MLB's All-April Team, Position by Position
April is over...almost.
Close enough. Basically, we want to take a look at who has done what and how well they’ve done it over the first calendar month of the Major League Baseball season. And since April is just hours away from tipping over to May, the ball can start rolling.
With this season starting later that usual—April 5 for the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs, April 6 for everyone else—the sample size is still nearly a week shy of what we’d normally have to go on, and some of the numbers have still yet to come down to earth. That makes the competition for a position-by-position breakdown of the best April performances a bit thicker.
For this, offensive statistics play the biggest role in a guy winning out at his position. But he does not have to lead across the board, and defensive ability certainly has a bearing here, as our understanding of that aspect of the game is arguably better than it has ever been before.
Starting Pitcher: Chris Archer, Tampa Bay Rays
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The Rays have waited for Chris Archer to develop into the front-line starter they believed they had while he was a prospect in the minors. But through his first two seasons, he showed only flashes of brilliance.
This year, in his age-26 season, those flashes have become one continuous, bright burst of light.
Archer will finish April with five starts, and aside from his forgettable Opening Day, he has been brilliant. He has gone seven innings in three of his other four starts, and outside of the three he gave up in his first outing, he has not given up an earned run.
His 0.84 ERA is surprisingly only third best in the American League—remember that small-sample-size thing we talked about in the intro—but he’s made more starts than anyone ahead of him as of Tuesday. His 32.1 innings are seventh in the league and his 0.74 WHIP is third.
His 37 strikeouts are good for fourth in the majors, and he is also striking out 10.3 hitters per nine innings, the third-best mark in the AL going into Wednesday. His devastating slider is his putaway pitch, and it has developed into one of the best of its kind.
Archer’s last start, Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays, came while he had flu-like symptoms. He ended up throwing seven shutout innings, striking out seven and giving up only two hits.
“It just goes to show how much of a competitor he is, how focused he is no matter how he's feeling physically,” teammate Evan Longoria told Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times.
Catcher: Stephen Vogt, Oakland A’s
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Stephen Vogt has been one of the month’s surprise breakout players, batting .355/.431/.629 with a 1.060 OPS. All of those numbers lead major league catchers.
His four home runs and 14 RBI also lead all catchers.
This is Vogt’s first full-time opportunity to catch at the big league level. Through April, he has made the most of it as the best offensive catcher in the game.
“He's never really gotten a full-time opportunity,” A's manager Bob Melvin told reporters. “He knew that once he was healthy this year, with some of the moves we made, that he would be the primary guy. He's embraced it. He's certainly run with the opportunity and at this point in time, for me, he's one of the better catchers in the league.”
First Base: Adrian Gonzalez, Los Angeles Dodgers
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Adrian Gonzalez decided to use April to remind everyone just how good of a hitter he can be, which, when he is on, is one of the best in the game.
Gonzalez started the season on a complete binge, piling up five home runs in his team’s first three games, giving him a place in history.
"#Dodgers Adrian Gonzalez is the first player in baseball history with 5 HR through his team's first 3 games.
— Ace of MLB Stats (@AceballStats) April 9, 2015"
He has hit only two since then, but his overall numbers are still outstanding. He leads all major league first basemen in batting average (.377), slugging percentage (.766), OPS (1.195) and doubles (9). He is tied for the National League lead among first basemen with seven home runs and is second with a .429 OBP.
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Second Base: Devon Travis, Toronto Blue Jays
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It is easily arguable that Devon Travis has been the most impressive rookie through the first calendar month of the season. He has given the Blue Jays an unexpected bat at second base and has displayed the kind of power he never flashed over 1,124 minor league plate appearances.
While he is vying for Rookie of the Month honors in April, he is also throwing his numbers into the mix for Player of the Month, regardless of service time.
Travis leads all second basemen in slugging percentage (.685) and OPS (1.063), home runs (6) and RBI (19) and ranks in the top five in most of the other offensive categories.
"So we're all in agreement that Devon Travis might be something very special, yes?
— Gruber's Mullet (@GrubersMullet) April 28, 2015"
Third Base: Matt Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals
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Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson is regarded as the best at the position, but over the first month of the season, Matt Carpenter has been better.
He leads all big league third basemen in average and slugging with a .361/.418/.639 line (and is second in on-base percentage), a 1.056 OPS and 12 doubles. If that weren’t good enough, he has played solid defense in his first full-time assignment at the position.
April also brought Carpenter his first National League Player of the Week Award, and if he keeps performing at this kind of elite level, it might not be long before he starts picking up hardware based on an entire season’s work.
Shortstop: Jose Iglesias, Detroit Tigers
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Coming into the season, the Tigers could only hope that the Jose Iglesias they were getting was the one they believed could be a perennial All-Star when they traded for him at the non-waiver deadline in 2013. But after he missed 2014 because of stress fractures in both shins, the Tigers had to wait and see.
Through the first month, they can be ecstatic with Iglesias’ production on both sides of the ball.
He ranks second among all shortstops with a .946 OPS and his .379/.431/.515 slash line is among the best at the position. His five stolen bases also lead all shortstops, and he has struck out only seven times in 74 plate appearances.
His defense has also been among the best at the position. He has a 27.4 ultimate zone rating per 150 innings, according to FanGraphs, which is the fourth-best number in the majors for shortstops.
“He's the best shortstop I've ever played with, and probably ever seen,” Tigers ace David Price told Shawn Windsor of the Detroit Free Press. “It's crazy. He's so smooth. He's a thrill to watch.”
Center Field: Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles
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Adam Jones’ career has been percolating for the past four years. He has become a star for the Orioles and clearly has the tools to catapult to the next level. He’s been an All-Star for the last three seasons and has finished in the top 15 of American League MVP voting each of those years.
Through the first month of this season, though, Jones’ star is shining brighter than ever. He leads all major league center fielders with a .400 average, .707 slugging percentage and 1.147 OPS. He also leads with five home runs and 19 RBI while accounting for just 10 strikeouts in 83 plate appearances going into Thursday.
That kind of start is quite noticeable and has gotten Jones into the early-season MVP discussion.
"An NL scout on the #Orioles Adam Jones: "He's taking his game to a whole different level.''
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) April 19, 2015"
Left Field: Hanley Ramirez, Boston Red Sox
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Sure, Hanley Ramirez might play left field like the last Ramirez to man the Green Monster at Fenway Park. He has a Manny-like minus-4.6 defensive runs saved, which is the worst mark among major league left fielders, according to FanGraphs.
However, he has been a complete beast in the batter’s box. He has a .293/.341/.659 line with a .999 OPS. He also leads all left fielders with 10 home runs and 22 RBI.
This is the kind of production the Red Sox expected when they signed Ramirez to a four-year, $88 million deal. So far, he has not disappointed.
Right Field: Nelson Cruz, Seattle Mariners
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Like Hanley Ramirez, Nelson Cruz has not disappointed in the first year of his new four-year, $57 million deal for the Mariners.
He has 61 of his 90 plate appearances as a right fielder. From that position, he has a .382/.443/.891 line with all but one of his major league-leading 10 home runs—he is tied with Ramirez—and 22 RBI. For the season, Cruz has the majors’ second-highest OPS (1.148) and second-best slugging percentage (.759).
Cruz has not been a defensive savant—a major league-worst minus-5.5 defensive runs saved among right fielders, says FanGraphs—but his offensive explosion in a lineup in need of one more than makes up for that deficiency.
As the season goes on, Cruz will likely get more time as the designated hitter, but for April, he’s been the best offensive right fielder in the sport.
“When I think he needs a day for his legs, I give it to him,” Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon told reporters. “If not, I’m going to play him in the outfield. I reassess it every day. I have to make sure I keep him healthy. I have to be smart about it.”
Designated Hitter: Billy Butler, Oakland A’s
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There are only three qualified designated hitters in the American League: Billy Butler, David Ortiz and Victor Martinez. Based on track records, Butler is the least intimidating of the trio.
But for the first calendar month of the season, he’s been the most effective.
Butler is hitting .313/.375/.488 with an .863 OPS, three home runs and 12 RBI. That kind of production could make Butler, who signed a three-year, $30 million contract in the offseason, a trade target come the July 31 non-waiver deadline.
Relief Pitcher: Dellin Betances, New York Yankees
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Dellin Betances has yet to give up an earned run this season in 12.1 innings, and to make him even more effective, he has struck out 19 hitters in that time, good for 13.9 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents are hitting .119 against him.
He is also the first Yankees pitcher in the last 100 years to have given up zero hits with at least two strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.
And according to Katie Sharp at River Avenue Blues, Betances’ recent effectiveness is due to improved command within the strike zone:
"Dellin Betances is back to being awesome Dellin. Were you worried? Here's how he did it: http://t.co/fJmViAkb8v pic.twitter.com/uq7YF038fM
— Katie Sharp (@ktsharp) April 28, 2015"
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