Tog Days of Summer
It was a historic day of HRs in MLB with 9 players having multi-HR games, tied for the 2nd-most ever in a day. The day got started off by Rockies 1B Michael Toglia who hit 3 HRs all by himself in an 8-5 win for Colorado. The switch hitter hit two off Mets LHP José Quintana and finished it up with an 8th inning blast off righty Adrian Houser. Unfortunately they were all solo shots, but that does not diminish this incredible accomplishment for Toglia. The towering 25-year-old has just a .197 batting average, but is now up to 16 HRs and has 7 in his last 15 games.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Sunday
Ezequiel Tovar (COL): 2-3, HR, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB.
Toglia’s similarly named teammate, Ezequiel Tovar, also homered off both Quintana and Houser, however with a runner on each time. While his plate discipline holds him back from truly shining (14 BB to 119 K), Tovar is a consistent hitter for Colorado at just 22-years-old, which paired with his stellar glove has him projecting to be a future All-Star.
Josh Smith (TEX): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.
Moving right along with our multi-HR games, Josh Smith hit a pair of 2-run HRs for Texas which turned out to be all they needed to beat the Astros, and also all they got in the 4-2 win. Smith is having a breakout season with the Rangers with a .293/.392/.469 line after not hitting over .200 in two seasons prior. Smith will probably come down to Earth a bit at some point, but until then keep reaping the benefits.
Lawrence Butler (OAK): 3-6, 3 HR, 3 R, 6 RBI.
In what has to be one of the most impressive team hitting performances of all-time, the Oakland A’s racked up 8 HRs and 18 runs led by Lawrence Butler and his 3 HRs and 6 RBI. Butler has never been known for his power and this game was certainly an outlier, but it will still go down as one of the best days at the plate in 2024.
Brent Rooker (OAK): 2-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI, BB.
A popular trade target, Brent Rooker has done nothing but raise his value of late. In his last 15 games Rooker has 7 HRs and is hitting .434/.500/.887. The 29-year-old is poised to eclipse his career-high of 30 HRs from last season and will make an excellent trade deadline acquisition for whoever is lucky enough to acquire him.
Seth Brown (OAK): 3-5, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI.
Power has always been Seth Brown’s calling card and it was on display on Sunday. Unfortunately it has not been on display much this season as his .347 slugging percentage is significantly lower than his previous career-low of .405 last season.
Zack Gelof (OAK): 1-5, HR, R, 4 RBI.
Rounding out Oakland’s insane day, Zack Gelof entered the chat with a 9th inning Grand Slam off Phillies backup catcher Garrett Stubbs. Gelof was a popular 2B value pick in fantasy but his 109 strikeouts have hindered his season. Hopefully he turns it around in the 2nd half.
Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC): 2-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, SB.
PCA has really struggled at the plate in his rookie season, but that was before he faced Miles Mikolas on Sunday. The former top prospect had a career day with 2 HRs and even added in his 17th stolen base of the campaign. Crow-Armstrong provides more defensive value than offensive at this point and we’ll see if he can make some adjustments after the break.
Christopher Morel (CHC): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
Christopher Morel has a ton of power and he showcased it big time on Sunday, along with his unwavering confidence after his leisurely trot around the bases in the 8th. Morel’s 18 HRs are tops on the Cubs but I think we would all like to see him showcase a more refined approach at the plate.
Ketel Marte (ARI): 3-5, HR, R, 4 RBI.
Raise your hand if you realized Ketel Marte was up to 19 HRs on the season. I did not. Marte does not get the respect he deserves for what a consistent hitter he is and it looks like he may even eclipse his previous career-high of 32 HRs after his Grand Slam on Sunday.
Kevin Kiermaier (TOR): 1-4, HR, R, 4 RBI.
Marte was not the only player to hit a Grand Slam in the game between Arizona and Toronto, as Kevin Kiermaier responded to being placed on waivers by yoinking a Zac Gallen cutter for a HR. Unfortunately Kiermaier was placed on waivers for a reason as his 2024 hitting line is still just .189/.234/.306.
Travis d’Arnaud (ATL): 2-3, 2 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, BB, SB.
When Travis d’Arnaud gets hot, he gets HOT. The veteran catcher almost single-handedly carried the Braves to a 6-3 win over the Padres with his 2nd multi-HR game of the year. d’Arnaud is looking like the same hitter that mashed 18 HRs in just 396 at-bats in 2022 and could easily reach that level again this season.