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Brett Gardner of the New York Yankees is one of baseball’s shortest players, but he can really hit for a little guy like him. In that case so can Jose Altuve. Gardner is also really fast, so is Jose Altuve, but I see something in Gardner, I see real potential, and that potential is mustering career years when he’s getting older. He stole 16+ bases in all of his years (125 games+) – one of the fastest players in the AL East. Gardner has a heck of a lot of pop and I stress that his skill makes career impressions late in his career and could lay out in his short frame to save the Yankees a win as John Sterling would say, “Yankees win, the Yankees win.”

Next is according to a lot of sources (Including me!!!) is the strongest man in the world, Yoenis Cespedes of the New York Mets. He is 32 this year (still really good) and can still hit absolute bombs and by bombs I mean things that went over satellites and almost hit the moon. He can hit to all fields (mostly to the left) and has a lot of RBIs and can run for the catches that he usually never makes and could walk moderately. Cespedes is one of the only players that age who does not make the stats lesson. Last year, he had an injury-stricken season, playing only 81 games and still pulled off 17 HRs, 42 RBIs, 17 doubles and a .292 average. He really deserves a spot in the 30s to 40s, at most 45, and his throws are just crazy, better than Parra.

Ender Inciarte of the Atlanta Braves is a really good outburst and a centerfielder that the Braves need and have been looking for. They have 3 other rookies that keep on stunning the fans. He started in 2014 as the centerfielder in Arizona and no one was sure of really not getting the coaxing power to coaches to pick him up or start him, going on and off the bench. But last season Brian Snitker was so trusting that he made Inciarte the starting centerfielder. He is one of the fastest in the NL East and he has one of the best averages in the NL East and MLB, and a few fix-it-up spots here and there. He deserves his spot well. Also in 2018, he picked up his second Gold Glove and his first All-Star appearance.

Next is the Yankees flame-throwing rookie pitcher, Luis Severino, with his fastball that Aaron Boone adores – his 2.98 ERA, 33 games and 230 SOs, which are really good for AL rookies and players his age. He is still getting 14 wins and 31 games and in his first full season he gave up 150 hits which is less than Chris Sale last season. He still has low innings through 31 games and is allowing too many runs but his ERA is good. He deserves his spot even though he was the Opening Day starters.

In 2009, the Texas Rangers had stars in Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, and Marlon Byrd, they needed a reliable shortstop so they called up Elvis Andrus, and he really made a difference in the lineup and in the team’s fielding, then the team’s 3 stars got traded. So now with the position of the best player, Elvis Andrus had to carry the team through the tough AL West. Playing the part of the Lone Ranger for two years, Adrian Beltre shot up and helped out and then all of a sudden, Beltre was the Lone Ranger and Andrus was Tonto, and then they got Mike Napoli with power that any normal pitcher would be scared of. In 2013, with the sudden pop-up of Kinsler and with Cruz still on the team and with the acquisition of Leonys Martin, Andrus was left in the dust despite his 168 hits, 42 stolen bases, and .271 BA. Then in 2013 they fell down, the strong Texas team, went down, Andrus was not as good as he was and Kinsler and Cruz traded but now they were hopeful with Robinson Chirinos and Adam Rosales. The 2015 season came along and Andrus prospered with 7 homers, .258 average and 25 SBs the Rangers were in first place. Last season Elvis had 20 homers, 88 RBIs, 25 stolen bases and a .297 average, after the comeback he’s made, he is more than worthy of a better spot.

As for news from this season’s diamond, here’s a breaking one: Matt Harvey too good at his role (at least in his mind) so he gets designated for an assignment. Wait, that’s not what it said, it said, “Harvey got designated for assignments after refusing to go to the minors.” Mets GM Sandy Alderson and Mickey Callaway decided that because it was to help him, to make him better if he ever could. The Dark Knight era is over, sad, but now a new era is coming on for the Amazins’, lots of young and new prosperous prospects and the MLB Draft coming up on June 4. Jose Bautista got his first at-bat for the Braves and he doubles. Gleyber Torres hit his first career home run as the Yankees are routing or routed the Indians. Nomar Mazara doesn’t homer a lot but when he does or gets on a streak, he’s almost as good as Bryce Harper. He hit the longest home run of 2017 and he homered for 4 consecutive games this year. Davey Martinez helped his team more than anything, putting Bryce “Big Kid” Harper batting leadoff and that really, really helped the Nationals. He has been leading off since May 1 and slugged 4 homers so far in 4 games. Really killing it. Mookie Betts is a sneaky MVP candidate with 13 home runs already and 2 3-homerun games so far. MLB and three home run games have been crazy with 5 already. There weren’t even 5 last year, only 2 all season. Ichiro Suzuki is being moved to a front office instead of the front field, he was a baseball icon and he will be remembered as a true hero. Wilson Contreras got married on his off-day, good luck to the couple. Hopefully, the Mets get their groove on against the Colorado Rockies as it’s a slugfest there right now, 3 home runs already.

News flash: Page views of my blog have topped 605 in just over one month. I’m glad you’re enjoying my stories. Thanks for your support. Have a couple of hot dogs with fries on me!