MLB: 5 breakout stars who deserve more recognition

Yonder Alonso

Oakland Athletics first baseman Yonder Alonso has been quietly outstanding this season. His performance for a bad west coast team places him in the shadows of some of the better known first basemen around Major League Baseball. Believe it or not, he has played better than most of them.

Alonso has seen eye-to-eye with the two best first basemen in baseball, Joey Votto and Paul Goldschmidt. Alonso has stayed in the back pocket of the two, competing in OPS, home runs and batting average. Unlike Goldschmidt and Votto, Alonso has the disadvantage of playing primarily in a pitcher’s ballpark. His numbers compare with the superstars of baseball, yet most fans probably don’t even know who he is.

Of course, any breakout player is susceptible to the “how long will this last?” criticism. With Alonso, however, the question is pointless. The 30-year-old has been a model of consistency this season. His compact, quick-to-the-ball stroke has resulted in repeated contact. He has also been stellar in working the count. Put the two together and you get a fourth-ranked OBP in MLB. There have been no signs of a slowdown for the slugging first baseman.

Alonso appears to have found the art of hitting in his eighth big league season. Along with this discovery, he has carried the Oakland A’s to moderate relevance in 2017. His performance alone should jump him to significant relevance among MLB. Alonso has emerged in trade rumors recently. Perhaps his play will soon be advertised for a contender.