Pedro Oliveira
En los últimos años hubo un relevo de talentos en la inicial para la Liga Americana, y aunque quedan algunas caras conocidas, es indetenible el surgimiento de nuevos astros con el madero que serán los protagonistas en las próximas temporadas que se avecinan dentro de las grandes ligas. Conocida históricamente por ser una posición donde el bate pesa más que cualquier otro aspecto, cada vez estamos más lejos de este estereotipo y quiénes ocupan un puesto en la primera almohadilla son atletas cada vez más completos.
5. Ryan Mountcastle – Baltimore Orioles
Ryan Mountcastle, the Orioles rookie, completed his first full campaign during 2021, and he left great feelings around his potential and his opportunity to become a major contributor for Baltimore in the future. The 24-year-old averaged .255/.309/.487 with 33 homers, 23 doubles, 89 RBIs and 77 runs scored.
Defensively, he was one of the most solid performers for the East Division team, with a 99.8% fielding percentage, committing only one error in 704 innings played. In this new campaign, Mountcastle will be able to continue growing as a hitter and cement himself as one of the pillars for a franchise that wants to be relevant again in the fight for the postseason.
4. Yuli Gurriel – Houston Astros
La Piña once again excelled in a key season for the Astros, winning the 2021 batting title at the age of 36 (the second Cuban to do so in history). In addition to this, he was also awarded his first Gold Glove, becoming the oldest player in MLB history to win it at the first base position.
Yuli finished his campaign with .319/.383/.462 with 15 homers, 81 RBIs, 83 runs scored and 31 doubles. Entering 2022 at age 38, Gurriel will continue to prove how much gas he has left in the tank to continue as a high-profile contributor in Houston.
3. Matt Olson – Oakland Athletics
Having the best season of his career, Olson was the best player in the Oakland franchise, and he would prove to be one of the most valuable bats in the American League.
Leading the Athletics in games played (156), hits (153), homers (39), RBIs (111), bases on balls (88), fielding percentage (.371) and slugging (.540), the 27-year-old starter earned his first All-Star Game selection, in addition to being a finalist for the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards.
Oakland will need Olson in order to be competitive again in 2022, at the same standards the slugger left last season or even better.
2. José Abreu – Chicago White Sox
Looking to defend the MVP award he was given for his performance in the 2020 campaign, Abreu did not take his foot off the gas and although he was unable to match his MVP performance, he was once again one of the offensive leaders for the White Sox.
With an offensive line of .261/.351/.481 along with 30 homers, 117 RBIs, 86 runs scored and 30 doubles, the Cuban starred in a solid offensive season and would end up leading the young White Sox squad to another postseason, where they were eliminated in the Divisional Series at the hands of the Houston Astros.
Entering his eighth major league campaign at 35 years of age, Chicago will look to progress within October baseball on the back of Abreu’s veteran status and the development of its young stars.
1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – Toronto Blue Jays
After two seasons of adaptation in the big leagues, 2021 was the year in which the Dominican exploited part of his potential: being selected for his first All-Star Game and being named MVP of the game, in addition to being second place for the MVP award of the campaign, is just a small summary of the monstrous campaign that Vladimir materialized.
He has .311/.401/.601 with 48 homers, 111 RBIs, 123 runs scored and 29 doubles in 161 games played were the numbers of the 23-year-old starter, who led the majors in homers (along with Salvador Pérez), runs scored and total bases.
This offensive display by the Dominican is just the beginning of one of the most promising careers in the American League, perhaps in all of elite baseball, as Guerrero Jr. has always remained at the top of the prospect categories since the beginning of his premature professional career. He has all the tools and knowledge to be among the best of his generation, at the very least.
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