The MLB pennant races are taking shape, and every contending team has at least one unsung player that has helped put them in the thick of it. Who are the most surprising?
Entering play on Thursday, the American League boasts at least 10 teams that have a realistic shot at making the playoffs. Divisional races are heating up and the wild card standings are beginning to mean something. And as is the case in every Major League Baseball season, big-time performances are being put up seemingly out of nowhere by players on contending teams.
For teams to be successful, stars must play like stars, whether we’re talking about Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros, Manny Machado of the Baltimore Orioles, or Josh Donaldson of the Toronto Blue Jays. But every star needs a supporting cast as well, and across MLB there is a host of unsung players that are helping to drive their teams’ playoff pushes.
Whether it’s a young pitcher flashing onto the stage, a veteran hurler finally putting it all together, a utility man who always seems to come up in the clutch, or a power surge from a guy no one outside his team’s town has ever heard of before, each contender has at least one of these unlikely heroes busting out of obscurity and into the spotlight.
So who are the most surprising? Let’s take a look at the AL’s five most unsung players.
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