MLB Team of the Week: Chris Heston, Giancarlo Stanton and Joey Votto Star
With another week of baseball action in the rear-view, it's time for the latest installment of Bleacher Report's MLB Team of the Week.
In case you're new to the party: These are the guys (eight position players plus a designated hitter and starting pitcher) who've busted box scores over the past seven days. So toss out their overall stats. They're being judged solely on what they accomplished between June 5 and June 11.
(Seriously, we're strict about those dates, so before you complain in the comments, make sure you aren't remembering a monster game that happened on June 4. Then feel free to complain.)
To qualify, a player needs at least two starts at the position in question or one start in the case of pitchers.
Finally, extra credit is awarded if gaudy stats led to a bump in the standings. Because while individual performance is nice, it's even nicer when you're winning.
Catcher: Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
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Buster Posey went 10-for-27 with three doubles, a home run and six RBI for the defending champs, who finished the week 4-2 and remained hot on the heels of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West.
Oh, and he also caught his third career no-hitter, moving him into a tie for second place on the all-time list, per Andrew Simon of MLB.com. Only Jason Varitek, who caught four no-nos, has more.
Honorable Mention
Yan Gomes (CLE): The Cleveland Indians backstop had his first breakout week since returning from the disabled list May 24, going 9-for-24 with two home runs.
First Base: Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds
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Joey Votto continued his comeback season by going 9-for-23 with three home runs and seven RBI.
All of Votto's homers came on Tuesday, the third time in his career he's hit that many in a single contest. He joins Johnny Bench as the only Cincinnati Reds player to accomplish the feat, per the Associated Press (via ESPN).
Almost as impressively, with seven walks, Votto finished the week with a gaudy .533 on-base percentage.
Honorable Mention
Albert Pujols (LAA): Albert Pujols went 8-for-23 this week, but more importantly, he passed Mickey Mantle on the all-time home run list with No. 537 on Thursday night.
Second Base: Joe Panik, San Francisco Giants
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After collecting at least one knock in every game this week, Joe Panik carries a 15-game hitting streak into play Friday.
Overall, the Giants second baseman went 12-for-28 with two doubles and two home runs and raised his average for the season to .323.
If he keeps it up, he'll make it impossible for his skipper, Bruce Bochy, to leave him off the National League All-Star team (assuming he doesn't get in via fan vote).
Honorable Mention
DJ LeMahieu (COL): Another NL West second baseman, DJ LaMahieu, also had a big week, going 13-for-31 with four doubles.
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Third Base: Todd Frazier, Cincinnati Reds
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Speaking of the All-Star Game, after another strong week, Todd Frazier moved a step closer to playing in the Midsummer Classic in front of his hometown fans.
Frazier went 12-for-30 with five extra-base hits and five RBI, and he currently leads all NL third basemen with 17 home runs—which is irrelevant for Team of the Week, but decidedly relevant for All-Star consideration.
Honorable Mention
Maikel Franco (PHI): In the midst of a predictably woeful season for the last-place Philadelphia Phillies, Maikel Franco kept playing the role of the bright spot, going 11-for-23 with three doubles and two home runs.
Shortstop: Jose Reyes, Toronto Blue Jays
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The surging Toronto Blue Jays won all six of their games this week and have won eight straight to climb back above .500 and into the American League East race.
Give a share of the credit to Jose Reyes, who went 9-for-24 while cracking two home runs, collecting five RBI and stealing five bases.
It was a nice retort to Toronto radio broadcaster Jerry Howarth, who took to Sportsnet 590 The Fan on June 2 and criticized Reyes for flashing "too many smiles when he is in decline and making mistakes and hurting his team," per Sportsnet.
"I hate when people say, 'He's having too much fun,'" Reyes said at the time, per Sportsnet's Shi Davidi. "You see the same guy every single day, nothing changes. I can go 0-for-5, I can go 5-for-5, I'm going to be the same guy. I'm a happy guy, people have to deal with it."
Honorable Mention
Troy Tulowitzki (COL): Whether he's reemerging as the Rockies' franchise player or showcasing his skills for trade-deadline suitors, Troy Tulowitzki succeeded this week, going 9-for-20 with a double, a home run and four RBI.
Left Field: Yoenis Cespedes, Detroit Tigers
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It's easy to get overlooked in the Detroit Tigers' potent lineup, but Yoenis Cespedes made sure he stood out this week.
The Cuban slugger hit a cool .500 with nine knocks in 18 at-bats, including a double and two home runs. The Tigers, meanwhile, went 3-2 but remain in third place behind both the Kansas City Royals and surprising Minnesota Twins in the AL Central.
Honorable Mention
Nori Aoki (SF): The Giants leadoff hitter racked up 12 more hits this week, all singles, raising his season average to .336.
Center Field: Cameron Maybin, Atlanta Braves
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Cameron Maybin entered the season as part of the Craig Kimbrel trade, one of several players the San Diego Padres shipped to Atlanta to nab the All-Star closer.
If Maybin's recent performance is any indication, it could soon be known as the Cameron Maybin trade.
The lanky center fielder continued his breakout season with a solid week, going 13-for-30 with five RBI and three stolen bases.
He's battled injuries in the past but has always had the tools to be a valuable big league contributor, as FanGraphs' Jeff Sullivan notes:
"A healthy Maybin is a capable center fielder. He's not a hacker, and he makes a roughly average amount of contact. He possesses legitimate power, and with more of a line-drive swing instead of a groundball swing, Maybin could end up hitting enough to be a quality regular player.
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Honorable Mention
Adam Jones (BAL): Six of Adam Jones' eight hits this week went for extra bases, including two doubles, a triple and three home runs.
Right Field: Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins
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With all the attention that's been heaped on Bryce Harper and his breakout season, it's easy to forget that Giancarlo Stanton is still crushing baseballs in the same division.
Stanton reminded everyone of his eye-popping power this week, bashing five home runs and three doubles while going 11-for-30 with nine RBI.
Oh, and while this is still all about the last seven days, the Miami Marlins masher now leads all of baseball with 22 dingers.
One place where Harper enjoys a clear edge is in the standings. His Washington Nationals are second in the NL East, while the Fish, who went 3-4 this week, are floating under .500.
Honorable Mention
Carlos Gonzalez (COL): After a miserable start to the season—he was hitting .197 as recently as May 17—Carlos Gonzalez has been on the upswing. This week, he hit to the tune of 10 hits in 27 at-bats, including two doubles and two home runs with six RBI.
Designated Hitter: Adam LaRoche, Chicago White Sox
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Adam LaRoche got the requisite two starts at DH this week while also seeing time at first base.
Overall, he went 6-for-18 with a double and two home runs for the Chicago White Sox, who went 4-2 but remained stuck in fourth place in the AL Central.
Honorable Mention
Alex Rodriguez (NYY): A-Rod had a decent week, going 5-for-18 with two doubles, but he warrants mention because, on June 5, he moved past Barry Bonds for sole possession of second place on the all-time RBI list.
Pitcher: Chris Heston, San Francisco Giants
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It's a simple formula: Toss a no-hitter, and you make the Team of the Week.
With his masterful 11-strikeout performance against the New York Mets on June 9, Heston became the first Giants rookie to throw a no-no since Jeff Tesreau in 1912. That's smack dab in the middle of William Howard Taft's presidency, in case you needed a little perspective.
"He was nasty tonight," Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford said, per CSN Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic. "When he's on, he's one of the best pitchers I've played behind."
Considering San Francisco has won three titles in five years largely on the strength of its arms, that's saying something.
Honorable Mention
Chris Sale (CWS): If not for Heston's gem, Sale would have had the start of the week with his eight-inning, one-run, 14-strikeout outing June 8 against the Houston Astros.
All statistics current as of June 11 and courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.
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