach. His 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame packs quite a punch. of his opportunityAccording to reports, the slugger was thought of as an organizational player, but after posting a 2022 to remember, he became the talk of the Astros franchise. 

After never hitting more than 20 homers in any of his previous Single-A and Double-A seasons, Julks had a career-best .854 OPS while recording a whopping 31 homers, 22 stolen bases, 89 RBI and 100 runs in 2022 at Triple-A Sugar Land.

 In February, Astros assistant general manager Pete Putila raved about Julks. 

“He’s one of our biggest, strongest guys in the system. He’s very athletic. But with his swing, he just wasn’t getting the power production that we thought he could achieve.”

Spring Training Solidified Roster Spot 

Once his potential started translating into results, Julks’ stunted progression through the MLB system was accelerated and now he is a starting designated hitter for a World Series championship team with aspirations to repeat. 

Julks followed that season up and made the most of his opportunity as a non-roster invitee to Spring Training, where he posted a .275/.318/.55O slash line with two home runs, three doubles, one triple, 12 RBI and six runs scored in 18 games. 

Julks’ surprising display of pop is a welcomed sight for the Astros who are looking for another power bat to team with Yordan Alvarez, the All-Star slugger who’s hit 70 homers the last two seasons.

“Being a 5-year-old playing a game, and now, being able to say I made the Opening Day roster, dream come true,” Julks told Jeremy Rakes of mlb.com in an interview. “It’s awesome — getting the opportunity to play for my hometown team. Watching them when I was a kid and now actually playing for them, I’m at a loss for words.”

 

 

Dusty Baker Believes That Corey Julks Is A Big Time MLBbro Bomber

Dusty Baker is a master talent evaluator with a half century of experience in the game as a player and title-winning manager and owner of over 2,000 wins. With Houston in need of some added power, Julks was an obvious choice to throw into the fire. He’s waited six years for this. 

“He deserved it,” manager Dusty Baker told Jakes. “He’s come a long way. It hasn’t been easy. He hit 30 home runs last year. It’s hard to take that away from him. He’s worked hard on his defense. He’s worked hard on his throwing. You prefer a left-hander, but then, that’s only a side of a plate. If you can hit, you can hit on either side. We feel he can hit.”

There’s nothing better than the confidence of your manager. Sticking around in MLB is about capitalizing on your opportunities. Julks took the place of Yainer Diaz, who went 0-for-4 and struck out with Kyle Tucker at first base to end Thursday’s 3-2 loss to Chicago. 

Let’s see if he can cut the mustard. Hunger won’t be a problem.

AL Playoff Race Is Nip And Tuck | J.P. Crawford & Seattle Mariners Poised To Break 20-Year Playoff Drought

AL Playoff Race Is Nip And Tuck | J.P. Crawford & Seattle Mariners Poised To Break 20-Year Playoff Drought

by | Sep 6, 2022 | 5TH SLOT

September has finally arrived, which means we are extremely close to the start of playoff baseball. There has been a little shuffling since our first “way too early” Wild Card Rankings, so let’s take a look at the entire playoff picture this time before we dive into our WC update.

 

Way Too Early Wild Card | Who Makes The Cut?

 

The New York Yankees looked like a juggernaut the last time we checked in, but lately things have been shaky in the Bronx. Now you may read that sentence and say “How is that possible? Aaron Judge is crushing every baseball thrown his way.” While this is true, the Yankees have seen their double-digit lead in the division dwindle down to five games as we head into the home stretch. 

Judge may set the Yankees’ single season record for home runs, but if he doesn’t get help from his teammates the Yanks could still stumble down into a wild card spot. Giancarlo Stanton has returned to the lineup, but so far it seems he didn’t bring his bat back with him. Stanton has slashed .080/.179/.080 in his last seven games, notching just two hits in his last 25 at-bats.

While the Yankees have fallen off some, Dusty Baker’s boys once again look like a machine in the AL West. The Astros have won seven of their last 10 and are 15 games above .500 both at home and on the road. The Astros haven’t missed a beat since our MLBbro Michael Brantley went down for the season, although his bat and leadership are certainly missed. 

“Michael’s a big part of this club,” said Baker when asked about the injury. “Not only on the field but a big part of the club in the clubhouse and the dugout and on the planes.” Brantley was hitting .288 with 14 doubles, five homers and 26 RBI while still playing a solid left field before he went down. The 35-year-old Brantley will become a free agent after this season, so his time in H-Town may be over.

Two of the three division leaders in the American League have already eclipsed the 80-win mark… and then there’s the AL Central. Labeled by many as the weakest division overall in baseball, both teams tied for the division lead have yet to win 70 games. Neither team was projected to win the division, and the way they’ve played recently it seems like no one wants it. Triston McKenzie’s Cleveland Guardians have gone 2-8 in their last 10 games, which allowed Minnesota to catch them despite losing Byron Buxton for a stretch.

Wild Card 

This year there will be three Wild Card teams, and there are a bunch of MLBbro’s in the mix. J.P. Crawford and the Seattle Mariners are poised to break their 20-year playoff drought and currently have a two-game lead over the field. The Tampa Bay Rays are ranked second, and George Springer’s Toronto Blue Jays are currently holding down the third and final spot.

Cedric Mullins and the Baltimore Orioles, a team we aren’t used to mentioning in any playoff conversion, are right on the Blue Jays heels. The Orioles are 2.5 games out of the final playoff spot, and we all know how quickly a 2.5 game lead can disappear in September. 

Buckle Up.

MLBbro.com’s Best of Dusty Baker 2021 | Dusty’s Iconic Moments

MLBbro.com’s Best of Dusty Baker 2021 | Dusty’s Iconic Moments

by | Oct 30, 2021 | THE TWO HOLE

Dusty Baker is headed back to the World Series for the third time.

After two heartbreaking attempts with the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs, Dusty hopes this third time is truly a charm with the Astros.

The 72-year-old manager, just 13 wins of the exclusive 2,000-win club, continues to break records, outmaneuver his counterparts and chase Cooperstown. Dusty represents the ageless heartbeat of the game.

He’s been a present participant in so many historical moments throughout history.