Is Odubel Herrera a Legit MVP Candidate?
Every new baseball season brings surprises, and the 2018 Phillies have been one of most suprising teams in the league. Not many people around MLB, or even in Philadelphia, expected this year’s team to compete, but they have. The lineup is one of the youngest in baseball, but they have competed despite their youth. The Phils have even held first place in the National League East for a few days in May (a huge improvement), and the key to their early success is, surprisingly, a player that didn’t even start in their opener: Odubel Herrera.
Most fans view Odubel Herrara as having all the tools, but something was always missing. For every great play he made defensively, there was a base-running error or a lapse of judgement during a later inning that would cause fans to grow frustrated with the eccentric center-fielder. This season has been a different story. The lapses have decreased, and the production has increased tenfold. With that, there is a sense of excitement back at Citizens Bank Park. Herrera is having, by far, the best season of his career, and his importance to the Phillies has some fans discussing his name as a possible NL MVP award contender.
Odubel Herrera’s profile has improved after reaching base in 45 straight games, which was the fourth longest on-base streak in Phillies franchise history. He is currently fifth in the National league with a .332 batting average, and he has played Gold Glove caliber defense in center field for a team within two games of first place. He does not have the power numbers of other NL stars, but value cannot always be found on a stat sheet.
Realistically, it’s not likely Herrera will get more votes than sluggers like Bryce Harper or Freddie Freeman, but the fact his name is even being mentioned this far into the season demonstrates this is a new era of Phillies baseball. Manager Gabe Kapler’s unorthodox approach may be exactly what a player like Herrera needed to take his talent to the next level, and his benching for the first game may have been a necessary kick in the butt for a young player on the cusp of stardom.
Odubel Herrera will, without a doubt, represent the Phillies at this year’s All-Star Game, and a few teammates may join him. Could the ASG be his coming-out party on a national level? Will his current play continue for the rest of the season and force MVP voters to take notice? There are so many questions to be answered, but it does feel great to have a current Phillie back in the limelight.
