Best – Aaron Judge OF Yankees – 2-4 2R 5RBI 2HR
Aaron Judge has thrown his name back into the ring for the best player in baseball after his monster Sunday night game against the Yankees long time rivals, the Boston Red Sox.
When Judge finally got his shot at a full season with the Yankees franchise in 2017, he broke the major league record for home runs in a season and the record for walks by a player in their rookie season. Judge also took home the HR derby title when he participated in the 2017 All-Star game. Judge led the American League in HR, Walks, Runs, Runs Created, and strikeouts. He was awarded the AL Rookie of the Year award and the Silver Slugger as one of three best hitting outfielders in the American League. This rookie season was one to remember.
Over the next two seasons, Judge could not seem to stay healthy enough to recapture the magic of his rookie season with only 112 and 102 games. It looked like 2020 was going to be much of the same, but the shutdown allowed Judge to fully heal and start the season healthy.
Judge is currently on a five-game HR streak. His three-run HR came in the bottom of the 8th and gave the Yankees the winning lead put their record at 7-1, the best record in the league. With Judge looking healthy and in record-breaking form, the Yankees are going to be the team to beat.
Other Notables: Tyler Alexander SP Tigers – 3.2IP 0H 0ER 1BB 10K; Xander Bogaerts SS Red Sox – 4-4 3R 3RBI 2HR; Trevor Bauer SP Reds – 7IP 2H 0ER 2BB 7K CG 1W; Nick Madrigal 2B White Sox – 4-4 2R 1RBI; Antonio Senzatela SP Rockies – 6IP 4H 1ER 1BB 6K 1W.
Worst – Matt Olson 1B Athletics – 0-4
Matt Olson started the season with a walk-off grand slam on opening day, but it has all been downhill for the talented first baseman. Since that two hit opening day game, he has gone 2-23 2R 0HR 1RBI. The Athletics have one of the best defensive cornerstones in Olson and Matt Chapman (3B), but they need these two players to pick it up on the offensive end if they are going to make the playoffs. Both players play in the heart of the Athletics lineup at 3 and 4.
Olson came into Sunday’s game, hoping to shake off this slump but ended up going 0-4 with two strikeouts. This latest performance has put Olson’s batting average at a career-low of .133, .118 points below his career average. In his first three seasons with the Athletics, Olson averaged 29 home runs per season, with each season having more home runs than the last: 24, 29, and 36. This season, Olson has hit 1HR and 5 RBI.
Slumps and bad streaks happen to every team in every season. Still, a team like the Athletics that always seem to play their best baseball in the second half of the season can’t have one of their best offensive weapons slump for much longer if they want to be in the playoffs again this season with every game meaning so much.
Extra Trash: Shohei Ohtani SP Angels – 1.2IP 0H 2ER 5BB 3K 1L; Luis Rengifo 2BAngels -0-5 3K; James Paxton SP Yankees – 3IP 7H 3ER 0BB 4K; Pete Alonso 1B Mets – 0-5 3K, Daniel Norris SP Tigers – 1.2IP 4H 2ER 2BB 0K 1L.