“Rolls Royce” Lewis is off to the greatest start at the plate in the 123-year history of the Minnesota Twins franchise. Since returning from injury two weeks ago, he has been the best hitter in the Majors, posting a .429/.529/1.000 slash line with five home runs and seven RBI over his last seven games to claim the top spot on Week 12 of our #HighFive list.
1. “Rolls” Royce Lewis
It is a tragedy the 2017 first overall pick has only suited up in a Twins uniform for 85 games since debuting in 2022 thanks to a handful of injuries. Similar to their superstar Byron Buxton, who also has had trouble staying on the field, Lewis is a five-tool MVP candidate every time he steps out of the dugout; the only difference is Lewis has a higher ceiling.
Lewis hit the 26th home run of his career Wednesday night, which is the most through the first 85 games in Twins history and eight more than the next closest player. “I do not do that slump thing,” Lewis told reporters postgame Wednesday after collecting an 0-for-5 Tuesday. “That is not a real thing for me. Everyday is a fresh start.”
2. Hunter Greene “Machine”
Hunter Greene was all gas no breaks in his pitching duel versus the Pittsburgh Pirates Wednesday night.
He earned the two spot on the #HighFive list after going 6.1 shutout innings and striking out nine without walking anyone. The start was the 10th time this season Greene has had more than 15 whiffs (swings and misses) in a start, which leads the Majors, while his 98 strikeouts rank seventh in the National League.
He will take on the Pirates again next Tuesday night, this time in front of the Cincinnati faithful.
3. Giancarlo Stanton
Giancarlo Stanton is the biggest X-Factor in the Yankees lineup and has played well since June began.
This week he slashed .346/.414/.577 with two home runs, seven RBI while compiling a seven-game hitting streak. He has been one of the best hitters in the Majors with runners in scoring position this season and proved so with two big hits Wednesday against the Orioles.
First, with the Yankees down four he launched his 18th homer of the year — a three-run shot in the bottom of the seventh to make it a one-run game. Then, in the ninth with one out and a runner on second, Stanton singled in the tying run.
4. Josh Naylor
Thanks to being in a market as low on the totem pole as Cleveland is, Josh Naylor may not get the start at first base in the All-Star Game he rightfully deserves, but as long as he keeps mashing it at the plate, he will find his way to Arlington come July.
After a great start to the year Naylor struggled in May, hitting just .186 despite launching eight home runs. However Naylor has fought his way out of the slump, hitting .360 with a .448 on base percentage and two home runs over his last seven games. Both those homers came Wednesday night in a win over the Seattle Mariners. “When you see a swing like that, it is one that deserves to be in Texas, it can change games,” said Josh’s brother Bo Naylor when asked to campaign him for the All-Star Game.
5. Cedric “The Entertainer” Mullins
Similar to Giancarlo Stanton, Cedric Mullins is the X-Factor that will decide the ultimate success of the Baltimore Orioles this season.
Mullins, who hit his first home run since April 26th Thursday afternoon, is hitting .292 with three RBI and two steals in his last seven games.
In Wednesday’s extra inning victory over the Yankees, Mullins put his skill set on full display in the 10th inning.
Not only did he drive in what would end up being the game-winning run, he also stole third and caused a wild throw into the outfield to add on another. “That is what he can do when he gets on base,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said postgame when speaking on Mullins.
“He gets a single, a lot of times it is a double. If he gets a double, he gets an opportunity to take third. There is a lot he can do on the bases for us.”
Don’t look now but the Cleveland Guardians are mere percentage points behind the red hot Atlanta Braves for the best record in baseball.
While the Braves have been the class of the National League East for most of the decade and are meeting expectations, the Cleveland Guardians have ascended to the top of the American League Central and are one game in the loss column in front of the New York Yankees for the overall lead in the American League.
But the question is… How does a Guardians team who has one of the lowest payrolls in the sport keep pace with a team like the Yankees, who easily spends much more? MLBbro.com would like to introduce the newest budding superstar, first baseman Josh Naylor.
It didn’t take long to jump into the spotlight, in fact he brought his brother Bo along when they hit home runs in the same inning a couple of weeks back.
Josh Naylor’s Bat Is Sick
Coming into this week, the 26 year-old Naylor is playing at an All-Star level while featuring a batting compilation of stats that has been better than stars like MLBbro Mookie Betts, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Shohei Ohtani.
Just look at the resume…
Naylor has a hitting slash of .306/.371/.576/.948 as of this writing.
His .1.017 OPS and 197 OPS-plus leads the league according to Baseball Reference as of April 23rd.
In 2023, our MLBbro hit only 17 home runs all season. In 2024, Naylor already has a third of last year’s total with six.
MLB Network discussed the fact that Josh Naylor since May 15th, 2023 leads the majors with a .340 average.
After starting his career struggling against left handed pitching, our MLBbro has made adjustments in his approach at the plate which has brought him to superstar status and one of the best pure hitters in the game.
“Being selectively aggressive is key,” Naylor told the press. “Sometimes the first pitch you get is one of the better pitches you are going to see all day. You kind of trust in your ability that you can hit it. And you’re kind of confident enough in your swing, your body positioning, your balance, that you can get to this pitch… Maybe take your shot.”
Josh Naylor Makes Fan’s Wish Come True
Teammate Jose Ramirez will still command headlines, but he’s going to start sharing the spotlight especially after Naylor made a special Guardians fan’s dream come true.
No, the MLBbro.com staff is not crying… just allergies. Press play…
We're not crying, it's just the cold. 🥹❤️
Josh Naylor surprised a long-time Guardians fan, Carolyn, with flowers and a visit at today's pregame batting practice. Carolyn is currently in hospice care and was able to attend today’s game to watch her favorite team and favorite… pic.twitter.com/OGpyQUhkzp
Carolyn Steffens is in hospice care and is a Cleveland fan and probably now Josh Naylor’s biggest fan. Her daughter, Lora, reached out to the team to hopefully surprise her mother with the chance to meet her favorite player in potentially her last chance to see the team live at Progressive Field.
While everyone allowed Carolyn to believe that she would watch batting practice on the field, the MLBbro via Canada shocked her with flowers and a bat and in an even more gentleman-like move, brought out his starter jacket to cover her on one of the coldest days in years.
After spending some time with Carolyn and the family, Naylor posed for a photo for everyone to remember. Something that reminds us all that the MLBbro influence goes a lot farther than baseball.
Rookie pitcher Xzavion Curry wasn’t expected to be so important to the survival of the 13-15 Cleveland Guardians, but injuries and opportunity have enhanced his importance to the struggling team.
LOS ANGELES – The Bell is starting to ring in Cleveland.
Josh Bell is looking to help add another power bat to the defending AL Central champs and bring them back to the Fall Classic for the first time since 2016.
Josh Bell Heating Up After Slow Start
He currently has a .206 batting average, with three home runs and nine RBI. He has a .305 on-base percentage, and a .382 slugging percentage, still trying to get back to his .266/.362/.422 slashline from a season ago, where he was a valuable part to the Padres first NLCS appearance since 1998.
However, in his last 15 games, he’s starting to find his form, as he has a .286 batting average, a .355 on-base percentage, and a .589 slugging percentage.
He signed a two-year, $33 million contract last offseason with the Guardians, as they look to get the same production from last season where he won his first silver slugger award of his career, as well as a veteran voice in a clubhouse with a lot of young talent.
Bell Joins MLBbros Josh Naylor & Triston McKenzie In Cleveland
Bell joins fellow Bro Josh Naylor, who’s known as a true energizer for the team. They both have split time at first base and the designated hitter slot, and protect one another in the lineup, both either batting fourth or fifth. Bell not only brings incredible power at the plate, but the fact that he’s also a switch-hitter is what makes him even more valuable for not just the Guardians, but every team he’s been on. It allows him to be an everyday player without worrying about pitching matchups.
Plus, Bell has done a very good job at taking care of his body. The most games he’s ever missed in a full season is 19, so it’s a pretty safe bet for Cleveland fans to not have to fear an injury stint, unlike a lot of other star players. It was just in 2019 that Bell was one of the best players in the game, as he earned his first and only All-Star appearance. He had career highs in all major categories, including home runs with 37, RBI with 116, and his slashline of .277/.367/.569. He’s right in the middle of his prime, so another All-Star is certainly a possibility.
Not only has it been an overall slow start for Bell, but it’s been a slow start for the Guardians. They’re currently 13-15 and are three and a half games back from first. They’re 4-8 at home, which is one of the worst in the majors. However, most baseball experts believe they are much better than that and when Dr. Sticks returns, his presence will boost the entire club.
It’s evident that in order to repeat as AL Central champions, Bell is going to have to step it up. He’s going to have to be that player that San Diego traded for their playoff push and has got to help get that Believeland energy back to Progressive Field.
Xzavion Curry has been the savior of the Guardians’ bullpen, even when that wasn’t his original role for the season.
The 24-year-old is in just his second season in the Majors. In 2022, he was called up in August and September to make two spot starts, but neither panned out in his favor. Curry allowed six earned runs over 9 1/3 innings for Cleveland last year.
But Curry’s productivity has completely shifted in his new role out of the ‘pen.
The right-hander was competing for a roster spot in Spring Training, which would’ve had him coming out of the bullpen. But Curry lost the job to Hunter Gaddis and was optioned to Triple-A Columbus to get more reps and be stretched out as a starter.
Although it didn’t take long before Curry was recalled as the news broke about Triston McKenzie straining his teres major muscle in his final spring start, Gaddis was quickly added to the rotation, and Curry called up to fill his bullpen spot.
“I’m learning that I can be a versatile type of pitcher,” Curry told MLB.com. “The bullpen role is not something that I’m scared of. It’s just more of embracing the role and going out there and helping the team whenever my number is called.”
Over his Minor League career, Curry pitched in 44 games, starting in all but four of those games. Over his Major League career, he’s pitched in seven games, with all five this year coming out of the bullpen.
The 6-foot, 195-pounder has thrown 15 1/3 innings this season, and only one appearance has been for an inning or less. Curry has been stretched multiple times to preserve the bullpen and rescue starters from their disastrous outings.
In his first appearance of the year in Oakland, Curry consumed five innings, allowing just two runs on three hits and picking up three strikeouts after Zach Plesac was knocked out after one inning (plus a few batters) in what became a 10-inning victory. Against the powerhouse Yankees, Curry got through four innings, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk while fanning three batters. Being able to mow down one of the most dangerous lineups in the league is uplifting for a player in his second year in the bigs, not to mention playing an almost brand-new part.
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) April 25, 2023
“It’s really encouraging to be able to go through that lineup and get some bad swings, get some soft contact, get some strikeouts,” Curry said. “It really does boost the confidence to be able to go through that good of a lineup and hold my own.”
In Curry’s appearances this year that have been three innings or less, he’s allowed zero runs and just two hits. Even in a reliever role, he’s proving his ability to get through innings and handle a heavy workload while handling a new task when his team needs it. All signs point to Curry becoming a promising starter in his future.
“I feel like I’ve just been able to come in here and eat up some innings,” Curry said. “You know, save some of those guys’ arms in the bullpen for their specific roles and just be able to help the team get through the game.”
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