Who's Hot/Who's Not 6 7 13

Hey there, if you read my blog earlier about Yasiel Puig, then you’d be proud of me! Yesterday, Puig hit a grand slam to help Zack Greinke with an easy victory. Looks like this guy has potential!

Anyways, happy Friday, happy National Doughnut Day, and happy birthday to my brother, Andy. Let’s look at who’s hot and who’s not in baseball.

Who's Hot:

 

 Domonic Brown (OF): You’re going to have to remember this name for a long time. The 25 year old is one of the main reasons why Philadelphia is in 2^nd place now (even though they’re barely .500 J). This week he has batted .444 with 5 homers and 12 RBIs. So far his bat has carried through with power, as he is the leader in homers in the National League with 18 homers. He has lots of power, and reminds me of Ryan Howard. That’s just what this organization needs.

 

Jacoby Ellsbury (OF): Just recently (not this week I don’t think), Ellsbury stole 5 bases in one game. He’s not on track to have 70 steals like he did before, but his speed is back. He has also batted .484 in the past 7.

 

Paul Goldschmidt (1B): AHH! He’s so good! Goldschmidt continues to be an MVP favorite. In the last 7 he’s batted .310 with only 2 homers, but 13 RBI’s. He has the best WAR among position players with 3.7, and currently bats .333 with 14 HR and 54 RBI’s. 

 

Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez (SS, OF): These two for the Rockies have had great hitting to accompany their 32-29 record (they need better pitching). Tulowitzki has batted .355 in the last 7 and is currently batting .340, while Carlos Gonzalez has clubbed four homers in the last seven games, and has 17 Home runs on the season. Their WAR numbers are  3.3 and 3.2, respectively.

Cliff Lee (SP): Cliff Lee has suddenly brought back the Phillies into a contending team. His last 3 have been 3-0 with a 1.46 ERA, and has struck out 24. Right now he is 7-2 with a 2.45 ERA, which is much better than his start last year. As usual though, his K/BB ratio is great, which is 5.69.

Shelby Miller (SP): If Clayton Kershaw wasn’t pitching so damn well, Shelby Miller might just be the best Cy Young Candidate for the NL. But of course, there are so many pitchers to choose from this year. In his last two starts, Miller threw 13 innings, struck out 16, and posted a 1.38 ERA. He even helped the offense by hitting a home run in yesterday’s game. Right now he is 7-3 with an MLB best 1.91 ERA, and has a WAR of 3.2. He also can be a reliever according to Yahoo Fantasy Baseball, which would help your pitching rotation!

 

Hisashi Iwakuma (SP): Watch out for him, I might just make him my next potential player. He is 32 years old, but him and King Felix are a deadly combo in Seattle. His last two starts have been scoreless, pitching 15.2 and striking out 10. Right now he has a 1.94 ERA, and is 6-1. His WAR is 3.8, which for some reason is not recognized on Baseball Reference. I love watching Japanese pitchers, because there are some very good players in the MLB that are unrecognized. Iwakuma is just one of them. 

Aroldis Chapman (RP): He’s 7 for 7 in his last save opportunities, and has started to pitch like he usually does: scary. His 100 mph heater has went through every team, including the hard hitting Rockies. He has a 2.42 ERA with 15 saves. 

Congrats to those that are hot, but let’s look at who’s not.

Clint Barmes (SS, 2B): While the Pirates are hot, Barmes is not. He’s batted .136 with only 1 RBI in the past 7, and is just over .200 on the season. 

Ronny Cedeno (SS): I’ve always hated Cedeno, so seeing this makes me smile. He’s batted .136 in the last 7, and has a WAR of -.2 on the season. He’s never been able to drive in runs, as shown by his mere 9 RBI’s this season.

Alejandro Ramos (RP): As a Marlin, this might be a good ERA, I dunno. This season he has a 4.85 ERA, but in his last 7 he’s had an 8.64 ERA and has had 7 walks. In his last outing, he gave up 5 ER and received the loss.

Ian Kennedy (SP): Something is wrong with Kennedy, he usually is not like this. I think there might be a problem with his arm. It might explain his 5.72 ERA and getting crushed by both the Cardinals and the Cubs. Yesterday he gave up 10 runs, including giving up 5 homers, one of which was to the pitcher.

Think someone else should have been put on either list? Then just let me know! Email me at statsbuddy42@gmail.com for any questions, comments, concerns, or just to say hey.

-Evan Boyd

“How about a little fire scarecrow!” – The Wicked Witch of the West

(I thought it’d be appropriate for those that are hot in baseball now).