4. Alex Bregman, Houston Astros
The top of these rankings is where it got hard to do this list. The next four players are all legitimate MVP contenders, and really could be in any order.
But we kick off the top 4 with Alex Bregman, who broke out for the Astros in 2018 and was their best player on the season. That’s saying a lot considering the Astros employ guys like Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and George Springer.
But with Altuve and Correa dealing with injuries all year, Bregman seized the opportunity and ran with it. He slashed .286/.394/.532 with 31 homers and 103 RBI and leading the AL in doubles with 51.
Bregman set career highs in just about every offensive stat, except stolen bases and triples, finishing 5th in the MVP voting.
This Spring, Bregman has picked up right where he left off, slugging .677 with three home runs and two doubles in 15 games. He’s also walked nine times compared to just four strikeouts, which is in line with his 2018 where he walked (13.2%) more than he struck out (12.1%).
With Altuve and Correa expected to be completely healthy and protecting him in the lineup, Bregman is primed to continue his breakout and climb the MVP voting even more.
3. Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Indians
In 2017 Jose Ramirez finished third in MVP voting, and in 2018 he did the same thing but changed his game. You have to wonder what the 2019 MLB season will bring.
The 2018 version of Ramirez sacrificed contact for power, dropping his average to .270 but setting a career high in home runs (39) and RBI (105). It was his second consecutive All-Star appearance and second consecutive Silver Slugger.
Ramirez is another player who walks more than he strikes out (15.2% walk rate vs 11.5% strikeout) and has really good plate discipline.
The thing is Ramirez may just get better. He had a .252 batting average on balls in play, when the league average was .296 in 2018. With a little better luck some more of those hits will fall and his counting stats could climb even higher.
The bad news now is that Ramirez is in danger of missing Opening Day with a leg injury, but even so, it would only be the first week or so which would give him plenty of time to make another MVP campaign.