Major League Baseball

MLB weekly roundup: It was a huge week for Joey Votto and one of his young fans

Updated Jun. 21, 2021 12:58 p.m. ET

By Ben Verlander
FOX Sports MLB Analyst

I don’t think anyone was expecting Shohei Ohtani to drop a hype video announcing his participation in the Home Run Derby in July, but man, oh man, is that what happened.

I had been hoping that we would have Ohtani both hitting and pitching in the MLB All-Star Game. The hype around the All-Star Game because of him has been astronomical, and I want him to do all that he can that week.

Never in my wildest dreams, however, did I think he would compete in the Home Run Derby. But on Friday, he dropped his Instagram hype video announcing just that.

Ohtani will be in the Derby and, presumably, the All-Star Game, and I could not be more excited.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

This past week, on June 19, we celebrated Juneteenth. With that came the Mariners playing as the Seattle Steelheads in commemoration of the Negro League team that once played in the city.

Our photo of the week features the Mariners' Black players posing in their Seattle Steelheads jerseys.

SIX-TOOL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

This week’s six-tool player is Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto.

Votto has been quite the talking point in baseball lately. Early last week, he scored from first base on a ball down the left-field line, and when he slid safely home, he got up and let out some raw emotion. After the game, he was asked about scoring from first even though he isn’t the fleetest of foot. His answer was absolutely priceless.

Later in the week, after reaching second base, Votto didn’t think the fielders were paying attention to him, so he took off for third base and made it easily. That is the sort of stuff a six-tool player is all about: being exciting, thinking outside the box and going for it.

Finally, on Saturday, Votto was very upset about a call by the home plate umpire, and he proceeded to get thrown out of the game. One of his biggest fans, Abigail, was at the game to see Votto play for the first time, and she was devastated by his absence.

Votto heard about this, so he signed a ball for her that said, "I’m sorry I didn’t play the whole game."

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TEAM OF THE WEEK

The Houston Astros have been on an absolute tear in the month of June, and they've been beating good teams along the way.

The Astros have won every series this month and are coming off a four-game sweep of one of the best teams in baseball, the Chicago White Sox.

The 'Stros are getting it done with their offense, which is the best in MLB when it comes to runs scored, hits, RBIs, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS.

It’s hard to stop teams that are as dominant offensively as Houston, and it would have been very hard not to give them team of the week honors.

WHAT TO WATCH IN THE WEEK AHEAD

1. Dodgers at Padres

So far this year, every game of this series has been must-watch television. This week, the Dodgers travel to San Diego for a three-game set against the Padres. The last time these two faced off, in a four-game series in Los Angeles, the Padres took three of four games, and Fernando Tatis Jr. hit five home runs.

2. The New York Mets

The Mets have been pretty good all season, and currently, they find themselves atop the NL East. This week, they face two tough divisional opponents in the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets seem like the real deal, but this week we’ll find out how they shape up against the next best teams in their division.

3. Yankees at Red Sox

The Yankees are in third in the AL East and travel this week to Boston to take on the first-place Red Sox. This is a good matchup on paper and an important one within the division. It's also the Yanks first visit to Boston this season. On top of all that, Sox-Yanks is one of the best rivalries in pro sports and it's worth watching whenever these two teams get together.

THIS WEEK ON THE POD

This week is a fun one on "Flippin' Bats," as Michael Fulmer of the Detroit Tigers joins me. He’s one of a few people who witnessed my home run off my brother in spring training, so we relive that day from his perspective. We also talk about his transition into a closer role and if he wants to keep that job or eventually go back to being a starter. Of course, I also ask him all about his offseason plumbing job. Make sure you check it out.

Here’s to another exciting week of Major League Baseball.

Ben Verlander is an MLB Analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the "Flippin' Bats" podcast. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Verlander was an All-American at Old Dominion University before he joined his brother, Justin, in Detroit as a 14th-round pick of the Tigers in 2013. He spent five years in the Tigers organization. Follow him on Twitter @Verly32.