LF: Michael Brantley – CLE
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
After putting together a few good but not great years, Michael Brantley exploded in 2014. He hit .327/.385/.506 with 20 home runs, 45 doubles, 97 RBI, and finished third in the American League MVP voting. He also threw in 23 steals to his spectacular season.
It was tough picking Brantley over defensive wizard Alex Gordon, but I went with Brantley as I feel like he offers more on all sides of the ball. Brantley is easily a better hitter than Gordon, and also offers more speed. Brantley, not known for his defense, still managed a great 6.6 WAR even with his poor defensive metrics in left field.
I wrote earlier that I think if the Indians can get back into playoff contention, that Brantley would be front and center on offense, and that if he has another year similar to 2014, he could possibly take home American League MVP. I still stand by this, as Brantley’s breakout seems legitimate and he has broken out as a true star in Major League Baseball. While his average may digress to being more around the .300 mark, Brantley is set to have another great year in 2015.