Three American League Players to Watch in 2021
As Opening Day is just a day away, people are starting to make their predictions for awards, stats leaders, and playoff seedings. There is much hype for a full 162-game season after an abbreviated 60-game season in 2020.
The American League is going to very competitive this season. The Astros and the A’s look to make the playoffs again, while the Angels are finally trying to reach the postseason for the first time since 2014.
The Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox are going to be in a tight race for the American League Central Division. The Cleveland Indians will try their best to make some noise on a tight budget.
In the American League East, the Tampa Bay Rays are looking to return to the World Series, but the New York Yankees are supposed to be a threat for the pennant as well. The Toronto Blue Jays just spent a lot of money in free agency and want to make it back to the playoffs after just making it in 2020.
As we look at different players in the AL, three particular players stand out and should be guys that people keep their eyes on.
Here are three players to watch in the AL for the 2021 season.
Miguel Cabrera
Miguel Cabrera was one of the best players in the major leagues from 2004 until 2016. He has won two AL MVPs, a Triple Crown in 2012, seven Silver Slugger awards, 11 All-Star games, and four batting titles.
Cabrera, 37, was clean throughout his whole career, never having a steroid accusation. He is under contract with the Detroit Tiger through at least 2023. However, Cabrera has not been himself since 2016. He has battled injury and has lost some power as he has gotten older.
His 19th season could be historic. He is 13 home runs shy of joining the 500-home run club and is 134 hits short of 3,000 for his career. If he can remain healthy, Cabrera should be able to hit at least 13 home runs. He might have trouble reaching 3,000 hits this season but has 2022 and 2023 to work towards that milestone as well.
Cabrera is interesting to watch because the baseball community wants to see how much left he has in the tank. They want to see this future Hall of Famer reach milestones and end his career with achievements. Cabrera is a career .313 hitter and could easily put it together and produce decent numbers for the Tigers in 2021.
Shohei Ohtani
This season has the potential to be the first full one of Shohei Ohtani’s career. The dual threat is ready to show people what he can do on both sides of the plate.
He is finally fully healthy and is expected to wreak havoc in the middle of the Angels’ lineup as their designated hitter, while being a main piece of their rotation.
Major League Baseball has never really seen a player like Ohtani before. He can hit for power and has an explosive bat. At the same time, he is a beast on the mound and can take control of the game. In 2018, the last time he pitched fully healthy, he struck out 63 batters in 51.2 innings pitched.
Even though he has the best player on the planet, Mike Trout, as a teammate, Ohtani is still a candidate for the American League Most Valuable Player Award. If he shows that he can play at a high caliber on the mound and at the plate, he will definitely get MVP votes.
If they follow what they have done this Spring, it looks like Ohtani will be batting second, in front of Trout. This will provide a lot of opportunities to score runs. Ohtani could be the factor that finally makes the Angels a playoff team.
Nick Madrigal
Many people might not know who Nick Madrigal is, but he is going to be a household name very soon. He is the starting second baseman for the Chicago White Sox and is going to be an absolute hit machine in 2021.
He was the fourth overall pick in the 2018 MLB June Amateur Draft, after dominating at Oregon State.
Madrigal, 24, hit .340 in 29 games in 2020. He knows how to put the ball in play, and he strikes out rarely. He is a dark horse candidate to win the American League batting title. Madrigal will near the bottom of the order, behind Chicago’s sluggers Jose Abreu, Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert. He might start near the bottom of the lineup but could finish batting first or second if he performs at the caliber he is capable of.
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He could be the next hit king of this generation. Madrigal knows how to get on base, and he will definitely gain a lot of attention and respect after he has a strong 2021 campaign. Get ready to hear his name often and see him continue to improve and produce for the White Sox. Madrigal has a lot of potential and his first full 162-season will be fun to watch.