Minnesota Twins: Why Nelson Cruz is a legitimate MVP candidate
The Minnesota Twins signing of the 39-year old slugger was greeted with caution but has now produced a potential MVP candidate.
By all accounts, the Minnesota Twins season has exceeded all expectations. When the season first started, many weren’t sure what to think of the Twins after finishing 78-84 record in 2018. To add to the fans’ frustration, the team didn’t make many big moves in free agency, wondering if the team would be any better coming into the 2019 campaign.
While most of the moves were the Twins’ typical under-the-radar, buy low signings such as Jonathan Schoop and Martin Perez, Minnesota’s biggest splash was signing designated hitter Nelson Cruz.
The positives for signing Cruz were obvious as he entered the 2019 season with 360 career home runs and hit at least 37 bombs in each of the past five seasons. However, at age 38, many wondered what kind of impact he would have on the Twins lineup and if he could still produce at that same level.
Now at 39, Cruz has answered those questions with a resounding “YES!” as he’s been in the middle of a lineup that has been transformed into the Bomba Squad. Armed with a second-half that has been off the charts, Cruz has not only been one of the best hitters for Minnesota this season, he is muscling his way into becoming a legitimate candidate for the American League Most Valuable Player Award.
Cruz’s season at a glance
Just looking at Cruz’s season through Thursday’s action, it’s apparent that he’s having a season that not even the Twins could have dreamed of when they signed him to a one-year contract (with a team option for 2020) last December.
Entering Friday, Cruz was hitting .303 with 33 HR and 80 RBI in 90 games. Even more impressive is that while Cruz might flirt with his career-high of 44 HR in 2015, his advanced numbers are also approaching career levels with a slugging percentage (.662) and OPS (1.050) that would be career-bests and an on-base percentage (.389) that would rank third.
These numbers are ridiculous for a 39-year old but are completely insane when you think that Cruz has gotten better as the season has gone along. Since the All-Star break, Cruz has been on a rampage that has seen him post a slash line of .356/.407/.904 with an OPS of 1.341. In addition, he has been a run-producing monster with 17 home runs and 34 RBI in the second half.
These numbers have also been produced while Cruz missed a week with a ruptured wrist tendon. Speaking of that injury, Cruz has decided to play through it and in Tuesday’s win over the Chicago White Sox, he went out and casually smacked three doubles and a home run to show he’ll be just fine.
While his production hasn’t kept the Twins from blowing their big lead in the American League Central, it’s played a huge part in keeping them afloat and putting them in the thick of the postseason race.
Cruz’s impact on the Twins
Stats are one thing, but the ability to carry a team to new heights is another thing that should be considered when evaluating a MVP candidate. For the Twins, they struggled throughout 2018 generating runs (13th in MLB) and hitting the ball out of the park (23rd in MLB) so the addition of Cruz to the lineup figured to boost in both categories.
Where Cruz’s biggest impact may lie is what he’s done to help the players around them take their game to the next level.
In 2018, a majority of the Twins’ young players struggled to reach their potential. Max Kepler hit .224 for the Twins while Byron Buxton missed a majority of the season with various ailments and only hit .156 when he was in the lineup. Jorge Polanco never found his footing after a PED suspension and it seemed like Eddie Rosario (.288, 24 HR, 77 RBI) seemed like the only player that seemed like a building block.
Fast forward to today and the Twins future has an entirely different look. Miguel Sano has rebounded from his injury-plagued 2018 season to hit 23 home runs in 78 games. Kepler leads the team with 34 home runs and has bumped his average to .254. Polanco started for the American League in the All-Star Game and Buxton has enjoyed a breakout season outside of a couple of stints on the injured list.
While it’s impossible to quantify the impact that Cruz has had on the lineup, it could just be a matter of his leadership by example. Cruz has been to the World Series in the past and knows what it takes for a young player to make a leap on the field.
In addition to taking the pressure off some of the younger hitters to produce, Cruz has helped some of the Twins’ young stars make a massive leap forward in 2019.
Comparing Cruz to other MVP candidates
Throwing Cruz’s hat into the ring is one thing, but stacking him up against other contenders for the AL MVP award is another. While Cruz’s impact on the Twins has been huge, some of the other performances around the league could make it difficult to actually take home the award.
As of now, Cruz does not rank in the top 10 in wins above replacement (WAR) for the American League, but the leader at the top of the board is Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout. With a WAR of 8.3, Trout is having a ridiculous year (.296, 42 HR, 98 RBI, 10 SB), but his team is far behind the Houston Astros for the AL West lead.
Alex Bregman is another MVP candidate to come from the AL West and his 6.1 WAR currently ranks second in the American League. His stats of .277 with 30 HR and 83 RBI are great and he plays tremendous defense at third base. The problem is that he’s surrounded by great players on a juggernaut Astros team, making it questionable just how valuable he is.
Matt Chapman could be the player that has the most worth for a contending team as well, ranking third in WAR at 5.6 and crushing 29 home runs despite playing in a cavernous ballpark in Oakland. He is also the favorite to win the gold glove at third base in the American League.
All three are worthy competition for Cruz, who may have to impress even more considering his designated hitter status. With no defensive stats to stand on, voters may have a harder time handing him the MVP, making his campaign a little more difficult.
dark. Next. Rosario leaves game with hamstring tightness
Still, Cruz figures to be in the discussion for the award even if he doesn’t bring it home. With a strong offensive season, it’s possible that Cruz has his highest finish yet in MVP voting after finishing sixth in 2015 and if he doesn’t slow down, the chants of MVP could start growing at Target Field.