Nelson Cruz is putting up MVP type numbers, but he couldn’t care less
Seattle Mariners outfielder Nelson Cruz isn’t going to win the American League MVP award this season. As long as Mike Trout still has breath in his body and Josh Donaldson continues to drive in everything in sight, Cruz will likely have to settle for a distant third in the voting.
That doesn’t seem to bother Cruz. In fact, Cruz says he doesn’t even look at his numbers during the season.
“After the season, you can see and look at numbers. Besides that, you just have to worry about what you can do to help the team win games.”
If Cruz decided to take a peek at his offensive performance, he might come away impressed. The 35-year-old has obliterated baseballs all season. His .320/.388/.612 slash line is among the best in the game, as are his 39 home runs. Cruz’s 178 wRC+, an advanced stat that measures offensive performance, is currently the best in the AL. Trout and Donaldson have been great, but no AL player has been better at the plate this season than Cruz.
He’s done all of this despite moving into one the game’s toughest offensive parks. Safeco Field has ruined a lot of hitters over the years, but Cruz has been immune to any lull despite leaving the homer-happy Camden Yards.
Camden Yards is known as a smaller park where the ball can fly. That’s backed up by the stats. The stadium has a 106 home run park factor for right-handed hitters. Park factors operate with 100 being neutral, so it’s a bit easier for righties to go yard in Camden than it is in other parks around the league.
Safeco is the opposite. The field has just a 92 home run park factor for righties. That’s one of the lower figures in the AL.
While he’s been successful in the park, Cruz says there’s “nothing different” with his approach this season. For the most part, he credits his experience as a player when asked how he’s been so successful the last couple years.
“I think experience helps you to understand what pitchers try to do against you. You have to realize that you don’t have to hit homers every at-bat,” he says. Cruz also credits his coaches for helping him deal with off-speed stuff better this year. “Work in the cage and work with the hitting coaches helped me develop that swing.”
There’s also the issue of health. One of the biggest factors behind Cruz insane offensive numbers is the fact that he’s remained healthy, particularly over the past two seasons. He credits that to a leg regimen he started four years ago. Cruz admits that leg injuries have “been the issue in the past,” but is happy with his current routine.
Given his recent success, it’s tough to disagree with that assessment. Cruz has now been mostly healthy three out of the past four years. He played in 159 games in both 2012 and 2014, and is on pace to hit a similar number this year. Cruz played in just 109 games in 2013, but accepted a 50-game suspension for being linked to the Biogensis scandal. Had he not received a suspension, Cruz likely would have played close to a full season.
When it comes to the actual MVP voting, Cruz will be penalized for two things. One, he’s not regarded as a strong defender. Some defensive metrics thought he was passable earlier in his career, but most agree he’s been a well below-average defender since 2011. Trout and Donaldson both play above-average defense at much more demanding spots, so you have to give the edge to them there.
On top of that, the one thing Cruz actually cares about will hurt him: Wins. The Mariners failed to live up to their lofty preseason expectations, and are one of the biggest disappointments of the season. At 59-69, the club has a 0.7 percent chance at making the postseason according to Baseball Prospectus. With the team so far out of it, no one is really paying attention to what Cruz is doing at the plate.
In the end, it’s probably going to lead to a less-than-stellar performance in the MVP voting. And while that’s justified considering his competition, it’s going to be tough not to think he deserved better when you look at his offensive numbers years from now. We’ll look at his ridiculous line and assume he was a big-time contender for the AL MVP, only to realize he finished a distant third.
That’s fine by Cruz, though. He’s made it clear that winning as a team is far more important than individual awards. Hopefully, when Cruz finally decides to take a look at his numbers, he’ll get some joy out of his performance.
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It’s probably not a great consolation after a losing season, but Cruz should be able to enjoy what he’s done this year. Especially since it’s starting to look like no one else will.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
