The MLB season has been on for a month, and some players are off to a hot start. Many players will contend for the player of the month award for the National League and the American League. One of the American League players is Tyler Soderstrom of the Athletics.
Soderstrom is a player that the Athletics hoped would develop into a good bat in the lineup. So far this season, he has been nothing short of that. Soderstrom has nine home runs within the season’s first month and a batting average of .292. On his Baseball Savant page, Soderstrom is in the upper percentiles in most hitting stats. He has high barrel and hard hit rates, showing Soderstrom is taking good swings and squaring the ball up. The A’s hope that his success lasts through the season and will be a valuable asset for future years.
From the National League, Fernando Tatis Jr. has been dominating in the first month. According to Baseball Savant, Tatis has a batting run value of 100. That’s the maximum one player could have. While he does hit the ball well, he can also run, as his baserunning value is at 79. His spring speed is also in the 92nd percentile amongst major league players. Tatis is a true five-tool player with his fielding run value at the 95th percentile amongst all major league players. Tatis has also been someone the San Diego Padres value so highly. He has not only been one of the best in the National League but in the entire league.
The Cincinnati Reds are getting closer and closer to becoming a playoff team with their young talent. One of them is starting pitcher Hunter Greene. The young right-hander is having his best start to a season since setting foot in the big leagues back in 2023. Since high school, the Notre Dame graduate has always had the talent to be a piece in a Major League team’s rotation. Now he is the ace in the Reds’ rotation. Greene so far has an ERA of 2.35 and a WHIP of 0.78. Greene also features a fastball that is consistently touching high 90s and even goes to 100 mph. Hitters don’t have an answer for Greene when they face him, as he remains a force to be reckoned with.
Aaron Judge has been one of the game’s dominant forces ever since his rookie year in 2017. Typically, Judge gets off to a cold start and picks up his dominance as the season goes on. But this season, Judge is off to the best start of his career. The two-time MVP winner has a batting average over .400 and has shown no signs of slowing down. His OPS is off the charts as it is well over a thousand. On his Baseball Savant page, Judge has multiple stats that are at the 100 mark. His barrel rate and xWOBA are through the roof and are in the top percentile. Judge is likely going to be an MVP candidate and will look to acquire his 3rd MVP award this fall.
