Week 20: The J.D. Martinez & Mookie Betts Bromance

UPDATE 3/26/19: I wrote this before J.D. Martinez posted something very problematic on social media that is in direct opposition to my values. He has a right to express political opinions, but words have consequences. In this case the consequence is that I no longer think he's hot--in fact, he's the opposite of hot. NRA propaganda is deal breaker for me.

According  to the (admittedly problematic) ESPN Player Rater, the top two players in fantasy baseball last week were #1. Mookie Betts and #2. J.D. Martinez--both of the Boston Red Sox. Both are also former MLBoyfriends. Betts won the title earlier this season; Martinez was crowned last season. I couldn't decide who was more worthy of a respeat, so I decided to go with the rare tie.

Mookie Betts put up some amazing stats last week. He had ten runs, one home run, five RBIs, two stolen bases,  a .448 batting average, and 1.418 OPS.

The highlight of this great week was clearly Thursday, August 9. Mookie Betts accomplished the rare feat of hitting for the cycle. He hit a single, a double, a triple and a home run in one game which is a glorious thing to watch even if it was for the hateful Red Sox.



Betts did all this while remaining his usual adorable self.

So it seems that Mookie Betts should have this week's MLBoyfriend in the bag. However, there's a strong case to be made for J.D. Martinez...

Last week, Martinez had seven runs, four home runs, eleven RBIs, a .464 average, and 1.603 OPS. 

For those keeping track, Martinez actually had more home runs and RBIs than Betts as well as a higher batting average and OPS. So why does Betts rank higher on the Player Rater? It was almost certainly Betts' two stolen bases (which system probably weights too heavily) that made the difference. Martinez arguably had the better week.

Martinez has something else going for him: He's on my fantasy baseball team, the Lake Washington Gillygoofangs. I clearly pay more attention to and place more value on his performance.

Also, I have a confession to make. I feel bad that I did not name J.D. Martinez my MLBoyfriend the week he hit four home runs in one game last year. If hitting for the cycle is the batting equivalent of pitching a no-hitter, then hitting four home runs in one game is pitching perfect game. Only eighteen players have done it in major league baseball history. Martinez is the last one to do on September 4, 2017. (Ironically, that week, I had the first ever co-winners of the MLBoyfriend title.)



Martinez also give Betts a run for his money in the cute department.

There are currently many articles and blog posts pitting Mookie Betts against J.D. Martinez in the race for American League MVP. I'm not going to fall into that trap. First, it seems strange to describe teammates as rivals especially when they consistent act as a fantastic duo on the field.

Also, as I mentioned in my post about Betts, they have a legit friendship. Who am I to split up such a fine bromance?

Click here to see a video of Martinez and Betts taking a friendship quiz.

And so, this week, we have the extremely rare tie in baseball.

Congratulations Mookie Betts & J.D. Martinez! You are my Co-MLBoyfriends of the week!

Week 8: Mookie Betts

We're only about a third of the way through the season, but it's kind of surprising Mookie Betts hasn't been my MLBoyfriend yet. He is arguably the best batter in baseball this year. He has the most runs scored (43), is tied for the most home runs (his teammate J.D. Martinez also has 15), an impressive .365 batting average (the highest for any player with more that 25 at bats in the season), an equally impressive 1.198 OPS (the highest of any player with more than 13 at bats), and 11 stolen bases.

Last week, Betts continued that pace with a .387 average, 1.134 OPS, six runs, two home runs, five RBIs, and four stolen bases. He definitely remains a top candidate for American League MVP.

The other thing that makes Betts such an obvious choice for MLBoyfriend is that there is no shortage of great pictures of him. My "photo research" (i.e., Google image search) turned up an embarassment of riches.

So why did I pick Betts this week passing him by for the last seven? It's because we found about his bromance with former MLBoyfriend J.D. Martinez.

Mookie Betts

Mookie Betts had a very, very good start to the season. He had 11 hits in 22 at bats for a .500 average with 9 runs, 2 doubles, 4 home runs, 10 RBI, and whopping 1.757 OPS. Betts did all that while also playing shortstop for the first time in his career. 

Congratulations, Mookie Betts! You are my MLBoyfriend of the week.

Mookie Betts

I'm going to keep this short and sweet because I'm headed to the Minnesota State Fair right after posting this, and I want to spend as much time with the Butter Heads as possible. Mookie Betts is back on top here at MLBoyfriend.

Betts had 9 runs, 4 home runs, 7 RBI, and 1 stolen base with a .346 average and 1.337 OPS last week. Those are some very good numbers. Plus, he has the best smile in baseball.

Congratulations, Mookie Betts! You are my MLBoyfriend of the week.

2023 All-Star Game Red Carpet

My Top Ten Favorite Looks From The All-Star Game Red Carpet

The week of the All-Star break is not great for naming a regular MLBoyfriend. Last year, I took the chance to do something different by ranking my favorite looks from the ASG's Red Carpet show. Let's do it again this year.

10. Shohei Ohtani. He may be the best player in baseball right now, but Shohei Ohtani only managed to rank #10 on this list. He's wearing a beautiful suit, but honestly, it's kind of boring. It's mostly working because he's so handsome. He's like the hottest guy at your cousin's wedding.

9. Adley Rutschman. Another beautiful suit, but this one is not at all boring. Well played, Adley Rutschman.

8. Derek Shelton. It's very rare for a manager to make an appearance on this blog--it's only happened twice before. However, I had to give Derek Shelton and his family props for their coordinated looks. Glad to see Gen-X representing with a tribute to Seattle, the host city, and it's amazing 90s music scene.

7. Zac Gallen. This comes very close to being douchey, but somehow, Zac Gallen is making it work.

6. Jonah Heim. This summer's hottest trend? Barbiecore. Jonah Heim and family are riding that hot pink wave perfectly.

5. Orlando Arcia. Speaking of Barbiecore... Orlando Arcia's outfit is fine--good even. However, this pick is all about his daughters. Their matching looks--especially the cat-eye glasses--are giving vintage Skipper, and I am here for it.

4. Juan Soto. Nothing to see here--just a hot guy in a perfect suit. Thanks for keeping it simple, Juan Soto.

3. Mookie Betts. Is this great fashion? No. Do I feel like it's showing us the real Mookie Betts? Absolutely. I want to hang out with the guy wearing this.

2. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. This is fun...

...But Lourdes Gurriel Jr. really took it to a whole other level by giving his sons matching outfits. Topping it all off is the subtle touch of his wife's belt tying her in with the boys.

1. Ronald Acuña Jr. On trend in pink? Check. Fashion forward look? Check. Coordinated with his (very hot) date without being overly matchy? Check. Sexy with swagger for days? Check and check! Ronald Acuña Jr. would have been the best look on the ASG red carpet even without the absolutely ridiculous, yet absolutely fabulous diamond necklace with a massive pendant of himself--but, let's face it, that is next level for an MLB event. He understood the assignment.

2022 All-Star Game Red Carpet

My Top Ten Favorite MLB All-Star Game Red Carpet Looks

Werk it, boys!

10. Trea Turner. A grey suit might not be the boldest fashion statement--that's why it's #10 on this list. However, Trea Turner looks great in it--that's why it made the list.

9. Jazz Chisholm Jr. Bringing Bahamian chic to the All-Star Game.

8. Tony Gonsolin. I have a soft spot for hipster dandies. Since he was one of the few players to fly solo on the red carpet, I went to see if he's single (he's not?), and something fun popped up. If you Google "Tony Gonsolin" the top choice for the next word is "cats". That explains the pocket square and emblem. 

7. Mookie Betts. In theory, I don't like this outfit, but somehow he's making it work. That's the magic of Mookie Betts. I named him my MLBoyfriend twice when he played for the hateful Boston Red Sox, and I naming him one of the best dressed on the ASG red carpet in a boarderline douchey outfit.

6. Dansby Swanson. He's a good looking guy in a nice suit, but this is really Dansby Swanson's consolation prize for being runner up for MLBoyfriend multiple times this summer but never winning the prize.

5. Jose Trevino. You had me at metallic brocade suit. Chef's kiss for the child's matching sports coat.

4. Byron Buxton. MLBoyfriend favorite, Byron Buxton did my hometown team proud on the ASG red carpet. Plus, that is one beautiful family.

3. Ronald Acuña Jr. Sparkle, Ronald Acuña Jr, sparkle!

2. Starling Marte. It's been a year since he's been on MLBoyfriend, but Starling Marte and his wife's matching décolletages brought him roaring back.

1. Martín Pérez. He took home the MLBoyfriend crown two months ago, and now, Martín Pérez is--hands down--my pick for best dressed on the MLB All-Star Game red carpet. From head to toe--literally, the sunglasses and the kicks are both fantastic--just a fabulous look. Bonus points for outstanding coordination (without being overly matchy-matchy) as a family.

Week 17: Mike Trout

At the tender age of 26, Mike Trout played in his seventh All-Star Game. He hit a home run in the game, and while he hits a lot of home runs, this one was notable for a couple of reasons. First, Jacob deGrom, who is one of the best pitchers in the baseball was pitching. The other is that it prompted Bryce Harper, who is not known for his lack of ego, to admit Trout is the best player in the Major League Baseball. Harper was giving an interview from the field when Trout hit his dinger, and you can hear his commentary in this video.



Mike Trout took to social media during the game and posted a selfie from the field with fellow American League All-Stars and MLBoyfriends, Aaron Judge and Mookie Betts.

#AllStarGame is always something special. Thank you for the hospitality DC!!!

A post shared by Mike Trout (@miketrout) on Jul 17, 2018 at 9:09pm PDT

I love this photo of Trout taking that pic because he looks little standing
next to Aaron Judge--and Mookie Betts looks tiny. FYI: Trout is 6'2", 135lbs.

On the very same day that Mike Trout was enthusiastically participating in the biggest promotional event in baseball, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said that Trout was not doing enough promotion. 

“Mike has made decisions on what he wants to do, doesn’t want to do, how he wants to spend his free time or not spend his free time,” Manfred said in the hours before MLB’s All-Star Game at Nationals Park. “I think we could help him make his brand very big. But he has to make a decision to engage. It takes time and effort.”

Pretty much everyone including The Los Angeles Times, Deadspin, The New York Post, and even frickin' Gold Digest called bullshit on Manfred's comments. Even better, lots of folks took to social media to show why Mike Trout is not only the best player in baseball, he might be the best ambassador of baseball. Here's one of my favorite tweets:

A couple weeks ago at Camden Yards, I watched Trout pull a 6-year old out of the pregame crowd. He spent the next 15 minutes with the kid by his side during BP. Stretched with him, chatted with him. Even gave him his bat. Never seen anything like it. It looked like this. pic.twitter.com/eZhagoXeb4

— Eddie Matz (@ESPNeddiematz) July 18, 2018

For more, check out the Twitter hashtag: #MikeTroutMoments. Or this post aptly titled "Here's a bunch of videos of Mike Trout doing nice things for kids" from the USA Today sports blog For The Win's weekly feature, "Mike Trout Mondays".