The Major League Baseball season lasts six months, allowing us to break the action down into six chunks. Each piece is the same as the others, although sometimes it may not seem so. It always seems, in the moment, that the first month and the last count more.
But throughout the campaign, we are going to put together an All-Star Team each month. And now that June is over, these are our chosen in each position for the month that just ended (and only taking into account what was done in June).
LN: Buster Posey, Giants
THE: Gary Sanchez, Yankees
In case you were wondering if Posey’s numbers were going to wane over the months, he had a .432 percentage in June. In addition, and unlike other campaigns, he is playing every game in catching. Amid all the problems the Yankees had in June, Sanchez was not one of them: He had a 1.035 OPS.
LN: Brandon Belt, Giants
THE: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
It goes without saying, but Vlad Jr. did not slow down in June. In fact, it was his best month of the year. He had an incredible .465 on-base percentage, Barry Bonds-style. It was another low-level month for the Old Circuit first basemen, but Belt was at the center of another fantastic month for the Giants.
LN: Jake Cronenworth, Parents
THE: Jonathan Schoop, Tigers
Do you know what you are going to notice on this list? Lots of hitters from the NL West. Cronenworth has been a key player in the Padres’ season. Meanwhile, the Tigers just had their best month of the season, thanks to their pitching and to Schoop, who hit 10 home runs for the month. And we cannot forget the Venezuelan José Altuve, who left his stormy 2020 in the past. This is the first month of your career in which you hit 10 or more home runs.
LN: Fernando Tatis Jr., Parents
LN: Carlos Correa, Astros
Wander Franco made much of the headlines among shortstops in the American League this month, but Puerto Rican Correa was perhaps the Astros’ best player. He’s playing like the star they’ve always hoped for in Houston. Oh, and Tatis Jr. played as Tatis Jr.
LN: Justin Turner, Dodgers
LN: Josh Donaldson, Twins
Donaldson might not be the most popular hitter for much of the pitching population, but when he was healthy in June, he hit the stick. It was a poor month for NL third basemen, but Turner had a .429 on-base percentage for a Dodgers that have re-ignited.
LN: Kyle Schwarber, Nationals; Tommy Pham, Parents; Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves
THE: Cedric Mullins, Orioles; Joey Gallo, Rangers; Michael Brantley, Astros
Schwarber has hit two home runs since I started writing this sentence. His blast with the stick has put the Nationals in contention for the postseason. Pham had a terrible 2020, but as always, when he’s healthy he hits the ball hard. The Venezuelan Acuña had an average month for his standards, which means that he did wonderfully. In addition, 10 bases were stolen.
Mullins is here to stay, so much so that you wonder if his talents aren’t being wasted on the Orioles right now. Gallo forgot his bad start and has once again established himself as the Rangers’ best home runner after Cuban Adolis Garcia’s monstrous May. Brantley, meanwhile, hit .418 in June. What a lot of Astros on this list, right?
THE: Shohei Ohtani, Angels
Ohtani, in addition to everything he’s doing as a pitcher, had a 1,312 OPS in June. And a .889 slugging!
LN: Jacob deGrom, Mets; Walker Buehler, Dodgers; Freddy Peralta, Brewers; Austin Gomber, Rockies
THE: Framber Valdez, Astros; Robbie Ray, Blue Jays; Sean Manaea, Athletics; Kyle Gibson, Rangers
The Brewers don’t have a single hitter on this list, but they are packed with pitchers, starting with Peralta, who was actually more dominant than the other two great starters with whom he shares the rotation. Valdez is back in a big way with the Astros and Manaea is the ace the A’s desperately need. And look at Gomber’s numbers for the month: 3-0, 1.29 ERA. And then there’s deGrom, of course.
LN: Josh Hader, Brewers; Brad Hand, Nationals
THE: Nick Sandlin, Cleveland; Lou Trivino, Athletics
There are tons of launchers to choose from here. Hader didn’t allow a single run and that’s why he’s on this list. Of course, neither did Kenley Jansen, but he couldn’t even be in the top two. We are in the golden age of dominant relievers.
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