by Malik Wright | Jun 2, 2023 | THE LEAD OFF
Marcus Stroman’s Memorial Day massacre of the Tampa Bay Rays will go down as one of the greatest pitching performances Wrigley Field has seen in recent memory. His complete game one-hit shutout against the best team in baseball lowered his ERA to 2.59, good for second in the National League and earning him the top spot In Week 9 of our #HighFive List.
1. Marcus “Stro Show” Stroman
A matchup between two of Major League Baseball’s top Black pitchers in Taj Bradley and Marcus Stroman turned out to be the best pitching duel of the 2023 season.
The Tampa Rays brought the best record in the Majors into the friendly confines of Wrigley Field to face Stroman with his Cubs fresh off four straight losses.
Over his career, Stroman has always been known to rise to the occasion when all eyes are on him, and Monday afternoon was no different.
He struck out eight while allowing only one walk and a late inning single in what ended up as a 1-0 victory for the Cubs.
“Going complete game at Wrigley Field? That is one of the top moments of my career,” Stroman told reporters after the game.
Marcus Stroman Throws 1- Hit Gem
Not to be forgotten is the performance that Ray’s rookie Taj Bradley put out.
Although he ended with the loss, Bradley gave up no earned runs in 5 ⅔ innings, struck out eight and walked three.
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Stroman leads the Majors with 10 quality starts and in his last three outings he has gone 23 innings allowing just seven hits, 15 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.17.
His next start will come Sunday against the San Diego Padres.
2. Marcus Semien
Marcus Semien has hits in a career high 20-straight games which is tied for the current longest streak in the Majors and is the second longest streak ever in Texas Rangers history (Gabe Kapler had a 28 consecutive game hitting streak in 2000).
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He also has reached base in a career high 28 straight-games and should be a lock to start for the American League in this year’s All-Star Game. He leads all A.L. second baseman in almost every hitting category, ranks second in the Majors in WAR, leads in runs and his 44 RBI are fifth most in baseball.
3. Aaron Judge
The current American League home run leader is continuing his case to be the best player in the Majors by putting up numbers that are better than those he had in last year’s record-breaking MVP season.
Through the first third of 2023, Judge has driven in and scored more runs than last year while also having a higher OPS, the same amount of home runs only a slightly lower batting average.
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Over his last seven games, Judge is slashing .333/.429/.917 with four walks, six RBI and four home runs including a two homer game in Seattle on Monday.
4. Mookie Betts
Mookie Betts is in the conversation of best leadoff hitters in Major League history after another multi-home run game out of that spot. He began Wednesday’s game with a home run on the fourth pitch he saw, then later followed with another solo bomb in the 8th.
That was the 21st career multi-homer game for Betts out of the leadoff spot which is already two more than anyone else in the long history of Major League Baseball.
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Betts is batting .252 this season with 33 RBI and his 43 runs scored are the fifth most in the National League.
5. Josh Naylor
Josh Naylor of the Cleveland Guardians capped off a week where he batted .435 with a performance for the ages against the Baltimore Orioles Wednesday.
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Naylor went 4-for-5 with a home run, two doubles, six RBI, three runs scored and a stolen base: becoming the fourth player in the franchise’s history to produce that stat line.
“Good things happen when you play the game hard,” said Naylor after the game. “Everyone loves each other here and everyone’s success is a beautiful thing.”
Naylor’s Guardians will face Byron Buxton and their divisional rival Twins in a four-game series this weekend.
by Malik Wright | May 12, 2023 | THE LEAD OFF
When Marcus Semien leads, the rest of the Texas Rangers follow. He has reached base safely in 23 of his last 24 games and on Wednesday he collected his American League leading 30th RBI, giving him the top spot on Week 6 #HighFive List.
1. Marcus Semien
Marcus Semien is the head of the snake for one of the Major’s most explosive offenses.
The team scored a record 221 runs in their first 33 games thanks in large part to Semien who leads the group in both runs scored and runs driven in.
Amongst second baseman throughout the league, Semien’s name should fall no lower than one in terms of who is the best going right now.
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He leads in WAR, RBI, runs, walks while ranking top five in home runs and doubles.
This weekend Semien brings the first place Rangers to his hometown of Oakland, California for a four-game series against the Oakland A’s.
2. Devin “Airbender” Williams
In the two spot this week we give a shout out to the man with one of the filthiest pitches in the Majors, Brewers closer Devin Williams who gave up his first run of the season this week after a dominant beginning to 2023.
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Williams put his talents on full display for the whole world to see during this spring’s World Baseball Classic and the success he had with Team USA has followed him into his first year as Milwaukee’s full-time closer.
He owns a 0.76 ERA in 16 innings pitched and he has only given up six hits while striking out 16 and only walking three.
The best Black pitcher in baseball will look to embarrass a few more hitters in his weekend series against Kansas City.
3. Marcus “Stro Show” Stroman
Marcus Stroman is helping create a new culture on the North side of Chicago and he is leading by example every five days when he toes the rubber.
Last Monday Stroman recorded his Major League leading seventh quality start of the year in what ended up as a 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
He went six innings, giving up two earned runs and striking out six but fell victim to something that has been a usual occurrence for him throughout his career; little to no run support. On the season Stroman has a 2.28 ERA and should be on track to earning his second career All-Star selection. His next start will come Sunday against Byron Buxton and the Minnesota Twins.
4. Josiah “Sway” Gray
Josiah Gray goes as hard in the classroom as he does when mowing Major League hitters down, giving kids an example of what a true student athlete is.
Gray will be graduating from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York this upcoming winter and deserves an A+ for his first quarter of the 2023 MLB season. On Wednesday Gray won his third game of the year after going seven innings giving up two earned on five hits in San Francisco. That lowers Gray’s ERA to 2.96 as he looks to continue his success Tuesday when his Nationals travel to South Beach to take on Jazz Chisholm Jr. and the Marlins.
5. “Late Night” LaMonte Wade Jr.
LaMonte Wade’s play over the last few weeks has caught the eyes of two Bay area O.G. ‘s in Willie Mays and Barry Bonds.
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Over the weekend Wade finally got a chance to speak with the Giants legendary outfielder, the “Say Hey” kid Willie Mays and that moment meant the world to him.
“It is a very special moment we got to share with him,” Wade told reporters. “We got to see him smile and talk about baseball and life in general and for him to know who I am, that is crazy.”
When a goat recognizes your game you know you are doing something right. During the month of May Wade is slashing .308/.455/.538 with two home runs and five RBI.
by Malik Wright | Apr 28, 2023 | THE LEAD OFF
Josiah Gray “Sway” struck out a season-high nine batters to earn his first win of the 2023 season. The Nationals’ Ace has ripped off the prospect tag and now his ERA sits at 2.93, helping him earn the top spot on our Week 4 #HighFive List.
1. Josiah Gray
Since his first start of the season Josiah Gray has carved his way through Major League lineups. Tuesday night Gray went six shutout innings and gave up just four hits against one of the league’s more potent lineups, the Mets. More importantly, Gray who gave up the most home runs in the Majors during 2022 has only given up one over his last four starts.
Gray already has seven games with at least nine strikes in his few short years in the Majors.
He will look to continue his streak of going at least five innings in every start when he takes on the Pirates in D.C. Sunday afternoon.
2. Cedric Mullins
Cedric “CM Storm” Mullins is running wild during Major League Baseball’s first trial with their new rules. He is on pace to reach 73 stolen bases by season’s end, which would be the most for a player since 2009.
In addition to the speed the former 30/30 man has not lacked any power and skill with the bat in his hands.
Over his last seven games Mullins is hitting .333 with three walks and five RBI including a grand slam Tuesday night against the Red Sox.
This weekend Mullins brings his Orioles to Mo-Town to take on the Detroit Tigers.
3. Marcus Semien
The 2021 MLBbro.com Player of the Year has been the best second baseman in the Majors this season and his hot start landed him with the honor of being named Rob Parker’s Home Boi Highlights. Entering Wednesday Semien leads the Majors with 23 runs scored and is seventh in RBI. He also has been on base for 12 consecutive games dating back to April 12th.
Semien has also drawn six walks in his last seven games and is second on the Rangers in RBI, stolen bases and home runs.
With key members of their lineup missing, Semien will have to come up with a few big time performances during a four-game set against the New York Yankees.
4. J.P. Crawford
We have said it for years now: when J.P. Crawford gets his bat going, he is going to be a problem for the league. Just ask fellow MLBbro and Melanated Mound Marauder Taijuan Walker who got hit with a bro-on-bro crime when Crawford took him deep for a grand slam.
Over his last seven games the Seattle Capitan is hitting .333 with a .455 On Base Percentage and four walks.
This weekend Crawford brings his Mariners into the “6” for a American League Wild Card rematch against the Blue Jays.
5. Byron Buxton
Big Bux is balling this season, showing early on that when he is on the field, not many are a bigger threat at the plate. His game-winning two-run homer against the Yankees Tuesday helped the Twins win their first series against them since back in 2001 when Lil Bux was only a six-year-old with Majors League dreams.
Buxton is hitting .244 this season with four home runs and 10 RBI. His Twins take on the Kansas City Royals this weekend in a reunion with their former Gold Glove center fielder Michael A. Taylor.
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