ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - With the trade deadline and July now over, we’re entering the dog days of summer of the MLB season, and some of the locals in the big leagues have been making waves. 

The hottest hitter out of Elk Grove at the moment is Rowdy Tellez, who’s trying to help the Pittsburgh Pirates clinch a wild card spot in the National League. 

Since June, Tellez is second among players with a minimum of 25 plate appearances this season with the highest batting average with runners in scoring position with a .522 average, according to @OptaSTATS on X. 

On July 25, Tellez was hitting for a .328 average with 39 hits, 18 runs, eight home runs, 28 RBIs and a .952 OPS since June 1. 

It’s not only what he’s done on the field, but the leadership and standing up for his teammates that have helped the Pirates as well. 

Early on in the season, all-star closer David Bednar was booed after a few blown saves, and it was the newly acquired Tellez who stood up for his teammate. 

“This is the pride of Pittsburgh to everybody,” Tellez said as he presented Bednar in front of the media after a loss on April 9. 

“We don’t do that around here; we’re a good team, we’re winning for a reason and we’re going to get back on track, but what happened today is unacceptable. We as a group in Pittsburgh have to be better; he’s an all-star for a reason.” 

Tellez left Bednar’s side following his comment by saying, “with that being said, two-time all-star,” and walked off to leave Bednar with reporters. 

Following a game on Aug. 1 where the Pirates' 25-year-old phenom shortstop, Oneil Cruz, made three errors in a loss to the Houston Astros, Tellez had a heart-to-heart with him after the game that went viral on social media. 

On top of this, he’s even generated a feel-good story in the process. 

Xander Brown, a seven-year-old from Canada, is Tellez’s number-one fan. 

In a tweet from the Pirates on June 26, they said, “Every year since he was five, he has spent his birthday going on a trip to see his favorite player, Rowdy Tellez. Rowdy invited him down to the field this morning to celebrate his seventh birthday.” 

Brown was in attendance in Cincinnati when Tellez hit his third home run of the year, where he acknowledged him while rounding third. 

Brown has had good luck of sorts, as Tellez went 1-4 with an RBI on Aug. 2 with him in attendance. 

Tellez will look to continue this hot streak: He hopes to push the Pirates into the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

At the time of publication, the Pirates have a 55-54 record and sit three games back of the third wild card spot. 

In 2016, the St. Louis Cardinals selected Elk Grove’s Dylan Carlson thirty-third overall in the MLB draft. 

In 2020, he was the Cardinals’ ranked prospect in their farm system, where fans and the organization were awaiting his arrival to the big league club. 

Well, it didn’t work out the way the Cardinals or Carlson would’ve liked, as he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays ahead of the trade deadline on July 30. 

In 2021, Carlson slashed .266/.343/.437 with 18 home runs and 65 RBIs. It seemed like he was showing a preview of his potential as he finished third in National League Rookie of the Year voting. 

Injuries prevented this from happening, though. During his time in St. Louis, Carlson would deal with ankle, wrist and shoulder issues. 

With the Cardinals this season, Carlson had slashed .198/.275/.240 with 11 RBIs and no home runs. 

Yet, through two games with the Rays at the time of publication, Carlson hit his first home run of the season. 

The Elk Grove Herd’s baseball X account tweeted on Aug 2, saying, “Well that didn’t take long, that a kid DC!”

As his new team is trading away familiar faces and bringing in young talent, this could be the fresh start that Carlson needs to turn his career around. 

The Rays have usually been able to compete in the American League East with powerhouses like the Yankees or Red Sox without having to break the bank like their rivals do, and Carlson can rebuild himself in Tampa Bay. 

It’s been a rough year for J.D. Davis, who was designated for assignment by the Giants, Athletics and Yankees ultimately leading to his release in this year alone. 

Davis was DFA’d by the Yankees on July 28 after the arrival of Jazz Chisholm Jr. via trade from the Miami Marlins which led to his release on Aug. 2.

Davis hit for a .105 average with an RBI in 22 plate appearances in seven games.