Washington Nationals: Top Five Players of 2016 Season
By Ron Juckett
DANIEL MURPHY
.347 AVG, 25 HR, 104 RBI, 47 2B, 157 OPS+, 4.6 WAR
In what may go down as one of the biggest free agent heists of all time, Daniel Murphy made the move from Queens to Washington and stole the show.
With a second place finish for the batting crown and a league best 47 doubles, Murphy quickly became a fan favorite. What he did to his old club, the Mets, defies description.
In the 19 games between the two rivals, Murphy had a base hit in every one of them. He owned them to the point the editors of Wikipedia had to lock the Mets team page. Night after night, he pounded them, hitting .413. It was not the average or the six doubles and seven homers that drove Mets fans batty; it was those 21 RBI. No one loved frustrating the Mets more.
The move from pitching-friendly Citi Field to the more neutral Nationals Park increased his power numbers across the board. Aside from his career-high 47 doubles, Murphy slapped five triples and 25 homers leading to 104 RBI. Not one to strike out often, only 57 in 142 games, he led the league in slugging percentage at .595 and a whopping .985.
Although Chicago Cubs slugger Kris Bryant will probably win the NL MVP, Murphy’s 2016 is worthy of a few votes.