1. 3B David Wright – New York Mets
Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports
Okay, David Wright isn’t really a dark horse. The dude is a proven hitter that has been around long enough and been to a ton of All-Star games as well as received a bunch of MVP votes in the past. Why is he on this list?
Rising Apple
The same reason Robinson Cano headlines the AL counterpart list. Kind of. Like Cano, Wright has been a model of consistent quality hitting whose name dies out with their team’s playoff chances. The Mets are certainly not at the level of readiness the Seattle Mariners are for a postseason run, but are ready to carry at least a hope for a Wild Card spot and playing meaningful games in September. The main hurdle Wright will have to making his way towards the front of the pack (a hurdle for Zimmerman as well) is the NL MVP favorite Stanton in Miami.
If Lucas Duda can be the home run threat he was last year, and Granderson can re-establish his production he had playing for the other New York team, Wright will be the core of a potent offense. Protection in the form of Michael Cuddyer was brought in over the offseason, and the emergence of young star Juan Lagares may back Wright up into talk for the NL MVP.
The struggle for Wright is the fact that it will be a true team effort to maintain challenging for a solo award, but the productive numbers are definitely there. I think Wright is the most capable sleeper pick to dethrone the pitcher ruling Los Angeles, the masher of Miami, or the hit-stealer of the Steel City.
Next: Overcoming biases in predicting the NL ROY
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