MLB Team of the Week: Carlos Gonzalez, Didi Gregorius and Scott Kazmir Star
We just passed the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, so you may have failed to notice it's been seven days since the last installment of Bleacher Report's MLB Team of the Week.
Don't worry—we remembered.
To refresh your memory: These are the players (one per position, plus a designated hitter) who have busted box scores over the past week. Forget their overall stats. We're judging them solely on what they accomplished between July 24 and July 30.
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. And we awarded bonus points if a strong individual performance led to notches in the win column.
Catcher: Jonathan Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers
1 of 10
In a so-so week for catchers, Jonathan Lucroy led the pack with 10 hits in 26 at-bats, including three doubles, three RBI and, what the heck, a stolen base.
Overall, Lucroy is having a down year, hitting .257 with little power and spending time on the disabled list for the last-place Brewers.
This week, he reminded the baseball world why he finished fourth in National League MVP voting in 2014.
Honorable Mention
Buster Posey (SF): The San Francisco Giants backstop had just one extra-base hit this week, but he did go 8-for-18 while the defending champs went 5-1 to stay in the thick of the playoff race.
First Base: Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox
2 of 10
Speaking of players who are reminding us what they're capable of, reigning American League Rookie of the Year Jose Abreu banged out 11 hits, including three dingers, and drove in 11 runs this past week.
The Chicago White Sox, meanwhile, went 6-1 to climb within two games of .500 and into the fringes of the postseason picture.
Mostly, they're finally performing as expected, as Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times noted:
"While far from being out of the woods 100 games into the season—they rank last in the American League in runs, despite their hitting barrage on this trip—the Sox finally are playing like the team [general manager Rick] Hahn and vice president Ken Williams envisioned when they added Jeff Samardzija, David Robertson, Melky Cabrera, Adam LaRoche and Zach Duke in December.
"
Any vision that involves the White Sox winning also contains Abreu hitting like he has been.
Honorable Mention
Joey Votto (CIN): As the rebuilding Cincinnati Reds continue to wheel and deal, Joey Votto proved he's a chip worth keeping, going 12-for-22 with three doubles, a pair of home runs and six RBI.
Second Base: DJ LeMahieu, Colorado Rockies
3 of 10
DJ LeMahieu lost his double-play partner when the Colorado Rockies traded shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to the Toronto Blue Jays this week.
And he saw his 18-game hitting streak snapped Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs.
Still, it was a solid seven-day stretch for LeMahieu, who went 13-for-28 with three doubles, a triple and five RBI.
"You guys know I've always been a big fan of DJ's since the very first spring training I saw him," manager Walt Weiss told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. "He plays with a quiet confidence and a steadiness that winning clubs need."
Honorable Mention
Carlos Sanchez (CWS): Another significant factor behind the White Sox's recent push, Carlos Sanchez went 12-for-28 with four doubles and two home runs.
.jpg?w=256 "MLB Farm System Rankings")
Shortstop: Didi Gregorius, New York Yankees
4 of 10
The Blue Jays stole all the headlines in the AL East with their flurry of trade activity, but Didi Gregorius did enough to deserve some attention of his own.
He still isn't named Derek Jeter, but the New York Yankees shortstop went 11-for-22 with a triple and a four-bagger, raising his average 15 points and driving in eight runs.
Gregorius swung it so well, in fact, that he inspired Ryan Hatch of NJ Advance Media to place his stats next to those of 2014 Jeter and conclude that, sure enough, a 25-year-old Gregorius is a modest upgrade over The Captain at age 40.
Whether that'll be enough for the Yankees to fend off the Jays remains to be seen.
Honorable Mention
Xander Bogaerts (BOS): The Boston Red Sox are the bottom-dwellers in the AL East, but Xander Bogaerts rose near the top with 13 knocks in 31 at-bats.
Third Base: Chase Headley, New York Yankees
5 of 10
Yes, it was a good week for the left side of the Yankees infield.
While New York went just 4-3, Chase Headley went 11-for-27 with a double, a home run and seven RBI.
Last season, recall that Headley arrived in the Bronx as part of a trade with the San Diego Padres. This year, he has a home on a contending squad—and he's digging it.
"It's fun to be somewhere that isn't looking to sell off pieces," he told NJ Advance Media's Hatch.
Honorable Mention
Matt Duffy (SF): Matt Duffy remained 2015's most unlikely rookie sensation, going 9-for-23 with a double, a home run and four RBI for the scalding-hot Giants.
Left Field: Melky Cabrera, Chicago White Sox
6 of 10
Another White Sox player who tore through this week, Melky Cabrera went 16-for-33 with a triple and an eye-popping eight doubles—good for a .485 average and 1.288 OPS.
We're tempted to say the Melk Man, who hiked his season average nearly 20 points, poured it on. But we're better than that.
Honorable Mention
Yoenis Cespedes (DET, now with NYM): Detroit may have traded Yoenis Cespedes to the New York Mets at the trade deadline, but this week he was a Tiger and went 9-for-28 with four home runs and seven RBI.
Center Field: Aaron Hicks, Minnesota Twins
7 of 10
The Minnesota Twins went just 2-4 but are still holding onto the AL's second wild-card slot.
If the Twinkies plan to finish off their surprise season with an improbable playoff run, they could use more weeks like this one from Aaron Hicks.
It's impressive enough that he went 13-for-23, but he also banged out two home runs, nearly matching his previous total of three, as well as a triple.
Honorable Mention
Michael Taylor (WSH): Washington Nationals rookie Michael Taylor flashed the leather in center field and went 10-for-22 with three home runs, six RBI and three stolen bases.
Right Field: Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies
8 of 10
Depending on your perspective, Carlos Gonzalez either proved he's an important part of the Rockies' future or a valuable trade chip.
Either way, CarGo had a grand week, going 14-for-28 with seven home runs and 13 RBI. For a lot of guys, that's a solid month.
"It's fun to play baseball when the ball jumps off the bat that easy," Gonzalez said after launching two home runs against the Reds on July 24, per the Associated Press (via FoxSports.com). "I knew that time would give me the opportunity to become the player that I am, and of course, I'm healthy, and things are going the way I expected them to."
Honorable Mention
Jay Bruce (CIN): Speaking of potential trade targets, Jay Bruce rapped out three doubles and two home runs among his nine hits, tallying 10 RBI.
Designated Hitter: David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox
9 of 10
In a year that has given Red Sox fans so much heartache and so little solace, you have to love the sight of David Ortiz swinging it like vintage Big Papi.
Overall, Ortiz went 10-for-23 with 11 RBI this week. And his three home runs brought his career total to 486, which means he has a shot at smacking No. 500 with a season-ending power binge.
It wouldn't erase the pain in Beantown, but it wouldn't hurt, either.
Honorable Mention
Alex Rodriguez (NYY): If you've been holding your breath and waiting for Alex Rodriguez's comeback campaign to crash and burn, you're probably crumpled on the floor with a purple face by now. A-Rod just keeps hitting, as he did this week, going 9-for-25 with four home runs and six RBI.
Pitcher: Scott Kazmir, Houston Astros
10 of 10
Welcome home, Scott Kazmir.
Since being traded from the Oakland A's to the Astros on July 23, Kazmir, a Houston native, has twirled 14.2 shutout innings.
Seven of them came Thursday night in a 3-0 win over the Angels that gave the 'Stros a three-game lead in the AL West.
"I've been feeling great from pitch one," the left-hander said after his latest gem, per MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez and Chandler Rome. "It feels like I'm able to work both sides of the plate and expand the zone."
Whatever zone Kazmir is in, his new squad wants him to stay there.
Honorable Mention
Cole Hamels (PHI): It's a testament to how well Kazmir pitched that he bumped Cole Hamels to an honorable mention. All Hamels did this week was toss a 13-strikeout no-hitter in his final start for the Philadelphia Phillies on July 25, before being traded to the Texas Rangers.
All statistics current as of July 30 and courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.
.jpg?w=480 "MLB Farm System Rankings")
.jpg?w=600 "Offseason Moves for Every Team 👉")
.png?w=600 "New NBA Mock Draft 📝")
