Philadelphia Phillies — Aaron Nola
The Phillies are really struggling to stock themselves with talent right now, but Nola is one of their few bright spots. The pitcher has all the makings of a future ace, with a 3.02 ERA and the ability to strike out over a batter an inning. He even has a 9-7 record on a team that sits 20 games under .500.
Pittsburgh Pirates — Felipe Rivero
There’s a case to be made for Andrew McCutchen, but once again, Rivero has completely dominated in the closer role. Cutting his walks significantly, the lefty has struck out 71 batters in 59.2 innings, saved 12 games, and posted a minuscule 1.21 ERA. Not bad for a guy the Pirates acquired for a rental closer in Mark Melancon last summer.
St. Louis Cardinals — Tommy Pham
Pham’s emergence has been a surprise, and the fact that he’s been their best player is an indictment of the team’s more established veterans. Still, there is no disputing how important Pham has been to St. Louis this year. He’s a bit of everything — he’s batting .310 with 14 home runs and has 16 stolen bases.
It was rather surprising that Hand did not move at the trade deadline given the immense value he could have provided a contender as a left-handed reliever. Their loss is San Diego’s gain, as Hand has been their best player all season. In a back-end bullpen role, he’s posted a 2.19 ERA, striking out 81 batters in 61.2 innings. Plenty of contenders would love to have that.
San Francisco Giants — Buster Posey
Even in a bad year for the team, Posey remains the Giants’ standard bearer. The star catcher has quietly been his usual effective self in 2017, hitting .316 with 12 home runs and handling the pitching staff as admirably as he can. The spotlight on him is diminished due to his team’s struggles, but he remains as effective as ever.
Seattle Mariners — James Paxton
For years, the Mariners have held out hope that the oft-injured Paxton could stay healthy and put together the talent that made him a top prospect. He did so in 2017 and has become Seattle’s best pitcher. The lefty has posted a 2.78 ERA while striking out 10.4 batters per nine. Unfortunately the health scares have never gone away — he’s back on the DL again — but he’s still been the Mariners’ finest performer this season.
A solid right fielder, Souza’s offense has progressed as well, and he has now established himself as an everyday player for a surprisingly competitive Rays squad. While his .261 average is a bit underwhelming, he walks a lot, to the tune of a .368 OBP. He also has some power, having slugged 25 home runs so far in 2017.
It’s somewhat incredible that, despite battling age and injury, Beltre is still so vital to everything that is good about the Rangers. He remains a quality third baseman defensively, and he’s still one of baseball’s better hitters. His home run tally is down to just 13, but he’s still hitting .313 and is the undisputed leader of the team. Someday he’ll slow down, but he’s not doing it yet.
Toronto Blue Jays — Justin Smoak
Once upon a time, Smoak was so well regarded as a prospect that he was the key piece in a Cliff Lee trade back when Lee was still one of baseball’s best pitchers. Smoak’s development has taken a very long time, but the 30-year-old first baseman is finally living up to his potential. He’s hit 32 home runs, is hitting .294, and gets on base a ton, to the tune of a .370 OBP.
Washington Nationals — Bryce Harper
There’s a really strong case to be made for Max Scherzer here, but Harper impacts every game in so many different ways. An excellent defensive outfielder and the fiery leader of the team, his numbers have recovered and returned to their 2015 baselines. A .326 hitter with 29 home runs, Harper is one of baseball’s very best players and is still only 24 years old
