Each month, MLB writers update their hitter power rankings, an unofficial way to point out who are the hottest and more productive batters in the league.

Players like the New York Yankees‘ Aaron Judge and Houston Astros’ Yordan Alvarez have been in the ranking (the league usually publishes the top-ten on Twitter) several times now, and with good reason: they are, together with Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani, the strongest MVP candidates in the American League.

The ranking, however, has some fresh faces.

We've got some newcomers in https://t.co/Z3s2EpgF39's Hitter Power Rankings! https://t.co/0S1L2nNsn1 pic.twitter.com/RRqsojs5oe

— MLB (@MLB) August 12, 2022

Francisco Lindor is having quite the resurgent season and is leading an underrated New York Mets offense.

Speaking of the Mets, trade addition Daniel Vogelbach is also a new face in the ranking.

He has been performing admirably ever since the Mets brought him to Queens.

Others Have Been Hot, But Judge Is On Another Level

Another NL East powerhouse, the Philadelphia Phillies, got two hitters in the top-ten: first baseman Rhys Hoskins and catcher J.T. Realmuto.

The Phillies have won eight of their last 10 games, and they have been getting a lot of help from both sluggers.

Judge, however, keeps showing why he is the premier power threat in MLB.

He is slashing 304/.396/.681 with 45 home runs, a 199 wRC+ (a number that leads the league) and an incredible 7.3 Wins Above Replacement (WAR).

Judge was stellar in 2017, his rookie year (when he hit 52 homers), but he is well on his way to shatter all kinds of franchise records in the power department.

Roger Maris hit 61 blasts in 1961, but Judge is currently on pace to knock 65 balls out of the park.

All we know is that Judge will be a very rich man when the World Series ends: he is slated to hit the free agent market.

The Yankees, or some other team, will pay big bucks for his services.

The post Aaron Judge Continues To Pace A Dominant MLB Group appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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The Atlanta Braves called up infield prospect Vaughn Grissom out of necessity to start Wednesday’s game.

They are currently dealing with several injuries in the middle of the infield, so they picked Grissom from their Double-A team.

This doesn’t mean that Grissom isn’t talented: he is, and it’s evident.

Injuries presented him with an opportunity: it will be up to him to take advantage of it.

Apparently, the team is willing to give him an extended look, as they search for solutions.

The most important thing is that the player didn’t seem rattled during his MLB debut on Wednesday.

Quite the contrary, in fact: he looked like a natural.

Memorable MLB debut in the books.

Encore tonight pic.twitter.com/7GGyJwJTSa

— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) August 12, 2022

That day, he went 2-for-4 with a home run (a 412-foot shot off Darwinzon Hernandez) and a stolen base to fuel a Braves win over the Boston Red Sox.

Part Of The Braves’ Future (And Present)

Grissom joined Michael Harris III as the two 21-year-olds in Atlanta’s lineup.

Harris has progressed nicely since being called up a few months ago: can Grissom do the same?

A bat-first prospect, he had been having a stellar season in the minors before getting the call.

He started the year in High-A, and was slashing an impressive .312/.404/.487 with 11 home runs and 20 stolen bases before being promoted to Double-A.

There, he was even better, hitting .363/.408/.516 with three long balls and seven thefts in 98 trips to the plate.

That earned himself a call-up to Atlanta.

It’s likely that he still needs some more at-bats in the high minors, but as long as Grissom can produce, he will likely keep playing for the Braves.

He is off to a tremendous start, and the organization seems ready to give him playing time, which is all that a young player needs.

The post Braves Remind Fans That Vaughn Grissom Is Here To Stay appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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The New York Mets and their fans should consider themselves lucky.

We have said it many times in this space, but the fact they were able to pair Max Scherzer with Jacob deGrom in the same rotation is incredibly impressive, and should be celebrated.

The two pitchers have five Cy Young awards between them, and lots and lots of pitching knowledge and expertise to share.

When they are both healthy, there is little doubt they are the best one-two punch in MLB.

They have both been hurt a lot in 2022, particularly deGrom, but they are both healthy now and ready to make sure the Mets can return to the postseason.

New York is one of the best organizations in MLB, with a 73-39 record that only the Los Angeles Dodgers have been able to surpass.

The Mets Aces Are Healthy And Dominating

Now that both Scherzer and deGrom are healthy and in a groove, they are in a position to challenge the Dodgers for the “best team in MLB” unofficial crown.

In fact, both teams are extremely likely to face each other in the playoffs, perhaps even the National League Championship Series.

Having deGrom and Scherzer pitch in three or four of those games would be huge.

The Mets posted a cool picture of the two aces having a chat.

One-two punch. pic.twitter.com/VsDlje5nXV

— New York Mets (@Mets) August 12, 2022

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They look like they are enjoying their conversation.

Hopefully, both can stay healthy for the remainder of the season and gift fans some of the most impressive stretch run and playoff performance we have seen in recent memory.

Mets fans are in for a real treat watching those two guys starting consecutive postseason games.

They hope they can deliver their first World Series title since 1986.

The post The Mets Continue To Celebrate Their Elite Duo appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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