Fansided

World Series 2016: Six players who could be MVP

By Joshua Sadlock

Oct 22, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo celebrates after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in game six of the 2016 NLCS playoff baseball series at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 22, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo celebrates after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in game six of the 2016 NLCS playoff baseball series at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 6
Next

Here are six candidates for the 2016 World Series MVP. The Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians kick off the Fall Classic on Tuesday night.

By the time the final out of the 2016 World Series is made, one player will have established himself as the MVP of the series.

Salvador Perez won the award last season while batting .364 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Madison Bumgarner won the MVP in 2014 thanks to his epic performance. There is no shortage of candidates between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians this year.

Here are the six players who stand out as the strongest candidates to win the 2016 World Series MVP.

Oct 22, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler (24) is caught in a run down against Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner (10) during the second inning of game six of the 2016 NLCS playoff baseball series at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 22, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler (24) is caught in a run down against Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner (10) during the second inning of game six of the 2016 NLCS playoff baseball series at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports /

Dexter Fowler

“You go, we go,” Joe Maddon told his center fielder last season. If Maddon says something, it’s probably true. Fowler played in 125 regular-season games this year, with the Cubs winning 85 of them. In those victories, Fowler slashed a robust .310/.433/.494 with 33 extra-base hits. In losses, the center fielder’s production slid all the way down to .205/.299/.349.

In the NLCS, Fowler batted .333 with a home run and four RBIs. He sparked the big first-inning rally in the deciding Game 5, and finished the series with three straight two-hit games. Not coincidentally, the Cubs won three straight games to close out the Los Angeles Dodgers, outscoring them 23-6.

If Fowler is productive at the top of the order, it makes the jobs of the big sluggers to follow easier. He is an incredibly disruptive force, capable of hitting for power, drawing a walk, or stealing a base. Like many of his lineup mates, Fowler is prone to striking out, The Cleveland starting rotation that will face the Cubs in the World Series, however, does not strike out opponents at a high rate.

In the ALCS, the Indians’ weakened rotation was able to hold down the Toronto Blue Jays in the early innings before turning the game over to the bullpen after five innings. Dexter Fowler must get the Cubs offense firing in the early innings, before Andrew Miller and Cody Allen can go to work. After nearly leaving the Cubs last winter, Dexter Fowler could spark them to the title.

Home/Chicago Cubs