As we enter a new month of baseball, we gleefully wait for what’s next for the league’s brightest stars. The All-Star ballots are now open. The All-Star Game is still over a month away. But some are dominating the conversation, as well as building the most steam coming into June.
Whether carrying the team or just doing their part, in this case with their bats, they have become the talk of the town. We will be taking a look at those players making their All-Star cases from the batter’s box. Familiar faces will no doubt enter this spotlight. But we would also like to give a shout out to those lesser known players getting their names out there. Here is the latest All-Star watch for the month of June.
All-Star watch: American League
Considering the season J.D. Martinez of the Boston Red Sox is having so far, he is seemingly a shoe-in for an All-Star roster spot. The 30-year-old outfielder currently leads the MLB in both home runs and RBIs. Not to mention he knocked out three of those homers and seven RBIs in his last seven games. Martinez is on the right track to grab his second career All-Star selection, as well as his second career Silver Slugger Award.
Los Angeles Angels center fielder, Mike Trout, is another dangerous name from the batter’s box. Trout has tallied up 19 home runs and 39 RBIs so far this season. In addition, he is batting over .400 in his last seven games. The six-time All-Star will be eyeing a seventh straight selection for the July festivities in Washington D.C. The fact he is only 26 years old makes these accomplishments that much more remarkable.
The Cleveland Indians are currently at the top of the AL Central. A big reason for that is third baseman, Jose Ramirez. This year, Ramirez has accumulated 19 home runs and 43 RBIs. In his last seven outings, he has cashed in three home runs and four RBIs, along with a .320 batting average. Given the numbers he has put up lately, Cleveland will have more and more momentum to build off of in June.
All-Star watch: National League
The Cincinnati Reds do not have a lot of things to be happy about this season. But one of their brighter spots is the bat of second baseman, Ryan “Scooter” Gennett. He currently boasts a .344 batting average, along with 12 home runs and 44 RBIs. Scooter has chalked up a .320 batting average in his last seven games as well. Gennett is not the biggest home run hitter in the NL, but when there are men on base, he is not to be taken lightly.
Renown for his defense, Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies has made his mark with the bat as well. Arenado sports a .325 batting average with 12 home runs and 36 RBIs. The five-time Gold-Glove winning third baseman has turned up the heat from the batter’s box in his last seven games, cashing in seven RBIs with a .367 batting average. Arenado and company will need to do more if they wish to overtake Arizona for the NL West.
Over in the NL East, the race for the top remains tight, with the Washington Nationals holding a small lead over the Atlanta Braves. Luckily for Atlanta, they have first baseman Freddie Freeman to help keep them competitive. Freeman currently boasts a .338 batting average with 11 home runs and 43 RBIs. Freeman has become one of many things going well for Atlanta this season, but the Braves will need to keep riding high if they want to move ahead of Washington. As for Freeman, he will be eyeing his third All-Star selection in his professional career, his first since 2014.
As June presses on
Of course, these are only a few names making their bats heard around the league. The MLB holds no shortage of names hopeful to be counted among the current All-Stars. With the month still young, it is only a matter of time when a lesser-known athlete catches fire. When he does, he will also take over the conversation and become the next big man on campus. Whoever they may be, we will be happy to tell you about him in our next MLB All-Star watch.
Featured image from USA Today
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