As were on that winding road towards All-Star break, July started just as hot as June ended. Yesterday Major League Baseball announced the All-Star rosters and just like the play on the field this year there was both excitement as well as disappointment. With that being said here are this week’s MLB standout players of the week.
AL Standout – Desmond Jennings
What a difference a week makes. Last week people were writing off the Tampa Bay Rays who were in dead last and more than likely trading their best player in David Price. However, this week was different for the Rays while there still in last place the Rays are playing like the Rays we have come accustomed too and are slowly getting back in AL East race that no one wants to run away with and during that week Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Desmond Jennings has stood out above the rest. Jennings put together a nice week at the plate for the Rays that topped off this week with a huge series four game series win over the Detroit Tigers. With a .400 batting average, .486 OBP, .667 SLG, and added one home run to three RBI, Desmond Jennings is this week’s AL standout player of the week.
NL Standout – Jayson Werth
Washington Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth put together a wonderful week at the plate for a surging Nationals team that looks like it’s going to go the distance on who is going to win the NL east between them and the Atlanta Braves. Two years ago, the Nationals not only made the playoffs for the first time since their move from Montreal but had they had the best record in baseball. Then comes 2013 and that all-time high was short lived when they finished 10 games behind the Atlanta Braves. But in 2014, things are a little different and the Braves while are hot right now, the Nationals are not going way and if they continue to play like that have been, especially Werth then look for the Nationals to regain NL East supremacy. With a .450 batting average, .560 OBP, 1.000 SLG, and added two home runs to nine RBI, Jayson Werth is this week NL Standout player of the week.
Surprise – Clayton Kershaw
I know what a lot of you are saying when you see the surprise title in that there is no surprise in Clayton Kershaw. True because I know how great Kershaw is and that’s no surprise and right now he’s the best pitcher in the game period but what is the surprise? The surprise is simply how great he has been the last two weeks and it’s something that we haven’t seen in a real long time. We all know how dominant Kershaw is but I don’t think no one expected him to be this dominant especially in this era of baseball.
Kershaw last four starts over the last two weeks he hasn’t given up a single run. His first start was his first career no-hitter then combined that with his next three starts and that brings his scoreless streak to 36 innings. What we are seeing is Justin Verlander of 2011 that one Justin not only Cy Young but also MVP and keeping this up I feel Kershaw will be a runaway Cy Young award winner but also MVP and his stats will prove that.
Starting with his no-hitter, Kershaw has pitched a total of 32 innings where he’s given up no runs, allowed 13 hits and has a 44/4 strikeout walk ratio. That right there just blows my mind and the most mind blowing stat is how much Kershaw has dropped his ERA. Going into his no-hitter Kershaw’s ERA was at 2.93. After his last start on July 4th his ERA is now at 1.85. Dominance is an understatement right now how well Clayton Kershaw is playing right now and I look forward to him continuing this dominance towards season end.
What a great first week of July it has been. While Desmond Jennings and Jayson Werth stood out above everyone else in their respective leagues, we are witnessing something great in Clayton Kershaw and he could go down as pound for pound one of the best of all time. Only time will tell on the greatness of Clayton Kershaw but if I was a betting man I put my money on him.
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