Another week has come and passed in this young MLB season. So far we are seeing players step up big in hopes of getting early wins for their respective franchise. With that being said, here are this week’s standout players of the week.
Carlos Beltran
New York Yankees outfielder Carlos Beltran’s week has shown fans that age should never be a factor when playing at an elite level. The 36-year-old Beltran has been doing his part in trying to score some wins for a Yankee’s team to help them get into the playoff mix come September a so far it has help for the Yankees are in a three way tie for first is this young season. Beltran has put together a nice week with a .423 batting average, .464 OBP, .923 slugging percentage, 1.387 OPS and added three home runs and six RBI and solidifying himself as this week’s AL standout player of the week.
Justin Upton
While Carlos Beltran was having an outstanding week in the AL, Justin Upton of the Atlanta Braves has shown that you can never judge a player by the opening week of the season. Upton had an opening week was about as horrid as you can get by starting 3 for 23 and striking out 10 times. However, Justin Upton has shown that opening week was just a bad week and has put together week that has made him stand out from the rest. With a .591 batting average, .654 OBP, 1.227 slugging percentage, 1.881 OPS and adding four home runs and eight RBI, Justin Upton is this week’s NL standout player of the week.
Ryan Braun
While Carlos Beltran and Justin Upton have been on top of their game this week, Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers has been the biggest surprise thus far in this young season and has continued to play like his MVP season of 2011. I say that because we all know what Braun has gone though since his MVP season in 2011 with the Biogensis scandal and his infracted denial that he never used performance enhancement drugs. But that denial turned into guilt and Ryan Braun admitted that he made mistakes and took his punishment of a 65 games like a true professional. Braun new to gain that trust back for his fans and teammates he needed to be playing the type of baseball he is capable of and the way this season has started for him, Ryan Braun is on that right path. Though the first two weeks Braun has put together a nice start to this season with a .295 batting average, .568 slugging percentage, .887 OPS, and Braun has added three home runs and ten RBI.
Prince Fielder
While Ryan Braun is on a nice start to his road of redemption, Prince Fielder is not to be found anywhere. I’m only kidding but, his stats speak volumes on just how bad a week a player can have. After being traded in the off-season to the Texas Rangers from the Detroit Tigers, we all thought a fresh start is what was needed for Price Fielder after an okay season for a man getting the money that he is getting. Last Year with the Tigers, Fielder had .279 batting average, .362 OBP, .457 slugging percentage, and a 2.2 WAR. To top that, his post- season wasn’t any better, .225 batting average, .311 OBP, .250 slugging percentage and zero home runs and RBI.
A new start is something Fielder needed and Rangers fans were hoping to see something big come from Prince Fielder that could be missing piece for them to finally win that World Series title. They have come so close and yet so far the 2014 start has not given the fans the answer they were looking for. Through the first two full weeks of the season, Fielder’s numbers look like someone is about to be benched. His .149 batting average, .245 OBP, .191 slugging percentage, .437 OPS. He also has no home runs and just three RBI’s. Let’s just hope Price Fielder can turn this dismal start around because if not then this is going to be another long season for him filled with a lot of boos.
While Prince Fielder’s season is not what we like to call a hot start, we should praise to Ryan Braun and his start to the season. Though what he did was an embarrassment to the game, I firmly believe everyone deserves a second chance and through the first two weeks, Ryan Braun is on the right path in earning that trust back.
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