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The first month of the MLB season is officially in the books.
That means we have our first 2023 monthly awards that recognize excellent performance.
In the American League, Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Matt Chapman took the AL Player of the Month honors.
After switching from a pronounced leg-kick to a more subtle toe-tap as a timing mechanism in the offseason, Chapman has taken his game to another level.
He has explained that he can now use the whole field instead of a pull-happy approach.
The results have been magnificent.
He has hit .384 with an incredible 15 doubles, five homers, and 21 RBI.
His OPS is an astronomical 1.152.
Matt Chapman: .384 AVG, 1.152 OPS, 15 2B, 5 HR, 21 RBI
Ronald Acuña Jr.: .352 AVG, .986 OPS, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 13 SBYour @Chevrolet AL and NL Players of the Month! pic.twitter.com/KBQTiOrsMv
— MLB (@MLB) May 3, 2023
In the National League, Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. has been arguably the best player in the first month.
With a .352 average, a .986 OPS, four blasts, 14 RBI, and 13 stolen bases, he dominated the competition in April and is already wreaking havoc in May.
Chapman with 2.0 and Acuna with 1.9 lead MLB in Wins Above Replacement, or WAR.
That makes them the two best and most valuable players in the first month of the 2023 campaign.
The best thing of all is that both have staying power and both play on contenders.
The Braves currently lead the NL East division with a 20-10 record, while the Jays are 18-12 and playing some of their best baseball of the season.
Both squads should be able to qualify for the playoffs barring any surprises.
Once there, Chapman and Acuna will both try to win World Series rings.
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Cardinals Fan Criticizes Manager For Postgame Comments
