MLB Players Power Rankings: Top 10 Hitters in Week-23
By Manny Gómez
MLB Players Power Rankings (T3): Josh Donaldson, Atlanta Braves
Week-23 Stats: 1.000 SLG | 0.583 wOBA | 265 wRC+ | 0.6 fWAR
Over their last 10-games, the Atlanta Braves have won nine of them, pretty much running away with the NL East. They hold a nine-game lead in their division and have cut their magic number to clinch the playoffs down to six.
Much of the team’s success can be attributed to the development of players like Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies, Mike Soroka and others. At the same time, a lot of credit needs to be directed over to “the bringer of rain,” also known as Josh Donaldson.
After struggling to stay on the field with the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2018 MLB season, Donaldson has returned to form both on the field and in the batter’s box. In fact, this season, Donaldson is back to his power-hitting self, having hit 36 home runs and 30 doubles, the most since the 2016 campaign
The season didn’t start out all rosy for the veteran third baseman. Through his first 66 games of the season, he had only managed to hit 10 home runs while slashing just .235 / .347 / .427. Around mid-June, however, and up until now (74 games) Donaldson has been on an absolute tear.
In that time span, he has 26 home runs and is slashing an incredible .286 / .417 / .645. Not surprisingly, the Braves went from barely being over .500 in Donaldson’s first 66 games to close to 30-games over since then. Currently, they have an 89-55 record, fourth-best in MLB