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Stock Up, Stock Down: Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves and more

By Scott Roche |
May 28, 2023; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider (99) pitches Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
May 28, 2023; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider (99) pitches Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
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One thing that is certain about a 162-game regular season in MLB, there is never a dull week.

The last seven days saw an ace pitcher struggle in a minor league assignment, a struggling pitcher made history, one of the highest payroll teams continued their struggles as time is beginning to run out on the season and a World Series contender continues to make the case to be the best team in the majors.

With that said, let’s fire up the final Stock Up, Stock Down for the month of June.

Stock Down: Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah’s Florida start

One thing that is hard to do in the majors is to have the same success as you had the season before. Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah is finding that out the hard way.

After going 16-7 in 2022 with a 2.24 ERA in 31 starts and 180 strikeouts, the 2023 season has been nothing short of a disaster for him. He is 1-7 with a 6.36 ERA and just 48 strikeouts in 58 innings. Earlier this month, Toronto sent him to the Florida Complex League to try and figure things out, but the 25-year-old struggled against 18- and 19-year-old players.

In 2.2 innings, the right-hander allowed 11 earned runs, 10 hits, two walks, and two home runs. That’s not what Manoah and the Blue Jays were hoping for as he was expected to be a front-end of the rotation starter, but he’s been anything but that.

It’s going to be interesting to see what the Blue Jays do next as they are holding down an American League Wild Card spot currently, but need Manoah in the big leagues back to have any shot at postseason success should they get there.

May 6, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Domingo German (0) looks down during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
May 6, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Domingo German (0) looks down during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Stock Up: New York Yankees pitcher Domingo Germán pitches a perfect game

Prior to taking the ball against the Oakland Athletics, the previous two starts for New York Yankees pitcher Domingo Germán were not good. In starts against the Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners, the right-hander allowed a combined 17 runs, 15 earned, on 15 hits, five home runs, in just 5.1 innings. When the Bombers needed him to take the ball and deliver he did against the A’s.

The offense has been a problem for New York since Aaron Judge went out of the lineup with a toe injury and that has put more pressure on the pitching. The offense was not a problem in Germán’s start as they put up 11 runs and he did the rest.

All of Germán’s pitchers were working and his command was the best it had been all season long. He needed just 99 pitches over the nine innings to complete the first perfect game since Felix Hernandez did it for the Mariners on Aug. 15, 2021, against the Tampa Bay Rays. Germán struck out nine and relied on his defense to help him toss the first Yankees perfect game since David Cone did it on July 18, 1999, against the Montreal Expos.

It has not been a good year for Germán as he served a 10-game suspension for failing a sticky substance check in May against the Blue Jays. New York’s pitching staff is waiting on Carlos Rodón to make his Yankees debut, but if Germán can have starts that can keep his team in the game and give them length, that will be beneficial to helping them in the American League Wild Card race.

Oct 19, 2022; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin (3) before the game against the Philadelphia Phillies during game two of the NLCS for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 19, 2022; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin (3) before the game against the Philadelphia Phillies during game two of the NLCS for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports /

Stock Down: San Diego Padres 2023 season continues to hit new lows

To say that the Padres season is hitting a critical point is an understatement. Fading fast in the National League West and in the Wild Card, the schedule hit a point that they desperately needed against the Washington Nationals and Pittsburgh Pirates. Not even two of the NL’s struggling foes could save the Friars.

San Diego dropped two out of three at home against the Nationals last weekend, then traveled for a three-game series against the Pirates, who entered the three-game set losers of 12 of their last 13 games. Turns out all Pittsburgh needed was a visit from a team struggling like them.

The Pirates had scored 30 runs in their previous 13 games before the opener Tuesday night, but they exploded for nine runs on 16 hits in a 9-4 win. If that wasn’t bad enough for the Padres, Wednesday night, seven more runs on nine hits led to a 7-1 Pirates rout. Pittsburgh completed the three-game sweep with a 5-4 Wednesday in a game in which they rallied from a 4-1 deficit.

Following their loss to the Nationals Sunday, shortstop Xander Bogaerts’ frustration came out and you have to think he’s not the only one in that locker room that feels the same way. Bogaerts was an addition to an already-loaded roster that has spent the first half of the season underachieving. Time is running out, but losing five of six to the Nationals and Pirates is not a step in the right direction in terms of saving their season.

ATLANTA, GA – MAY 23: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves comes to bat during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Truist Park on May 23, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – MAY 23: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves comes to bat during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Truist Park on May 23, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /

Stock Up: Atlanta Braves continue to roll

Two teams have been consistent all season long, the Rays and the Braves. That trend continued in the last week for the National League East leaders.

After dropping the first game of their much-anticipated three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds last Friday, 11-10, they broke Cincinnati’s 12-game winning streak Saturday and then won Sunday to take two out of three games. They returned home to sweep the Minnesota Twins and drop them from first place in the AL Central, behind the Cleveland Guardians.

Spencer Strider had another strong performance on the mound, striking out 10 in seven innings allowing just three hits and a run to Minnesota on Monday, then Kolby Allard was good Wednesday in a 3-0 Braves win, working 4.2 scoreless innings, giving up three hits and striking out eight. Atlanta got 4.1 scoreless innings from the bullpen to complete the sweep.

Offensively, the Braves continued to mash the baseball Tuesday night off of Minnesota starter Joe Ryan. Three first-inning home runs from Ronald Acuña, Jr., Austin Riley, and Sean Murphy.

How good of a week was it for Atlanta? The Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies have both been playing good baseball with multiple-game winning streaks, but have not gained any ground on the Braves. Things get interesting this weekend as the Marlins visit for a key three-game series.

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