1/2 Season MLB Awards

AL MVP: MIKE TROUT

After finally winning what should have been his third consecutive  MVP in 2014, Mike Trout through half of the 2015 campaign has improved on his overall production from last year.

His BB % has dipped from 11.8 to 11.6, but his K % has made drastic improvements from 26.1 % to 22.5 %. His BABIP has remained at .349, which has allowed his ability to put the ball in play more often increase his OBP from .377 last year to .405 now. Also, he's slugging .614 compared to .561 last year, thus his wOBA has improved to .427 from .402. Considering no one matches his production in the AL, and Trout is in line to have another 10+ fWAR, he's my 2015 1/2 season MVP.

Honorable Mentions: Josh Donaldson, Manny Machado, Jason Kipnis

NL MVP: BRYCE HARPER

The breakout season for Bryce Harper is finally upon us. The best player in baseball thus far and he's 22 years old. Harper has boasted a 216 wRC+ and a 18.4 % BB rate that reflects his .464 OBP, and has also punished mistakes slugging .704. A .374 BABIP is great obviously, but it's not a ridiculous .400 which would lead some to believe it's unsustainable.

Defensively, the metrics don't love him with a 0 UZR and 8 DRS but we are looking at a potential 11 win player regardless.

Honorable Mentions: Paul Goldschmidt, Buster Posey, Nolan Arenado 

AL CY YOUNG: SONNY GRAY

It was a tough choice between Gray and Chris Sale. It became a battle between weighting what the pitcher is most responsible for (FIP) or basic run prevention (RA-9WAR). Oakland is friendlier to pitchers than Chicago, but a .36 HR/9 is considerably better than a .75. HR/9.

Also, the hard hit % for Gray was 21.9 % and Sale had a 23.5 %. Meaning although Sale more consistently controlled the strike zone he made more mistakes for hitters to belt for home runs and line drives. In terms of defense errors definitely aren't the best way for measuring fielding, but Oakland is dead last in clear cut bad defensive plays. To conclude, the sizable gap in RA-9WAR which was 4.7 for Gray and 3.6 for Sale led me to believe Gray has been better this half season. Even when you try to factor what these two aces don't have control over.

Honorable Mentions: Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, Dallas Keuchel 

NL CY YOUNG: ZACH GREINKE 

At the end of the season I fully expect Max Scherzer to be awarded the CY Young, mainly because I doubt Greinke will be able to sustain his 1.39 ERA with a 89.5 LOB %. Nevertheless, Grienke  has been absolutely fantastic this year. FIP wise he has not been as impressive as Scherzer due to his 7.74 K/9 with Scherzer over 10. But his 5.9 RA9-WAR is enough for me to determine he was the most effective NL pitcher through half this season.

Honorable Mentions: Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw, Jacob DeGrom

AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: LANCE MCCULLERS

There's no doubt in my mind that if Carlos Correa suited up in an Astros uniform from the beginning of the season he would be the leading candidate for AL ROY. Fortunately  for the Astros they also have a rookie pitcher who has been extremely valuable spotting a 2.58 FIP and striking out roughly 10/9. He is not letting the ball out of the ballpark with a .28 HR/9. Only 11 starts but the production has been enough to leap him over other rookies.

Honorable Mentions: Carlos Correa, Billy Burns, Joey Butler

NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: JOC PEDERSON 

The ability to get on base with raw power is exciting for this young center fielder who is equipped with a 15.8 BB % which supports his .364 OBP. His 140 wRC+ is highest among qualified rookies, and his ability to hit home runs out of Dodger stadium helps the park adjusted side of the equation. UZR says he's about average but defensive metrics aren't perfect and Pederson has garnered a glowing reputation for his play in center.

Honorable Mentions: Kris Bryant, Alex Guerrero, Jung Ho Kang

MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER: ROBINSON CANO

He's been terrible. Coming from a Mariners fan.

Credits: Fangraphs, Baseball-Reference, Baseball Prospectus 

Andrew Wiggins: Breakdown

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

The 2014 NBA Draft was probably one of the most hyped up draft classes of the past decade, to say the least. Headlining the class was Andrew Wiggins, a player who had been hyped up since middle school, who eventually received rookie of year honors this past season thanks to his performance on the Timberwolves. The Wolves ended the season dead last in the west, in part due to injuries to key players like the oh-so-beautiful Ricky Rubio. Wiggins, measuring in at 6'8, 200 pounds with a scary 7'0 wingspan, received comparisons to players like Vince Carter and Rudy Gay based solely on his highlight reel production and insane athleticism. Despite being drafted to the Cavaliers with the first pick, he was traded in the Kevin Love deal 2 months later. That trade was probably the best case scenario for Wiggins, as otherwise he would not have seen as many minutes as he did. I mean that quite literally, as Wiggins was fourth in the league in minutes by the end of the season. He ended the season averaging 17 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal on 44% shooting with 52% true shooting, playing all 82 games. His averages were actually strikingly similar to his averages at Kansas during his one and only season. Wiggins was basically given the green light by Flip Saunders, and he performed well as the Timberwolves tanked their way to the first pick this year. Coming into the NBA, Wiggins was known to be primarily an inside scorer, and his shot chart reflects that knowledge.

The majority of his made field goals came from the restricted zone, and he shies away from shooting 3 pointers, settling mainly for mid range jumpers. He wasn't awful from the corners at all, but the sample size is relatively low. Most of his jumpers came from the right baseline, and he shot a measly 32.5% on all of his jumpshots despite making up 74% of his offense. Even so, his form is just beautiful to look at and you can't help but think the jumpers will start falling soon. The Wolves put little stock in this past season, and they often looked to Wiggins on offense, as seen by his 22% usage percentage. Wiggins took the most shots by far on his team the past season as the Wolves record plummeted. When Andrew found himself in spot up situations, he stumbled his way to 37% shooting, and the few times he created his own shot, he posted a 31% field goal percentage. Even with his jump shooting woes in mind, Andrew ended up with a quite passable 44% conversion rate when putting up shots after running off screens. Andrew's elite acceleration allows him to gain a significant gap between himself and his defender, often giving himself an easy look. Having bruisers like Pekovic and Dieng certainly aided him in creating separation off the ball as well. The place he really shined was on the fast break, utilizing his quickness and long strides as he converted 62% of his attempts and provided us with some absolutely amazing plays on the break. (Do yourself a favor and look up Andrew Wiggins highlights. Seriously.) While he wasn't the best player when isolated, he shot 38% when told to go with the flow, putting him in the 60th percentile league wide. Scouts often mentioned that Wiggins seems to be complacent at times on the offensive end rather than asserting himself, something that many young players struggle with. As the season progressed, however, he grew more comfortable in the flow of the Timberwolves offense. Adding on to his offensive production, his athleticism allows him to thrive in off-ball cut type situations, posting a similar 64%. A place where #22 really surprised was in the post. SportVU tells us that Wiggins shot 41% in the post on 230 attempts, placing in the upper half of the league. What the stats don't show are the moves he made to get those points in the post. As seen here, Wiggins utilizes his quickness, coordination, and vertical to rise over his defender and get a good look at the rim. In the second example specifically, a combination of LeBron misreading an Adrien screen and a Wiggins cut allows Andrew to quickly get to his spot and put up an easy hook. Andrew's footwork in general is much more advanced than you would expect for a barely 20 year old rookie and at times is straight up majestic. Mr. Maple Jordan worked hard to reach his 63% field goal percentage at the rim, using a variety of moves to finish layups against defenders like Joel Anthony, Anthony Davis, and Nerlens Noel. He managed to convert at a good rate against much taller and stronger defenders, but he doesn't have a bully-you-down-low physique that few wings possess. When put on the stripe, Wiggins converted at a 76% rate. His stroke is good and his form is not broken by any means, so look for his jumper to improve this offseason.

Draft scouts were extremely high on the athletic tools Wiggins brought to the table, as his insane wingspan, lateral quickness, vertical, and overall speed brought to mind the potential makings of an elite player on both sides of the ball. So much so, in fact, that Wiggins was projected to be an immediate plus defender based on his athleticism and overall understanding of the game. While he wasn't the best defender in the league, he showcased his knack on the defensive end fairly well. When isolated against, Wiggins held the opposing player to 39% shooting, allowing 0.79 points per possession on 92 total shots, good enough for placement in the 61st percentile. His defense on the pick and roll was even better, holding his opponent to 36% shooting on 0.7 points per possession on 202 shots. The slender frame of Wiggins gave way to a significant liability on the defensive end, however, as he struggled to fight through screens and effectively stop spot up attempts. As seen in this clip, Wiggins gets caught in the Adams pick, leaving Westbrook to pull up against an iced Dieng. Further strengthening Andrew's lack of strength, when matched up against LeBron, Wiggins is easily pushed away from the ball, allowing LeBron to pull up for whatever god-awful attempt attempt that was. On the other hand, the athleticism Andrew possesses has it's upside. Examining this clip, Wiggins is able to track Afflalo around the back cut and meet him when he gets to his spot. When Afflalo rises up, Wiggins uses his length to contest the shot very well. The effect of Andrew's athleticism is further shown here, as he stays with his man very well and forces him baseline. Both he and Klay know that the shot clock is winding down, but Wiggins is ready to contest the jumper with his long arms and force a poor shot. When posted up, Wiggins allowed a 50% conversion rate, mainly attributed to his lanky frame. Like many young players coming into the league, Andrew could stand to benefit from a summer in the weight room working on his strength. Adding a few pounds of muscle would allow Wiggins to move much more freely on both ends and would help cover up a lot of his weaknesses.

Andrew Wiggins has a great foundation already for a player who can't legally drink yet, and his extensive experience on the floor this past year helped him grow immensely as the season wore on. Even with his weaknesses in mind, Wiggins and the Timberwolves have the potential to take the league by storm within the next few years. Minnesota has been fairly quiet so far this offseason, but the addition of Karl Anthony-Towns practically prophesizes the makings of a potential dynasty headed by budding star Andrew Wiggins. 

Credit: nbadraft.net, ESPN, draftexpress.com, nbasavant.com, nba.com, Getty Images