Who Are the Top Candidates to Hit .400 in MLB’s Shortened 2020 Season? | Bleacher Report
The shortened season in 2020 is the ultimate opportunity for players to have a crack at the seemingly impossible .400 batting average for the season. Bleacher Report went ahead and ranked the top candidates for reaching this milestone and the Rockies very own Nolan Arenado made the cut, coming in at number ten. Not too surprising, right?
After last season in which Nolan hit .340 through June 5 (the 60 game mark for the club) and a career high .315 for the season, he looks to have as good a chance as any player on the Rockies. As always, he will be benefited by the expansive outfield Coors has to offer. If he can bring his road abilities up to the level he hits in the Mile High City, Nolan just might have a shot at .400.
The spots ahead of Arenado on the list include Mike Trout (obviously) at number seven, former Rockie DJ Lemahieu at number four, and division rival Cody Bellinger at the top. If he’s going to be the one to do it, I’m going to request he save his hits for games against opponents other than the Rockies.
If you had to guess which Rockies player had the best chance to win MVP honors in the NL this year, Nolan Arenado would be the obvious pick. Trevor Story wouldn’t be far behind with his excellent abilities both on offense and defense. If you had to pick a third, the odds are you would go with Charlie Blackmon (assuming no residual COVID effects.) One Rockies player outside these three, however, has his sights set on the trophy...Raimel Tapia.
Tapia’s goal for 2020? ‘Win MVP’ | Rockies.com
“During the break, I was training and getting myself strong. I think that’s a good goal to have for myself.”
Tapia, always one of the most exciting players on this Rockies team, consistently put up monster numbers in the minors between 2016-2018, with the occasional stint in the majors leading to more middling stats. In 2019, he spent the entire year with the big club putting together a .275 average to go along with nine home runs. With Ian Desmond opting out of the season and a DH added to the National League, Tapia will have the chance to play every day, something he hopes will translate to a breakout year. If last season’s second half is any indication, when Tapia hit .290 including a .304 average in July and .351 in August, his goal may not be as out of the question as it might seem at first glance.
With Tapia as a surprise contender for NL MVP and Nolan hitting .400, the 2020 Rockies would be in a lovely place for securing an NL West division title.
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