Freaks of the Week

 FOTW 6/2-6/8

By: Spent Brockman

Jon Gray, Texas Rangers

Can I get an AAAWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. That is right the Gray Wolf is in the building. Gray's start to the season was anything but ideal; in his first six starts of the season Gray would go on to give up multiple earned runs in every start except for a two inning outing against the Astros. Gray struggles were highlighted by a three start streak against the MLB lowlife As, Reds, and D-Backs giving up at least 3 runs in each games and getting rung to the total of 18 hits and 8 walks across those starts. As the calendar turned to May a new man appeared and he is asserting himself as one of the top pitchers in baseball. Starting with a May 8 start against the Mariners, Gray has been utterly dominant giving up a mere 4 total runs over his next six starts. The righty's stellar form was seen in full force during his two start week. The week started with another matchup against those same Seattle Mariners and in his second start against the team Gray was in full control pitching 7 scoreless innings striking out 5 and only allowed two hits. After that masterpiece, Gray ended the week taking on a gritty Cardinal lineup. It was not the Cardinal lineup but their pitching that was Gray's biggest adversary. Although the Ranger pitched a complete game and struck out a season high 12 batters, a sole mistake to Alec Burleson that ended up over the fence was the difference in the game thanks to the Cardinal pitching holding the powerful Ranger lineup scoreless. After a middling start to the season, Gray is in peak form and gives Ranger fans some hope following the devastating season ending injury to Jacob deGrom.

Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers

Good ole reliable is back at it again. Kershaw continues to show that as long as he is healthy he is a top pitcher in baseball. The 35 year old lefty has been a little inconsistent at times to start the year failing to go 5 innings on a few occasions, but when he is locked in he remains elite. Kershaw was definitely locked in this week as he tackled a two start week against the Yankees and Reds. In his first start of the week, he earned the win over the Yankees striking out 9 over 7 innings but he was a little snake-bit by the long ball as the only two runs he gave up came on the backs of two solo dingers. Any issues that lead to those long balls in his first start were far behind him when he traveled to Cincinnati to take on the Reds. Besides 5 hits sprinkled across the field, Kershaw was again in top form contributing 7 scoreless innings towards what would eventually turn into a shutout; Kershaw confused Red hitters all day long with his arsenal leading to another 9 strikeouts. With Kershaw and the Dodgers headed into the dog days of summer it seems like the only opponent that can truly get into his head are the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.  

Kevin Gausman, Toronto Blue Jays

This may be your AL Cy Young right here. Success is nothing new for the 32 year old righty as since leaving Baltimore and getting traded around a couple times, Gausman has established himself as one of the most stable and consistent starters over the past four seasons with the Jays and Giants maxing out at an ERA of 3.62. Believe it or not 2023 may be his best season yet and that is largely do to his enhanced ability to miss bats. Through his first 13 starts, Gausman is pitching what would be a career high 12.40 K9 a figure that ranks third in baseball only behind young flamethrowers Spencer Strider and Hunter Greene. This week was no different as Gausman's strikeout pitch was once again on full display. He had the tall task of taking on the perennial contending Astros and he once again rose to the occasion. The Blue Jays' ace was near unhittable, slicing up one of baseball's most daunting lineups with 13 strikeouts across 7 innings while only making a single mistake to start the game giving up a solo shot on his second pitch of the game but from that point on the Astros did not stand a chance. With a lineup that has been fairly inconsistent to start the year, the Blue Jays need this kind of dominance on every fifth day to stay afloat in an ultra competitive AL East. 

Chris Bassitt, Toronto Blue Jays

It is unfortunate that this 2 time FOTW shares a dugout and league with Kevin Gausman as his continued success remains overshadowed keeping him out of the national baseball discussion as well as award considerations. Yet Bassitt is doing everything in his power to keep himself in the national spotlight and try to match Gausman's output. Coming into the week fresh off his first rough outing since the start of the season, Bassitt immediately made up for his wrong doings only allowing 3 hits across 7.2 innings against the hit-or-miss Met lineup. The Mets had absolutely no answer for what Bassitt was bringing to the table as the righty racked up 8 strikeouts without allowing a single run. Bassitt's week was not over either. Playing Robin to Gausman's Batman, Bassitt followed up Gausman's gem with one of his own. Pitching against those same Astros, Bassitt went 8 more innings with the only damage against him coming in the fourth inning thanks to a two run homer from Yordan Alvarez. Shutting down the Astros on any given night is a feat in its own right but doing it on back to back nights is something that can only be done by a true contender, and as the season pushes forward the trio of Gausman, Bassitt and a resurgent José Berríos may prove to be one of the best in baseball; now Toronto just needs to hope to find some consistency on the other side of the ball in order to capitalize on all this talent and become the contenders they should be.

Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies

Yep an all pitchers FOTW, hitters need to start hitting, but it is hard to ignore the week these five pitchers had with the All Star Nola rounding out the list. By the Phillies and Nola's standards, the 30 year old righty's season has been anything but good. Coming into the week Nola's season ERA was a whole integer higher than his career ERA and his K9 was his lowest since his rise to ace status 5 years ago. Nola's start to the season was so rough Phillie twitter had all but given up on him saying he was going to be the next Trevor Bauer and was on his way out of the league and headed overseas. Those detractors may have been too quick with the trigger as the old dependable Aaron Nola reared his head once again. In a start against the lowly Tigers, Nola was nearly perfect. The Phillies ace gave up a single hit albeit a three run homer but all the runs were unearned thanks to errors prolonging the inning. The Tigers struggled all night long as Nola would smash his season high in strikeouts with 12. In what has been a struggle of a season for a loaded Phillie team, they will need as much of this Nola as they can get.