MLB Team of the Week: Paul Goldschmidt, Albert Pujols and Troy Tulowitzki Star
June has arrived, and with it, another installment of Bleacher Report's MLB Team of the Week.
You know the deal: 10 players—one per position, including designated hitter—who stuffed the stat sheet over the last seven days.
To qualify, a player needs at least two starts at the position in question between May 29 and June 4, or one start in the case of pitchers.
And while this is mostly about individual performance, extra credit is awarded if big numbers in the box score translated to ticks in the win column.
Catcher: Derek Norris, San Diego Padres
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In a so-so week for backstops, Derek Norris padded his All-Star credentials, going 6-for-22 with two home runs and six RBI.
The San Diego Padres, meanwhile, went 4-2 over that stretch and climbed within 4.5 games of the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West.
Honorable Mention
Martin Maldonado (MIL): Martin Maldonado started just two games for the Milwaukee Brewers, but he made the most of them, banging out five hits in 10 at-bats, including two doubles and a 17th-inning walk-off home run.
First Base: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
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Even after the Arizona Diamondbacks traded slugger Mark Trumbo to the Seattle Mariners in an apparent white-flag move, Paul Goldschmidt kept right on raking like a man with his eyes on the prize.
Overall, the D-Backs first baseman went 12-for-25 with four doubles, four home runs and an incredible 1.759 OPS for the week.
Honorable Mention
Freddie Freeman (ATL): Five of Freddie Freeman's nine hits sailed over the fence this week, and he picked up 10 RBI.
Second Base: Brian Dozier, Minnesota Twins
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It's high time Brian Dozier got his due. The Minnesota Twins second baseman has been impressive all season, yet this is his first Team of the Week appearance.
He earned it, going 10-for-27 with four doubles, a triple and a home run for the surprising Twins, who went 4-3 and held onto first place in the American League Central.
Dozier defers credit for his hot hitting to first-year skipper Paul Molitor, per Jim Souhan of the Star-Tribune:
"Mollie sat me down halfway through the year and said, "Why do you keep letting that first-pitch fastball go by?" I said, "Well, I'm trying to work the count, see pitches. He said, "Man, I used to swing at that pitch all the time." I said, "Well, you're a Hall of Famer, so I must be doing something wrong."
"
Lately, Dozier's been doing a whole lot right.
Honorable Mention
Brandon Phillips (CIN): Brandon Phillips went 10-for-25 with a home run and seven RBI for the Cincinnati Reds, who went 4-2 for the week but remain mired in fourth place in the NL Central.
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Third Base: Todd Frazier, Cincinnati Reds
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Todd Frazier clubbed two home runs and four doubles and went 9-for-27 overall.
The Reds, as mentioned, remain an afterthought in the competitive NL Central. But with each home run he launches, Frazier looks more and more likely to play in front of his home crowd in the Midsummer Classic, which will be held at Cincinnati's Great American Ballpark.
He's also upping his potential trade value should the Reds elect to move him at the deadline. While that's out of Frazier's hands, he insists he'd prefer to stay put.
"I'd like to be in Cincinnati my whole life," Frazier said, per Matt Lombardo of NJ Advanced Media. "That would be pretty nice. I like it out there."
Honorable Mention
Nolan Arenado (COL): Half of Nolan Arenado's eight hits this week went for extra bases, including a double and three dingers. He also drove in eight runs.
Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies
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Speaking of players upping their potential trade value, Troy Tulowitzki went 10-for-20 this week, good for a clean .500 average, with four home runs and 10 RBI.
It was a rare bright blip in a mostly bleak season for Tulo and the Rockies, who sit in last place in the NL West.
Still, Colorado is only four games under .500 entering play Friday. A red-hot Tulowitzki could net a haul of prospects, but he could also propel the Rockies back to relevance.
Honorable Mention
Xander Bogaerts (BOS): The Boston Red Sox finished the week a disappointing 2-5, but Xander Bogaerts did his part, going 11-for-21 with four RBI.
Left Field: Kevin Pillar, Toronto Blue Jays
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Kevin Pillar could have hit two home runs off of Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer and called it a week. In fact, he could have called it a lifetime, as he explained, per MLB.com's
"I was telling the guys, I've never hit two home runs at any level. Never in Little League, college, high school, any level. That's the first time I had two home runs in a game and to do it against a guy like Max Scherzer, it was definitely a really special day for me and a day I'll never forget.
"
The Toronto Blue Jays outfielder had a memorable seven-day stretch, going 8-for-17 with a double, three home runs and six RBI.
It's those dingers (plural) off Scherzer, though, that'll stick with him.
Honorable Mention
Delino DeShields (TEX): DeShields went 9-for-23 with two doubles and a pair of stolen bases for the surging Texas Rangers, who went 5-1 and moved into a tie for second place in the AL West.
Center Field: Joc Pederson, Los Angeles Dodgers
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It was a record-setting week for Joc Pederson, who homered in five consecutive games, equaling the Dodgers' all-time franchise mark, per Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times.
Yes, Los Angeles went just 3-5, including a double-header split against the Rockies at Coors Field.
But Pederson's raw power cannot be denied—and neither can his expanding NL Rookie of the Year credentials.
Honorable Mention
A.J. Pollock (ARI): A.J. Pollock collected a triple, two doubles and three home runs among his 11 hits, posting a robust 1.132 OPS for the week.
Right Field: Steven Souza Jr., Tampa Bay Rays
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The Tampa Bay Rays are nipping at the heels of the New York Yankees in the flawed but competitive AL East. This week, Steven Souza Jr. was a major reason why.
Souza homered four times, reeled in nine RBI and scored six runs for the Rays, who went 5-2 and sit just a half-game back of New York entering play Friday.
Souza's power surge may be raising a few eyebrows, but not his manager's.
"If you watch him take BP," Rays skipper Kevin Cash said, per the Tampa Tribune's Roger Mooney, "you're not surprised by it."
Honorable Mention
Brandon Moss (CLE): Brandon Moss went 10-for-24 with three doubles and two home runs for the Tribe, who went 4-2 and pulled within one game of .500.
Designated Hitter: Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels
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Yes, Albert Pujols saw more time at first base than at DH this week. And no, we don't care.
What matters is Pujols' bat, which rapped out 10 hits in 26 at-bats, including five home runs. On Tuesday, the veteran slugger tied Jimmie Foxx for 17th place on the all-time home run list with 534.
If he stays healthy and productive, Pujols could eventually ascend into even more elite company, as Hardball Talk's Aaron Gleeman notes:
"Pujols has 100-plus games left in his age-35 season, but he already ranks seventh all time in home runs through age 35.
[He] is signed through 2021 and averaging even 20 homers per season through the end of that contract would allow him to join Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Alex Rodriguez, and Willie Mays in the 650-homer club. Of course, averaging 20 homers per season in 2020 or 2021—when Pujols will be 40 and 41 years old—is far from a sure thing.
"
We'll leave that speculation for another day and simply tip our cap to a great hitter for a week well played.
Honorable Mention
Evan Gattis (HOU): The Houston Astros stayed atop the standings in the AL West, and Evan Gattis did his part, going 9-for-27 with two home runs and six RBI.
Pitcher: Masahiro Tanaka, New York Yankees
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Masahiro Tanaka didn't put up the best numbers among starting pitchers this week, but he had easily the most important start.
And make no mistake, it was an excellent start.
Taking the hill for the first time since April 23 and just his fifth time in 2015, Tanaka tossed seven innings of three-hit, one-run ball with nine strikeouts and no walks in a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners.
The Yankees ace landed on the disabled list this season with a strain of his right elbow and tendinitis in his right wrist. And, of course, there's the partial tear in his elbow ligament that led to a DL stint last season and fears of impending Tommy John surgery.
None of that disappeared with one good outing. But for fans from the Bronx to Tokyo, Tanaka dealing was a welcome sight.
Honorable Mention
Dallas Keuchel (HOU): The Astros left-hander surrendered just two earned runs and one walk in 15 innings while racking up 18 strikeouts.
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