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MLB Awards Watch: Jordan Zimmermann shines in Detroit

By Brad Rowland

Apr 30, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann (27) pitches to the Minnesota Twins in the third inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 30, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann (27) pitches to the Minnesota Twins in the third inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 24, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Dexter Fowler (left) acknowledges the crowd after the Cubs defeated the Cincinnati Reds 9-0 at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 24, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Dexter Fowler (left) acknowledges the crowd after the Cubs defeated the Cincinnati Reds 9-0 at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports /

NL MVP

  1. Dexter Fowler, OF Chicago Cubs – Remember when Fowler was supposed to sign with the Orioles? That seems like a distant memory at this point, and even with the caveat that Fowler probably isn’t the best player in his own outfield long-term (hi, Jason Heyward), he has been ridiculously good at the outset of 2016. Fowler leads MLB in fWAR (2.2), and his across-the-board contributions are jarring. He is posting a crazy .476 OBP on the strength of a 17% walk rate, and Fowler is hitting for power as well, blasting three home runs to go along with a .619 slugging percentage. Throw in the high-end defense and the fact that the Cubs are threatening to run away with the NL crown, and that’s a solid MVP recipe in early May.
  2. Nolan Arenado, 3B Colorado Rockies – The MLB home run leader deserves mention here. Arenado has 11 home runs in less than 110 plate appearances, and that speaks for itself. On top of that, he holds a .313/.376/.687 slash line, and Arenado combines high-end defense with his crazy good performance at the dish. Now, just imagine what his numbers would be like with a reasonable BABIP instead of the .256 mark that he currently boasts.
  3. Bryce Harper, OF Washington Nationals – Bryce Harper has a 1.044 OPS with 9 home runs and 5 stolen bases. As the reigning MVP, that is probably good enough to deserve inclusion in this space, especially given the fact that his team holds a solid lead in the NL East. You can’t go wrong with Harper in the number one slot at any time, and if he continues at this rate, back-to-back MVP nods are probably in the cards.

Next: AL MVP

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