Saturday, June 1, 2013

May MVPs

1. Miguel Cabrera (.379/.455/.767)
Cabrera is at it again after becoming the first Triple Crown winner in 45 years last season. The major league hits leader recorded at last one base knock in 26 of the 28 games he played in May, totaling 44 hits for the month and enjoying 13 multi-hit games. He also reached base in every game of the month save one--May 13th against the Houston Astros. What's more, Cabrera cranked out 12 home runs during the month, including three in one game against the Texas Rangers on May 19th, while knocking  in 33 runs. The reigning AL MVP, a one-man wrecking crew with the bat in his hands, can't be stopped.

2. Chris Davis (.364/.442/.768)
Davis followed up his monster opening month with an even better performance in May. After a slow start to the month in which he went 2-for-18, Davis caught fire and hasn't looked back. Crush supplied plenty of power for Baltimore's prolific offense last month, ripping 10 home runs and 10 doubles to hike his season slugging percentage up to .749--easily the best mark in both leagues--and maintain his long ball lead over Cabrera. He also supplied 22 runs and 22 RBI. At the moment, Davis appears to be the only obstacle standing in the way of Cabrera's bid for another Triple Crown and MVP award.

3. Domonic Brown (.303/.303/.688)
On the heels of an underwhelming April in which he batted .233/.309/.372 with three home runs, the Philadelphia left fielder broke through with a torrid May. Brown became hyper-aggressive at the plate, refusing to draw so much as a single walk in the entire month. That lack of patience didn't stop him from belting a dozen big flies, seven of which came during the month's final week, to surge past a cooling Justin Upton for the National League lead in home runs. The 25 year-old's power binge produced 25 RBI. He now sports a .272/.306/.549 batting line and is one of the few bright spots on an aging, underachieving Phillies ballclub. Brown's batting approach is not a recipe for success in the long run, but in the meantime it's helped him eclipse Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and Chase Utley as the team's top position player.

4. Mike Trout (.327/.409/.664)
2012's AL Rookie of the Year shrugged off a mediocre April and put up the kind of numbers that made him the deserving MVP one year ago. Trout scored 27 runs in May, a feat that undoubtedly had something to do with the fact that he reached base in all but two games last month. He also plated 21 runs and smacked 17 extra base hits. The 21 year-old was just as dominant on the basepaths, stealing eight bases in ten attempts. His recent hot streak sparked the scuffling Los Angeles Angels to an eight-game winning streak that helped the Halos make up some ground in the AL West.

5. Manny Machado (.355/.380/.556)
Machado emerged as a legitimate superstar during the month of May, earning comparisons to fellow phenoms Trout and Bryce Harper. The 20 year-old piled up 44 hits during the month on the back of 14 multi-hit efforts. 14 of those base knocks were doubles, giving him an ML-best 25 two-baggers on the season. That puts him on pace to break Earl Webb's single season record of 67, set all the way back in 1931. The talented third baseman is making quite a name for himself.

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