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Each week I select someone as the Cleveland Indians' top player of the previous week. Then, because this is a dictatorship, but not a totalitarian one, I let you all have your say as well. Some weeks it's a no-brainer, while other weeks there are multiple guys with a strong case. (Occasionally there are weeks when no one has a strong case.)
Previous winners:
- April 6-12: Carlos Santana (my choice, and by a single vote, winner of the voting)
- April 13-19: Corey Kluber
- April 20-26: Brandon Moss (my choice), Michael Brantley (reader vote)
- April 27-May 3: Jason Kipnis (with 91% of the vote)
- May 4-10: Danny Salazar (my choice), Jason Kipnis (reader vote)
- May 11-17: Corey Kluber (my choice, and by a single vote, winner of the voting)
- May 18-24: Corey Kluber
- May 25-31: Jason Kipnis
- June 1-7: Brandon Moss
- June 8-14: Shaun Marcum
- June 15-22: Jason Kipnis
- June 23-29: Roberto Perez
- June 30-July 5: Carlos Carrasco (my choice), Cody Anderson (reader vote)
- July 6-12: Carlos Santana
- July 13-19: Michael Brantley
- July 20-26: Michael Brantley
- July 27-August 3: Lonnie Chisenhall
- August 4-10: Michael Brantley (my choice), Abraham Almonte (reader vote)
- August 11-17: Francisco Lindor
Lindor was a really easy choice last time; this time around is much more challenging. It's one of those weeks where one guy has the best rate stats, but less playing time than others, and multiple players did well enough to have been an easy winner in some weeks.
The Candidates
Michael Brantley
Brantley hit .367/.387/.567 in 31 plate appearances last week, with a wRC+ of 168. He had four multi-hit games on the week, with 3 doubles and a home run among his count. (He leads MLB with 38 doubles right now.) He scored 4 runs, had 5 RBI, and stole a base too. He had 3 hits on Wednesday in Boston, his fourth game this month with that many.
Carlos Carrasco
Carrasco started Friday night's game against the Yankees, and went 6.2 innings, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits and 1 walk, with 11 strikeouts. It was his third time this season reaching double figures for Ks. VERY FUN FACT: There are only nine pitchers who have at least 3 games like that in the American League this season, and four of them are on the Indians.
Lonnie Chisenhall
Lonnie started 5 games last week, hitting safely in all five of them, with a batting line of .500/.588/.929 in 17 PA, and a wRC+ of 315. He had 3 doubles and a home run, he scored 3 runs and had 5 RBI, and he looked good in right field again. His biggest game was Monday's, when he put the Tribe ahead in the 4th inning with a two-run double and then homered in the 6th.
Francisco Lindor
Lindor has been the team's best player during the last two months, and had another great week, batting .345/.367/.586 in 31 PA, with a wRC+ of 167. It was a relatively quiet week at the plate for Lindor, until the weekend rolled around. He had 3 hits on Saturday, including a double and a home run, and then had 3 more hits on Sunday, including another home run.
The Verdict
Not an easy decision. Brantley and Lindor's numbers were really close, but well behind Chisenhall's. Lonnie had 14 fewer plate appearances though, which is significant though. If you add 14 PA to his line though, and even just given him three singles in those appearances, his rate stats would still beat out what the other two did for the week. (Plus, while Lindor usually gets a bump for his plus defense at shortstop, he made a couple bad plays last week, which is okay, but out to count for something here.)
Congratulations, Lonnie!