Aaron Judge is HIM! After tying Roger Maris for the most home runs in a single season by an American League player with 61, he sets his sights on 62 and becoming the second Black Triple Crown winner ever. Of course, the history-making MLBbro is at the top of our #HIGHFIVE list Week 25.
1. Aaron Judge “All Rise”
It took a little longer than expected in large part due to the Blue Jays walking Judge seven times in their series this week, but Wednesday night he launched his 61st home run of the season off reliever Tim Mayza. The two-run homer came in the seventh inning of a tie game, which for Judge, who has been all about winning during the circus around him, felt just as good as the record.
There were seven games between home runs 60 and 61 for Judge who is also leading in all categories (BA, RBI, HR) required for the American League Triple Crown. He would join Frank Robinson as the only Black player to accomplish the feat and be the first since Miguel Cabrera in 2012 to do it.
A fan in the left field stands missed his chance at the lottery and was not able to catch Judge’s 61st before it fell into the bullpen. Instead Judge was able to give the ball to his mother.
“She has been with me through it all,” said Judge. “From the little league days, getting me ready for school, taking me to my first couple practices and games, being there for my first professional game, my debut and now getting a chance to be here for this- this is something special and we are not done yet.”
Judge’s next shot at 62 will come this weekend in the Yankees final home series before the playoffs against the Orioles.
2. Hunter Greene “Triple Beam”
Nobody in the world brings more gas to the table than Hunter Greene and it is not even close. After going six shutout innings, striking out 10 and allowing just four hits Tuesday night against the Pirates, Greene has now thrown 300 pitches this season over 100 MPH. That is the most by any starter by over 200! The next closest is fellow MLBbro Jordan Hicks who the St. Louis Cardinals are trying to change from a reliever to a starter.
Greene’s final start of the season will come Monday at home against the Chicago Cubs.
3. Triston McKenzie “Dr. Sticks”
Triston McKenzie has reached a new level during the second half of this season, particularly in September where he dominated this past week helping the Guardians clinch the American League Central and more importantly being the feature of Rob Parker’s Home Boi Highlights.
Wednesday night, in what could turn out to be a playoff preview, McKenzie struck out six and allowed just three hits and one run before a rain delay meant the end to his night on the mound.
That makes 10 quality starts in a row for McKenzie who will get the ball for the Guardians in either game one or two of next weekend’s playoffs. His final tune up of the regular season will come Monday against Kansas City.
4. Josiah Gray
Josiah Gray made a statement in what could be the final outing of his first full Major League season.
Against last year’s World Champion Atlanta Braves, who are currently in a dog fight for the National East crown and an important first round bye, Gray went six innings striking out two and only giving up two hits, one being a solo home run by Matt Olsen.13414
Gray, who leads the Majors in home runs allowed, dropped his fastball last night and exclusively used his sinker.
If he is able to keep the ball down and have that pitch working next year alongside his curveball and slider, Gray could become the Ace the Nationals are hoping he is.
5. Michael Harris II “Money Mike”
“Money” Michael Harris II is on the way to possibly winning the National League Rookie of the Year, but first he needs to help his Braves get past the Mets in what will be a heavyweight fight in the ATL this weekend.
This month Harris is .327 with 19 RBI, six home runs, five doubles, 20 runs scored and four stolen bases.
In addition to being the MVP of one of baseball’s most potent lineups, Harris II is making a case at the National League Gold Glove for center fielders.
The Braves trail the Mets by one game for the lead in the N.L. East so this three-game set they have this weekend will give one of the two a profound edge going into the postseason.
Josh Bell cemented his case for the National League Player of the Month award as well as an All-Star berth with a .583 batting average in the last week of June, giving him the top spot in Week 12 of our #HighFive List.
1. Josh Bell
Despite not getting much love in the All-Star fan votes, Josh Bell was Major League Baseball’s top hitter for the month of June. He finished first in on base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS while finishing second in average and third in WAR.
Bell’s .319 batting average is the highest for any switch hitter in the Majors and is tops among MLBbros and good for eighth in all of baseball entering Friday.
Last weekend Bell made a statement during his return to his hometown of Dallas, Texas where he attended Jesuit high school.
Friday, he went 3-for-4 with a triple, double, RBI and scored the game-winning run late in the eighth inning, finishing the series 7-for-12 with an RBI and three runs scored, missing the series cycle by just a home run.
This weekend Bell and the Nationals welcome the Marlins to D.C. who will be without superstar Jazz Chisholm Jr. after he was placed on the Injured List with a lower back strain.
2. Devin Williams
“The Airbender” is pitching on a level he has never reached before as he has gone 20 innings without allowing a run to go along with 30 strikeouts, six walks and just five hits.
Williams, who won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2020 has been a major part of a Brewers bullpen that is one of the top groups in the Majors, and this season it looks like he will be a lock for his first career All-Star Game.
This season Williams has a 2-0 record with a 2.12 ERA and 49 K’s.
His next chance to pitch will be in Pittsburgh during the Brewers weekend series against Ke’Bryan Hayes and the Pirates.
3. Michael Harris II
Michael Harris II is the youngest player in the Majors, and he is already playing a grown-man game through the first 30 games of his career.
“I feel like as soon as he came up here, he kind of changed the whole complexion of our team,” said Braves pitcher Kyle Wright on Harris’ impact on last year’s World Series champions.
Since coming to the Majors Harris is top 10 in WAR and the Braves have closed in on the Mets in their bid for the National League East title.
He bats .327 with 15 RBI, 4 steals and an .860 OPS but his defense is his best tool as he is currently rated the best defensive center fielder in baseball with a success rate of 97%.
Harris has already put his name in the early conversation for the National League Rookie of the Year award.
4. Cedric Mullins
We finally saw a glimpse of the 2021 version of Cedric Mullins who had the best season in Baltimore Orioles history this week, giving him the fourth spot on our #HighFive List.
This week Mullins hit .379 with five runs scored and three RBI to cap off a solid month of June which saw his Orioles finish with their first winning month since August of 2017.
Even though his offense got off to a slow start, the 2021 American League All-Star starting center fielder has yet to lose a step while patrolling the outfield5.
5. Josh Naylor
Josh Naylor added to his folklore in Cleveland with the second walk-off home run of the season to lift his Guardians over the Twins.
Naylor has been the juice guy for the Guardians this year as his head banging celebration sent Proggessive Field into a frenzy after another comeback victory against the team they are attempting to track down in the American League Central.
Mookie Betts had a month of May for the record books and takes top spot Week 8 of our #HighFive List for the second time in a row.
1. Mookie Betts
Mookie Betts put up numbers during the month of May that have only been seen by seven players in Major League history including Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth.
He should win the National League Player of the Month Award after finishing with a .342 average, 12 home runs, 27 RBI, 31 runs, 10 doubles, 13 walks and a .411 on base percentage.
Betts’ power surge at the plate has led to a National League leading 16 home runs while his league leading 51 runs have him on pace for almost 170 this season.
Voting for the 2022 All-Star Game which will be held in Betts’ home ballpark of Dodgers Stadium opens early next week and it’s certain he will be in right field batting leadoff for the National League. The only question being whether or not he can lead all players in total votes.
This weekend Betts and his Dodgers host the New York Mets who have the best record in baseball for a four-game series.
2. J.P. Crawford
Entering Thursday J.P. Crawford only trails Mike Trout and his teammate Ty France for the highest Wins Above Replacement rating in the American League, as he is keeping his Mariner team above water.
Crawford is on pace to have the best season of his career, this coming off 2021 where he put up the best numbers he has produced in almost every hitting category including a .273 average, nine home runs and 54 RBI.
Crawford hit his fifth home run of the season Wednesday and is batting .375 with a .483 on base percentage over his last seven games.
This weekend Crawford travels to Texas to take on Marcus Semien and the Rangers in Arlington.
3. Ke’Bryan Hayes
Ke’Bryan Hayes’ three-run game winning home run in the 9th inning last week against the Padres was perfect timing for his first of the season.
Hayes is the face of the Pittsburgh Pirate franchise and has put up numbers to earn that title.
Entering Thursday his .293 average was fourth highest of all Major League third basemen and he is starting to get back on track on defense after starting the year with an uncharacteristic amount of errors.
This week Hayes and his Pirates made history by sweeping Mookie Betts and the Dodgers in Los Angeles for the first time since 2000.
He finished the two-game set going 4-for-9 with a stolen base and a run scored as his team has won four out of their last five ballgames.
Over his last seven games Hayes is batting .300 with five RBI and will travel to the desert to take on the Arizona Diamondbacks this weekend.
4. Triston McKenzie
In five starts during the month of May Triston McKenzie posted a 2.12 ERA and held batters to a mediocre .155 batting average and earned a record of 3-2.
Each start McKenzie threw at least six innings and gave up no more than three runs.
His best start of the stretch happened to be his last start where he went a season high 7.2 innings allowing just four hits and two runs on eight strikeouts last Saturday against the Tigers.
You have got to see what this bro has been doing.
Triston McKenzie has risen to ace stardom for the Guardians. He’s 3-1 in his last 4 starts and is scheduled to start Saturday in Detroit.
Another impressive bit from McKenzie’s month is that four of his five starts were all on the road as he begins to show some signs of comfort in his third career season.
McKenzie’s next start will be another road test, this time in Camden Yards against reigning American League Silver Slugger and starting All-Star outfielder Cedric Mullins.
5. Nick Plummer
Nick Plummer came up big in Primetime this week and earns a spot on our #High/Five after the first week of his career.
Down by one in the ninth inning on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball against the rival Phillies, Plummer hit a game-tying home run on the first pitch of the at-bat, becoming the 14th Met to hit a home run as the first hit of their career.
For an encore the next day Plummer followed with a 3-for-4 game, hitting another home run to go along with a double and four RBI.
After the demotion of Dominic Smith earlier this week Plummer’s roster spot will be his to lose.
This weekend the Lathrup Village, Michigan native will play his first Major League game at Dodgers Stadium as he looks to outdo this weeks #High/Five leader Mookie Betts.
Mookie Betts is dangerous and after a slow start he has reminded everyone that he is one of the best players in baseball. Hollywood’s biggest star takes the top spot in Week 7 of our #HighFive list, and there’s no sign of him ever letting it go.
1. Mookie Betts
Before April 22nd, Mookie Betts had hit zero home runs this season. That night, he went deep twice against the San Diego Padres and since then his 11 home runs lead all Major League hitters.
Betts, currently on pace to become the second player to score 150 runs since 1950, is playing at the top of his game. When he does, he’s one of the best baseball players in the world.
Betts is batting .440 with a 1.080 slugging percentage, four home runs, 10 RBI and an on-base percentage of .533 over the last seven games. Last Saturday, Betts’ talents were on full display against the Phillies.
Betts hit a solo homer, a two-run double and threw out the go-ahead runner at home in the 7th inning.
For an encore, Betts homered Sunday afternoon as well.
"This game is so hard so to be able to play well on both sides of the ball, you take it when it comes." Mookie Betts talks about his dominant day in Philly (3-4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI) with our studio crew. #Dodgerspic.twitter.com/TWuT3JTZI7
Mookie added two more home runs to his already-stacked May resume Tuesday night — one being bro-on-bro crime — taking Nationals future Ace and MLBBro Josiah Gray deep.
This weekend the Betts and the Dodgers have a four-game divisional series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
2. Aaron Judge
The bag Aaron Judge will get this offseason, wherever he signs, just keeps getting bigger and bigger with each growing day. He takes the two spot on this weeks #HighFive list.
Judge’s home run lead between him and the pack has grown, including a two-home run game Tuesday against Baltimore.
Now with Giancarlo Stanton going on the Injured List with a calf injury, Judge can raise his value even higher if he can help make up for Stanton’s 35 RBI – which have him one ahead of Judge for the team lead.
Over his last seven games, Judge is batting .346 with three home runs, four RBI and four walks and his Yankees now have a 4.5 game lead in the American League East.
3. Taijuan Walker
This week 2021 National League All-Star pitcher Taijuan Walker made history becoming the first pitcher ever to throw seven scoreless innings in Colorado’s hitter-friendly ballpark, Coors Field.
He struck out six, walked two and only allowed five hits to make it his third consecutive quality start and second win of the season.
On the season, Walker is now 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA and 18 strikeouts while only giving up seven walks.
He struck out six, walked two and only allowed five hits to make it his third consecutive quality start and second win of the season.
On the season, Walker is now 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA and 18 strikeouts while only giving up seven walks.
Last season, Walker hit a wall after the All-Star Break. Maybe it was due to the innings pitched and pressure situations after the Mets staff had to deal with injury after injury to some of their more notable stars.
Once again, this season that seems like it may be the case for the Mets. Former Cy Young winners Jacob DeGrom and Max Scherzer — who was acquired over the offseason — are both injured.
It helped that last year the Mets could also lean on Marcus Stroman who led the Majors in starts after opting out the 2020 Covid-shortened season.
Walker’s next start will come Saturday against the Phillies where he will look to help extend the Mets seven-game lead in the National League East.
4. Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Major League Baseball’s leader in triples takes the fourth spot on our #HighFive list this wee while, fans hold their breaths in hopes the hamstring injury he suffered a few days ago isn’t serious.
Even out of the lineup the last two games, Chisholm is one of nine players including MLBBro Tim Anderson and Shohei Ohtani to have five steals, five home runs and at least a .250 batting average.
Oh, hello! 😳
Jazz Chisholm Jr. makes another fine defensive play, this time fielding a weird hop barehanded to get Ozzie Albies 🔥 pic.twitter.com/BGdbHAHOL3
He has also improved on the defensive side of the ball, ranking fourth among all Major League second baseman in defensive WAR.
If Chisholm can return to the lineup and stay healthy, he has a great chance of representing the Bahamas as the first Major League All Star from the country.
5. Tyrone Taylor
Tyrone Taylor has not only earned a spot our #HighFive list for the first time in the two years we have been ranking, but also he now finds himself with an everyday job in the Milwaukee Brewers outfield.
Taylor has been raking over his last seven games, accounting for three home runs, a .320 average and 11 RBI including at least one in six straight games.
Tuesday, he hit a game-winning three-run homer with the game tied late to help the Brewers win two out of three games against the Padres.
The combination of injuries, plus struggles from other Brewer outfielders, has opened the gates for Taylor to get constant playing time. We will see if he can continue to make the most out of it.
Giancarlo Stanton has been the hottest hitter on the hottest team on the planet as he has his Yankees back in playoff contention. For that, he takes the top spot on Week 20 of our #HighFive list.
Since the trade deadline last month the Yankees have been one of the best teams in baseball and that’s in large part due to the play of former National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton.
Stanton took the number four spot on our #HighFive list last week, but climbed into the top spot after hitting four home runs with eight RBI, a .348 batting average and .957 slugging percentage.
Entering Thursday Stanton has recorded hits in 12 out of 13 games and he torched the Atlanta Braves pitching staff during their quick two game series, including roping a two-run double down the left field line in the 6th inning of Monday’s game to break a 1-1 tie.
Giancarlo Stanton talks about the mood in the Yankees' clubhouse during this 10-game winning streak
"When we're feeding off each other like that, we just gotta keep pushing and keep this going" pic.twitter.com/nhKPZswbB8
Stanton has made the move from full time Designated Hitter to playing Left field in order to get the best out of what now is a deep Yankees roster, and his ability to not be a liability on defense has been just as key as his play with the bat in his hand.
Giancarlo Stanton hits a HR to right field to put the Yankees on the board first! 💥
This weekend Stanton and his Yankees will play four against Bay Area Bros Josh Harrison and Tony Kemp in Oakland.
2. Marcus Semien
The American League starter at second base in this year’s All-Star Game deserves to take home an American League Silver Slugger award this season. Marcus Semien takes the number two spot on this week’s #High/Five list after putting on a power display Wednesday.
Semien gave Blue Jays fans a show when he hit two home runs in a three hit performance during Thursday’s game, giving him 32 on the season.
Over his last seven games Semien is batting .276 with a .621 slugging percentage and five RBI as Toronto sits just five games back of a spot in the Wild Card play-in game.
Semien and his Blue Jays are heading to Motown for a series against the Detroit Tigers and Rookie of the Year candidate Akil “The Real Deal” Baddoo.
3. Tim Anderson
The hero of the Field of Dreams Game takes the number three spot on our Week 20 #HighFive list.
Tim Anderson has recorded his in 11 of his last 12 games with seven of those being multi-hit performances including getting three in four different games.
Anderson has a batting average of .375 with six RBI, a home run and 12 total hits over his last seven games.
He dealt with a few Injury List stints earlier this season, but for the most part has been one of the most consistent players in the Majors while helping his White Sox cruise into the final month of the season with a lead in the American League Central.
He is currently 7th spot in the MLB Batting Title race and his .303 batting average is the highest for any shortstop in baseball.
This weekend TA7 AKA “Timmy Spice” will participate in the Battle for Chi-Town as his White Sox take on the Cubs.
4. Aaron Judge
Aaron Judge seems to always find himself on our #High/Five list and each honor has been well earned as he has been a legitimate American League MVP throughout the entire season.
During this season Judge and Stanton have been the most important pieces in the Yankees lineup, and they will have to carry the offense over the last month of the season if they want to secure a playoff spot.
Bell decided to show he was a savage in the batter’s box Wednesday in sunny South Beach against the Miami Marlins when he hit his twenty first home run of the season to end a shutout and tie the game at two a piece in the seventh inning.
Over his last seven games Bell has six RBI, drawn five walks, hit two home runs and has a .393 on base percentage.
This weekend Bell and his Nationals will travel upstate to New York to take on the Mets where it is likely he will face Black Knight Marcus Stroman on Saturday
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