MLB Weekly Roundup: Juan Soto finds home run stroke, Tigers are roaring
By Ben Verlander
FOX Sports MLB Analyst
We are underway in the second half of the season, and just like that, we already have some big-time drama.
One of the coolest stories of the year in the first half was Yermín Mercedes. He came on the scene out of nowhere and immediately established himself as the best rookie in baseball, and even started his career with eight consecutive hits.
As hot as he was to start his career, he was equally as cold before he got sent down to the minor leagues, where he has been ever since.
This past week, Mercedes announced his retirement from the game of baseball on Instagram.
Later that day, Tony La Russa, Chicago White Sox manager, said he would speak with him and talk to him about his future with the team.
The very next day, Mercedes un-retired and suited up for his Triple-A team that night.
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DRAMA.
With that said, let’s take a look back at some of the best things from this past week as well as a look ahead at what’s to come.
TEAM OF THE WEEK
There is something special going on in Detroit this season. Not because they have the best team in the world or the best record in the world, but because of what they are accomplishing with what they have been given.
The Tigers won seven games in a row coming out of the All-Star break and crept up on the second-place Cleveland Indians.
It speaks volumes about what manager A.J. Hinch is doing and makes me so excited for the future of the Tigers, both with what they already have there and what is on the way.
It’s not even the end of July and Detroit has already surpassed their 2019 win total.
Their seven-game winning streak lands the honor of Team of the Week.
SIX-TOOL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
For many years there have been talks of the Home Run Derby affecting your swing in a negative manner.
Juan Soto has turned that thinking on its head.
Soto was among the league leaders in hard-hit balls in the first half of the season, but the power numbers just weren’t there. He decided to enter the Home Run Derby so that he could practice elevating the ball and driving it out of the yard.
I’d say that was a great idea as Soto has now hit six home runs since the Derby, including five homers in the first four games of the second half.
That next-level thinking and then getting the immediate results is what makes Soto our Six-Tool Player of the Week.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Early on in the week, the San Diego Padres were playing in Atlanta against the Braves.
The weather was a factor all week, resulting in a rather lengthy rain delay one night. It also resulted in an incredible picture of Fernando Tatis Jr. before they called for the tarp and got the players off of the field.
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WHAT TO WATCH IN THE WEEK AHEAD
The Braves and Mets are set to square off in a FIVE-GAME SERIES this week. The Braves have certainly underperformed this year and now have some injuries that are going to be very tough to overcome, but they are still a good baseball team and have a great chance to win the division if they can get going. Monday they play a doubleheader to make up for a rainout and then play Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night. We have quite the series on deck.
2. Mike Trout
We haven’t heard much from Trout in months, but this is a big week coming up. The Angels star was on the cusp of making a return but it appears he may have hit a little snag in his rehab process, so he is visiting a doctor this week. One way or the other we will be learning a lot this week about whether Trout is ready to come back, or if we're going to have to wait a while longer.
Boy oh boy, do we have a great series on tap this coming weekend. The AL East has been one of the best divisions in baseball this year, with four teams competing for a potential playoff spot. This week the top two teams in that division kick off a four-game series starting on Thursday night.
THIS WEEK ON THE POD
Brett Phillips, Tampa Bay's hero in Game 4 of the 2020 World Series, joins me on "Flippin' Bats" this week for an incredible and hilarious conversation. We talk all about that walk-off hit he had in the World Series and how he literally almost passed out while celebrating in the outfield. We also discuss an incredible pitching performance he had this year and MUCH more!
Here’s to another very exciting week of Major League Baseball.
Ben Verlander is an MLB Analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the "Flippin' Bats" podcast. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Verlander was an All-American at Old Dominion University before he joined his brother, Justin, in Detroit as a 14th-round pick of the Tigers in 2013. He spent five years in the Tigers organization. Follow him on Twitter @Verly32.