41-50


Robinson Cano
Cano endured a slow start to 2015, but after bottoming out with a .598 OPS on June 6 he hit .313/.364/.515 the rest of the way. Vintage Cano, in other words. His decline phase is surely not far off, but for 2016 Cano figures to produce and be durable once again.



Brandon Crawford
Crawford's an excellent defensive shortstop, here's how his seasonal OPS+ figures have progressed over the years: 67, 86, 93, 104, 114. That's a clear trajectory, and thanks to said clear trajectory Crawford's become one of the best hitting shortstops in the NL.







Brian McCann
McCann's established himself as a skilled handler of pitchers and pitch-framer, and he's also pretty durable by the standards of the catcher position. He also boasts power, as he's hit at least 20 homers in nine of his 10 full seasons in the majors.




Chris Davis
Last season, Davis reestablished himself as one of the premier power hitters in the game today. He hit 47 homers in 2015, and he's just two seasons removed from a 2013 campaign that saw him rack up 96 extra-base hits.




Jose Altuve
45. Houston Astros | 2B
Not that you thought otherwise, but Altuve is far more than a diminutive novelty act. He able mans a key position, adds tremendous value on the bases, and has batted .327/.365/.456 over the last two seasons. What a ballplayer.




Jonathan Lucroy
He's one of the best pitch-framers in baseball, and after he got healthy last season he hit in line with recent career norms. Speaking of recent career norms, Lucroy from 2012-14 batted .297/.359/.472 with a 53-double season in 2014.




Felix Hernandez
He's not even quite 30, and he's already racked up 2,262 1/3 career innings. Is that workload taking a toll? King Felix saw some soft decline last year, while still managing to be quite effective overall. For now, he earns the benefit of the doubt, especially as a pitcher who's coped so well with velocity loss over the years.



Anthony Rendon
We know what Rendon can do when healthy -- he can do what he did in 2014, when he, with good cause, finished fifth in the NL MVP balloting and won a Silver Slugger. Last season, injuries sapped his production. In 2016, however, he'll be back at his preferred position of third base and healthy to start the season.



Adam Wainwright
Wainwright's 34 and coming off an injury that cost him almost all of the 2015 season. However, it wasn't an arm injury, and Waino's skills seem to be still intact. Expect a sub-.300 ERA, 200-plus innings, lots of ground balls, and few walks. Again.




Gerrit Cole
Cole's long had the stuff and scouting reports of an ace, but the results never quite followed. Until last season, that is. In 2015, Cole worked 208 innings, pitched to an ERA of 2.60, and struck out 202 batters against just 43 unintentional walks. Given the underlying skills, that may be his new normal.
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