MLB Awards Watch 2016: Top 5 AL MVP candidates through April
Which five players have the strongest early cases for the AL MVP award after the month of April?
One month does not a season make, but every MVP campaign has to start somewhere. April 2016 saw a variety of American Leaguers stake an early claim to the title of the Junior Circuit’s top player.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the AL MVP race through the opening month is that Mike Trout hasn’t really joined it yet. The Los Angeles Angels superstar got off to an uncharacteristically slow start that he has only recently started to reverse. He’s slashing .389/.463/.778 with four home runs and nine RBIs over his last 10 games, so expect to see the 2014 MVP winner back on this list next month.
Robinson Cano leads the league with eight homers and 24 RBIs, but the Seattle Mariners second baseman’s .226 batting average and .301 OBP kind of sour his argument. Similar statements can be said of Chris Davis and Todd Frazier, who have seven home runs and 17 RBIs each but are both hitting under .240.
There is obviously still a long way to go, so these rankings will naturally change over the next several installments. For now, take a look at our Top 5 AL MVP candidates through the month of April.
Honorable Mentions: Mark Trumbo (BAL), Logan Forsythe (TB)
Next: David Ortiz
5. David Ortiz
.321/.418/.654, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 1.2 WAR (as of 4/30)
Well, you can’t say Big Papi isn’t making the most of his final year in Major League Baseball. David Ortiz is putting on a show for his hometown fans, batting a hearty .321 (11th in AL) with 19 RBIs (3rd) at his usual spot in the heart of the Red Sox lineup. His 1.071 OPS is currently the highest mark in the AL. Surprisingly, he also boasts 11 doubles, tied for the MLB lead.
Ortiz’s five homers may not seem particularly notable compared to the totals amassed by other sluggers, but fans in Boston will be glad that the most recent two came against the archrival New York Yankees.
An MVP award to culminate his swan song may be a bit too optimistic, but Ortiz put together an impressive month of April for which he deserves some props. It definitely doesn’t look like he’ll be limping to the finish line.
Next: Jose Altuve
4. Jose Altuve
.305/.400/.611, 6 HR, 13 RBI, 9 SB, 1.6 WAR (as of 4/30)
Jose Altuve continues to be a player who can make an impact on a game in a plethora of ways. He hits for average, tears up the base paths with his speed and is even developing a little pop in his bat. That’s certainly been the story so far this year.
Though the former batting champion’s average is down a bit from the last two seasons, his.400 OBP is good for fifth in the American League and his 1.011 OPS is sixth. His 11 doubles are tied for the MLB lead, and his nine stolen bases (in 10 attempts) are tops between both leagues as well. With six homers already, he also stands a great chance of surpassing last year’s career-high 15 long balls.
April was a resounding disappointment for the Houston Astros, whose 7-17 record is surely not what they imagined after last October’s postseason run. How much worse off would they be without their All-Star second baseman?
Next: Jordan Zimmermann
3. Jordan Zimmermann
5-0, 33 IP, 0.55 ERA, 7 BB, 23 K, 1.9 WAR (as of 4/30)
When the Detroit Tigers signed Jordan Zimmermann to a five-year contract in the offseason, they expected to get a reliable, consistent starting pitcher. What they got in the month of April was one of the best hurlers in the game.
The right-hander has won all five of his starts thus far. He has surrendered only two earned runs in 33 innings, giving him the top ERA (0.55) among both leagues. Zimmermann has allowed 28 hits (7.6 H/9) and walked seven (1.9 BB/9) as well. What makes his hot start even more impressive is that he is doing it with the lowest K/9 rate of his career: 23 strikeouts for a rather ordinary 6.3 K/9.
Zimmermann won’t remain this dominant for the rest of the season, but right now he’s locked in like never before. Detroit hasn’t seen a pitching display like this since Justin Verlander in his prime. While Zimmermann is surely a leading candidate for the AL Cy Young at this point, he also deserves some recognition in the early MVP race.
Next: Josh Donaldson
2. Josh Donaldson
.292/.387/.646, 8 HR, 20 RBI, 1.6 WAR (as of 4/30)
Does Josh Donaldson have a repeat in him? The reigning AL MVP has launched a convincing bid to hold on to his prize. His eight homers are tied with Robinson Cano for most in the league, and his 20 RBIs are good for second, also behind Cano (24). Both totals are ahead of last year’s pace, which netted Donaldson a gaudy 41 home runs and 123 RBIs.
The Blue Jays third baseman still strikes out out a lot (23.4 strikeout percentage), but you can certainly overlook that when he’s responsible for such a high level of production. Donaldson continues to distinguish himself in a lineup stacked with offensive weapons, and that might be his most compelling argument during MLB awards season.
The Jays are currently at a somewhat disappointing three games under .500, but they should start turning things around, and Donaldson figures to be a major part of the equation.
Next: Manny Machado
1. Manny Machado
.344/.394/.667, 7 HR, 16 RBI, 1.6 WAR (as of 4/30)
This marks Manny Machado‘s fifth season with the Baltimore Orioles, so it’s easy to forget that he is still only 23 years old. In that time he has become one of the best third baseman in all of baseball, with both the bat and glove.
Machado put up MVP-type numbers last season (.861 OPS, 35 HR – finished fourth in voting) but so far he appears determined to make sure 2016 is his year. He is currently second in the AL in batting average, behind Detroit’s Nick Castellanos (.363). He leads the Junior Circuit in slugging percentage and paces both leagues with 64 total bases.
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Machado is a big reason why the O’s are 14-9 and currently sit atop the AL East, a perch not many thought they would claim this early. Look for him to remain a strong MVP contender throughout the campaign, and expect Baltimore to do everything in its power to lock him up to a long-term deal.
What do you think? Any other players that deserve to be on this list? Sound off in the comment section below.