MLB Players have expectations after a long and grueling offseason, most of which many cannot reach with the stretched out 162 games. I decided to grade six players seasons with letter grades, I have lots of suggestions to do more players so go message me on instagram @sportsgreatness_ to get your player reserved for the next few parts.
Vlad Guerrero Jr.: A+
Wow. After a semi disappointing first two seasons for the son of the great Vlad Guerrero, Vladdy Jr. proved where the hype came from. In the best division in baseball, he posted a 166 wRC+ and 1.002 OPS. Absolutely unreal numbers from the budding superstar, and it looks like he’s found a home in the infield at 1st with a 2 DRS there in 2021. This will be known as one of the best seasons from a non-mvp in recent memory.
Fernando Tatis Jr.: A
It was a spectacular season for Fernando Tatis Jr., who put together a NL MVP campaign, doing so with a 156 wRC+, .611 SLG, 6.1 fWAR. The big doubts with Tatis about his contract. Is we hadn’t seen a full season worth of games yet from him, and in his closest to first full season he had his best one yet. If it weren’t for nagging injuries and a little bit of a fielding issue, this would easily be an A+ for Tatis Jr.
Yu Darvish: D
Yu had a really good start to the season, showing why the Padres acquired him this offseason. It was unfortunate to see him just fall off towards the end, which is most likely due to the ban of foreign substances (aka spider tack). He finished the season with a 4.22 ERA, which isn’t a great stat, but it wasn’t a horrific season. From June to September, Darvish had a 4.63 FIP, 3.65 xFIP. But the he didn’t truly contribute to the Padres winning games, and was apart of the huge downfall the team experienced this season. So just for that alone, I can’t give him a grade higher than C.
Giancarlo Stanton: A-
139 games played for Giancarlo Stanton this season, that alone gives him something Yankees fans should be happy about. Now what did he do in those 139 games? That’s what truly impressed baseball fans, but not me. In my preseason predictions I had Giancarlo Stanton winning MVP, which with this season he had (137 wRC+, .870 OPS), it wasn’t a horrible prediction. Then Vladdy and Shohei had their seasons and it makes Stanton look like he had an average season. But the big thing with Stanton is he truly awoke this Yankees offense in the second half of the year. Without his clutch hits and big time homers, the Yankees would have probably missed the playoffs. This should make Yankees fans excited for next year, to see how Stanton can continue his dominance.
Aaron Judge: A
Like Stanton, seeing Judge play 148 games was absolutely wonderful to see for all of the baseball community. In his 148 games, Judge had a 148 wRC+, 5.5 fWAR, .916 OPS and a 9 DRS (OF). Judge went absolutely ballistic this year, and this is meanwhile he was switching around OF positions, Yankees disappointment drama and more. He put the team on his back, became a leader and brought this team to the playoffs. His defensive presence wasn’t as great this past season, with a -4.2 FanGraphs Defensive Value, but that is expected when you switch around positions.
Kyle Tucker: A
Have a season Kyle Tucker, arguably the most underrated player in baseball, Tucker put together a MVP caliber season. He slashed .294/.359/.557 with a .383 wOBA. A 147 wRC+ and 4.8 fWAR. Tucker helped build the Astros amazing WS run, and is apart of one of the best lineups in recent memory. Tucker has done nothing but improve since his debut season in 2019, and it is especially shown in his decrease in striking out. His K% goes as follows: 2019 – 27.8%, 2020 – 20.2% and 2021 – 15.9%. Just overall Tucker looks to be a rising star, and expect him to be the face of Houston for the next few years, despite all of the firepower they have in that lineup.
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