Freaks of the Week

 FOTW 7/28-8/3

By: Spent Brockman

Framber Valdez, Houston Astros

Let's just start with the obvious, if you throw a no-hitter you will end up on this list. On Tuesday, Valdez did just that. He capped off a great day at the trade deadline by no-hitting the Cleveland Guardians. He did it all while keeping his pitch count under 100 at a mere 93, what has affectionately been referred to as throwing a Maddux. It is really a shame that Valdez did not end up perfect on the night since he only issued a single walk and it came as the result of an 8 pitch battle against Oscar Gonzalez; but even if he was not perfect, he was on top of his game. The lefty struck out 7 while pitching to weak contact all night long. This start could not have come at a better time for Valdez as he was scuffling a bit as of late giving up 21 earned runs over the last 5 starts. After the requisition of Justin Verlander, a return form from Framber Valdez is just what this team needs to continue to push the Rangers for first place.

Cubs Offense

It is deep into summer which means the wind is blowing out of Wrigley and the Cubs have opened their sail just in time to ride that gust to contention. Following the All Star break the Cubs have been a different team being the best offense in baseball leading to a 15-5 record. This offense did not hold anything back this past week as they nearly scored 8 runs per game even while getting shutout on Sunday. Following the reacquisition of Jemeir Candelario at the deadline, the lineup has transformed into a lineup with no holes. Bellinger is batting of well over 300, Nico Hoerner is smacking line drives all over the field, Dansby Swanson is going on a power binge, Ian Happ is an on base machine, Christopher Morel is clutching up with runners in scoring position, and a stud like Jemeir Candelario is hitting 7th. THIS LINEUP IS STACKED. The Cubs have some issues, mainly their starting pitching as they have not found a reliable option beyond Stroman, Steele, Hendricks, Taillon and to make things worse Stroman was just placed on the IL making David Ross scramble to find another arm that will keep this team competitive. The team will no doubt be reliant on this offense in order to push ahead in either Wild Card or NL Central race, so folks on the north side will hope there is a lot more of this offense to come.

Max Scherzer, Texas Rangers

The rich just get richer don't they? Scherzer was able to escape the burning building that was the Mets and ended up with maybe the most ideal situation in Arlington. Before Scherzer escaped to Texas he gave the New York fans one last show. In his last start with the team, Max went 7 strong with striking out 7 and only making a single mistake on 1-0 pitch to Luis Garcia leading to a 5-1 victory for the Mets. The ace also made his first start for his new team. The future Hall of Famer struggled mightily in his first inning with the team as he struggled to reliably find his command giving up 3 earned runs on 37 pitches. Following that initial bump in the road, Max was lights out. He threw 5 shutout innings to close out the game while striking out 9 ChiSox on the day. The Rangers made the deal of the deadline landing the rock solid veteran who will be a big factor in helping the Rangers live up to their now lofty expectations.

Bobby Witt, Kansas City Royals

This kid is a stud. While this is a lost season for the Royals and they do not seem like they are particularly close to competing, Witt is the type of player you can build a franchise off of as he has the combination of speed and power that can carry an offense. That superstar potential was on full display over the past week. Over the serieses against the Twins and Mets, Witt was on fire. He hit safely in every game while 15 total knocks. Witt's power was also a big factor as he hit 6 XBHs, 3 of which left the park. And you know if we are talking about his power you cannot forget his speed as he also totaled 3 steals over the week. Witt has the ability to do this on a consistent basis if he were to just adjust his approach a bit as he still lacks plate discipline leading to a strikeout rate that is not fitting for a player of Witt's caliber. While the Royals and their fans do not have much to cheer about these days, at least they have Witt coming up to bat 3-5 times a night to elicit a bit of excitement for the team.

Andrew Heaney, Texas Rangers

The richer just become the richest, huh? For a team that just won the deadline by getting the top prize in Max Scherzer and a great complimentary piece in Jordan Montgomery, the only way they could get better is a hot streak by one of their more pedestrian players. Andrew Heaney is doing just that. After being mostly mediocre this season with a 4.36 ERA, Heaney showed his A-game against the White Sox. The lefty threw six shutout innings while only allowing two hits. Heaney's command of his fastball and break of his slider left the Sox hitters in a bind, leading to 11 strikeouts. Heaney is the team's 5th starter when they're healthy so if he can be this nasty, this team is going to go far this year. Heaney could be enter free agency this offseason but if he chooses to play another year under this contract, the Rangers could be running a rotation featuring Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray and Andrew Heaney while featuring one of the most potent lineups in baseball......anything less than a World Series ring after these two years will be an utter failure for this team.