The 2016 MLB regular season is over, and with it came plenty of surprises. While some players had career-worst seasons, others succeeded in unexpected ways — whether transitioning from benchwarmer to a regular, a regular to All-Star, or back-end starter to a Cy Young candidate.
Here is The Comeback’s All-Surprise team for the 2016 MLB season.
Catcher: Cameron Rupp, Philadelphia Phillies
Gary Sanchez deserves credit for his special rookie season with the Yankees, but Rupp’s success came from nowhere. The 28-year-old entered 2016 with 100 career games and just nine home runs. In the minors, Rupp showed a little power, but not much else. With the Phillies this season, he bumped Carlos Ruiz as the starter and had a fine season, hitting 16 home runs, 54 RBI, and a .252 average. While Rupp needs to improve defensively and get on base at a better clip (.303), he gave a young Phillies lineup with stability where they sorely needed it.
First Base: Wil Myers, San Diego Padres
Entering 2016 with just 24 starts at first, Myers made the successful transition from the outfield to infield, reviving his once-promising career. Myers was a catalyst for a limpdick San Diego offense, hitting 28 home runs with 94 RBI, a .259 batting average and a .336 OBP. Perhaps most impressively, Myers stole 28 bases — more than his entire career total — just missing out on a 30/30 season.
He did struggle in the second half with just nine home runs and a .210 batting average, but his outstanding first-half contributions earned him his first All-Star appearance. Defensively, Myers’ athleticism served him well at his new position. Still just 25, Myers unexpectedly reestablished himself as a premiere player in the league.
Second Base: Daniel Murphy, Washington Nationals
It was a toss-up between Murphy and Colorado Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu, but Murphy’s MVP-esque performance squeaked past the 2016 batting champ. I’ll be frank; I thought the three-year, $37.5 million deal handed out to Murphy by the Nationals this offseason was insane. Coming off an absurd playoff performance with the Mets, I believed there was no way he could live up to the deal. I don’t think I’ve ever been more wrong.
Murphy was incredible in Washington, hitting 25 home runs, an NL-high 47 doubles, 104 RBI, a .347 batting average and a .390 OBP. If LeMahieu wasn’t playing in Colorado, Murphy would be your likely batting champ. He had an outstanding season.
Third Base: Eduardo Nunez, San Francisco Giants
Picking Nunez here is sort of cheating, as only 81 of his 141 starts came at the hot corner this season. But Nunez was terrific enough to justify the placement. Nunez has gone hot-and-cold throughout his career, mostly slotting in as a perfectly reasonable bench option.
In 2016, he changed his career trajectory. Split between Minnesota and San Francisco, Nunez hit a career-high 16 home runs (he previously never hit more than five in a season), 67 RBI, 40 stolen bases and a .288 average with a .325 OBP — earning his first All-Star apperance. His numbers did dip when while with the Giants, but nobody would have predicted Nunez of all people, at 29 years old, to hit 15 home runs and steal 40 bases in a single season.
Shortstop: Jonathan Villar, Milwaukee Brewers
Villar, once a top prospect with the Houston Astros, hadn’t found his footing in the big leagues, but a trade to Milwaukee revived his career. Still just 25 years old, Villar appeared in 156 games for the Brewers, scoring 92 runs, 19 home runs, 63 RBI, and a league-leading 62 stolen bases to go with a .285 average and .369 OBP. Those are elite numbers for a remarkably still-growing player. His defense still needs some work, but the offensive production is promising. Milwaukee acquired a core piece on the cheap.
Left Field: Adam Duvall / Khris Davis, Cincinnati Reds / Oakland Athletics
I couldn’t pick between these two low-batting average, high-power left fielders because both posted surprisingly similar seasons at 28 years old. Davis excelled in his first season with Oakland, smashing 42 home runs with a .247 batting average. Duvall, meanwhile, in his first full season, smashed 33 home runs to a .241 average. Neither player is going to provide much else besides power (Duvall is solid, Davis is OK defensively) and it’s hard to say how sustainable Duvall’s totals are. But considering all the dingers they hit, both contributed way more than expected.
Right Field: Mark Trumbo, Baltimore Orioles
Do you want to haunt Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto forever? Just whisper “Trumbo and Reifenhauser for Steve Clevenger.” Dipoto couldn’t have predicted how good Trumbo would be following back-to-back subpar seasons, but Baltimore made out like bandits in the acquisition. Trumbo hit a league-high 47 home runs in 2016. Sure, he’s a mediocre defensive option in right field and strikes out way too much, but you’ll take those flaws with that kind of power. At 30 years old, Trumbo is set to make serious bank on the open market.
Center Field: Ian Desmond, Texas Rangers
Desmond entered 2016 without ever playing in center field and finished the season starting 130 games for the Rangers at the position. On a one-year, $8 million flier, the 31-year-old defied all expectations placed on him, finishing with 22 home runs, 86 RBI, 21 stolen bases, a .285 batting average and a .335 OBP in 156 games for Texas. He was also good defensively. The contract turned out to be a huge bargain for Texas and Desmond, like Trumbo, can hit the open market to cash in on a big deal from his career resurrection.
Designated Hitter: Pedro Alvarez, Baltimore Orioles
I’m reaching with Alvarez, as his numbers weren’t great. In 109 games. he hit 22 home runs, hit a near career-high with his batting average at .249 and sported a .322 OBP. With so little surprises at the position, Alvarez adapting to his new role to some success gets the nod.
Starting Pitcher: Kyle Hendricks, Chicago Cubs
Raise your hand if you predicted Kyle Hendricks would have a better season than Jake Arrieta and be a legitimate Cy Young Award contender. Nobody? Hendricks’ season was a shock, as the Cubs got richer in the starting pitching department. The 26-year-old was lights out throughout the season, winning 16 games, posting an immaculate 2.13 ERA and an absurd .979 WHIP.
Hendricks was more Greg Maddux than Randy Johnson, but the right-hander was dominant throughout the season. On a staff including Arrieta, Lester, John Lackey and Jason Hammel, Hendricks might be the last guy I would have picked entering this season.
Closer: Seung Hwan Oh, St. Louis Cardinals
Baltimore Orioles closer Zach Britton might be the sexy choice here, but the South Korean right-hander, 34, had the most surprising season from a closer. After Trevor Rosenthal imploded/got hurt, Oh stepped up big time for St. Louis, accumulating 19 saves with a 0.92 ERA WHIP and a 1.92 ERA. He pitched 79.2 innings for the Cardinals, occasionally being stretched out for multiple innings.
Oh was huge for St. Louis in a constantly changing bullpen and might have the inside track for the closer role in 2017. Not bad for a dude in his mid-30s and first MLB season.
