MLB Week 14 Hot or Not: Clayton Kershaw reaches 3,000 strikeouts

The old and new generations continue making history

Last week was another scorcher, but historic performances by veteran and young stars made the heat a bit more bearable. This week’s recap covers the 14th full week of the season from June 29 to July 5.

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AL West
Hot: Jose Altuve’s bat explodes on the 4th
Altuve played a large part in handing the Dodgers their worst defeat at home since 1958. He went 3-for-3 with four runs, five RBIs, and two home runs in Houston’s 18-1 landslide win. Days after passing Jeff Bagwell to hold the second-most hits in Houston’s franchise, Altuve’s explosive night raised his home run count to 15. Even when he seems to be slowing down, it’s not long before he kicks it into high gear.

Not: Nick Kurtz encounters the typical rookie setback
The Athletics’ No. 1 and MLB Pipeline’s No. 14 overall prospect is beginning to slump. After a fair performance in spring and early summer, Kurtz is experiencing another slow period. He slashed .105/.227/.263 with three runs, three RBIs, and 11 strikeouts. Although he was named June’s AL Rookie of the month, Kurtz isn’t quite off to the races in June. Have no fear, though, his home run in the Athletics’ 11-2 win over the Giants should inspire him to keep hitting.

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AL Central
Hot: Adrian Houser becomes Chicago’s new ace
After a few flailing games from rookie Shane Smith, Adrian Houser appears to have overtaken the ace role for the White Sox. Houser earned his fourth win, against the Rockies, restricting hitters to four hits, two runs, and six strikeouts through eight frames. With A 1.60 ERA and 1.11 WHIP, Houser makes a very strong case to be sold at the trade deadline.

Not: Cleveland’s skid becomes a nightmare
What started as a couple of shutout losses has quickly turned into serious damage. The Guardians have dropped their last eight games, which includes a three-game sweep against the Tigers. With a nearly absent lineup hitting worse than .200, Cleveland was outscored, 27-9, last week. Now 15.5 games back from Detroit in the division, the Guardians have some tough decisions to make as they approach the trade deadline.

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AL East
Hot: Wilyer Abreu slams two unconventional dingers in the same game
It’s not every day a player hits a grand slam or an inside the park home run, but both in one game? Now that’s history. Abreu did just that in Boston’s 13-6 blowout against the Reds, becoming the first player to achieve both feats in the same game since 1958, and only the sixth player in MLB history. Abreu ended the game going 2-for-5 with two runs, eight total bases, and five RBIs. With Alex Bregman still injured and Rafael Devers gone, Abreu’s bat has skyrocketed in value and production.

Not: New York’s pitching turns the division’s tables
The great Aaron Judge couldn’t compensate for New York’s poor starting pitching last week. Yankee starters combined for a 6.75 ERA and 1.64 WHIP, relinquishing 21 runs, seven home runs, and 14 walks. In two of their games against the Blue Jays, Will Warren allowed eight runs in the first four innings, and Max Fried had an unusually tough start, allowing four runs in six. After getting swept in their four-game series to Toronto, New York narrowly occupies second place, a half-game away from tumbling to third.

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NL West
Hot: Clayton Kershaw joins elite company
Kershaw joined an exclusive club during his ninth start this year against the White Sox. Although he allowed nine hits and four runs through six innings and left the game in line for a loss, Kershaw collected his 3,000th career strikeout. Only 19 other pitchers have reached this milestone, including Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and CC Sabathia. As injury-riddled as he’s been in the last few years, there’s no denying that Kershaw has made a historic impact on the game.

Not: Justin Verlander can’t seem to win
Verlander’s quest to earn his first win of the season continues after he took a no-decision and a loss in his starts against the White Sox and Athletics. Despite limiting Chicago to five hits and one run through six innings, Verlander departed the game with a no-decision. His start against the Athletics fared even worse, where he was run off the mound after giving up seven hits and six runs in three innings. Verlander’s ERA is up to 4.84, as the veteran still seems to be in a period of adjustment with the Giants.

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NL Central
Hot: Pittsburgh’s pitching halts hitters
Paul Skenes isn’t the only Pirates pitcher warranting attention. The team held a 1.21 ERA and 0.96 WHIP, surrendering seven runs through five games. Andrew Heaney and Mitch Keller earned quality starts, with Heaney taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning in Pittsburgh’s 7-0 win over the Cardinals and Keller holding the Cards to five hits through seven frames.

Not: St. Louis goes scoreless against division rivals
The Cardinals can’t afford to get swept, lose to anyone in their division, or show poor hitting this close to the trade deadline — but demonstrating all three at once is cause for concern. Last week St. Louis dropped their three-game series to the Pirates without scoring a single run. Their bats were dead, producing a .181 batting average and striking out 24 times. They’re 6.5 games behind the Cubs for first place and aren’t in a position to hand wins out on a silver platter.

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NL East
Hot: James Wood checks two career bucket list items off his list
Washington’s left fielder accomplished two career firsts on the same day: Hours after announcing that he’ll compete alongside Cal Raleigh and Ronald Acuña Jr. in the 2025 Home Run Derby, Wood authored his first five-hit game. He went 5-for-5 with three runs, three RBIs, two walks, and three home runs, bringing his long ball count up to 23 this season. Wood has avoided the sophomore slump all season with his .292/.395/.559 slash line, helping him earn his first career All-Star nomination.

Not: Bryson Stott needs a reset
Stott’s hitting struggles need to be addressed quickly. He went from batting .314 in April to .202 in June, with his batting average last week sinking to .118. Philadelphia’s second baseman hasn’t quite regained the momentum he had in 2023, when he slashed .280/.329/.419 in his second year in MLB. With years of disappointment building up in fans, the Phillies need to consider upgrading him at the trade deadline if they want to finally deliver a World Series to their team.