It is not uncommon for an MLB season to include players that have a breakout season. Here are five players in the American League that can have a breakout year in 2020.
Through four MLB seasons, Adalberto Mondesi hasn’t necessarily had a breakout year yet. He shouldn’t be expected to lead the league in homers, but he could also produce a better slash line than the .263/.291/.424 line he had in 2019.
Mondesi was one of three Royals that had 10 triples on the season, which was tied for most in the league. Stats like this can help Mondesi build a big year at the plate.
Anthony Santander (Image from NBC Sports)
Outfielder Anthony Santander debuted in 2017. However, he only played a combined 46 games games through his first two seasons. Then in 2019, he played 93 games, giving more of a chance to see what he can do. Last year, he hit .261/.297/.476. He hit 20 homers as well as 20 doubles. If he can continue to have a high amount of extra-base hits, he can put together a nice season, which the Orioles can really use after going 54-108 last year.
Jordan Luplow played two seasons with the Pirates before joining the Indians in 2019. He struggled in his time with the Pirates. He played in 64 games with the team, and he had a slash line of .194/.274/.371. However, those numbers have improved with the Indians. Luplow had a .551 slugging percentage in 2019, as he hit 15 homers in 85 games. If he can keep that up throughout a full season, it could contribute to him getting votes for the Mid-Summer Classic.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has had a successful start to his MLB career. Through two seasons, he’s played in 149 games, which is 13 games less than a full regular season. In those games, Gurriel Jr. has 31 homers, 85 RBI and 157 hits. Those are some impressive numbers, and if he can play in 100 plus games, he can put together some big stats at the plate.
Willie Calhoun (Image from MLB.com)
Through three seasons with the Rangers, Willie Calhoun has played in 131 games. Most of them came in 2019 when he played in 83 contests. In those games last season, Calhoun hit 21 homers and had 48 RBI. His slugging percentage was also up at .524 on the year.
The Rangers have made some additions to their team this offseason. If Willie Calhoun gets a lot of playing time and the Rangers are in the playoff race, more people may start to pay attention to how he plays.
Feature Image Courtesy of Sporting News.
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