Who’s Who in Baseball: The Top Players of 2018

The Who’s Who in Baseball: The Top Players of 2018 blog features the top baseball players in the 2018 season.

Who’s Who in Baseball: The top players of 2018

The best players in baseball usually aren’t the household names. They’re the players who quietly go about their business and produce results year in and year out. Here are 2018’s top 10 players, according to Wins Above Replacement (WAR):

1. Mookie Betts OF, Boston Red Sox
2. Jose Ramirez, 3B, Cleveland Indians
3. Mike Trout OF, Los Angeles Angels
4. Alex Bregman, 3B, Houston Astros
5. Justin Verlander, SP, Houston Astros
6. Chris Sale SP, Boston Red Sox
7. Javy Baez, 2B/SS, Chicago Cubs
8. Trevor Story SS, Colorado Rockies
9. Nelson Cruz, DH/OF, Seattle Mariners
10. Max Scherzer SP, Washington Nationals

The Top 10 Players of 2018

Baseball is a sport that is enjoyed by millions of people across the United States Every year, fans eagerly await the start of the season, when their favorite players take to the field in pursuit of the World Series title.

While there are many Great players in baseball, some stand out above the rest. Here are the top 10 players of 2018:

1. Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels
2. Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Indians
3. Mookie Betts Boston Red Sox
4. Nolan Arenado Colorado Rockies
5. Christian Yelich Milwaukee Brewers
6. Alex Bregman, Houston Astros
7. Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians
8. Trevor Story, Colorado Rockies
9. Javy Baez, Chicago Cubs
10. Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks

The Top 5 Pitchers of 2018

In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws the ball to the catcher, who then tries to prevent the batter from hitting it. Here are the top 5 pitchers of 2018:

1. Justin Verlander – Houston Astros
2. Chris Sale – Boston Red Sox
3. Max Scherzer – Washington Nationals
4. Corey Kluber – Cleveland Indians
5. Luis Severino – New York Yankees

The Top 5 Hitters of 2018

In Major League Baseball the 2018 batting statistical leaders were:

1. Christian Yelich Milwaukee Brewers – .326 batting average 36 home runs 110 RBI
2. Jose Altuve Houston Astros – .315 batting average 31 home runs 85 RBI
3. J.D. Martinez, Boston Red Sox – .330 batting average 43 home runs 130 RBI
4. Mookie Betts Boston Red Sox – .346 batting average 32 Home Runs 80 RBI
5. Alex Bregman, Houston Astros – .286 batting average 31 home runs 103 RBI

The Most Valuable Players of 2018

Every year, the Major League Baseball Players Association awards the Most Valuable Player honors to the best overall player in each league. Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels has won the award three times in his young career, including back-to-back MVPs in 2014 and 2015. Here are the most recent MVP Award winners in each league.

American League
2018 – Mookie Betts, OF, Boston Red Sox
2017 – Jose Altuve 2B, Houston Astros
2016 – Mike Trout OF, Los Angeles Angels

National League
2018 – Christian Yelich OF, Milwaukee Brewers
2017 – Giancarlo Stanton OF, Miami Marlins
2016 – Kris Bryant 3B, Chicago Cubs

The Cy Young Award Winners of 2018

The Cy Young Award is given to the best pitcher in baseball for each league, as voted on by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Here are the winners for 2018:

In the American League Dallas Keuchel of the Houston Astros won his second Cy Young Award becoming just the 11th pitcher in history to win multiple Cy Young Awards. Keuchel led the AL in wins (14), ERA (2.90), and innings pitched (200.0). It was a tight race between Keuchel and Justin Verlander of the Astros, but Keuchel ultimately won out thanks to his lower ERA and more complete season (Verlander missed a month with an injury).

In the National League Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals won his third Cy Young Award, making him just the sixth pitcher in history to win three or more Cy Young Awards. Scherzer led the NL in wins (18) and strikeouts (300), while posting a 2.53 ERA. It was a close race between Scherzer and Jacob Degrom of the New York Mets but Scherzer’s higher win total and lower ERA gave him the edge.

The Rookie of the Year Award Winners of 2018

The Rookie of the Year Award is given to the most outstanding first-year player in Major League Baseball (MLB). This year, there were two award winners, one from each league. In the American League the winner was Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels and in the National League it was Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves

Ohtani, a pitcher and designated hitter from Japan, had a historic season as he became the first player ever to hit 20 home runs and pitch 50 innings in the same season. He also set a rookie record for most home runs by a pitcher with 22. Acuña, meanwhile, was one of the best all-around players in baseball as he hit .293 with 26 home runs and 64 RBIs while also stealing 16 bases. He is the first Braves player to win Rookie of the Year since Jason Heyward did it in 2010.

The Gold Glove Award Winners of 2018

The Gold Glove Award Winners of 2018 were announced on October 24th. The award is given to the best Defensive Player at each position in baseball. This year, there are three new winners in the outfield, one new winner at second base, and one new winner at catcher. The full list of winners is as follows:

Pitcher – Zack Greinke (Arizona Diamondbacks)
Catcher – Yasmani Grandal (Los Angeles Dodgers)
First Base – Anthony Rizzo (Chicago Cubs)
Second Base – DJ LeMahieu (Colorado Rockies)
Third Base – Nolan Arenado (Colorado Rockies)
Shortstop – Andrelton Simmons (Los Angeles Angels)
left field – Alex Gordon (Kansas City Royals)
Center Field – Ender Inciarte (Atlanta Braves)
Right Field – Mookie Betts (Boston Red Sox)

The Silver Slugger Award Winners of 2018

The Silver Slugger Award is given to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League as determined by a vote of major league baseball coaches and managers. The award was first given out in 1980, and 2018 marked the 39th year that it has been handed out. This year’s winners were:

Catcher: J.T. Realmuto, Philadelphia Phillies
First Base: José Abreu, Chicago White Sox
Second Base: José Altuve, Houston Astros
Third Base: Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies
Shortstop: Trevor Story, Colorado Rockies
Outfielders: Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels Nick Markakis, Atlanta Braves
designated hitter J.D. Martinez, Boston Red Sox
Pitcher: Blake Snell Tampa Bay Rays

The MLB All-Star Game 2018

The MLB All-Star game 2018 is an annual baseball game that is being held on Tuesday, July 17th, at Nationals Park in Washington D.C. This will be the 89th edition of the All-Star Game and it will be televised nationally on Fox. The game will feature some of the best players from the American League facing off against the best from the National League

The American League Lineup will feature stars like Jose Altuve, Mike Trout, and Mookie Betts. The National League lineup will include players like Bryce Harper Nolan Arenado, and Freddie Freeman This should be a great game for any baseball fan to watch.