Another week is wrapping up in Diamond Dynasty. This week went by the books as we got the August Topps 50 pack on Friday. With that in mind, it's time to look ahead once again and try to predict who might be getting a ratings boost on Monday morning.

 

I'll be breaking the predictions into tiers based on my own confidence level.

Ratings Boost Probability: High

-Jake Arrieta - All Arrieta did after throwing a no hitter was go out and throw eight shutout innings in his next start. He feels like a lock to get a boost. (For the record, after watching the replay of the no-no, the Dodgers’ official scorer seemed to give Arrieta one relatively generous call somewhat early in the game by calling a could-be hit an error on Starlin Castro.)

 

-Jackie Bradley Jr. - Wow, what a month (and really, second half) for Bradley. He’s got six home runs and an average over .400 the last month of the season. On the year, he’s got an OPS of .959. He’s put it together.

Ratings Boost Probability: Medium

-Nolan Arenado - Coming into Sunday’s games, he’s hit a home run in six straight games. Beyond that, what a monster year he’s having overall. The last month alone he has 10 home runs and is hitting about .350. He’s also carrying an OPS over .900 on the season.

 

-Lorenzo Cain/Yordano Ventura - A couple Royals here both are deserving of a boost. Ventura has put a full month of brilliant starts together while Cain just continues to deliver. Ventura was a mess at the start of the season, but the last month he has 43 strikeouts in 32 innings pitched to go with a 1.13 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. Cain is hitting .350 the last month and is showing some power, but it is his overall consistency carrying him here. 

Ratings Boost Probability: Low

-J.A. Happ - It’s weird to say, but Happ’s been an even better trade-deadline pitcher than David Price. In Happ’s last month of starts (30 innings pitched), he’s got 26 strikeouts to go with a 0.60 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. Insanity.

 

-Kenley Jansen - I’m a huge Jansen fanboy, but still, his last month has been especially silly. He always strikes out over a batter an inning, and once more he’s put up a month where all his stats are -- say the tired writing cliché with me -- video game good.

 

-Derek Holland - Holland has returned from the disabled list, and all he’s done since that point is be a really fantastic starter. In his 29 innings pitched, he’s got a 2.15 ERA and a WHIP well under one. 

 

-Kris Bryant - Kris Bryant is having a really fantastic month, but much like Lorenzo Cain, he makes this list because he’s just been really consistent. He gets bonus points for being a rookie that is playing better down the stretch.

 

-Stephen Piscotty - Oh look, it’s a young Cardinals player being really good at baseball. The Cardinals are pure evil.