Cleveland Indians 2016 Midseason Awards

Cleveland Indians 2016 Midseason Awards

What a first half it’s been for the Cleveland Indians, who currently have a 52-36 record and are six and a half games up on the Detroit Tigers  in the American League Central. Not bad. Not bad at all.

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The Indians have played good all around baseball this year, so they have plenty of players who are deserving of not only team awards but maybe even some MLB-wide awards. Let’s get into it.

1st Half Most Valuable Player: Francisco Lindor

Francisco Lindor has been a key cog for the Indians since they called him up to the majors a little over a year ago, as he put up big numbers in 2015 en route to him finishing 2nd in American League rookie of the year voting. But many predicted Lindor to go through a sophomore slump this year, as pitchers would have a full off-season to adjust to the young phenom. They were wrong.

Lindor has been an absolute monster this year, as he has a .823 OPS to go along with 10 home runs, 45 runs batted in, and 10 steals. He’s also still a human highlight reel on defense. This slick fielding combined with his production led Lindor to be named to his first (but definitely not last) All-Star game. Lindor has been a big reason for the Indians success this year, leading him to be my midseason Indians MVP.

Honorable mentions: Rajai Davis, Danny Salazar, Jason Kipnis, Corey Kluber, Jose Ramirez 

Next: 1st Half Cy Young & Least Valuable Player