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We haven't run one of these in a while, what with the halfway point of the season and the All-Star break and all of that. Since there's also, now, a crush of trade deadline and injury news, we'll keep this one short. The stats run back to July 3rd in order to get something like (a little bit over) a week's worth of games.
Dearly departed Joey Votto, who has the most all time ROTW pewter "NICE WEAK!" trophies we bought at Odd Lots, was named Red o' the First Half and we'll be keeping a line of hypertext open for him until he returns.
Homer Bailey
Homer gave the gutsiest performance of his major league career - if not its high point - en route to the Reds' sweep of the Cardinals on national TV Sunday.
Over his last two starts, he's gone 14.2 IP, 3 ER, 10 K and just 2 walks, keying 2 Reds' wins.
Todd Frazier
Getting more Jay for the pay would be a big boost, but Toddfather's ability to keep his level is perhaps the most important and tenuous thing for the Reds' offense to do during this difficult time. He's been the second-best hitter to Joey Votto by wOBA and now figures to be in the lineup every day. Frazier is going to have to keep Frazin'.
And he's been Frazin' something fierce over the last two weeks: 24 PAs, .318/.375/.682.
Chris Heisey
Heisey might never shake the doubts about becoming a major league regular, but his two weeks en fuego (.529/.556/.882, 18 PAs) have helped lift him into respectability. His line now stands at .281/.323/.398, roughly around where he's been the last two seasons in OPS+. That's good for the Reds' offense, but it also might make him more of a trade chip. He has four years of control and there are plenty of teams that would be interested in a CF-capable hitter with pop.
Aroldis Chapman
It's been a return to utter and embrassing dominance for Chapmania. In 5 appearances since July 3: 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 H, 13 K. Take a cold shower.
Mat Latos
Latos was a little more uneven than Bailey in his two starts over this stretch, but he was arguably more dominant than either of Homer's outings in his appearance in San Diego that Dusty and the Reds plotzed. Since July 3: 12.0 IP, 13 K, 5 BB, 2 ER.
VOTA.