MLB Week 6 Hot or Not: Jacob Wilson’s got a dangerous swing, Cubs and Mariners get knocked down a peg

Young studs climb to the top, as NL and AL leaders get challenged

Welcome back to the Hot or Not feature series! This week’s recap covers the fifth full week of the season, from May 4-10.

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AL West
Hot: Jacob Wilson continues his breakout campaign
Wilson is having a breakout start to the season. Last week, he went 11-for-22 with two doubles, five RBIs, and only one strikeout. The hot hitting raised his season batting average to .358, putting him right behind Aaron Judge at second overall in the league and the batting average, hits and on-base percentage leader for the Athletics.

Not: Seattle’s starters aren’t the reason the M’s won any games
It was a rough week out west, as in five games they put up a 0-2 record with a 7.62 ERA and 1.69 WHIP. The only team that had a worst rotation performance was the Rockies, who sit in their own, special category of bad baseball. Seeing what’s supposed to be one of the most elite rotations in the league struggle this much against their division rivals doesn’t bode well for Seattle prevailing in the AL West.

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AL Central
Hot: Pablo López rung up the O’s
The Twins finally seem to be catching up with the rest of the AL Central, and López’s outing against the Orioles was a shining example of the leaps they took in the last week. López threw five dazzling innings, during which he only gave up two hits, a walk, and a run while fanning 11 batters. López has been solid all season, but this was his best start this year.

Not: White Sox lose in embarrassing fashion
Surprise, surprise, the White Sox dealt themselves another loss. The Royals trailed, 3-2, in the ninth, but they caught up to the Sox with a walk, a laughable bonk on Chase Meidroth’s head, and bunt to load the bases with no outs. Jonathan India drove in the tying run off of a fielder’s choice ground ball, and then Bobby Witt Jr. walked the game off with a single to deep center. The Sox got swept in a four-game set on the road — and once again became an internet meme.

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AL East
Hot: Jonathan Aranda is popping off despite Tampa Bay’s struggles

Jonathan who? It’s time to get familiar with a new name. The 26-year-old utility player went 7-for-11 with two runs, a home run, three walks, and three RBIs. Aranda has been with the Rays since 2022, but his recent performance has heads turning. Philadelphia’s sweep over Tampa Bay shouldn’t overshadow Aranda’s hot bat.

Not: Charlie Morton continues to struggle
Morton’s struggles follow him from the rotation to the bullpen. He gave up two runs of three hits in his one-inning relief appearance against Kansas City, and days later he departed the mound after allowing four hits, three runs, and a home run in four innings against the Twins. Morton’s ERA for the month stands at 9.00, as the once-third place finalist for 2019 AL Cy Young struggles to find his footing.

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NL West
Hot: Shohei Ohtani is shining in May
Ohtani is at the top of the hitting leaderboards again, slashing .360/.467/1.08 in 25 at-bats and sending four balls over the fence. He also tied for first in the league in RBIs and runs. At this rate, he may be the NL MVP for the third year in a row, and fourth time in his career.

Not: San Diego’s bullpen blew Michael King’s win
Michael King left the game after keeping the Yankees in check with runs in six innings, but his hard work was quickly erased. Adrian Morejon and Wandy Peralta gave up 10 runs, five of which came from Austin Wells’ grand slam. The sudden bullpen implosion was quite alarming considering San Diego’s relievers rank fifth in the league in ERA and fourth in runs.

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NL Central
Hot: Freddy Peralta silences division rivals
Peralta gave the Brewers what they needed in their series finale against the Cubs: a win. He delivered six scoreless innings, allowing four runs and a walk while striking out seven. Peralta earned the win and lowered his season ERA to 2.18, which makes him one of the Top 15 league starters in ERA.

Not: Chicago’s bats tank
The Cubs have quickly gone from a mean run machine to extremely soft. Chicago’s lineup slashed .189/.276/.317 and scored 17 runs over the past week, together tallying -0.1 WAR. It certainly doesn’t help that Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ, on a roll the previous week, slumped. It just goes to show how baseball is a marathon, not a sprint.

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NL East
Hot: Atlanta’s rotation caught a break
The Braves starters had a strong week, combining for a 2.03 ERA while allowing seven earned runs over 31 innings. Although the rotation issued 11 walks, they also racked up 31 strikeouts and featured two standout starts from Chris Sale (6 2⁄3 IP, five hits, no runs, and 10 strikeouts) in their 2-1 win over the Reds and AJ Smith-Sawyer (no-hitter until the eighth inning) in a 4-0 shutout against the Reds. While the Braves had an easier week on the schedule, it’s time to give them credit.

Not: Michael Soroka’s return from the IL goes south
Returning from the 15-day IL from a strained bicep that has sidelined him since early April, Soroka got roughed up, going five innings for the Nats and striking out eight, but giving up four runs from five hits. His first two starts are nearly identical, indicating that he still has a few kinks to work out.