MLB Team of the Week: Jason Heyward, Alex Rodriguez and Anthony Rizzo Star
Another seven days of baseball action have whizzed past, which means it's time for a fresh installment of Bleacher Report's MLB Team of the Week.
To refresh your memory: These are the players (one per position, plus a designated hitter) who busted box scores between June 19 and June 25.
To qualify, a player needs at least two starts at the position in question or at least one start in the case of pitchers. Speaking of which, we're only considering starting hurlers—sorry, relievers.
Finally, while this is mostly about individual achievement, bonus points are awarded if a strong showing led to notches in the win column.
Catcher: Stephen Vogt, Oakland A's
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Confession time: All season long here at Team of the Week headquarters, we've been waiting for Stephen Vogt to fall.
It's just such an improbable story—this journeyman catcher on the wrong side of 30 transforming himself into one of the most potent offensive weapons in the game.
As if to silence our doubts, Vogt went 12-for-20 with a home run and six RBI, while the Oakland A's ripped off a five-game winning streak and crept to within seven games of .500.
Honorable Mention
Buster Posey (SF): Thanks in large part to a pair of grand slams, Buster Posey collected an impressive 12 RBI for the week.
First Base: Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs
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Anthony Rizzo slid to fifth among National League first basemen in the latest round of All-Star voting results. This week, he reminded everyone why he deserves a place in the Midsummer Classic.
Rizzo banged out 11 hits in 27 at-bats, including three doubles and three home runs. And he got a ringing endorsement from his skipper, Joe Maddon.
"His year is definitely above and beyond," Maddon said, per Tony Andracki of CSN Chicago. "I've not seen it, personally, the kind of year he's having right now."
Honorable Mention
Albert Pujols (LAA): Four of Albert Pujols' six hits left the yard this week, and the veteran masher collected 10 RBI.
Second Base: Jason Kipnis, Cleveland Indians
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How good has Jason Kipnis been in 2015? He's getting MVP chatter in June.
In fact, Sports Illustrated's Cliff Corcoran crowned Kipnis the front-runner for the award on Thursday and outlined a convincing case:
"Kipnis has avoided making an out in exactly half of his last 230 plate appearances (not counting the one time he reached on an error in that span) and has hit .415/.500/.627 since the calendar flipped to May. In June, he has failed to reach base just once in 20 games and will carry a 19-game hitting streak into Cleveland’s weekend series in Baltimore. Kipnis doesn’t have the best raw batting line in the league, but when you factor in the standard for offense at his position and his outstanding play in the field, he rises to the top.
"
OK, that's the big picture. We're concerned with this week, and in that regard, Kipnis also came up strong, going 13-for-23 with five doubles.
The only downside, and it's a doozy, is that the Tribe remain mired in fourth place in the AL Central.
Honorable Mention
Robinson Cano (SEA): After a 3-3 week, the Seattle Mariners sit at 33-40 and continue to be one of 2015's sorest disappointments. Robinson Cano offered a faint silver lining, going 8-for-23 with two doubles and a home run.
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Third Base: Maikel Franco, Philadelphia Phillies
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If you want to see Maikel Franco and the Philadelphia Phillies' season summed up in one single-panel cartoon, here it is, courtesy of Rob Tornoe of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The punch line, if you're too lazy to click, is that no one is watching the woeful Phillies, and therefore they're missing Franco's breakout rookie campaign.
He padded his numbers this week with a 13-for-25 showing to go along with three home runs and 11 RBI.
The Phils managed a 3-3 record over that span but are still wallowing in last place in the NL East.
Honorable Mention
Nolan Arenado (COL): Six of Nolan Arenado's nine hits went for extra bases, as he rapped out a double, a triple and four home runs and picked up nine RBI.
Shortstop: Xander Bogaerts, Boston Red Sox
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To say the Boston Red Sox aren't living up to expectations is like saying Beantown fans mildly dislike the sight of pinstripes.
Enter Xander Bogaerts, a cause for optimism if ever there was one.
The rookie shortstop continued his scalding June with an even more scalding week, going 8-for-22 with five doubles and four RBI.
Tony Massarotti encapsulated Bogaerts' rise, per CBS Boston: "This kid is blossoming in front of our eyes and turning into a stud."
Honorable Mention
Eugenio Suarez (CIN): The 23-year-old Cincinnati Reds call-up peeled off a six-game hitting streak with 11 knocks in 25 at-bats.
Left Field: Yoenis Cespedes, Detroit Tigers
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Yoenis Cespedes cracked nine hits in 27 at-bats this week, including three doubles and a home run.
The Cuban slugger has won two consecutive Home Run Derby crowns but said his decision about whether to shoot for a three-peat could hinge on his making the American League All-Star squad, per Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press.
"It's much better when you make the All-Star team than just participating in the Home Run Derby," Cespedes said. "The overall experience is better when you are part of the team."
A few more weeks like this one, and he should get his wish.
Honorable Mention
Hanley Ramirez (BOS): Hanley Ramirez left Wednesday's game with a bruised hand, though Boston didn't place him on the disabled list, per Fox Sports' Jon Morosi. Prior to that, Ramirez went 9-for-17 with two home runs and five RBI.
Center Field: Brett Gardner, New York Yankees
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Brett Gardner sat out Thursday's game between the New York Yankees and Houston Astros, a game the 'Stros ultimately won, 4-0.
There's no telling if Gardner, a left-handed hitter, would have made a difference against Houston's southpaw slayer, Dallas Keuchel.
Here's what we do know: Gardner went 14-for-27 with a triple, two doubles, three home runs and eight RBI this week.
Honorable Mention
Mookie Betts (BOS): Mookie Betts delivered more good news for the Red Sox's future, going 12-for-26 with two home runs.
Right Field: Jason Heyward, St. Louis Cardinals
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Jason Heyward had an excellent week, but even more than that, he had an amazing stretch between June 21 and June 24, when he homered in three consecutive contests and racked up five RBI.
Overall, the St. Louis Cardinals right fielder went 11-for-26, drove in seven runs and raised his slugging percentage more than 40 points.
"He's been kind of our catalyst right now driving in runs and being that guy to kind of get going for us," Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong told reporters after Heyward went deep in Wednesday's win over the Miami Marlins, per Luke Thompson of Fox Sports Midwest.
Honorable Mention
Carlos Beltran (NYY): It was turn-back-the-clock week for Carlos Beltran, as the 38-year-old eight-time All-Star went 9-for-25 with four doubles and a pair of home runs.
Designated Hitter: Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
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Like it or not, the Alex Rodriguez milestone train keeps rolling.
This week, A-Rod passed Hall of Famer Al Kaline for 27th place on the all-time hits list, per MLB Milestones, and overall went 10-for-26 with three home runs.
Most intriguingly, Rodriguez raised his season average to .289 and his OPS to a robust .923, meaning the inevitable All-Star snub will stand out even more starkly.
Honorable Mention
Victor Martinez (DET): Since returning from the disabled list June 19—a tidy date for Team of the Week purposes—Victor Martinez has gone 10-for-29 with two doubles, a home run and seven RBI.
Pitcher: Marco Estrada, Toronto Blue Jays
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The Toronto Blue Jays pace MLB with 405 runs scored, yet they're sitting at 39-35, two games out in the AL East.
If only they had some pitching, right?
Enter Marco Estrada, who spent the season's first month in the pen but this week looked every bit the rotation-anchoring stud, tossing 15.2 innings of one-run, three-hit ball with 16 strikeouts.
In his start June 19, he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. On Wednesday, he outdid himself and carried a perfect game into the eighth.
Yes, the 31-year-old Estrada is probably due for a regression. For now, however, he's clearly Team of the Week material.
Honorable Mention
Max Scherzer (WAS): It seems unfair to penalize Max Scherzer for nearly pitching a perfect game. After all, his no-hitter June 20 against the Pittsburgh Pirates was plenty impressive. But something about retiring 26 straight only to lose out on a hit batter bumps Scherzer off the Team of the Week pedestal—though his place at the front of the NL Cy Young race is secure.
All statistics current as of June 25 and courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.
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