#HIGHFIVE (Week 14): Aaron Judge Is One Of The All-Time Greats, MLBbro Rookie Justin Henry-Malloy Is Bro Bombing This Week

#HIGHFIVE (Week 14): Aaron Judge Is One Of The All-Time Greats, MLBbro Rookie Justin Henry-Malloy Is Bro Bombing This Week

Aaron Judge could stop playing for the rest of the season and still have better numbers than 99% of the league.  He led the Majors in All-Star votes thanks to a first half that saw him better his numbers from his historic 2022 American League MVP year.  For that, he earns the top spot on Week 14 of our #HighFive List.

1. Aaron Judge

 

Aaron Judge found out he would be an All-Star for the fifth time in his career just a little over a week ago after leading all American League players in phase one of voting.

That puts him fourth All-Time in appearance among all Yankee outfielders, trailing Hall of Fame MLBbro Dave Winfield, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle.

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In his last seven games Judge is slashing .480/.552/.840 with eight RBI, three home runs and has recorded multiple hits in six of his last eight games entering Thursday.

This week, the Yankees captain showed why he gets the honor to wear the “C” on his jersey when he pulled Marcus Stroman to the side for a conversation about him yelling in the dugout after a mistake by a fielder on defense.

Judge and his Yankees will write the next chapter of their storied rivalry against the Boston Red Sox this weekend.

2. Taj Bradley

Taj Bradley got the win and tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts in 5.2 shutout innings against the Nationals to earn the two spot on this week’s #HighFive.

MLBbro Taj Bradley’s Record Doesn’t Reflect How Well He’s Pitched and How Little Run Support He Gets

 

Bradley is another MLBbro from the Atlanta, Georgia pipeline that has sent an influx of talent to the Majors over the last few years including former Rookie of The Year “Money” Mike Harris, Lawrence Butler and Will Benson among others.

 

Bradley, who is only 23 did not start pitching until near the end of his senior year in high school, is one of the top projects for a Tampa Bay Rays team that is known for developing pitching.

 

He had a solid month of June and if you take away his start against the Orioles where he gave up nine runs in three innings, he has a 1.24 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 11 walks in 29 innings.  In two of those starts, he struck out 11.

 

Bradley will take the mound this coming Saturday in Arlington against the defending World Series Champion Rangers.

3. George Springer

George Springer has been on a heater over his last seven games, hitting over .400 with three home runs, 11 RBI and a .952 slugging percentage.

George Springer Dingers Are Back: Hitting .440 With 5-Game Hit Streak Last Seven Games

He was named MLBbro.com Home Boi Highlights after bringing a five-game hitting streak out of the weekend which he extended to seven before hitless Wednesday.

The Blue Jays are in the basement of the standings for the American League East and there have already been rumors about them trading some of their key pieces as they get ready to possibly rebuild the roster.

I think Springer, who has postseason experience and is one of the most feared leadoff hitters of All-Time would be a great pickup for a contender looking for a right-handed bat to boost their lineup for the stretch run.

4. C.J. Abrams

 

C.J. Abrams finished June with a .373 average which ranked him in the top 10 among all Major Leaguers for the month.

He has done all he can to earn his first career All-Star nod this weekend.  He is on pace for a possible 30/30 season and leads the Nationals in almost all hitting categories including doubles, RBI, OPS, Slugging percentage, steals, home runs and triples.

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Abrams is going to play a key role in the development of top prospect James Wood who was called up from Triple-A earlier this week.

He himself was a top prospect with high expectations that has since answered the bell and is now on the way to stardom.

This weekend Abrams and the Nationals will take on Masyn Winn and the Cardinals in a rare matchup of Black shortstops.

 

5. Justyn-Henry Malloy

Justyn-Henry Malloy hit home runs in back-to-back days for the first time in his career this week in addition to posting a .304 average to earn himself the final spot on Week 14 of our #HighFive list.

Justyn-Henry Malloy’s First MLB Hit Was A Bro Bomb For Detroit Tigers

 

Malloy had to run around the bases faster than usual when he hit his homer Sunday afternoon.

He drilled a ball off the wall in straight-away center field and sprinted across the bases for Detroit’s first inside the park homer since 2021.

“They all are worth the same, but I feel like I worked a little harder for that one,” said Malloy in his postgame interview.

“I tackled home plate, my lip is a little bit busted too but I am glad.  It is one of the most exciting plays in baseball and I am glad I could give my team some laughs.”

 

The following day in a matchup against fellow MLBbro Simeon Woods Richardson, Malloy launched one to the left field bleachers.

 

He finished that game 2-for-4.

 

The Tigers offense has not shown much this season, so it is the perfect time for them to give young players like Malloy the opportunity to fight through struggles and get reps at the Major league level.

MLBbro Taj Bradley’s Record Doesn’t Reflect How Well He’s Pitched and How Little Run Support He Gets

MLBbro Taj Bradley’s Record Doesn’t Reflect How Well He’s Pitched and How Little Run Support He Gets

In every sport they always warn about a potential sophomore slump. For MLBbro Taj Bradley, it seemed when the season began that term was destined to be his fate.

 

The Tampa Bay Rays had high expectation for Bradley coming into this season, following a rookie campaign where he flashed serious ace potential, but was derailed early due to a Pectoral Strain he suffered in spring training, causing him to miss the first six weeks of the season.

 

Tay Bradley Getting Back Into The Groove

 

When the 23-year-old second year melanated mound marauder returned, he was immediately thrown into the fire with matchups against the top teams in the AL East (NY Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox) equipped with a murderer’s row of lineups to get through.

 

Something any pitcher — let alone a sophomore phenom coming off injury — would struggle with which explains his 2-4 record.

 

However, if we look at the numbers this is not the up and down season Bradley had in his rookie campaign. His dominance is starting to show now that he is healthy and finding his footing in the Rays rotation.

 

Taj Bradley Has Breakout Performance Of Season: He’s Back In Command After 11-K Outing

 

Bradley’s Record Doesn’t Tell the Full Story: Tampa Rays Not Scoring For Him  

 

Regardless of his early struggles, Taj Bradley’s numbers are significantly better across the board with a 3.81 ERA with 61 strikeouts and batters only hitting .213 against him. Not to mention the nasty splitter that’s been overpowering hitters, as evidenced by his 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings (top ten in MLB).

 

So, the question is with improvement being shown, why the 2-4 record? We should look no further than the other side of the plate.

 

The Rays aren’t putting up a bunch of runs on the board to support our MLBbro. They currently rank 26th out of 30 teams in home runs (70) and tied for 19th with a .236 batting average.

 

Bradley Pitching Great, Losing Games

 

If we dive deeper into Brantley’s record, two out of his four losses he only gave up one earned run with seven strikeouts. If we look at the final box score for both games, there’s a goose egg for Tampa Bay.

 

Taj Bradley has a bright future, and the numbers prove that he is only getting better. If our MLBbro can get a little more help from his hitters, the W’s will come.
MLBbro Taj Bradley’s Record Doesn’t Reflect How Well He’s Pitched and How Little Run Support He Gets

Taj Bradley Has Breakout Performance Of Season: He’s Back In Command After 11-K Outing

Taj Bradley had one of the best outings of his career in his recent start against the Chicago Cubs.

 

The 23-year-old tied a career-high in strikeouts with 11 on June 13 as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Cubs 3-2.

 

Bradley went seven innings, gave up two earned runs, and walked two, securing his second victory of the season.

This was the outing that Bradley needed, and he was very pleased with his performance.

 

“That was amazing,” he said. “I felt great. I was happy (manager Kevin Cash) let me run out there for the seventh.”

 

Last season, Bradley won the first three starts of his career and was in early consideration for the American League Rookie of the Year award.

 

Taj Bradley Has Established Himself As A Legitimate Force In Tampa Bay Rays Rotation

 

After those three starts, he went on to have an up-and-down season, finishing with a 5-8 record with a 5.59 ERA.

 

This season, Bradley was sidelined at the beginning of the season due to injury, and now that he’s back healthy, he’ll look to finish the 2024 season on a strong note, and put together quality starts for his team.

 

And that start against the Cubs allowed us to see how dominant Bradley can be on the mound.

 

One pitch that Bradley relied on in that game was his splitter. That pitch kept the Cubs hitters off balance and uncomfortable at the plate.

 

Rays catcher Alex Jackson knew Bradley was dialed in from the first pitch of the game.

 

“From pitch one to when he was done, he’s out there competing and he’s giving it his all,” Jackson said. “That’s all you can ask for.”

“He was commanding it the whole night, throwing it how he wanted to and using his other pitches to set that up and established a good area and get them to swing at some things out of the zone,” he said. “The more you can get out there and you can do it, you gain experience. That’s a big thing in this game is being able to understand yourself, understand game situations and put all the practice to work.”

 

 

We have to remember that Bradley is only in his second season and he’s going to continue to grow year after year.

 

While the Rays are not at the top of the standings in their division, Bradley can show he has what it takes to be the team’s ace of the future.

 

And his teammates know how talented of a pitcher he is.

 

“I think when he’s in the zone like that, he’s got some of the best stuff in the game,” Brandon Lowe said of Bradley’s recent outing. “When he trusts himself, he can go out there and mow through lineups like that. So that was pretty cool to see from him.”

There’s no question that Bradley can surpass the amount of wins he recorded last year this season and he also could have a game where he sets a new career-high in strikeouts.

 

Bradley has a promising career ahead of him and the Tampa Rays are going to make sure to take good care of their young right-hander.

Top 5 Breakout MLBbros For 2024 MLB Season

Top 5 Breakout MLBbros For 2024 MLB Season

There are some young MLBbros who are hoping for a breakout season.

The top five players on this list are specifically projected to have a break campaign, while establishing themselves as household names.

 

Age, draft position, and situation were considered when evaluating these athletes. Some have already played in the majors and proved themselves on huge stages, including postseason, but have only provided us with a small sample size. Others are ready to be consistent faces in the MLB dugout once called upon.

5. Taj Bradley P (Tampa Bay Rays)

 

Taj Bradley, a melanated mound marauder for the Tampa Bay Rays, is 22 years old and hoping to have a big season.

 

Bradley showed glimpses of brilliance as a rookie, jumping out to some early wins, before eventually finishing with a 5.59 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and 23 home runs allowed in 104 2/3 innings. Bradley seemed to hit a rookie wall last year and with those trials and tribulations under his belt, he should be a force for the Rays.

 

Despite his final stats, Bradley had several strong outings, recording a 28% strikeout rate. He will be expected to hold down the fort as a consistent arm int he starting rotation.

 

Taj Bradley Has Established Himself As A Legitimate Force In Tampa Bay Rays Rotation

4. Alek Thomas OF (Arizona Diamondbacks)

 

The Diamondbacks 23-year-old outfielder Alek Thomas comes in at number four on the list. With his power, Thomas was taken in the second round and was able to intimidate opposing pitchers by driving in runs. He had a clutch home run and some key moments in the 2023 postseason.

Thomas hit four Bro bombs which helped charge Arizona’s unlikely trip to the World Series.

Tommy Pham and Alek Thomas Made Every Hit Count In Helping Arizona Diamondbacks Shock Baseball World, Advance To 2023 World Series

 

He has excellent outfield defensive skills, with an average career fielding percentage of .992.

 

During a “Take That” segment on MLBbro.com, Charles Nyonga discussed Thomas as a key member of the
Diamondbacks team. Thomas has all the qualities to be face of the franchise for years to come.

 

TAKE THAT | Alek Thomas & The Raking Rattlers Have Arizona Diamondbacks Hunting Playoffs

 

3. Lawrence Butler OF (Oakland A’s)

 

Lawrence Butler, an outfielder, is only 23 years old. The Oakland Athletics selected him in the sixth round of the 2018 draft. Following a season in which he hit four home runs with a batting average of 211.

 

 

Butler put in work over the off-season, and his current batting average of .421 this spring training is proof of that. When the season starts, keep an eye out for Butler.

 

2. Termarr Johnson INF (Pittsburgh Pirates)

 

Termarr Johnson, a 19-year-old who was the fourth pick in the 2022 draft, is No. 2 on the list. Johnson’s bat-to-ball skills and smooth lefty stroke make him a legitimate All-Star in the future.

 

On February 26, 2024, Johnson showed off his power by hitting two home runs for the Pirates against the Blue Jays. The sky is the limit for Johnson.

 

 

1. Jordan ‘Sky’ Walker OF/INF (St. Louis Cardinals)

 

The young, talented St. Louis Cardinals star Jordan Walker, who weighs 250 pounds and is 6 feet 5 inches tall, tops the list. He came out of the gate in his rookie season, breaking hitting records.

 

With his rare combination of athleticism and baseball IQ, the 21-year-old infielder turned outfielder has
been gaining notice.

 

He’s also well-known for his powerful bat and excellent fielding skills. The Cardinals’ lineup is more versatile because of his defense skills, particularly at third base.

Walker, who hit .276 with 16 homers and 51 RBI in 117 games as a rookie, has a smooth swing with power, but hits to contact.

He also has deceptive speed. With a package that reminds guys of MLBbro legend Dave Winfield, Walker has everything needed to establish himself as an All-Star.