May Team of the Month 2024

Our May MLB Team of the Month is here! This recurring series will highlight the top performers throughout the year, culminating in the Team of the Year at season's end.

The rules are simple - one player from each position (with some honorable mentions), three starting pitchers, and three relievers make up the squad based on their standout performances over the previous month.

Position Players

Outfield:

LF - Jurickson Profar, San Diego Padres (.344/.438/.490, 1.2 fWAR)

Profar put together an excellent all-around month for the Padres, playing in 27 games. He showed tremendous plate discipline with his walk rate exceeding his strikeout rate. Profar also provided impact power and on-base ability, slashing .344/.438/.490 for an impressive .928 OPS.
HM: Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox (0.8 fWAR)

CF - Aaron Judge, New York Yankees (.371/.488/.928, 3.0 fWAR) 

An easy choice, Judge was virtually unstoppable in May. He went on an absolute tear, slashing .371/.488/.928 for a jaw-dropping 1.416 OPS. Judge blasted 14 home runs among his 26 extra-base hits, leading to a video game-like 282 wRC+. His 3.0 fWAR led all players this month and is more than most players accumulate over a full season

HM: Jake Meyers, Houston Astros (1.4 fWAR) 

RF - Juan Soto, New York Yankees (.296/.384/.574, 1.5 fWAR) 
While his .958 OPS wasn't quite as eye-popping as Judge's numbers, Soto still turned in an excellent offensive month accumulating 1.5 fWAR. The biggest surprise was his above-average defense in right field, which gave him the slightest of edges over the deserving Kyle Tucker for this spot.

HM: Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros (1.4 fWAR)

Infield: 

3B - Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians (.295/.375/.686, 1.7 fWAR)  

The second easy choice was Ramirez at the hot corner. J-Ram led the way driving in runs all month, so much so that the Angels chose to intentionally walk him with the bases loaded late in May. His .375 OBP and .686 SLG% added up to an incredible 1.061 OPS as he accumulated 1.7 fWAR.

HM: Joey Ortiz, Milwaukee Brewers (1.2 fWAR)

SS - Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals (.315/.373/.550, 1.8 fWAR)  

The talented youngster Bobby Witt Jr. does it all for the Royals. He hit for a high average at .315, smacked 7 homers for a .550 SLG%, and also swiped 5 bases. Witt also provides elite defense and is the early favorite for the gold glove at SS

HM: Corey Seager, TEX (1.5 fWAR), Gunnar Henderson, BAL (1.4 fWAR)

2B - Luis Arraez, San Diego Padres (.389 AVG, 0.9 fWAR)  

This was perhaps the toughest decision with three players at 0.9 fWAR, but Arraez gets the nod for his utterly ridiculous .389 batting average in his first month with San Diego after being acquired for practically nothing. 

HM: Jordan Westburg, BAL (0.9 fWAR), Abraham Toro, OAK (0.9 fWAR)

1B - Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies (.313/.407/.583, 1.4 fWAR) 

The driving force behind the winningest team in baseball, Harper slugged 7 homers while getting on base at a .407 clip in May. He led all first basemen with an incredible 174 wRC+ as the anchor of the Phillies' lineup.

HM: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR (0.9 fWAR) 

C - William Contreras, Milwaukee Brewers (1.0 fWAR in 28 games)  

In an era of catcher platoons, Contreras played nearly every day for the Brewers and more than held his own. He accumulated 1.0 fWAR over 28 games while providing solid offense from behind the plate.

HM: Shea Langeliers, OAK (1.2 fWAR, 23 G), Danny Jansen, TOR (1.0 fWAR, 21 G)

DH - Brent Rooker, Oakland A's (.330/.407/.590, 22 RBIs, 1.3 fWAR)
 If Rooker was on any other team, he'd be getting much more attention for his monster May. He posted the highest offensive numbers of any DH, slashing .330/.407/.590 while leading the position with 22 RBIs in 26 games for the A's. 

HM: Shohei Ohtani, LAD (1.2 fWAR)

Pitching Staff

Starting Pitchers:

Luis Gil, NYY (6 GS, 6 W, 0.70 ERA, 38.2 IP, 44 K) 

Gil has shockingly gone from competing for the final spot in the Yankees' rotation to an early Cy Young frontrunner. He was utterly dominant in May, highlighted by a 0.70 ERA while allowing an impossibly low 14 hits (just 0.36 H/9) over 38.2 innings. Gil ranked 3rd among starters with 44 punchouts.

Chris Sale, ATL (5 GS, 5 W, 0.56 ERA, 32 IP, 45 K) 

After an injury-plagued few seasons, Sale's resurgence in Atlanta has been incredibly fun to watch. He looked like his old perennial Cy Young candidate self in May, spinning a 0.56 ERA while allowing just 23 hits and 2 walks over 32 frames. Sale racked up 45 strikeouts as he returned to elite form.

Seth Lugo, KC (6 GS, 5 W, 1.79 ERA, 40.1 IP)
Innings matter, and Lugo not only ate them up in May, but he did so with incredible effectiveness. His 40.1 innings pitched led all starters for the month, yet he still managed a stellar 1.79 ERA. Lugo looks like one of the most valuable free-agent deals so far.

Relief Pitchers:

Emmanuel Clase, CLE (13 G, 13 IP, 0.00 ERA, 9 SV, 0.6 fWAR) 

Matt Strahm, PHI (13 G, 12 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.7 fWAR) 

Andres Muñoz, SEA (12 G, 13.1 IP, 0.68 ERA, 7 SV, 0.6 fWAR)

Three shutdown relievers make up this elite bullpen trio after utterly dominating in high-leverage situations throughout May. Clase and Strahm both spun 0.00 ERAs, while Muñoz was close behind at 0.68 as he racked up 7 saves. Any manager would feel comfortable turning to these three to get big outs.