Luke Voit
It’s easy to forget that there was a legitimate debate as to whether or not Voit or Greg Bird deserved to start the season as the team’s starting first baseman. Bird’s predictable injury knocked him out of contention, but Voit has seized the opportunity by becoming one of the team’s best hitters.
Voit leads his team with 38 RBIs and has appeared in a team-high 54 games as well. He may not be hitting for a terrific average, but he’s spraying the ball all over the diamond with real authority. The 28-year-old first baseman has really helped his team survive without power hitters like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. He continues to make Cashman look like a genius for acquiring him in a trade for Chasen Shreve last season.
The only reasonable blemish on Voit’s production this year has been his defense at first base. He simply lacks the mobility or range to be anything other than an average first baseman. To his credit, he does seem to have improved his ability to pick difficult throws out of the dirt. Voit isn’t a gold glover, but he doesn’t need to be that good considering his offensive skills.
In many ways Voit is a throwback to the time when all first baseman were required to be big-time power hitters with little concern for what else they could do. He’s more versatile than that antiquated stereotype, and he has put himself in All-Star contention with his performance on the young season.