D-backs 3B Jake Lamb comes in 88th on ESPN’s #MLBRank
Jun 27, 2017, 6:48 AM
Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Jake Lamb throws to first to get out San Diego Padres' Manuel Margot on a ground ball during the first inning of a baseball game in San Diego, Sunday, May 21, 2017. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
(AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
The first half of 2016 put Jake Lamb on the map.
Now he’s trying to establish himself as another young MLB star.
His 2017 season is off to a good start as well and he was slashing .280/.379/.546 heading into the Monday game against the Philadelphia Phillies. All would easily be career bests for the 26-year-old, who is garnering more and more attention this year batting behind Paul Goldschmidt in the order during the latter’s MVP-worthy season.
ESPN’s panel of 65 baseball writers, reporters and insiders have taken notice of Lamb’s steady rise.
Lamb ranks 88th in the group’s #MLBRank project, which on Monday released the names of players 81 through 100.
ESPN Stats & Info’s Zach Mariner threw out this eye-popping stat that appropriately shows Lamb’s impact at his age.
In a game dominated by young superstars, Jake Lamb is underrated. In 2016, his 29 home runs were tied with Mike Trout for the seventh-most among players age 25 or younger.
Despite his hot start to 2016, Lamb wasn’t ranked in last year’s #MLBRank.
Nearly halfway through the season, Lamb is on pace to set career highs in home runs — he has 19 already — RBI, hits and runs scored.
