You’re a two-time World Series champion, an American League MVP, an eight-time All-Star, a six-time Silver Slugger award winner, a member of the 30-30 club, part of three All-MLB first teams and these aren’t even half of your accolades.
You’re smack dab in the middle of your prime and still one of the most dangerous hitters In Major League Baseball today with a batting average of .303, 15 bro bombs, 62 RBI and 65 runs scored for the World Series favorites. You’re also known for being clutch.
Sunday August 25, 2024; Mookie Betts #50 of the Dodgers during the game. The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays by the final score of 3-1 in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Kevin Reece for MLBbro.com)
It’s the tenth inning, you’re up 3-2 with a runner on base. You’re standing on the on-deck circle when something happens. They don’t pitch to the person in front of you; they walk him intentionally… to get to you.
Sure, that person is Shohei Ohtani, but something isn’t adding up. When it comes to the LA Dodgers lineup. You pick your poison.
The “Respect” Won’t Be Tolerated from Betts
That feeling you just felt is a little something called disrespect. That had to be the feeling MLBbro Mookie Betts felt on Tuesday night, when Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington decided to walk Shohei Ohtani to try his luck at getting Betts out instead.
“You’re picking your poison when you deal with the first three hitters (Ohtani, Betts, Freeman). I wasn’t going to let Ohtani swing there, and I have all the respect in the world for Mookie Betts.” Washington said via Bally Sports West.
We get that it’s Sho… but walking anybody to get to #MLBbro Mookie Betts just doesn’t sit right with me 🤷🏾♂️ https://t.co/8IW6Bbx9yi
As Rapper Jadakiss would say that sounds good… but it’s not enough. The Angels would pay for this showing of “respect”. On the first pitch Mookie would hit a 3-run homer to blow the game wide open for the Dodgers.
Be Careful What You Wish For
“Yeah, that doesn’t happen often so I kind of black out.” Mookie would say about the strategy of fellow MLBbro Washington. “They walked Sho to get to me, and I was just like alright I mean, if that’s what you want.”
"You know, they walked Sho to get to me, and I was just like, alright." Mookie Betts with @kirsten_watson on his 3-run homer in the 10th. pic.twitter.com/7FbEB94h5W
In fairness I understand the strategy of walking Shohei Ohtani (who’s having a monster season on pace to become the first member of the 50/50 club). Here’s the thing. I understand it, if it’s to anybody EXCEPT Mookie Betts.
“I was hoping Contreras could make a pitch, get a ground ball, and get us a double play and keep the game at (2). First pitch, he left in the middle of the plate and up, and Mookie didn’t miss it. That’s what he gets paid for” Washington would say about the homerun.
Indeed, this is a scenario where MLBbro Mookie Betts gets paid to show up in. Unfortunately for the Angels, it was their turn to pay the tab.
Major League Baseball re-enters the “Must-see TV” realm this weekend when the New York Yankees face the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first time this season. This series is definitely an early season preview to a potential World Series showdown in October. It definitely has the star power. Not only are MLBbros Aaron Judge and Mookie Betts the headliners, but they have superstar tag team partners in Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani as well.
While the Dodgers have the largest lead in their division at eight games, the Yankees are the class of professional baseball. After sweeping the Minnesota Twins for the ENTIRE SEASON, the Yanks are riding an eight-game winning streak and are only percentage points behind the Phillies for the best record in the game.
This rivalry is old, but not as old as the mystique of the New York Yankees championship pedigree that is evident with the superstars, the managers and most importantly the history… 27 World Series championships. But their success on the baseball diamond didn’t match the headlines around their off-field drama through the ‘70s which kind of rekindled in the ‘90s.
The George Steinbrenner/Billy Martin feud with the constant hiring and firing.
The Reggie Jackson era where his “Mr. October” legacy was born and lives to this day. Like the man has his own candy bar!
The jealousy of fans of other teams watching the stars either pine to the big stage in pinstripes or getting there and obtaining their dreams of attention and money!
Then there’s the World Series dominance over the Dodgers going back to the Brooklyn days!
It’s no secret that Yankees paraphernalia has been an easy sell over the years. Even casual sports fans have a Yankees hat in their collection. But with the combination of having possibly the top three power hitters in the game in Juan Soto and MLBbros Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, the New York Yankees could be building their next dynasty.
But this team is more than big bats as Alex Rodriguez discusses here.
This is no longer a team that depends on power and three-run homers to demoralize opponents. The Yankees have improved almost every aspect of not only their offense but their defense and pitching as well. When this week started, the Bronx Bombers led the majors in four vital categories: OPS, ERA, homers and winning percentage.
Major League Baseball needs casual fans to join the party and the Yankees can be the catalyst. With Aaron Judge dominating the news cycle breaking the American League home run record a couple of seasons back, he is the reminder to fans to tune into every Yankees game on television to see what the hype is about.
But if the Yankees build their dynasty, this might be more like the MLBbro icon Reggie Jackson-led Yankees in the late ‘70s than the Derek Jeter-led ‘90s dynasty. Why? Reggie’s teams were just powerful and built their identity around home runs. Even though those teams were well-rounded, the big bats made the headlines. It was how those Yankees teams were winning that captured the attention of the sports world.
But there are sports fans that don’t root for Goliath; they want to see him fall. Which is how baseball gets to pop culture.
If the Yankees continue this run for the next few years, the only baseball fans that enjoy it will be in the Bronx. The rest will root for their demise. That’s something Major League Baseball is missing that other sports own and make bank off of.
NBA: Los Angeles Lakers with the ultimate lightning rod in LeBron James
NFL: It used to be the New England Patriots with Tom Brady, now it’s the Kansas City Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes
WNBA: Unless you have been under a rock… Caitlyn Clark in just a few games!
Naming the Yankees a potential dynasty before they’ve even won one championship may be conceived as putting the cart before the horse, but this series against the Dodgers is the start of the media hype. The ingredients are already there: The best player. The best team. The top media market in America.
Now we get to watch and see how long it takes for the Yankees to get their old enemies back!
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.
Brandon Carr talks deferred money, players who collect huge checks in retirement, stacking yearly salaries as they sit on their couches at home…and of course #BobbyBonilla Day, which occurs every July 1.
Charles Nyonga is back with another segment of “Take That”, where he gives you not just hot takes, but smart takes. This week the topic of conversation is LA Angels outfielder Jo Adell and the time clock on him reaching his potential as a player.
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