MLB Team of the Week: Nelson Cruz, Randal Grichuk and Josh Donaldson Star
The calendar has flipped to August, the division and wild-card races are heating up and we've put another week of baseball action in the rear-view.
That means, among other things, that it's time for a fresh installment of Bleacher Report's Team of the Week.
In case you're new to the party: 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 31 and August 6.
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, we award bonus points if a strong individual performance led to notches in the win column—because as the crowded playoff scrambles come into focus, that's what it's all about.
Catcher: Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
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Buster Posey made 20 starts in July and hit safely in 17 of them.
The former National League MVP and three-time champion continued the trend this week, going 11-for-27 with a double, two home runs and eight RBI.
As the Giants jostle for a wild-card berth and fight to keep pace with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West, they'll need more of the same from their All-Star backstop.
Honorable Mention
A.J. Pierzynski (ATL): A.J. Pierzynski hit a clean .500 this week while banging out two doubles and a home run. The veteran has been an unexpected plus for the Braves at the plate and behind it, as David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted:
"[The] 38-year-old catcher continues to defy the odds and help carry a Braves offense that's never needed him as badly as it does right now. The Braves had some trade interest in Pierzysnki [at the deadline], but they weren't going to give him away for a marginal return when he's had such a positive influence on their young pitchers and given their offense some direly needed pop and some big hits.
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Translation: Nice work, old man—why don't you stick around?
First Base: Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs
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The young, hungry Chicago Cubs are charging hard in the NL wild-card race, and Anthony Rizzo is leading the way.
Rizzo solidified his status as the Cubbies' top bat, going 11-for-21 with two doubles, three home runs and seven RBI.
"I've been looking forward to August all year," Rizzo said, per ESPN.com's Jesse Rogers. "We're home for a long time. It's hot in Chicago in August. I enjoy the hot weather, to be honest. We know what can happen at Wrigley when it warms up. I've been saying it all along to everyone, we're going to have a big August as a team and individually."
Honorable Mention
Chris Davis (BAL): The defending AL East champion Baltimore Orioles are fluttering around the playoff picture, thanks in part to Chris Davis, who went 7-for-22 with a double, three home runs and 10 RBI.
Second Base: Ian Kinsler, Detroit Tigers
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It's a funny thing: The Detroit Tigers were sellers at the deadline, jettisoning ace left-hander David Price and bopper Yoenis Cespedes to restock a depleted farm system.
Yet here the Tigers sit, just four games off the pace for the American League's second wild-card slot entering play Friday.
Write them off if you wish. But remember to give some credit to the players left behind—including Ian Kinsler, who went 12-for-24 with two doubles, a triple and a home run.
Honorable Mention
Jace Peterson (ATL): Jace Peterson rapped out two doubles and two dingers among his 11 hits and drove in seven runs.
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Third Base: Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays
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The big story in Toronto has been the trade-deadline acquisitions of shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and the aforementioned stud southpaw David Price.
But as the Jays soar toward their first postseason appearance since 1993, the most important contributor continues to be Josh Donaldson.
The All-Star third baseman went 10-for-28 this week with four doubles, four home runs and 12 RBI. And Toronto, uncoincidentally, went 6-1, gliding into sole possession of the second wild card.
Honorable Mention
Matt Duffy (SFG): Matt Duffy padded his surprising NL Rookie of the Year resume by going 12-for-33 with three doubles and five RBI.
Shortstop: Asdrubal Cabrera, Tampa Bay Rays
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The Tampa Bay Rays are quietly lurking on the edge of the AL playoff picture. Entering play Friday, they sit 3.5 games off the wild-card pace.
This week, Asdrubal Cabrera hit like a man who wants to play October baseball, going 12-for-25 with three doubles and a home run and raising his OPS 45 points.
Cabrera—who was activated from the disabled list July 28—endured a scary moment Wednesday, when he was plunked in the head by a throw from Tampa Bay catcher Curt Casali, who was trying to cut down a would-be base stealer. But the Rays shortstop did not suffer a concussion and "should be fine," per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
Honorable Mention
Alexi Amarista (SD): Five of Alexi Amarista's seven hits went for extra bases, including two doubles, two triples and a home run.
Left Field: Yoenis Cespedes, New York Mets
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The New York Mets are 5-0 since trade-deadline acquisition Yoenis Cespedes made his debut in the blue and orange, and they went 6-0 overall this week to grab first place in the NL East.
Correlation, in this case, equals causation, as Cespedes went 7-for-22 with three doubles and five RBI.
Cespedes will be a free agent after the season, but he has already warmed to the idea of remaining in Queens.
"I don't know what the front office is thinking about," the Cuban slugger said through an interpreter, per ESPN.com's Adam Rubin. "But with what I see so far, I would love for everything to work out and stay as a Met for a long, long time, because I like the atmosphere."
Honorable Mention
Khris Davis (MIL): Khris Davis padded his stats for the week on Thursday, clubbing two home runs and driving in six in a 10-1 win over the San Diego Padres. Overall, the Milwaukee Brewers left fielder went 8-for-25 with nine RBI.
Center Field: Randal Grichuk, St. Louis Cardinals
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Randal Grichuk continued his stellar, under-the-radar rookie campaign with another exemplary week, going 9-for-26 with two doubles, a triple and two home runs.
The St. Louis Cardinals, meanwhile, went 4-2, maintaining their hold on first place in the NL Central and the best record in baseball.
Honorable Mention
Carlos Gomez (HOU): The Houston Astros remain atop the AL West despite a 3-4 week. And it looks like they landed a winner in trade-deadline pickup Carlos Gomez, who banged out two doubles and a home run among his nine hits.
Right Field: Nelson Cruz, Seattle Mariners
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The picture remains bleak in the Pacific Northwest, with the Seattle Mariners mired in fourth place in the AL West.
Nelson Cruz offered a ray of sunshine, though, cracking five home runs among his 15 hits and tallying an eye-popping 1.822 OPS for the week.
"Crazy pop, man, crazy pop," M's outfielder Austin Jackson said of his mashing teammate, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. "The way it comes off his bat. That sound. You don't hear that too much."
Honorable Mention
Ryan Braun (MIL): Ryan Braun hit five doubles and a home run while going 9-for-23, but the last-place Milwaukee Brewers went a ho-hum 3-4.
Designated Hitter: Edwin Encarnacion, Toronto Blue Jays
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It's pick your poison with Toronto's potent offense.
This week, Edwin Encarnacion was plenty deadly, going 11-for-25 with four doubles, two home runs and eight RBI.
Much of Encarnacion's damage came during Thursday's 9-3 win over the Minnesota Twins, when he went 3-for-4, launched a two-run blast, drove in four runs and extended his hitting streak to nine games.
Honorable Mention
Kendrys Morales (KC): Kendrys Morales started his week with one of the oddest, stealthiest slides you're likely to witness, and he finished 10-for-23 with two doubles, a triple and six RBI.
Pitcher: Michael Wacha, St. Louis Cardinals
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Michael Wacha punctuated his week with a pair of seven-inning, no-run outings. The 24-year-old right-hander added 13 strikeouts and a scant three walks, and the Cardinals, unsurprisingly, went 2-0 in his starts.
"It's all about getting in that routine out there on the mound and getting in that rhythm," Wacha told MLB.com's
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