David Wright

Technically, David Wright was an active player in the first few years of MLBoyfriend. However, due to injuries he only played 37 games in 2016, 0 in 2017, and 2 in 2018. If I had know 2016 would be my last real chance to name him my MLBoyfriend, I would given him the title at least once, because....

Wright is more than a (very) pretty face. He had an impressive career .296 batting average and 1.243 OPS. He was the National League Rookie of the Year in 2004 and Player of the Year in 2005. There's also something great about the fact that he spent his entire career with the New York Mets.

David Wright was named "Captain America" for his performance in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. In that tournament, he had a .438 batting average, 10 RBIs and a grand slam.

Now that I've initiated the Retro-MLBoyfriend, I can make up for the injustice of not giving Wright the title in the first year of this blog.

Congratulations, David Wright! You are my second Retro-MLBoyfriend.

Juan Soto

It's been far too long since Juan Soto was featured here at MLBoyfriend Central. He has won the honor twice, but the last time was in 2021. That's crazy talk since he's both one of the best players in MLB and one of the best looking.

The four-year drought ends today.

Last week, Soto had a .435 batting average and a 1.509 OPS--both of which are very good. He hit 3 home runs, scored 7 runs and batted in 9. He also stole a base 3 times.

Congratulations, Juan Soto! You are my MLBoyfriend of the week.

Francisco Lindor

Francisco Lindor's MLB career started the same year as this blog began, but I was surprised to discover that he has never won the MLBoyfriend title. He has been a very good player for the last decade and surely deserved the title many times, but it has eluded him until this week.

Last week, Lindor had an astonishing .560 batting average with 14 hits in 25 plate appearances. He had a 1.647 OPS with 3 doubles and 3 home runs. He scored 7 runs and batted in 7. He also had 2 stolen bases. All this rightly earned him the National League Player of the Week title.

Those killer stats plus being super cute earned Lindor the MLBoyfriend title.

Congratulations, Francisco Lindor! You are my MLBoyfriend of the week.

Pete Alonso

I can't believe that Pete Alonso has never been named my MLBoyfriend in the five seasons he's played in the MLB. He was featured on this site in 2019, his rookie year, in my first and only All-Star MLBoyfriend Tournament. Pete lost the tournament to the very worthy Vladimir Guerroro Jr. (who would go on to win another MLBoyfriend title in 2021).

You would think that with all Alonso has going for him--being a reliably very good player, being a super cutie, and being called "The Polar Bear" by teammates and fans--he would have won an MLBoyfriend title at some point in the past 6 years.

Last week, Alonso put up big enough numbers to finally win the title. The Polar Bear had a .364 batting average and a whopping 1.326 OPS. He had 8 hits including 2 doubles and 3 home runs. He scored 6 runs and batted in 11.

Congratulations, Pete Alonso! You are my MLBoyfriend of the week.

Mark Canha

I had selected an MLBoyfriend for the week and had even started the post. Then, I visited Queerty and saw this headline: "New York Mets outfielder Mark Canha celebrates Pride Night with Madonna, Lady Gaga & Taylor Swift". 

By the time I finished the article, I had ditched my previous choice* and decided Mark Canha clearly earned the MLBoyfriend title this week. I was his adorkable video message before the Mets Pride Night that sealed the deal.

Pride Night is TOMORROW at @CitiField! 🌈@outtadapakmark is excited to celebrate with you all. pic.twitter.com/c0Xx4yr7YQ

— New York Mets (@Mets) June 15, 2023

BTW, shout out to the New York Mets for hosting an amazin' Pride Night this year. They seem to have nailed every aspect of it.

Congratulations, Mark Canha! You are my MLBoyfried of the week.

*Condolences to Shohei Otani. Last week, he led MLB in home runs with 6 and RBI with 12--and notched up a pitching win. In the end, he was the runner-up for MLBoyfriend of the week. I'll post a pic of him as a consolation prize (and because he's super cute).

Week 11: Jacob deGrom

It's well past time to show Jacob deGrom a little love this season. The game he pitched on Friday, June 11, was humdinger. In six innings, he gave up only one hit, walked zero hitters, and struck out ten with no runs scored. He got both a win and a quality start.

That would be an amazing game for any MLB starting pitcher, but for deGrom this season, it's just par for the course. He has pitched 64 innings, and his stats are almost unreal: 

• deGrom has had just 4 earned runs, giving him an incredible 0.56 ERA (not a misprint!). For comparison sake, of all the starters who have pitched more than just 6.0 innings this year, Lance Lynn has the next lowest ERA, and his is 1.37--2.5 times higher than deGrom's.
• deGrom has given up just 26 hits and 8 walks giving him the very low WHIP of 0.56.
• Meanwhile, deGrom has struck out 103 batters. That's a lot in 64 innings!

Talk of MVP awards before the All-Star break is certainly premature, but it's not surprising that deGrom the favorite in betting markets to win the title in the National League.

It is a little ironic that I'm naming deGrom as my MLBoyfriend the week there has been some discussion about whether or not he has been cheating by sneaking banned substances onto balls. I'm no expert, but the consensus seems to be that he's probably not cheating. So, I'm going to go with that.

Congratulations, Jacob deGrom! You are my MLBoyfriend of the week. Keep it up and keep it clean.

Week 5: Steven Matz

The New York Daily News ran this headline yesterday: "Steven Matz Is The Mets' Best Starter". That is saying something when the Mets pitching lineup includes Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom. However, after last week, there's a very good case to be made for Matz.

On Monday, April 22, Matz got win of the week. He pitched six full inning with just three hits, two walks,and one earned run for a 1.50 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP and scoring him a quality start. This victory was especially sweet since it was over the Philadelphia Phillies who had shelled him less than a week before.

It's a bit unfair of me to use this pic since it's from Matz horrible 4/14 game,
but I have my reasons for posting it.

Matz had his second quality start and win of the week on Sunday, April 24. In 7 full innings, he gave up five hits, zero walks, and two earned runs for a 2.57 ERA and 0.71 WHIP. His win ended the Mets' losing streak against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Week 23: Didi Gregorius & Jose Reyes

When I moved to New York City, many people assumed I was a fair-weather Yankees fan. I've actually been a Yankees fan all my life because my father, who was born and raised in Iowa, is one. However, unlike many fans of the Bronx Bombers, I don't hate on the team in Queens. In fact, I have a soft spot in my heart for the New York Mets. I was clearly going to pick a New York player as my MLBoyfriend today, and it came down to either Didi Gregorius from the the Yankees of Jose Reyes from the Mets. Then, I decided since it's my blog, I can change the rules and, for the first time, choose two New York City players to be my MLBoyfriends of the week.

Didi Gregorius had a .385 batting average and 1.138 OPS last week with two home runs, six runs and ten RBIs. He ended the week strong going four-for-four with four RBIs on Sunday.

Gregorius is a great all-around player and his fielding in the key position of short stop has been excellent all season.

Jose Reyes had a very good week at the plate. He had a .296 batting average and 1.033 OPS with three home runs, six runs, nine RBIs and two stolen bases.

Reyes also ended the week on a high note going two-for-five in Sunday's game with one run scored, two RBIs and a stolen base.

SO....

Congratulations, Didi Gregorius! You are my MLBoyfriend of the week. You deserve a hug.

Congratulations, Jose Reyes! You are also my MLBoyfriend of the week. FYI: This picture sealed the deal for you.

Week 12: Curtis Granderson

After choosing two rookies in a row as my MLBoyfriend, it's time to show a little appreciation for a veteran player. Curtis Granderson is the oldest player on the New York Mets at the ripe old age of 36.

To put it kindly, Granderson had a slow start to the season. His batting average was a measly .128 in April. By the end of May, he had raised it to .201--better but still hovering right at the Mendoza Line. He fought to stay in the Mets line up in June, and it has paid off.

On June 14, Curtis Granderson hit his 300th home run.



Last week, Curtis Granderson had his best week of the season hitting .455 with a 1.597 OPS. He had three home runs, seven runs and 5 RBIs. His best week ended with his best game. On Sunday, June 25, he reached base five times--including hitting a home run. While there may be rumors that the Mets will trade Granderson, it seems talk of his retirement remains premature.

Misters October

Fifteen of my MLBoyfriends made it into the postseason. This gives us a great opportunity to take another look at them.

Week 2: Eduardo Núñez, San Francisco Giants
The first entry on this list is bittersweet. I chose Eduardo Núñez as my MLBoyfriend when he was with the Minnesota Twins. As a Twin, he was the best player on a terrible team--but it's my hometown team and they have a special place in my heart. In July, he was traded to the Giants where he has been a very good player on a very good team. Even though he's not on San Francisco's wild card play-in game roster, the move definitely gave Núñez a shot at some postseason play.

Week 3: Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals
Here's hoping Bryce Harper will be bringing his best hair game to the postseason.

Week 4: Michael Conforto, New York Mets
Michael Conforto's season has been a bit of a roller coaster, but his towards the end earned him a spot on the Mets playoff roster.

Week 6: Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals
Max Scherzer is the Nats' go-to starter--as witnessed by the fact that he will be pitching in their first game of the postseason.

Week 7: Jackie Bradley Jr., Boston Red Sox
The fact that I chose Jackie Bradley Jr. as my MLBoyfriend despite my longstanding hatred of the Boston Red Sox is a testament to his talent. However, my personal good feelings towards him have a limit, and I hope not to see him on the field for very long in October. Of course, I'd be more than happy to see him elsewhere.

Week 8: Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
Congratulations, to Buster Posey for joining the 1,000 Hits Club on September 27th--and doing it in style with a home run.

Week 9: Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants
It's no surprise Madison Bumgarner is pitching in the Giants Wild Card play-in game against the Mets. His pitching has outstanding in October.

Week 12: Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays
Since I'm a posting after the playoffs have begun, we've already gotten to see Josh Donaldson perform in the postseason--and he was a key contributor to the Blue Jays 11th inning defeat of the Orioles.

Week 13: Danny Espinosa, Washington Nationals
Another player with an inconsistent season at the plate, veteran Danny Espinosa comes into the postseason having just broken a cold streak--and is hoping to keep the hitting going in October.

Week 15: Jacob deGrom, New York Mets
Unfortunately, Jacob deGrom underwent surgery in September and will not be able to pitch for the Mets in the playoffs. We look forward to seeing his famous locks back on the mound in 2017.

Week 19: Yu Darvish, Texas Rangers
Yu Darvish won the last game of the regular season in an impressive showing--a quality start with twelve strikeouts and giving up only one run in six innings. Unfortunately, I simply cannot route for his team, the hateful Texas Rangers. Sorry, Boo.

Week 20: Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs
It's been 112 years since the Cubs win a World Series--which is a really long time--but they are the favorites to win this year. Kris Bryant--a very strong candidate for the National League MVP--is a key player in the Cubs quest to break The Curse of the Billy Goat.

Week 23: Trea Turner, Washington Nationals
Trea Turner inspired my favorite sports headline of the past week: Nobody puts baby-faced Trea Turner in a corner. Not anymore. Could he be the missing piece the Nationals needed to make it into their first World Series? Quite possibly.

Week 24: Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles
Unfortunately, Baltimore is already eliminated, so we won't be seeing any more of Adam Jones in October. After the game, he showed his heart in calling out a Toronto fan who threw a full beer at fellow Oriole, Hyun Soo Kim, saying "That's as pathetic as it gets." He's a class act.

Week 25: Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers
Elvis Andrus just had the best season of his career; however, I'm hoping his postseason is a repeat of last year (see Yu Darvish, above). While my hatred of the Rangers may be somewhat irrational, I also can't help still liking Elvis.

Thanks to all my MLBoyfriends for a great inaugural season of this blog. Congratulations to the fourteen who made it into the playoffs. Keep an eye out as I will be naming more MLBoyfriends as -the postseason progresses--culminating with my very own Mr. October.