Top 5 MLB Players Who Are Off to a Great Start This 2018 Season
List includes some familiar faces as well as some previously underrated players who are finally starting to get some recognition
More than a month of MLB action is now in the books, and while some of the things that are happening thus far may change as the season goes on, there are others that could emerge as trends for the rest of this year.
For instance, some notable names have gotten off to a terrific start this year, and there's a chance that they will keep up their level of play throughout this season.
Listed below are five players who are currently enjoying a great start to the year who are looking to build on what they have already accomplished.
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(The statistics mentioned below all come courtesy of Baseball Reference)
1. Patrick Corbin, Starting Pitcher, Arizona Diamondbacks
Back in 2013, Patrick Corbin looked like he was on track to become one of the next greatest starting pitchers in the Majors, but then, injury wiped out his entire 2014 season, and his 2015 return was solid if unspectacular.
Things took a turn for the worse in 2016 as Corbin started to get knocked around more, but before things could unravel any further, he became a solid starter again last year.
This year though, Corbin has taken things to another level. For the first time in his career, Corbin is flashing elite strikeout ability — 55 strikeouts in just 40 innings — and he's still managed to keep his walk rate down.
If he keeps this up, Corbin's name could come up a lot in Cy Young conversations later this year.
2. Miguel Cabrera, First Baseman/Designated Hitter, Detroit Tigers
Miguel Cabrera's final batting line for the 2017 season was .249/.329/.399, and that, by far, was the worst one of his career.
Considering that Cabrera was already 34-years-old then, it would have been easy to assume that his best days were behind him and that he was now in the midst of a steep decline phase.
Cabrera's not showing those same signs of decline through the first month of this season, however. His offensive numbers across the board have spiked, and while he's not hitting as well as he did during his MVP days, a .300/.400/.500 slashline is more than acceptable.
Many fans already expect Cabrera to be a Hall of Famer when his career is over, and this season may just be serving to solidify his case.
3. Didi Gregorius, Shortstop, New York Yankees
Back in 2015, Didi Gregorius was given the near-impossible task of replacing Yankee icon Derek Jeter when he first got to New York, and at the start, it seemed like he was going to have a really tough time doing that.
Fast forward a few years though, and Gregorius now looks incredibly comfortable in his surroundings and he's also showing that he's more than just a replacement for Jeter.
Gregorius has already swatted 10 home runs this season, and he's emerged as an early candidate to take home the American League MVP award, which is something Jeter never won. If he keeps up his production, he very well could surpass Jeter in that regard.
4. Mike Trout, Outfielder, Los Angeles Angels
Now if Gregorius wants to win the MVP award, he's going to have to contend with Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels for that honor.
Trout's been contending for MVP honors ever since his first full year in the Majors, and he's only gotten better as the seasons have gone by.
It's no surprise at all that Trout is off to another wonderful start, and the big question for him is if he will be able to win his third AL MVP award this year.
5. Aaron Judge, Outfielder, New York Yankees
Given that he put up arguably one of the best rookie seasons in history, it would have been easy to assume that Aaron Judge would regress a bit this season. The fact that he struck out so often during his rookie campaign only served to make it seem more like he would be a prime candidate to suffer from the sophomore slump.
Through the first month of this season at least, Judge isn't letting that sophomore slump get to him.
If anything, it almost seems like he's improved and that he's developed a better feel for the strike zone now.
Maybe asking him to hit more than 50 home runs in back-to-back seasons is a bit much, but it's entirely possible that he becomes an MVP candidate again this season.
