2. Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies
.343/.434/.600 with 4 HR and 12 RBI
There are likely to be plenty of people who are looking at this choice a little sideways. After all, the Rockies went 4-1 when Arenado was suspended recently. That’s all well and good but that represented 3 percent of Colorado’s season. If Arenado wasn’t there for the long haul, the Rockies would sink to the bottom of the standings in a hurry.
Arenado has been the model of consistency for the past three seasons and he’s on pace to set new career highs in almost every offensive category. The home runs are a little low for the moment but that’s going to change once the weather warms up. being suspended for five games don’t help those type of stats either. Colorado as a team is sitting second in the N.L. West at the moment, ahead of the heavily favored Los Angeles Dodgers. The Rockies lineup need Arenado to be at the top of his game to hunt down the Arizona Diamondbacks for first place.
Arenado has seen his walk rate come up and his strikeout rate go down. In addition, his hard hit rate and HR/FB ratios are at career highs at this point. He’s always been in the shadow of players like Bryce Harper, Kris Bryant and Giancarlo Stanton(when he was still in Miami). Arenado has been one of the best players in baseball for a long time and it’s way past time for him to get his due This could be the year Colorado puts things together with Arenado at the center of everything. He gets knocked for his offensive numbers coming at Coors Field and that’s a part of the equation. Still, Arenado doesn’t control where he plays and he could be in this article come September.