Blake Snell, Tampa Bay Rays
Stat line: 7.1 WAR (1st in AL pitchers), 21-5 record (1st in AL in games won), 1.90 ERA (1st in AL), 175.2 IP, 37 ER, 211 SO (8th in AL), 216 ERA+ (1st in AL)
When you lead the AL in more than a couple of notable pitching statistics, you’re bound to be added in the discussion of AL MVP. In just his 3rd year in the majors, Blake Snell is quickly establishing himself as a force to be reckoned. His pitching served as a key player in maintaining relevance for the Rays this year as they were expected to be terrible from the outset after the exit of their franchise player Evan Longoria. However, terrible they did not become. On the other hand, they improved, rising from 80 wins last year to 88 as of today. Through the use of 4 distinct pitches from his repertoire (4-seam fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup), Blake is putting the AL on notice. Who knows? Maybe he’ll shock the baseball world by winning the MVP.
