Ryan Zimmerman, first baseman, Washington Nationals
Entering the year, we expected that Washington would have multiple MVP candidates. We weren’t wrong about that, either. We just weren’t expecting Zimmerman to be one of them.
Sometimes, expectations don’t quite work out. If you’re a Nats fan, that’s a very good thing.
2017 Ryan Zimmerman has matched 2016 Ryan Zimmerman in HR (15). Today is June 1st. https://t.co/3rNbGMujki #RYANAISSANCE pic.twitter.com/ujtvq9zs5L
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 1, 2017
Since the 2017 season started, Zimmerman has been nothing but a pain to National League pitchers. He’s slashing at .368/.409/.709, has 15 home runs, has scored 35 and driven in 44 runs.
He’s also provided solid protection to Bryce Harper (more on him later). We can’t overlook how valuable that is. Harper suffered through a sub par 2016 season largely because Washington couldn’t protect him. Daniel Murphy thrived batting in front of Harper but after him, the Nats lineup left a lot to be desired. Zimmerman’s presence has gotten Harper more pitches to hit.
Of course, no mention of Zimmerman would be complete without talking about his recent struggles. From 2014-2016, Zimmerman slashed at .242/.300/.420 and averaged 12 home runs in only 90 games played per year. The 2016 season was rock bottom, with Zimmerman slashing at .218/.272/.370. At 32 years old, it was fair to wonder if Zimmerman was done.
Two months into 2017, it’s obvious that Zimmerman is not done. He’s been one of baseball’s best players.