MLB Week 4 Hot or Not: NL Central has some Easter fun, Toronto’s newcomers aren’t exciting anyone 

A few pitching gems outshine the early batting slumps

Welcome back to the Hot or Not feature series! This week’s recap covers the fourth full week of the season, from April 20-26.

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AL West
Hot: Hunter Brown is becoming an ace
It would be a shame not to mention Brown’s spectacular outing against Toronto. He dealt seven scoreless innings, keeping the Blue Jays to two hits and a walk. Brown brought his total season strikeout total to 31 after striking out nine hitters from 96 pitches, and he lowered his ERA to 1.16 on April 21. If he keeps it up, he’ll become Houston’s top starter instead of Framber Valdez within a few months.

Not: A’s allowed nine stolen bases
Allowing nine stolen bases gives you a good idea of how poorly the Athletics played on Easter. Shea Langeliers wasn’t prepared for the Brew Crew to read starter Jeffrey Springs like an open book, and Springs may have been tipping his pick-off attempts. The Brewers broke a franchise record for most stolen bases, and the A’s looked dismal on a rainy day in Milwaukee.

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AL Central
Hot: Steven Kwan has a bat that won’t quit
Kwan extended his eight-game hit streak, bringing his average to .350 and OPS to .402. He went 10-for-24 with three RBIs, two extra-base hits, a home run, and two walks while only striking out once. Kwan has been pestering pitchers all season with his refusal to go down on strikes, but he was especially persistent last week.

Not: Vinnie Pasquantino isn’t helping the Royals win
The Royals are on a roll, but Pasquantino isn’t. He hit below the Mendoza Line with three runs, three RBIs, and a pair of walks. He recorded nearly twice as many strikeouts as hits and has yet to steal a base this season. Kansas City is on a six-game win streak after losing six in a row with back-to-back sweeps against the Yankees and Tigers, but it’s not because of Pasquantino.

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AL East
Hot: Alex Bregman is doing Alex Bregman things
Bregman has provided the power and on-base motivation the Red Sox have needed for a while. He hit .423 with four doubles, six RBIs, and a home run. Bregman tested every pitcher he faced, striking out once and drawing three walks. Boston brought Bregman over from Houston to be reliable, and he hasn’t disappointed yet.

Not: Toronto’s winter moves haven’t paid off
Toronto’s top acquisitions during the winter have yet to add value. Anthony Santander went 0-for-16 last week with six strikeouts and a walk, and Andres Gimenez went 1-for-16 with a run, walk, and four strikeouts. No one thought the Blue Jays would be the favorites in the AL East, but seeing this little production so far from two players who were touted as offensive upgrades at DH and second base is underwhelming.

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NL West
Hot: Rox relievers are the team’s bright spot
Colorado’s bullpen doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Relievers put up a 2.17 ERA by only allowing seven earned runs over 29 innings, which is the highest number of innings any NL bullpen was responsible for last week. Although they also walked 15 batters, Rockies relievers should be proud that they didn’t give up a home run, especially at Kauffman Stadium.

Not: Dodgers relievers are tired
It’s about time that the Dodgers look human. Last week, the Dodgers bullpen posted a 4.57 ERA, giving up 11 earned runs, three home runs, and 13 walks. They secured one save, but blew another. After recently losing Blake Snell to the 15-day IL, Los Angeles’ relievers are being taxed more than usual, possibly paving the path for a new NL pennant sheriff to come to town.

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NL Central
Hot: Reds were relentless on Easter
Cincinnati’s 24-2 win over the Orioles was electric: The lineup quickly ran Charlie Morton off the mound before they picked apart Baltimore’s bullpen. What’s most impressive is that only seven of their 24 runs came from three home runs, the rest came from standard RBIs that included a throwing error, extra-base hits, and a hit-by-pitch. It’s not even May and the Reds already put up what may be the highest-scoring game by a single team this season.

Not: Jordan Walker isn’t doing anything
The Cardinals’ right fielder has been swinging as if his bat were made of lead. Walker hit .056 with a hit, a run, and two walks in 18 at-bats. He struck out five times and hasn’t had an extra-base hit in nearly two weeks. Walker’s productivity dropped significantly last year, and it looks like this year will be no different.

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NL East
Hot: Jake Irvin offered nothing but quality starts
Irvin has been a go-to pitcher for the Nats this season, but especially last week. He limited the Rockies to three hits and two runs while punching out nine over 6 1⁄3 innings. Irvin was locked in for the entire game. He channeled that same energy against the Mets, lasting 7 1⁄3 innings while only allowing five hits and a run. Although his strikeout tally wasn’t high, Irvin pitched around the hot-hitting Mets.

Not: Phillies’ bats aren’t booming
Philadelphia had a quiet week offensively. Outside of their 10-4 win against the Cubs on Saturday, the Phillies lineup had a subpar .230 batting average and scored only 13 runs. That’s the second-lowest in the NL and fourth-lowest in MLB. Although the lineup finally came around at the end of the week, this team is capable of producing far more runs than they are now.