Ranking MLB's Top 50 Players After 1 Month
At the start of the 2018 MLB season, we released an article naming the top 100 players in the league heading into the new campaign.
With a month of action in the books, it's time for an update.
While the preseason version was based on expectations for the year ahead, our first updated version will be based solely on 2018. That means aย player's performance from Opening Day through April 30 is all that mattered this time around.
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In other words, there's no reason to riot just because you don't see guys like Clayton Kershaw, Joey Votto, Francisco Lindor and Giancarlo Stanton on the list. There's still plenty of time for them to earn their spots.
This time around, we're trimming it back to the top 50 players. Included alongside each player's spot in these updated rankings is a look at where he fell in the preseason version.
Let's get to it.
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Breakout Pitchers
With an American League-leading 1.03 ERA over six starts and a no-hitter against a potent Boston Red Sox lineup,ย Sean Manaeaย is an easy choice as the biggest breakout star of the 2018 season's first month.
The 26-year-old was viewed as a potential No. 1 overall pick heading into his junior season at Indiana State, but he wound up slipping to the Kansas City Royals at No. 34 overall in the 2013 draft after dealing with some injury issues.
One trade and two up-and-down seasons later and he's looking like a big piece of the present and future for an Oakland Athletics team on the rise.
The departures of Alex Cobb and Jake Odorizzi meant the Tampa Bay Rays would be leaning more heavily on former top prospectย Blake Snell.
He's been up to the task, going 4-1 with a 2.52 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 41 strikeouts in 35.2 inningsโalso trimming his walk rate from 4.1 to 2.8 per nine innings.
Diamondbacks left-handerย Patrick Corbinย is not the traditional breakout candidate. After all, he was an All-Star as a 23-year-old back in 2013.
However, he missed the 2014 season with Tommy John surgery and then went 25-31 with a 4.35 ERA over the past three seasons. He's back with a vengeance this campaign after a winter of trade rumors, going 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and a career-high 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings.
The 28-year-old will be a free agent at season's end, and he's undoubtedly adding zeroes to his next contract with each passing start.
And finally, there's Milwaukee Brewers relieverย Josh Hader, who has emerged as one of the most dominant bullpen arms in baseball.
The 24-year-old was a highly regarded prospect as a starter, but command issues led to a shift to the bullpen upon reaching the majors. He posted a 2.08 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 12.8 K/9 in 35 appearances as a rookie last season, so it's not like he's come out of nowhere.
That said, with a 1.00 ERA, 0.50 WHIP and a staggering 39 strikeouts in 18 innings, it's fair to say he's exceeding expectations. His final appearance of April was a prime example of how dominant he can be, as he tossed 2.2 no-hit innings to record his fourth save, walking one and striking out eight(!).
Breakout Hitters
As for the breakout hitter of the season's first month, that honor belongs to Seattle Mariners right fielder Mitch Haniger.
Acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks as a secondary piece in the Taijuan Walker-for-Jean Segura swap in November 2016, Haniger flashed some potential as a rookie last season withย an .843ย OPS, 16 home runs and 47 RBI en route to aย 3.0 WAR, despite injuries that limited him to just 96 games.
With a clean bill of health and a stacked lineup around him, the 27-year-old exploded for a .309/.384/.701 line that included six doubles, 10 home runs and 27 RBI heading into May.
Third basemanย Christian Villanuevaย was once a top prospect in the systems of the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs. He joined the Cubs in the same July 2012 deal that brought Kyle Hendricks to the North Side in exchange for Ryan Dempster.
Because of inconsistent performance, injuries and other young players passing him by, he never got a real chance in Chicago, and he signed with the San Diego Padres as a minor league free agent prior to the 2017 season.
The rebuilding Friars gave him the starting third-base gig after a big spring, and he's run with the opportunity, hitting .321/.411/.692 with eight home runs and 19 RBI.
Atlanta Braves second basemanย Ozzie Albiesย (.988 OPS, 12 2B, 9 HR, 20 RBI) and A's third baseman Matt Chapman (.890 OPS, 6 HR, 15 RBI) both showed flashes as rookies last season, and they've emerged as legitimate cornerstone pieces for a pair of rebuilding clubs.
Veteran Surprises
Here's what I wrote about Miguel Cabrera in our preseason positional power rankings:ย
"Have we seen the last of MVP-caliber Miguel Cabrera?
"He had a nagging back injury last season and posted the worst numbers of his career. He's entering his age-35 season, so a clean bill of health will only become more and more difficult to obtain.
"That said, it still feels premature to throw in the towel on one of the greatest hitters in baseball history."
With a .326/.413/.528 line that includes nine doubles, three home runs and 21 RBI, it would appear there is indeed something left in the tank.
The fact that there was some question about whether the New York Mets would exercise their $8.25 million option onย Asdrubal Cabrera during the offseasonย speaks to just how surprising his early performance has been.
Serving in a super-utility role last season, the veteran posted a .785 OPS with 32 doubles, 14 home runs and 59 RBI over 540 plate appearances. Those numbers pale in comparison to what he's done this year, as the 32-year-old sports a .340/.393/.580 line with five home runs and 17 RBI.
Second basemanย Jed Lowrieย was quietly excellent for the A's last season, posting an .808 OPS with 49 doubles, 14 home runs and 69 RBI on his way to a career-high 4.0 WAR.
The 34-year-old has been even better in 2018, hitting .339/.397/.583 with eight doubles, six home runs and 27 RBI in the final year of his contract.
After winning AL Cy Young honors in 2016,ย Rick Porcelloย regressed considerably last season on his way to losing an AL-high 17 games.
Still just 29, he's returned to front-line form this year, going 4-0 with a 2.23 ERA and 0.84 WHIP. And after serving up an AL-leading 38 home runs last season, he's allowed just one over his first 40.1 innings in 2018.
And finally, we have Pittsburgh catcherย Francisco Cervelli.
Always a well-regarded receiver capable of hitting for a solid average, he's emerged as a surprise run producer for the upstart Pirates, posting a .955 OPS with 10 extra-base hits and 20 RBI.
The 32-year-old has never had an OPS higher than .771 in a full season and his career high for extra-base hits is just 29.
Best Offseason Addition (Hitter): Corey Dickerson, Pittsburgh Pirates
It surprised more than a few people when the Rays decided to cut ties with Corey Dickerson.
The 28-year-old was fresh off making his first All-Star team in 2017, when he hit .282/.325/.490 with 33 doubles, 27 home runs, 62 RBI and 84 runs scored. He also had team control through the 2019 season.
However, for a small-market team in the midst of retooling, his $5.95 million salary was fairly high, and he had suffered a major swoon after the All-Star break:
That was enough for the front office to designate him for assignment in February, and the Pirates jumped at the chance to acquire him as a cheaper replacement for Andrew McCutchen.
So far, that's been one of the best decisions of the offseason.
Dickerson is hitting .313/.358/.515 with nine doubles, three home runs and 16 RBI. He's also playing stellar defense in left field (6 DRS, 34.1 UZR/150), good enough to make him the third-most valuable defensive player in all of baseball, according to the DEF metric at FanGraphs.
Best Offseason Addition (Pitcher): Gerrit Cole, Houston Astros
After an injury-plagued 2016 season in which he threw just 116 innings and a mediocre 2017 season in which he went 12-12 with a 4.26 ERA and 1.25 WHIP for a disappointing Pirates team (75-87), it's easy to forget just how good Gerrit Cole was when everything was clicking.
During the 2015 season, the burly 6'4", 225-pound right-hander went 19-8 with a 2.60 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 202 strikeouts in 208 innings as the unquestioned ace of a playoff-bound team.
That's the pitcher the Houston Astros hoped they were getting when they swung a deal to acquire Cole in January, shipping a package of Joe Musgrove, Colin Moran, Michael Feliz and Jason Martin to Pittsburgh in exchange.
So far, so good.
The 27-year-old has gone 2-1 with a 1.73 ERA and 0.79 WHIP in his first six starts, leading the AL in strikeouts per nine innings (13.2) and FIP (1.90).
And with team control through the 2019 season, he's more than just a rental.
The All-April Team
1.ย OF Mookie Betts (.344/.439/.733, 8 HR, 18 RBI)
2. OF Mike Trout (.291/.408/.631, 10 HR, 18 RBI)
3. SS Didi Gregorius (.327/.421/.735, 10 HR, 30 RBI)
4. DH J.D. Martinez (.337/.384/.574, 5 HR, 22 RBI)
5. 1B Freddie Freeman (.314/.437/.559, 4 HR, 19 RBI)
6. OF Mitch Haniger (.303/.388/.687, 10 HR, 27 RBI)
7. 3B Christian Villanueva (.321/.411/.692, 8 HR, 19 RBI)
8. C Francisco Cervelli (.308/.391/.564, 4 HR, 20 RBI)
9. 2B Ozzie Albies (.293/.341/.647, 9 HR, 20 RBI)
SP Sean Manaea (4-2, 1.03 ERA, 0.62 WHIP, 37 K, 43.2 IP)
SP Johnny Cueto (3-0, 0.84 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, 26 K, 32.0 IP)
SP Gerrit Cole (2-1, 1.73 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 61 K, 41.2 IP)
SP Justin Verlander (4-0, 1.36 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 48 K, 39.2 IP)
SP Max Scherzer (5-1, 1.62 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 57 K, 39.0 IP)
CL Edwin Diaz (11/11 SV, 0.63 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, 16.9 K/9)
All standard stats and WAR totals courtesy of Baseball Reference, while advanced stats come via FanGraphs. Stats reflect play through the end of April.
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