As we churn past the one-week mark in May, the 2018 MLB season is officially heating up.
Let’s take this opportunity to rank every team’s biggest star, from No. 30 to No. 1.
First off, what defines a star? There’s an undeniable amount of subjectivity involved, especially on clubs blessed with two or more exemplary performers.
In essence, it’s a combination of ability, potential, track record and an indefinable something. Your results may vary, but we feel we’ve identified a credible candidate from every squad.
After that, it was a matter of ranking them based on their performance through May 7. It’s a small sample, but it’s enough to draw initial conclusions. nfl authentic jerseys cheap
No. 30: Felipe Vazquez, LHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates traded outfielder and franchise icon Andrew McCutchen to the San Francisco Giants this winter and shipped ace Gerrit Cole to the Houston Astros.
That leaves hard-throwing lefty reliever Felipe Vazquez as their de facto biggest star.
The 26-year-old posted a 1.67 ERA with 88 strikeouts in 75.1 innings last season. His ERA has climbed to 3.46 in 2018, though he’s still missing bats with 15 punchouts in 13 frames.
No. 29: Matt Chapman, 3B, Oakland Athletics
The small-market Oakland Athletics are known for jettisoning stars to restock their farm system. Third baseman Matt Chapman may be in that boat in the near(ish) future.
For now, the 25-year-old is coming off a breakout 2017 in which he hit 14 home runs in 84 games. He’s hitting a ho-hum .228 this season, but he has three doubles, three triples and six homers in 35 games.
Add his exemplary defense, and he’s an unproven stud on the rise who could sail up these rankings with a hot month or two.
No. 28: Salvador Perez, C, Kansas City Royals
After missing the first 20 games of the season with a knee injury, Salvador Perez has hit .273 in 55 at-bats for the Kansas City Royals.
Perez, who turns 28 on Thursday, remains among the top backstops in the game, and he’s a leader on a Royals club that let center fielder Lorenzo Cain and first baseman Eric Hosmer walk via free agency.
The early disabled list stint calls his durability into question, however, as K.C. moves toward a seemingly inevitable rebuild.
No. 27: Brian Dozier, 2B, Minnesota Twins
In 2016, Brian Dozier became the fourth second basemen in MLB history to reach 40 home runs in a season. He followed that up with 34 home runs in 2017.nfl jerseys from china
He’s hit five home runs in 31 games with the Minnesota Twins but is also hitting .226 with a .290 on-base percentage.
Needless to say, those numbers need to improve for him to maintain his star rating.
No. 26: Marcell Ozuna, LF, St. Louis Cardinals
After coming over from the Miami Marlins for a rich package of prospects in December, Marcell Ozuna was supposed to be the lineup anchor the St. Louis Cardinals lacked.
The 27-year-old two-time All-Star hasn’t lived up to expectations in the early going.
His power has been MIA, as he’s managed only two home runs and a .618 OPS. There’s every reason to assume he’ll come around, but the Cards will wring their wings in the interim. official nfl jerseys cheap
No. 25: Josh Donaldson, 3B, Toronto Blue Jays
It’s been a dispiriting contract year for Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson. The three-time All-Star and 2015 American League MVP has played in only 17 games while battling shoulder issues and is hitting .224.
Donaldson has hit two home runs and a pair of doubles in five games since returning from the disabled list last week, which is good news for the Jays and possibly even better news for the 32-year-old’s future bank account.nfl authentic jerseys
