by Justin Petrille | Jul 15, 2023 | THE LEAD OFF
PHILADELPHIA – With the All-Star game behind us and the regular season getting deeper and deeper, the question now becomes who are the top five most valuable Bros for the second half of the season?
Which Bros give the most value to their team as far as winning is concerned?
1. Aaron Judge
After having the season of his life by winning the AL MVP, almost winning the triple crown, and become the AL single-season home run record holder with 62 big fly’s, Judge’s nine-year, $360 million contract that he was paid over the offseason makes him one of the most valuable players in all of baseball in itself.
However, with the dominance of the Rays and the surprise of the Orioles, the Yankees season has been a bit underwhelming to say the least. They’re currently fourth in their division and a game out of the last Wild Card spot.
Part of the reason is that Judge has only played in 49 of a possible 92 games this season, as he’s on IL with a right toe injury, which he suffered on June 3rd when making a sensational catch at Dodger stadium, tearing down part of their back wall in the process.
It’s not clear at this point when Judge will make a return, but one thing’s for sure, the longer he’s out, the larger the risk the Yankees have of missing the playoffs, which would’ve been unthinkable at the start of the year.
2. Mookie Betts
We all know that Mookie is a top player in baseball, and he continues to show he is with the season he’s currently having. But with about 70 games left in the year, Mookie must continue to be the top player he is, and has no room to slump.
For the past decade, the boys in blue have ran through the NL West. However, this year has been much different, as it’s nowhere near as easy as previous seasons.
The Dodgers aren’t as strong as they’ve been before, and teams like The Diamondbacks and Giants are much better now as well. If Mookie doesn’t continue to be the player he is, then the Dodgers could be in big trouble.
3. Corey Julks
With Yordan Alvarez still on the IL and Michael Brantley’s return very shaky, and with the Astros having a run for their money on being the best team in their division, Julks instantly becomes more valuable to the defending champs.
The Astros are two games behind the Texas Rangers for the AL West, which they’ve won in five of the previous six years. Houston’s been dealing with an unreal amount of injuries, meaning the season could be a lot worse.
The 27-year-old rookie has a .282/.326/.408 slashline, which is tremendous for this being his lone year in the bigs. If he can continue his hot start, he’ll play a huge role in Houston staying afloat, as they should make the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season, whether that’s winning their division or in the Wild Card.
4. Hunter Greene
Greene is currently on the IL with a right hip injury, and isn’t expected to be back until August. In the 14 games he’s started, he has a 3.93 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 73 1/3 innings pitched in only his second MLB season.
The reason his IL stint becomes so much more of a concern is because, other than being their ace for the next 10 years, for the first time in a while, the Reds are atop of the division, and are trying to be atop of the NL Central for the first time since 2012. They’re going to need Greene to come back stronger than ever in order to make this dream become a reality.
5. Taijuan Walker
After being 2 games away from their first World Series since 2008, the Phillies have hopes to get back to October to finish what they’ve started. They’re currently 13 games back in the division, and one and a half a game back from the final NL Wild Card spot.
The Phillies signed Walker to a 4-year deal in the offseason, and overall, he’s been terrific. He’s 10-3 on the year, picking up the win in his last six starts. Even though he didn’t start off great, he’s definitely been the Phillies best pitcher in the last month and a half.
The Phillies have a lot of work to do to get back in the playoffs, and with Walker playing the way he is, he makes their chances a lot better.
by Justin Petrille | Jul 10, 2023 | THE THREE SPOT
LOS ANGELES – After waiting patiently for his opportunity for so long, Corey Julks is making the most of it
“He’s One Of Our Biggest, Strongest Guys In Our System” | Astros Slugger Corey Julks Hopes To Make MLB Jump In 2023
With fellow Bro Michael Brantley and Yordan Alvarez on the injured list, the Astros seemed to be in trouble, as they’ve already been chasing the Texas Rangers all season long for the top spot in the AL West.
However, they’re 50-40, only two games back, and are in the second AL Wild Card slot.
Julks’ Arrival Has Helped Houston Overcome Injuries
Credit can be given everywhere for the position the Astros are in given all the adversity they’ve had to overcome, but a large portion of it has to be given to Julks, who is only a rookie but is filling in as if he’s been a veteran in the show for quite some time.
Julks is hitting .300 over his last 30 appearances, but in his last 15 games, he’s been a man on a mission. He has a .396 batting average during the stretch, with no home runs, six RBI, a .458 on-base percentage, and a .472 slugging percentage.
He has a slashline of .282/.326/.408 with six home runs, 29 RBI and 15 stolen bases for the entirety of the season.
Julks is from Friendswood, Texas, which is about 30 minutes outside of Houston. He played baseball for the University of Houston and was drafted in the eighth round of the 2017 draft by the Astros, his hometown team.
“It’s awesome…growing up wanting to play this game at the highest level but being lucky enough to actually play for my hometown team I mean it’s a dream come true” Julks said when asked about the team he grew up rooting for.
Even with the exciting feeling of getting the opportunity to play at home, the road to the show has been anything but easy for the 27-year-old. He started off in Single A ball with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Low-A New York-Penn League, and continued to climb his way up year in and year out, playing on a total of six minor league teams.
In this year’s spring training, Julks was terrific. He had a .275/.318/.550 slashline, and had 12 RBI, which was the most by anyone on the team. It was enough for him to finally get the call, as it was announced on March 28th that Julks long wait was finally over, as he had made the opening roster.
It was announced recently by manager Dusty Baker that Brantley has had some setbacks in his shoulder rehab, as it’s unclear when he will return. As the Astros look to make a fifth World Series in seven years, there’s a chance that it will be without Brantley, and that someone needs to take his place. Who better than Julks, the hometown hero, to try and get his team back to the Fall Classic, in what seems to be their toughest season in a very long time.
by Devon POV Mason | Oct 4, 2022 | THE THREE SPOT
The Houston Astros have experienced a ton of success over the last five seasons, playing in three World Series, winning one championship. Despite the cheating allegations that surround the franchise’s 2017 World Series title, the Astros have become one of the best brands in all of sports.
Led by former manager A.J. Hinch and now Dusty Baker, who this season became the first Black manager to reach the 2,000-win plateau, there have been no shortage of great players in H-Town during this unprecedented run. The likes of Alex Bregman, Justin Verlander, Jose Altuve, Jordan Alvarez to name a few.
A key ingredient to sustained success is a farm system that develops and prepares players for the majors, allowing the front office to dabble in free agency without breaking the bank.
COREY JULKS
A future MLBbro who is currently in the Astros farm system is slugger Corey Julks, a 2017 eighth-round pick from Houston. Julks is what we call a late bloomer in the sport, but what he brings to the table is raw power. The 26-year-old slugger was thought of as an organizational player, but with his recent surge at the plate the last two seasons, he’s caused a lot of chatter about his prospects in the Astros everyday lineup.
In February, Astros assistant general manager Pete Putila raved about Julks, who stands 5-foot-10 and 215 pounds.
“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.”
Julks Has Been A HR Magnet In 2022
As a member of Astros Triple-A affiliate (Sugar Land Space Cowboys) the power-hitting Julks flourished this season. After never hitting more than 20 homers in any of his previous Single-A and Double-A seasons, Julks flipped the script and went yard 31 times, further displaying his natural power. In 130 games played he was always available, showcasing his durability as well. He even tallied a slash line of .270/.351/.503 with his highest-career OPS.
Julks’ surprising display of pop is a welcomed sight for the Astros who are looking for another power bat to team along with Yordan Alvarez, the All-Star slugger who’s hit 70 homers the last two seasons.
Astros Hoping For Fourth Trip To WS In Six Seasons
Sitting at 104-55, which is the best record in the American League and second-best record in MLB, the Astros look like a team that could return to the Fall Classic. The team will be looking to win manager Dusty Baker his first World Series, something that’s eluded him in his stellar managerial career. And while, Julks isn’t a current member of the team in the majors, he sure does seem like a great fit for the team in 2023.
Who wouldn’t want to join a franchise that wins and develops at the level the Astros do. Julks would be coming into a situation where the pressure wouldn’t be on him to produce at a high rate right away. Which is always a good thing, and especially for someone who’s considered a late bloomer.
Expect Julks to appear at Minute Maid Park in 2023 and expect baseballs to fly out with regularity.
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