Chicago White Sox: 3 players that can dethrone Ohtani as MVP

Eloy Jimenez

Eloy Jimenez of the Chicago White Sox has a good enough bat to be the MVP.

In today’s MLB, home runs are the name of the game as a hitter. If you look at the top three in the MVP voting this year (Shohei Ohtani, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Marcus Semien) all of them hit 45 home runs or more.

Nobody on the Chicago White Sox has more raw power than Eloy Jimenez. In his rookie season, he hit 31 home runs and finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting. That total could have been higher but he missed 40 games due to injury. In 2020 he hit 14 home runs in 55 games and took home a Silver Slugger Award. Jimenez was primed for a breakout year in 2021.

Hitting coach Frank Menechino even went as far as to say Jimenez could compete for a batting title. Unfortunately, bad defense cost him most of the 2021 campaign as he injured himself in spring training trying to rob a home run.

Injuries have been a concern with Jimenez. If he can stay on the field for a full major league season, he can put up some absurd power numbers. Pitchers won’t be able to pitch around him either because he is surrounded by players like Jose Abreu, Yoan Moncada, Luis Robert, and Yasmani Grandal. If Jimenez can stay on the field and play sufficient defense in left field, there is no reason why he couldn’t be in the MVP race. He is only 24 years old and is yet to enter his prime.