MLB Best: The Top Three Designated Hitters Right Now
I will be compiling a list of the top three players at each position including designated hitter leading into Spring Training. My lists are based off of career stats/accomplishments, 2018 statistics, and their projections going into 2019. Today we continue with the best designated hitters in MLB.
As of right now, there are only designated hitters in the American League, so it takes away the National League hitters.
As stated in the title, there are only three spots to fill, so there are many designated hitters that were not able to get on my list, so let’s first go through those players:
Just Missed
Edwin Encarnacion (Seattle Mariners)
Edwin Encarnacion has slowed down since being the Blue Jays best hitter when they went to the playoffs in 2015, and frankly there are just better, younger hitters that have passed him up. If this were a list of the best Designated Hitters two years ago he would be in the top three.
Encarnacion played with the Cleveland Indians last season, and recently got traded to Seattle. In 2018, he had his worst batting average since 2010, but still managed to hit over 30 home runs.j
Kendrys Morales (Toronto Blue Jays)
Kendrys Morales is one of the league’s most deadliest hitters when he is on fire, but he strikes out way too much for my liking when he is not hitting well.
Morales barely hit 20 home runs last year in addition to accumulating his lowest batting average and RBI totals in the last four seasons.
I put Morales as just missed because I still respect the power he has and I take into consideration he is on a non contender in Toronto.
Now on to my #3 designated hitter in baseball….
3. Nelson Cruz (Minnesota Twins)
Nelson Cruz is one of those players who seem to get better with age. Cruz has hit at least 37 home runs the last five seasons, including hitting 44 in 2015 with the Mariners.
Last season, Cruz at age 38 made his sixth All Star Game appearance along with hitting nearly 40 home runs and 100 RBI’s. He has the most home runs since 2014 and has three seasons with over forty homers.
He signed a one year deal, $14 million deal with the Minnesota Twins this off season, again just showing you how slow the free agent market is.
Cruz will surely be not only hitting homers, but mentoring his young teammates as well. Cruz will be batting in the middle of a lineup highlighted by young players like Miguel Sano and Max Kepler.
“Even before I was a free agent, when we came to play here, I thought this was a good fit for me,” Cruz said at TwinsFest in Minnesota. “So the choice was not easy, but it was already on my mind. We have a lot of young guys with a lot of talent. It’s a great organization with a lot of history, and fans love the Twins. And I’m really excited.”
Cruz is projected to hit 31 home runs in 2019 with 87 RBI’s in addition to 21 doubles.
The addition of Nelson Cruz may just propel the Twins into the second wild card spot or possibly even the division depending on if the Indians decide on trade Corey Kluber and/or Trevor Bauer.
I put Cruz at #3 because even though I know he is one of the best power bats in the game, the next two hitters are younger and are primed for more success going into 2019.
My #2 designated hitter is on a team that surprised a lot of people last season….
2. Khris Davis
Khris Davis had an MVP type year if it wasn’t for Mookie Betts and another designated hitter that may or may not be on my list (look at next slide to find out).
Davis easily had his best year of his career, setting career highs in home runs (48) and RBI’s (123). He was a huge part in the Oakland Athletics huge year, as they made it to the American League Wild Card game in which they unfortunately fell to the New York Yankees.
Davis has agreed to a franchise record salary of $16.5 million to pretty much only hit in Oakland.
Davis has been one of the most consistent hitters in the game since 2015, in fact he has had the same exact batting average of .247 ever since then (average was .244 in 2014).
Although Davis is now in his thirties, he does not seem to be slowing down and is expected to have another big year. This coming season he is projected to have 37 home runs with an OPS of .826.
Davis will be an even more important player to the Athletics this year because even though he will be surrounded by breakout corner infielders Matt Chapman and Matt Olson, the club lost arguably their most important player on both sides of the game, second basemen Jed Lowrie to the Mets in free agency.
Here is the #1 DH right now…
1. J.D. Martinez (Boston Red Sox)
After a huge year in 2017 with the Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks, J.D. Martinez was still not able to receive even $120 million from any team, therefore signing for $109.95 million through 2022. Well, Martinez sure made teams regret not giving him more money.
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If it were not for his teammate Mookie Betts, Martinez could have taken home the American League Most Valuable Player award-and he rarely played in the field.
The new Red Sox designated hitter definitely filled the void of David Ortiz’ retirement. He hit 43 home runs with a career high in runs batted in (130) in addition to winning TWO silver sluggers (DH and LF).
It is going to be hard to have a better year than he did last year, but his numbers will look similar. In 2019 Martinez is projected to hit 35 home runs with nearly 100 RBI’s and less strikeouts than a year ago.
Martinez will benefit off of the same protection he had last year with Betts, Andrew Benintendi, World Series Most Valuable Player Steve Pearce, and shortstop Xander Bogaerts.
I have Martinez over Khris Davis and Nelson Cruz (38) because he is the same age as Davis (31), and is seven years younger than Cruz. Also, he easily has the most protection around him in the lineup, and is projected to have better years than both Davis and Cruz.
Next. Top 150 MLB prospects. dark
Make sure to come back tomorrow for my top three MLB second basemen right now!