MLB.com experts rank Luis Robert Jr. second in AL MVP race originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Luis Robert Jr. is having a career year this season. Good enough to be considered one of the league’s best.
A group of MLB.com experts took to ranking the MVP standings for each league, placing Robert Jr. second in the American League race.
The 25-year-old center fielder earned the first All-Star of his career this season. He has the third-most home runs in MLB (26) and the fourth-highest defensive runs saved value for center fielders (6).
He’s also playing the healthiest season of his career (knock on wood). He’s played in 90 games this season, which is already more than both his first and second seasons, and eight games from tying his third-year outing.
Unfortunately, Shohei Ohtani presents a difficult hurdle for Robert Jr. to jump to earn the MVP award in the American League. On the brink of free agency, Ohtani has the highest OPS in MLB (1.046) with a 3.50 ERA on the bump through 18 starts this season.
Amid a possible selloff at the MLB trade deadline for the White Sox, the NY Post’s Jon Heyman reassured the Sox would likely make Robert Jr. unavailable for trade. This is a wise move, as he is arguably one of the league’s best players this season with loads of potential for his young age.
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