![24 August 2016: Arizona Diamondbacks First base Paul Goldschmidt (44) [7900] slides back to first as Atlanta Braves First base Freddie Freeman (5) [7105] holds him on during a game between Atlanta Braves and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase field. (Photo by Kevin French/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/fa04a1ab6b19f883f4d499af9de3d01d3b86f09bb1c438aaead386c2dec98a73.jpg "24 August 2016: Arizona Diamondbacks First base Paul Goldschmidt (44) [7900] slides back to first as Atlanta Braves First base Freddie Freeman (5) [7105] holds him on during a game between Atlanta Braves and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase field. (Photo by Kevin French/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)")
8. Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox
You have to give Jose Abreu credit, he has been the only threat on a weak White Sox team for the last few years. He really hasn’t had any help yet has still managed to have successful years over and over.
This was no different in 2018, except this time Abreu dealt with injury almost all year and played in just 128 games. Despite that the 32-year-old still went to his second All-Star game and earned his second Silver Slugger award, hitting 22 home runs and 36 doubles.
With a lineup that figures to have some upgrades in the near future like Eloy Jimenez (maybe Manny Machado?) Abreu could finally have some protection and with a return to health too there’s no reason to think he can’t return to the player that once hit 36 home runs and drove in 100 runs.
Abreu’s peripherals stayed mostly the same, his strikeout rate went up marginally, his walk rate also rose, and his hard hit percentage stayed above 35%. Going into the last year of his contract, Abreu will have even more incentive to perform well too.
7. Matt Olson, Oakland Athletics
Matt Olson is on his way to being one of the young new stars in all of baseball. The A’s first baseman first announced his presence in 2017 when he hit 24 home runs in just 59 games. It was could enough to get him a fourth-place finish in the Rookie of the Year voting that year.
In 2018 Olson obviously didn’t continue that power surge, but he still finished the year with 29. Overall Olson’s line was a good but not great .247/.335/.453 but he still was 17 percent better than average with a OPS+ of 117.
But Olson makes his money on defense, because in his first full year he earned himself a Gold Glove and even just by the eye test there’s no reason to believe the 24-year-old can’t add a few more by the time his career is over.
Going forward Olson will probably improve with the bat too, his hard hit rate is almost at 50%, he hardly hits the ball on the ground, and we’ve already seen he has the ability. Olson could very well be in the top 5 or 4 of this list next year.