The New York Mets managed to make a deep run into the post season, led by a rotation that was the envy of all Major League teams. Daniel Murphy became a post season hero, hitting home run after home run, crushing all National League opposition in his path. The storybook season would come to an end in the Fall Classic, as the reigning American League champion Royals came back and finished business in 2015.
1.) Jake Arrieta, Chicago Cubs: 1.77 ERA and 22 Wins
While not necessarily a “one hit wonder” Arrieta would never quite recreate his Cy Young magic from 2015. Leading the Cubs to a playoff appearance, where they would eventually run into the white-hot Mets, Arrieta proved to be the Ace that the Cubs desperately needed. His ERA was microscopic (still not enough to beat out Greinke’s 1.66 for the Dodgers) and finished third in innings pitched with 229. His impressive numbers were enough to see him win the Cy Young, and he would be a part of the World Series winning Cubbies a year later to end yet another, long overdue curse.
2.) St. Louis Cardinals (100-62), Pittsburgh Pirates (98-64) and Chicago Cubs (97-65): Top Three Records in Baseball (All in the National League Central)
Now this is an interesting one. It is not often that the top two teams in baseball play in the same division, but the top three? It is nearly impossible. The existence of the Wild Card made winning the division seemingly that much more important, as two teams with 97+ wins would have to duke it out in a one game playoff. It would eventually all be for nothing, as the Cubs would beat the Pirates, who would go on to take down St. Louis. The Cubs would then get swept by the New York Mets.
3.) Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals: 42 Home Runs and .330 Batting Average
Harper took his first steps into superstardom in 2015, and showed everyone that he was that guy that the baseball world knew he could be. In what would be his best season in Washington D.C., Harper became a real issue for National League pitching staffs, finishing top-2 in the NL in batting average and home runs. Bryce managed to lead all of baseball in On Base Percentage and Slugging Percentage, all at age-22.
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