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MLB Who’s Hot and Who’s Not: AL MVP Front-Runners Keep Thumping

Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees and Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels aren’t making things easy for American League Most Valuable Player voters. Judge continues to close in on 60 home runs while Ohtani is doing things not seen before. It is no wonder that the MLB picks view the MVP race as a two-player battle.

Judge and Ohtani are not the only regulars to make a return to the Who’s Hot portion of the Who’s Hot and Who’s Not weekly feature.

A bat, glove and ball rest on the field before the game.
Jonathan Daniel - Getty Images

Pitchers Kyle Bradish of the Baltimore Orioles, Alek Manoah of the Toronto Blue Jays, Zac Gallen of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Spencer Strider of the Atlanta Braves are on the list for the second week in a row.

Who’s Hot

  • American L eague Hitters

    • Jose Altuve, Houston Astros 2B: Altuve is hitting .387 with nine runs, four extra-base hits, seven RBIs and three stolen bases over the last eight contests.
    • Bo Bichette, Toronto Blue Jays SS: Bichette has at least two hits in five of the last seven games. He is hitting .516 with 11 runs, three doubles, five home runs and 14 RBIs over that stretch.
    • Aaron Judge, New York Yankees OF: Aaron Judge is hitting .476 with six extra-base hits in his last six games. He has also walked seven times during that time. According to the MLB predictions, Judge is at -1200 in the AL MVP odds.
    • Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles C: Rutschman is hitting .417 with three doubles and two home runs to go with five runs scored and seven RBIs in his last seven games. He probably won’t get there, but when it comes to the MLB odds, he is making the AL Rookie of the Year race a little more interesting.
    • Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels OF: Trout has homered in each of his last four games. He is 7-for-16 with six runs and four RBIs during that stretch.
  • National League Hitters

    • C.J. Abrams, Washington Nationals SS: A key piece of the return for Juan Soto, Abrams is hitting .360 with five runs scored and two extra-base hits in the last six contests.
    • Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates SS: Cruz is hitting .360 with four extra-base hits over the last six games.
    • Tommy Edman, St. Louis Cardinals 2B: Edman is hitting .423 with five extra-base hits and six RBIs over his last seven games.
    • Eduardo Escobar, New York Mets 3B: Escobar is 10-19for- with three home runs, six RBIs and three walks over his last five contests.
    • Daulton Varsho, Arizona Diamondbacks OF: Varsho is hitting .412 over his last five games with five of his last seven hits being home runs.

  • American League Pitchers

    • Kyle Bradish, Baltimore Orioles: Bradish continues to excel with a 2-0 record and 1.50 ERA in his last three starts.
    • Dylan Cease, Chicago White Sox: Cease is 2-0 with an 0.78 ERA in his last three starts. He has allowed six hits and struck out 24 in 23 innings during that stretch.
    • Alek Manoah, Toronto Blue Jays: After a tough stretch, Manoah is back to being a dominant starter with a 2-1 record and 0.81 ERA in the last three outings.
    • Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels: Ohtani is 1-0 with a 0.60 ERA in his last two starts. One of the front-runners for the American League Most Valuable Player award according to the MLB lines has allowed eight hits, walked one and struck out 14 batters in 15 innings in those starts.
    • Jordan Romano, Toronto Blue Jays: Romano hasn’t allowed a run in his last 10 appearances. He has allowed six hits, struck out 15 over 11.2 innings during that run.
  • National League Pitchers

    • Alex Cobb, San Francisco Giants: Cobb is 1-0 with a 1.65 ERA over his last three starts. He has 18 strikeouts in his last 16.1 innings.
    • Jacob deGrom, New York Mets: Over his last three starts, deGrom is 3-0 with nine hits and two runs allowed in 20 innings of work.
    • Zac Gallen, Arizona Diamondbacks: Arizona might be 29 games out of first place in the NL West but don’t blame Gallen for that. He has not allowed a run in his last six starts. He has allowed 16 hits with 46 strikeouts over 41.1 innings during that time.
    • Blake Snell, San Diego Padres: In his last two starts, Snell has allowed eight hits and one run with 18 strikeouts and four walks in 12 innings.
    • Spencer Strider, Atlanta Braves: Strider is 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in his last three starts. He has struck out 32, walked four and allowed 10 hits in 20 innings during that stretch.

Who’s Not

  • American League Hitters

    • Vladimir Guerrero, Toronto Blue Jays 1B: Guerrero is hitting .125 over his last seven games. He doesn’t have an extra-base hit during seven games played in September.
    • Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians 3B: Ramirez is hitting .130 with no extra-base hits and seven strikeouts in his last seven games.
    • Corey Seager, Texas Rangers SS: Seager has one hit in his last 25 at-bats. He has no RBIs in his last five games and no extra-base hits over the last six contests.
    • Gio Urshela, Minnesota Twins 3B: Urshela is hitting .148 with one-extra base hit and no RBIs in his last seven contests.
    • Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals SS: Witt is 4-for-24 over the last six games. Two of those hits have gone for extra bases.
  • National League Hitters

    • Nolan Arenado, St. Louis Cardinals 3B: Arenado is hitless in four of his last seven games. He is hitting .160 with one extra-base hit during that stretch.
    • C.J. Cron, Colorado Rockies 1B: Cron is 1-for-15 with five strikeouts over the last four games. His lone hit was a home run.
    • Francisco Lindor, New York Mets SS: Lindor has four hits in his last 23 at-bats over the last six games. The good news is two of those hits came in his last game.
    • Lars Nootbaar, St. Louis Cardinals OF: Nootbaar has one hit over his last seven games. That hit was a home run.
    • Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies OF: Schwarber is 4-for-24 with 10 strikeouts and no RBIs in his last six games.
  • American League Pitchers

    • Chris Archer, Minnesota Twins: Archer is 0-1 with a 7.43 ERA in his last three starts.
    • Ryan Brasier, Boston Red Sox: Brasier has allowed six hits and six runs over 3⅔ innings in his last five appearances.
    • James Kaprelian, Oakland Athletics: Kaprielian has allowed 14 hits and 13 runs with seven walks in 8⅓ innings in his last two starts.
    • Matt Manning, Detroit Tigers: Manning has allowed 12 hits and nine runs in 6⅓ innings over his last two starts.
    • Gregory Soto, Detroit Tigers: Soto has allowed eight hits and five runs with seven walks in 4⅓ innings during his last five outings.
  • National League Pitchers

    • Madison Bumgarner, Arizona Diamondbacks: Bumgarner has given up 17 hits and 10 runs over his last 8⅔ innings.
    • Eric Lauer, Milwaukee Brewers: Lauer is 1-2 with an 8.16 ERA in his last three starts. He has allowed 18 hits and 13 runs over 14⅓ innings during those appearances.
    • Sean Manaea, San Diego Padres: Manaea is 0-2 with a 15.12 ERA in his last two starts. He has given up 19 hits and 14 runs over his last 8⅓ innings.
    • Andre Pallante, St. Louis Cardinals: Pallante has allowed 11 hits and seven runs with five walks in his last 5⅔ innings of work.
    • Alex Wood, San Francisco Giants: Wood has allowed 11 hits and 12 runs over 7⅔ innings in his last two starts.

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