Stock Up, Stock Down: Brewers, Cardinals, Shohei Ohtani and more

Another week down in the 2023 MLB season and it was another week with more injuries.

This time the Houston Astros lost Yordan Alvarez for at least four weeks with a strained oblique, while pitcher Lance McCullers, who has not pitched in a game this season after aggravating a tendon in a bullpen session in February, underwent surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon. Alvarez is the bigger loss and Houston will have to find a way to stay within striking distance of the Texas Rangers.

Aside from that, it was business as usual on the field. It’s now time to fire up the latest Stock Up, Stock Down for the last seven days.

Stock Up: Oakland Athletics

Don’t look now, but the hottest team right now in the majors is the Oakland Athletics. Yes, those A’s are on pace for the most MLB losses in a season. They swept a three-game weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers, then returned home to take the first two games of a four-game series with MLB-best Tampa Bay Rays and earning a split.

Over the last week, they have 10 different players drive in runs, led by JJ Bleday’s four. During this stretch, they have won games in different fashions, 2-1 pitching duels, rallying from behind late in games, and outslugging teams.

Luis Medina, JP Sears, and James Kaprielian have had good starts during this stretch, but one thing that has come out of it is that the Kansas City Royals, thanks to a nine-game losing streak, now own the worst record in baseball. Earlier this season, it would have been hard to imagine Oakland passing anyone in the standings, but they have. Good for them and their fans.

Stock Down: St. Louis Cardinals continue to slide

There have been some disappointments this season. The New York Mets have not met expectations and neither have the San Diego Padres. Despite all of those two teams’ struggles, nothing comes close to the disappointment the St. Louis Cardinals have been.

They are 27-42 and buried in last place in the National League Central, a division that along with the American League Central, is one of the worst divisions in the league. St. Louis lost two out of three at home over the weekend to the Cincinnati Reds, then were swept by the San Francisco Giants. In the series final against San Francisco, Tommy Edman gave them an early lead with a grand slam, but as has been the case most of the season, the pitching let them down.

It feels like if they can’t turn things around in the short term that there are going to be some moves made by the trade deadline. The frustrating part for Cardinals fans is that they are doing this in a weak division. The front office is going to have some decisions to make this summer.

Struggling against good teams over a stretch this time of year is one thing for a team trying to claw their way into the playoff picture, but losing two of three to the Reds and then getting swept by the Giants is not a way to get back into the postseason picture. It feels like the Cardinals’ upcoming road trip against the New York Mets and Washington Nationals is their last chance to turn things around before a trip to the United Kingdom to play a series with the Chicago Cubs.

Stock Up: Shohei Ohtani

Is there anything Shohei Ohtani can’t do? The Los Angeles Angels are slowly climbing their way back up the American League West standings, thanks in large part to Ohtani.

In the last 10 days, he went 23-for-54 with seven home runs and 15 RBI. Ohtani slashed .426/.515/.944, which included an impressive opposite-field home run Wednesday night against the AL West-leading Texas Rangers that went 453 feet. He wasn’t done.

One night later, he showed why he’s the leading candidate for the American League MVP.  He homered again, this time a 443-foot left-center blast into the second deck for his fourth home run of the series in a 5-3 victory. Ohtani went six innings, giving up two runs and striking out three. He improved to 6-2 with a 3.29 ERA and outdueling Rangers’ ace Nathan Eovaldi.

June is a big month for many reasons for the Angels with the season closing in on the midway point and the trade deadline over a month away. So far so good this month as it hits the halfway point taking three out of four over the division-leading Rangers.