MLB Players Power Rankings (3): Michael Brantley, Houston Astros
Week-5 Stats: 0.864 SLG | 0.554 wOBA | 262 wRC+ | 0.5 fWAR
Michael Brantley has been waiting to have a week like this for a long time. The veteran outfielder has been rattled with injury over the last several years, hampering his chances of showing off his premier level of talent in MLB.
While with the Cleveland Indians, Brantley had MVP caliber seasons in which he showed off his incredible ability to hit. He hit .327 in 2014 and then followed it up with .310 in 2015, before becoming a mainstay of the then disabled list.
This season, Brantley looks back to form, following up a good 2018 season with an even better 2019. The doubles-machine is hitting .336 with an outstanding .945 OPS this year, and in week-5 he established himself as a force to be reckoned with in an already deep Astros lineup.
While defensively he’s nothing special, as a hitter he’s currently presenting as top 20 in MLB. If he can stay healthy this season, the sky’s the limit.