Touch ‘em All Time: The Doctor is in

Season results thus far:

• Week 1: Edwin Encarnacion v. Matt Bush
• Week 2: Francisco Lindor v. Sam Dyson
• Week 3: Jose Ramirez v. Justin Verlander

With 40% of last week’s vote, your week 3 winner is Jose Ramirez’s 3-run bomb off of Justin Verlander in Cleveland’s 13-6 victory over the Detroit Tigers on 4/15/17. Now, onto this week’s candidates!

Brandon Guyer (4/21 v. Jose Quintana, WPA .195)

Brandon Guyer is most known for being hit by pitches at a silly rate. However, last Friday, El Pinata did got some revenge has he smoked a home run to left field to add a couple of insurance runs for the Cleveland Indians. They would go on to win this game 3-0.

Edwin Encarnacion (4/22 v. Mike Pelfrey, WPA .173)

Edwings are a beautiful thing. Our week 1 winner has struggled offensively this season, but he’s historically a slow starter who heats up as the temperatures across the country rise. Last Saturday, however, Edwin Encarnacion muscled a ball out to straightaway center to out the Tribe on the board. Cleveland would go on to win 7-0.

Michael Brantley (4/22 v. Michael Ynoa, WPA .036)

LINK TO VIDEO

I really don’t know why Twitter hates Michael Brantley. Maybe folks are worried that they’ll jinx him if they start letting the world know that Michael Brantley is, in fact, back. Maybe the servers implode every time someone tries to upload a video of Brantley doing anything awesome. Whatever the case may be, it doesn’t matter. Michael Brantley has two entries this week, and his first was a two run shot that he golfed into the bullpen in right field. Cleveland would go on to win 7-0.

Jose Ramirez (4/22 v. Michael Ynoa, WPA .002)

Jose Ramirez, our victor from last week, decided that winning the Touch ‘em All Trophy just once wasn’t enough. Instead, he continued to crush baseballs. This time, the victim was Michael Ynoa, who had been punished by Michael Brantley just two innings prior. And while Jose’s home run came in garbage time, it was still nice to see him notch his fifth homer of the season.

Francisco Lindor (4/23 v. Derek Holland, WPA .085)

Francisco Lindor heard you telling him that Derek Holland owns the Indians and that it’s no use trying to hit against him. “Hahahaha” was his response as he blasted his fifth home run of the season to the seats in left field. Lindor and Ramirez are having a home run battle similar to the one we saw between Mike Napoli and Carlos Santana in 2016, and it is fantastic. Sadly, Cleveland would go on to lose this game 6-2.

Austin Jackson (4/25 v. Dallas Keuchel, WPA .118)

LINK TO VIDEO

When you think of home run hitters, you probably don’t think of aging outfielders. However, as Coco Crisp, Rajai Davis, and now Austin Jackson have proven, looks can be deceiving. Jackson took ground ball wizard Dallas Keuchel yard as he hammered a pitch to right field for his first home run of the year and the Tribe’s first run of the game. Sadly, the Indians would lose this game 4-2.

Michael Brantley (4/25 v. Dallas Keuchel, WPA .052)

LINK TO VIDEO

Alright Twitter, I don’t know what you want from me anymore. Brantley is back, okay? You’re just going to have to deal with it and start displaying his prowess for all to see. Keuchel had basically had his way with the Cleveland lineup all night, and while the solo home run in the ninth was not enough to overcome Houston’s four runs, it at least brought some life and excitement to the ninth inning. Plus, it was Brantley’s second home run of the week, so that’s cool.

Verdict

For this week, the home run I’m choosing for the best home run of the week was not the one that impacted the game the most or helped swing the pendulum heavily in Cleveland’s favor. In fact, by the WPA measurement, it hardly moved the needle. But needles be damned, my vote is for Michael Brantley’s first home run of the week against Michael Ynoa. There’s something about watching Brantley’s silky smooth swing come through the zone like a knife through butter and send a baseball in a looping arc out into the bullpen. There are other home runs that actually mattered more, but that’s the cool thing about Touch ‘em All Time: you don’t have to vote based on numbers. You can vote based on what you feel. And Brantley hitting home runs for the Cleveland Indians feels so, so right. Congratulations Michael!