Chris Archer Can Be a Surprise Contender for AL MVP

Thanks to ace Chris Archer, whose remarkable season should enter him into the American League MVP race, the Tampa Bay Rays just keep churning out wins against all odds.

They lost manager Joe Maddon to the Chicago Cubs in the offseason and might not have had lofty goals under first-year manager Kevin Cash, but their savior has come in the form of a 6'3" right-handed flamethrower.

Archer has been dominant this season, going 9-4 with a 2.10 ERA and a league-leading 123 strikeouts. His incredible campaign has lifted Tampa Bay, who regularly field one of the league’s most inept offenses.

The Rays’ collective .247 batting average ranks 11th in the American League and 20th in baseball. They’ve also scored the third-fewest runs in the AL, but miraculously, they sit atop the American League East with a 41-33 record.

Conversely, their 31-47 record at this point last season was the worst in baseball, placing them 12 games out of first place at the time.

With the year he's having, Archer is now another a long line of aces who have come through the Tampa farm system.

While the team once traded James Shields and David Price because of impending free agencies and the financial rigidity of the organization, Archer’s contract is one of the biggest bargains in baseball. He’s signed for the next four seasons at just $21.92 million and has team options of $9 million in 2020 and $11 million in 2021.

Many hitters are having outstanding, MVP-worthy seasons, but as usual, we must examine what the term “most valuable player” really means.

Miguel Cabrera is quietly having a great season for the Detroit Tigers, but they are only two games over .500 and in third place in the AL Central. Similar scenarios surround MVP candidates Albert Pujols and Josh Donaldson.

That’s what separates Archer from the rest.

The Rays are 11-5 in games he starts and are overachieving this season. The right-hander is also anchoring a rotation that has lost two key pieces this season.

Alex Cobb didn’t throw a single pitch in 2015 and will be out for over a year after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May. Drew Smyly started just three games before suffering a torn labrum that will keep him out at least until late July.

After Archer, the Rays now send out starters Nate Karns, Erasmo Ramirez, Alex Colome and Matt Andriese. This is a rotation that shouldn't be anywhere near .500, no less in first place, which is yet another reason Archer’s name has to be in the MVP discussion.

Price, his former teammate, seems to be impressed by Archer’s heroics:

Price has a point there, as opposing batters are hitting just .157 with six extra-base hits against Archer's slider this season, according to FanGraphs.

Reinforcements are coming for the Rays, as lefty Matt Moore is expected to make his season debut following his rehab from Tommy John surgery next week, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Jake Odorizzi, who has been sidelined since June 5 with a strained oblique, should also be back soon.

With those rotation weapons back alongside Archer, the Rays will have a lethal trio of starters that could help separate them from the other teams in the division. Although the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles sport superior offenses, Tampa Bay has the clear pitching advantage in the East.

If Archer were to win MVP, he would become the first American League pitcher since Justin Verlander in 2011 to do so. Here’s how the two pitchers compare through this date in their respective seasons:

Player	Season	Record	ERA	Strikeouts
Justin Verlander	2011	9-3	2.54	110
Chris Archer	2015	9-4	2.10	123

“I've talked about on my day, on a pitcher's day, the impact we have is tremendous on that game,” Verlander told ESPN.com after winning the 2011 MVP award. “So you have to have a great impact almost every time out to supersede (position players) and it happens on rare occasions, and I guess this year was one of those years."

2015 could be one of those years for Archer. No position player has been more valuable for his team or more important to its success than he has.

Archer clearly has a statistical edge on 2011’s Verlander and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. He spun a gem Tuesday night, hurling eight innings of one-run ball against the Blue Jays, baseball’s most explosive offense.   

Pitching in a small market for a team with the worst attendance in MLB, Archer is a star waiting to become a household name. He has a big arm and an even bigger personality on the mound, and he's defying the odds while taking Tampa Bay to new levels.

It’s time for Archer to finally get the widespread recognition he deserves, and winning the MVP award is the greatest way of doing so.