Hey guys,
So the original poster of this forum has only posted once this year, so I took it upon myself to hijack the subject in an effort to keep a good idea going. So without further adieu, here is this week's ratings boost predictions for the first week of June.
Ratings Boost Probability: High
Mookie Betts - What. A. Week. Betts just tied the major league record with 5 home runs in 2 games, but futhermore, Betts is batting .370 in his last 7 games. He's near the top of the most potent offense in baseball and at this rate, a diamond status by the all-star break may be in the cards for the spark-plug outfielder.
Xander Bogaerts - The Red Sox train chugs on. Bogaerts is in the midst of a 25-game hitting streak and is hunting for JBJ's season best mark of 29. Being a part of the best offense in baseball is always a good way to receive serious recognition as well. Xander got a bump to 87 gold on 5/13, but another bump may be in the cards, especially on the defensive side of the ball where he has been better-than-expected.
Kyle Seager - On May 1, Kyle Seager was batting .159 for the Mariners. Now? He's destroyed the month of May to the tune of a .369 batting average, raising his average to .289. He also posted an insane OBP of .421 last month. Seager held the 4th best WAR in the AL in May. He's already batting .800 in the month of June and looks like an anchor in a surprising start for Seattle.
Gregory Polanco - Polanco has really come into his own this season after struggling when he initially broke into the league. Over the past week, he's batting almost .400, as well as knocking 3 out of the park. His .310 batting average, coupled with his plus speed and plus defense makes him the perfect candidate for gold status. He hasn't received a bump in roughly a month, and he's rightfully due.
Robinson Cano - Cano is one of the top MVP candidates at this point in 2016 as he's tied with David Ortiz for the RBI crown (48) and trails only Todd Frazier in home runs. Cano got a bump a couple weeks back, but controversially got a defensive drop in that roster update as well. The guy screams diamond status, and one would think it's a matter of time before he earns that recognition once again.
Carlos Gonzalez - Having another banner year, CarGo is currently batting .310 on the year, but more importantly, is tearing the cover off the ball over the last week, dongin' 5 home runs and batting .464 in this past week. He's due for a bump.
George Springer - Strikeouts continue to be an issue, so don't expect his vision or discipline to get a bump anytime soon, but when you have a week like Springer had, a change is due. Batting .438 and smacking 4 home runs over the past 7 days, including a leadoff and walkoff dinger in the same week will certainly get you some recognition.
Rich Hill - Hill is arguably one of the top 3 lefties in the game. He boasts an 8-3 record and a 2.25 ERA for a pretty poor Oakland squad, and is striking out an unbelievable 11.5 batters per 9 innings. Hill has one of the best curveballs in baseball and deserves to be a gold immediately. He's a Cy Young dark horse for 2016.
Michael Feliz - Feliz has quietly been one of the best relievers in baseball over the past few weeks. Houston's bullpen has been a mess, but Feliz has shined over the past week, posting a 0.83 ERA. His ERA for the year sits just under 3.75, but he's clearly outperformed his uncommon rating of 63 overall.
Ratings Boost Probability: Medium
Jackie Bradley Jr. - He's just ended a 29-game hitting streak and if it were not for the birth of his child, he'd likely still be tearing it up. JBJ has been one of the best hitters in baseball, and though he got a bump on 5/20, it wouldn't shock much of anyone if another one is coming.
Michael Fulmer -- Fulmer is quietly putting together a very strong year, posting a 5-1 record, an ERA under 4.00, as well as flirting with a no-hitter last night against LAA. I'd expect a reasonable jump for the Tigers up-and-comer in the weeks ahead.
Danny Valencia - When you're hitting .346 for the lowly Athletics, it can be difficult to get the publicity you need to make a jump. Valencia is quietly one of the best pickups of the off-season so far this year. Having hit 8 homeruns and knocked in 23 already, Valencia is easily on pace for the best year of his career.
Ratings Boost Probability: Low
Stephen Strasburg, Johnny Cueto -- Both of these guys are pitching their faces off the last month. I’m combining them because both are already obviously highly rated, and it’s really hard to gauge when those guys will get boosts because they’re already legit. Either way, I just wanted to note them. Each of them could make a case to jump to diamond status.
Todd Frazier - Power, power and more power. Leading baseball in home runs, Frazier probably will get some love in one way or another here pretty soon.
Khris Davis - You have to point someone out who has 5 home runs in last 7 days, but he’s still pretty much what you expect: slugging outfielder who doesn’t walk and strikes out a ton.
Long-Term Projections
(Again, this list will change and fluctuate. Some guys will be on more in the short term while others will stick around for many weeks.)
Christian Yelich - Yelich got a big boost 3 weeks ago, and he's been hurt for the past couple weeks, but everyone knows at this point he’s going Gold soon enough. The question is really how high do you think his rating gets. He's already begun to rake since returning.
Adam Eaton - Eaton is quietly one of the best CF in baseball. He's a good leadoff hitter and can handle the stick with the best of them. He may end the year approaching 90 if he continues.
Marcell Ozuna - After plenty of questions about his personality with leadership in Florida, Ozuna had one of the better months in baseball in May. He's a good player who doesn't have an weaknesses in any specific areas. He should continue to grow as the season progresses.
Julio Urias - Yikes. Not a good debut for the teenager, but his potential is obviously through the roof. It is yet to be seen what he'll debut at, but reaching gold status by the end of the year seems reasonable. Expect him to debut at a low silver mark.
Stephen Wright - The wicked knuckla! Stephen Wright is a throwback who has found a lot of success this season. He's tied for the league lead in CG and has stapled himself in the rotation.
Sam Dyson - Dyson has some nasty stuff coming out of his arm to close out ballgames for the Rangers in the 9th. Given the opportunity to shine in high-leverage situations, Dyson has been very good. He may turn himself into a premier closer by the end of the year. When you throw 98 mph out of the 'pen to close out the other team, you're a force.
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