Cincinnati Reds: Could Eugenio Suárez win the MVP next season?

Cincinnati Reds All-Star third baseman Eugenio Suárez had an outstanding season in 2018. Is Suárez a legitimate MVP candidate in 2019?

Trading to acquire then shortstop, now third baseman Eugenio Suárez is arguably the best deal the Cincinnati Reds front office has made in the last five years; an unexpected delight if you will. Signing him to an extension through the 2024 season last year was just the icing on the cake. Are we looking at next year’s Most Valuable Player in the National League?

Initially when Suárez was traded to Cincinnati in December 2014, he was blocked in his regular position by shortstop Zack Cozart. However, the opportunity to get some more playing time by shifting over to third base presented itself after the Reds traded Todd Frazier to the Chicago White Sox during the 2016 offseason. Since then, Suárez has pretty much been a regular face in the Reds infield.

Last season, Suarez appeared in 143 games and brought in 104 runs last year for the Cincinnati Reds, including his 34 home runs. He had 22 doubles, 2 triples, and ended the year slashing .283/.366/.526 with an .892 OPS.

Suárez is definitely one of, if not the most powerful batters in the Reds lineup. Last year’s numbers would certainly have been even more impressive had he not been hit by a pitch back in April causing him to spend 17 days on the disabled list. Offensively, it’s hard to find anyone better in the Reds lineup.

As a third baseman, Suárez’s numbers are not the best defensively, but they hold up against other prominent third basemen in the National League. His 250 assists and 94 putouts are second only to perennial Gold Glover, Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies. However, Suárez’s overall .948 fielding percentage leaves some room for improvement in the upcoming season.

For example, last season’s NL MVP Christian Yelich was not only unbelievably dominant at the plate, he also sported an overall .989 fielding percentage with some flexibility in his position on the field. Suárez will need his defensive numbers, though not awful, to improve if he hopes to win the NL MVP.

Suárez was recommended by many fans last season as a potential NL MVP candidate. The positive energy and newfound optimism from the fans heading into the 2019 season, combined with the exciting changes to the coaching staff and roster additions, makes me think that those improvements will come for Suárez as well as other players on the Cincinnati Reds roster.

I think if he can make the improvements to his fielding abilities and continue to dominate offensively, winning National League MVP is definitely a possibility for Suárez. It’s a crowded field, however, many other talented players such as Arenado, Yelich will stand in his way. Heck, we don’t even know where Bryce Harper or Manny Machado will play in 2019.

After being traded to the Cincinnati Reds in 2014 Suarez has endeared himself to fans, becoming a favorite of many as well as proving himself to be a talented and committed baseball player.Regardless of whether or not he wins MVP this year, I think it is more than fair to say that we can expect to continue seeing great things from Suárez in 2019.