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….