ANAHEIM, Calif. — Here’s a sobering thought: Where would the Seattle Mariners, struggling at 10-15, be without Nelson Cruz, who was picked Monday as the American League’s Player of the Month for April?
“Probably 10-15,” manager Lloyd McClendon deadpanned. “We didn’t have him last year, and we were 10-15.”
Which is not true. The Mariners were 11-14 last year through 25 games. And, anyway, McClendon was kidding about Cruz.
“He’s been outstanding,” he said, “and I don’t know where we’d be without him.”
Cruz entered the week leading the majors with 13 home runs, 25 RBI, a .788 slugging percentage, 78 total bases and a 1.175 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage).
Prefer new-wave stats?
Cruz leads the majors with a 1.8 offensive WAR (wins above replacement), a 226 adjusted OPS, 30 runs created, 15 adjusted batting runs and 1.5 adjusted batting wins.
“It’s always important (to get off to a good start with a new team),” Cruz said. “We have a good group of guys here. We’re all fighting for the same goal. This means I did something along the way to help my team.”
Cruz did much of that damage in April: 10 homers, 22 RBI, a .322 average, a .724 slugging percentage and a 1.096 OPS.
Others who received votes: Baltimore outfield Adam Jones, Detroit first baseman Miguel Cabrera, Houston second baseman Jose Altuve, Boston outfield Hanley Ramirez and Los Angeles outfielder Mike Trout.
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez was picked as the National League Player of the Month.
Felix Hernandez was among those who received votes in balloting for AL Pitcher of the Month, but Houston right-hander Dallas Keuchel won the award. Hernandez is a four-time winner in his career.
Cruz is the sixth Mariners to win the monthly award but the first since outfielder Ichiro Suzuki in August 2004.
Designated hitter Edgar Martinez won the award five times. Outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. won it twice, while third baseman Dan Meyer, shortstop Alex Rodriguez and Suzuki each won it once.
Cruz was the AL player of the week for April 13-19 and has won that award on four occasions in his 11-year career. But this is the first selection as the player of the month.
So … was this the best month of his career?
“I guess,” Cruz said, “or I guess nobody did better than me. I hit 16 homers last year in May. That’s a lot of homers for a month.”
Cruz’s memory is also spotty. He hit 13 homers last May for Baltimore — along with 27 RBI and a .339/.388/.748 slash. He got the homers wrong, but those numbers might be better than his April numbers with the Mariners.
Maybe Cruz has more in the tank and point to note: Prior to Monday, he had three homers in his first three May games while going 6-for-12.
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