Around the League: Thoughts from the Mind of an Avid Baseball Guy
By Mike Carreiro
Red Sox Home Run Streak Record Shattered
On Monday Night Rafael Devers hit a home run in his 6th straight game for the Red Sox. This set an new franchise record that had been done by 5 other Red Sox in the franchises storied history (Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, George Scott, Jose Canseco and Bobby Dalbec.) It also marked the 1st 6 game Home run streak since Mike Trout did it in 2022.
Unfortunately, Devers failed to hit a HR in Tuesday nights game and the streak has been ended. It was a fun ride, and the Red Sox continue to work hard and find ways to stay in games this season.
Phillies Ranger Continues to Shine
Ranger Suarez improved to 9-0 on the season Tuesday night with a win over the Texas Rangers. It is so fun to watch players have these kind of magical seasons and without a shadow of a doubt Ranger Suarez is doing just that. He is etching himself into the books with all time greats of baseball like Grover Alexander and Juan Marichal with the start to this season.
With a pitcher like Suarez toeing the rubber every 5 days, it’s no wonder the Phillies now own a league best 35 wins on the season, and as we are finally getting into the warmer weather months Philadelphia is coming into it’s prime. This will be a team to surely watch, not just in Pennsylvania, but for the entire league!
The Fight for the AL MVP
Right now, there are 2 players leading the conversation over who will win the MVP. Bobby Witt Jr., who I’ve claimed s my favorite to take home the award and Juan Soto, who is helping the Yankees lead the charge in the AL East. I’m going to just take a few moments and continue to lay out my case for BWJ, this time comparing his value to Soto’s.
Now don’t get me wrong, Juan Soto is great! His batting average is at .309, his run/rbi ratio is basically 1:1 and his OPS is .947. These numbers are phenomenal and any team or player would be very happy with this stat line.
But the MVP is the MOST valuable player and with the lineup and the talent on the Yankees, would their record be near the same without Soto? In my opinion, Yes! I could run down the list of All-Star level talent on the Yankees, but really its ALL of it! So does Soto standout in such a stacked roster or is he just a player who has gotten himself back on his projected track after failing to be the impact player on a similarly constructed San Diego Padres Super Team lineup last year.
While Bobby Witt Jr. is LEADING his team and his performance and ability is motivating those around him to play better and preform at a higher level. If we look strictly at the numbers, then yes Soto has a slight (SLIGHT) advantage. Witt’s batting average is .304, RBI’s are lower, but Runs Scored is much higher. Witt’s OPS is .904, but he has 12 more steals then Soto and only 4 less Home Runs.
Now let’s look at that KC Royals roster. After Salvador Perez behind the plate, who on this roster has is a former, or future All Star? Cole Ragans, Alec Marsh, Brady Singer, Maikel Garcia, Hunter Renfroe, Vinnie Pasquintino? Honestly, if your a casual fan of baseball who are these guys?? Should this not be a major factor in the MVP race? Taking a group of mostly unknown players and bringing their level up.
If Bobby Witt Jr. continues to produce and keep his number comparable to Soto’s, then I think there will be a lot of momentum behind the campaign for BWJ to win this years MVP. And if it happens, I won’t say I told you so in April!