With the All-Star Game and Trade Deadline behind us, the race to October is on. But let’s quickly take one last look back to July, when we saw some players get as hot as the summer sun.

Here are the month’s standout performances, starting with the Players of the Month, presented by Chevrolet.

Bobby Witt Jr., KC, AL Player of the Month
The Royals’ superstar just wrapped up a month the likes of which we haven’t seen in nearly a century. He finished with 44 hits and a .489 average; the last player to at least match those marks in a calendar month was Lou Gehrig in June 1930. Witt accrued 2.7 fWAR during the month, which would rank inside the top 40 for the entire season. Witt’s monster month also included seven home runs and an MLB-best 1.353 OPS. He is the first Royal to earn Player of the Month honors since Billy Butler in September 2009.

Brenton Doyle, COL, NL Player of the Month
Doyle struggled in June, recording a .543 OPS. But as soon as the calendar flipped, so did his results. He opened July with a five-game stretch that included four homers and 27 total bases. No player had more dingers (11) or extra-base hits (19) in July than the Rockies’ center fielder. He slashed .333/.394/.800 and drove in 27 runs during the month.

Taj Bradley, TB, AL Pitcher of the Month
Bradley has really been dealing since a poor start versus the Orioles in early June. But he took things up a notch in July, highlighted by a three-start stretch in which he allowed no runs and just seven hits over 20 innings. Bradley’s scoreless streak reached 24 innings before it was finally snapped on the final day of the month. Batters hit just .160 against the right-hander in July.

Dylan Cease, SD, NL Pitcher of the Month
Speaking of not allowing many hits, Cease authored the second no-hitter in Padres franchise history on July 25 against the Nationals. He had been flirting with history in his two previous starts as he gave up only one hit in each leading into his no-no. This spectacular three-start string also featured 30 strikeouts, making Cease the first pitcher since at least 1901 with 30 or more K’s and two or fewer hits allowed over a three-outing span.

Colt Keith, DET, AL Rookie of the Month
MLB Pipeline’s No. 22 prospect at the season’s outset, the 22-year-old Keith put together a .322/.404/.644 slash line last month. That high on-base percentage can be attributed to Keith’s 12 walks, which were only three fewer than his walk total through the season’s first three-plus months. Seven of his 11 homers also came during July.

Tyler Fitzgerald, SF, NL Rookie of the Month
Fitzgerald put himself in the Giants history books with an unbelievable homer streak in July. He became the first rookie in franchise history to go deep in five consecutive games. He also homered seven times in eight games and eight times in 10, feats only Barry Bonds had achieved in the past 20 years. On the whole, the 26-year-old registered an .849 slugging percentage and a 1.239 OPS in July.

Emmanuel Clase, CLE, AL Reliever of the Month
Clase has received this honor twice this season and six times since the start of 2022. His July was a continuation of what has been an amazing campaign for the Guardians’ closer. He permitted one earned run and one extra-base hit over 11 innings, leaving hitters with a scant .329 OPS. The American League leader in saves went 8-for-8 in save opportunities last month, not including his save in the All-Star Game.

Tanner Scott, MIA/SD, NL Reliever of the Month
Scott increased his value leading up to the Trade Deadline by posting 9 2/3 scoreless innings with one hit and 15 strikeouts in July. That hit came in Scott’s final appearance with the Marlins before he was acquired by the Padres on July 30. Scott, who owns a 1.18 ERA through 45 2/3 innings this season, has made 17 consecutive scoreless appearances, dating back to June 17.