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by Jacoby Nolnaho

Clayton Kershaw

Clayton Kershaw is one of the most dominant pitchers of his era. If he is not leading in one pitching category, then he is leading another. We will now break down the legacy of Clayton Edward Kershaw.

Clayton Kershaw is a star pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1988. Clayton was drafted by the Dodgers in the first round of the 2006 first year player draft. He wears number 22 and stands at an intimidating 6 foot 3 inches and weighing in at 225 pounds. Kershaw has piled up tons of awards and accomplishments in his career. In 2010, Kershaw began giving signs that he was going to be something special. In 204.1 innings, he was able to strike out 212 batters and post a 2.91 earned run average. 2011 was the start of the Kershaw dynasty. In 2011, Clayton Kershaw picked up his first Cy Young award. In 233.1 innings of work, Kershaw struck out a league leading 248 hitters and tied the league lead for wins with 21. He also posted an amazing 2.28 ERA. He carried his success into the 2012 season. 2012 saw Kershaw strike out 229 and a 2.53 ERA.  2013 and 2014 were Kershaw’s best seasons. He won the Cy Young award in both seasons. In 2013, he posted a 1.83 ERA and in 2014, he posted a league leading 1.77. In 2014, Kershaw won the National League Most Valuable Player award because he won 21 games, pitched a no-hitter, and struck out 239 batters in 198.1 innings of work.  In 2015, Kershaw’s bar was set extremely high. He had to fight for his fame due to the dominance of Jake Arrieta and teammate Zack Greinke. Kershaw did just that. He struck out 301 batters in 232.2 while posting a 2.13 ERA. He finished third in the Cy Young voting.

In Kershaw short career, he has been awarded a multitude of honors. From 2011 to 2014, he led the league in ERA. He has won three Cy Young awards, been on the All Star team from 2011-2015, won the Gold Glove award in 2011, and was declared the National Most Valuable Player in 2014. As one can see, Clayton Kershaw is one of the best players in Major League Baseball.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Bryce Harper

Bryce Harper has shown signs of stardom in his brief career. He went from being an aggressive teenager to a mature 20 year old. In this article one will know everything about Bryce Harper.

Bryce Harper appeared on Sports Illustrated for the first time in 2009, at the age of 16. Critics and writers knew he was going to be something special when he hit a 570 foot home run. The Washington Nationals took no hesitation and drafted Bryce in the first round of the 2010 draft. Two years later, he finally made his long awaited debut at the age of 19. His 2012 season was solid. In 139 games, the rookie hit 22 home runs, drove in 59 RBIs, scored 98 runs, and stole 18 bases. He would claim a trip to the All-Star Game and the National League Rookie of the Year.

Bryce followed his 2012 rookie campaign with another great season. In 118 games, Bryce slugged 20 home runs and stole 11 bases. He would be named to his second All Star Game and even was asked to participate in the Home Run Derby at Citi Field, too. Injuries slowed Harper down in 2014, but he stepped it up in 2015. 2015 was by far his best season in his career. He had career highs in games, home runs, RBIs, runs, doubles, batting average, slugging percentage, Wins Above Replacement (WAR), walks, and hits. He tied the National League lead in home runs with 42 and singly led the league in WAR with 9.9. Bryce would be named to the All Star Game for the third time in his career and picked up the National League Most Valuable Player award. He surpassed Mike Trout to become the youngest unanimous MVP recipient. In Harper’s young career, he has taken home a plethora of hardware. In conclusion, Bryce Harper is one of the best players in Major League Baseball.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Nolan Arenado

Nolan Arenado has emerged as one of baseball great superstars. Evolving from a defensive wizard to an all-around beast, Arenado has etched his name in stone. In this article one will get to know the ins and outs of Nolan Arenado.

Nolan Arenado is a superstar for the Colorado Rockies. He was born in Newport Beach, California. His parents named his after the legendary Nolan Ryan. Despite the origin of his name, Arenado has made himself famous not by pitching. Standing at a solid 6-2 and weighing in at 205 pounds, Nolan moves around the infield with ease. He is famous for charging infield hits with his bare hand and throwing out the runner. His signature move was when he slid off the tarp at AT&T Park to make an unbelievable catch. All these defensive accomplishments have led him to three Gold Glove awards in his first three seasons.

While having all this success on defense, Nolan’s offense has drastically improved. Playing at the hitter friendly Coors field has helped enhance his numbers. In his rookie season in 2013, he hit 10 home runs. 2014 saw 18 home runs. 2015 was different. He slugged 42 home runs to tie the league lead. He also led the league in RBIs with 130. On top of that, Arenado also piled up 43 doubles with a .287 batting average. All these numbers ended up leading to an outstanding .575 slugging percentage, a trip to the All-Star Game, and his first Silver Slugger award.

Nolan Arenado’s 2016 season has been great. Through his first 69 games, Nolan has crushed 21 home runs, hit 14 doubles, and driven in 60 RBIs while also playing stellar defense. As one can see, Nolan Arenado is one of baseball’s young sensations.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

The 2014 Most Valuable Players

Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw are both some of the best players in baseball today. It was no surprise when both of them won the MVP award in their league. Mike Trout has always been an MVP candidate but Miguel Cabrera stole it from him. Clayton Kershaw was the usual Cy Young award winner but has never been in a MVP show. Both of these players had lots of obstacles to go through. Clayton Kershaw had to beat out Giancarlo Stanton and Andrew McCutchen while Mike Trout had to go in front of Michael Brantley and Victor Martinez. Mike Trout hit 36 home runs and drove in a league leading 111 RBIs. He also scored 115 runs leading all of MLB. Mike has also won the all-star MVP award, too. Mike Trout was not as aggressive of the base paths like he used to be only stealing 16 bases. Clayton Kershaw had a great record of 21-3 with 239 strikeouts. Clayton Kershaw also posted a 1.77 ERA. That is really good. Mike Trout was also a very good defender in 2014. Since Clayton Kershaw is a pitcher, he doesn’t get to make great plays like Mike Trout does. Clayton Kershaw really did dominate everybody he saw.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

2015: Blue Jays Power

Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, and Edwin Encarnacion are part of the most feared line up in baseball. The power hitting group hit a combined 121 home runs thanks in part to Josh Donaldson who led the group with 41 home runs. Josh Donaldson would lead the American League in RBIs and runs. As you can see, Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, and Edwin Encarnacion are some of the greatest sluggers in baseball today.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Mike Trout or Mickey Mantle

Proclaimed on of the best players in their era, Mike Trout and Mickey Mantle have amazing stats in their first five seasons. Mike Trout hit more home runs, hit more doubles, and steal more bases than the ”Mick,” but Mickey drove in more RBIs, scored more runs, struck out less than Mike, and walked more. Mickey Mantle may have those great statistics but Mike Trout has more awards. He won the American League Rookie of the Year in 2012, an MVP award in 2014, and two All-Star game MVP awards in 2014 and 2015. Mike Trout was also the youngest player to hit for the cycle. One stat that Mickey Mantle and Mike Trout both share is that they have both been voted in to four All-Star games. Thanks in part to their WAR. Mike Trout’s WAR is an amazing 37.8 while Mickey Mantle’s WAR is 28.5. As you can see, Mickey Mantle and Mike Trout are both the greatest players of their era but I guess we will never find out who is better in their first five seasons.