3. C Devin Mesoraco – Cincinnati Reds
Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Cincinnati seems to be a ship that has sunken out of competition in the NL Central, but young catcher Devin Mesoraco has the ability to right the stern and prove that the road to the postseason won’t only stop in Cincy for the All-Star Game.
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Mesoraco had a solid 2014 campaign as well as an All-Star appearance. He took advantage of the hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park, slugging 25 long balls and sporting a .534 slugging percentage. A lot of maturing took place both at the plate and behind the plate last season, and for a catcher to be considered amongst MVP hopefuls, the BBWAA keep a strong eye on what happens behind the plate. Mesoraco was no slouch there, finishing 2nd in the NL in fielding percentage with a resounding .997 number. He also threw out 26 percent of potential base-stealers, a respectable number to go with his stellar fielding percentage.
A dark horse run for the MVP with Mesoraco will be heavily dependent on the Reds’ buoyancy in the stacked NL Central division, and his continuation of clutch home run hitting and strong defensive output. Sharing the division with the perennial catching star Yadier Molina keeps the Reds’ catcher somewhat chained in how many outsiders can appreciate his production. But Mesoraco may be ready to break the scene and become a front-runner in 2015. A division title for the Reds will put Mesoraco in the echelon that has drawn similar past MVP votes to teammates Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto, and Johnny Cueto.
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