ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

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 Ma...

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.

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D-backs 3B Jake Lamb comes in 88th on ESPN’s #MLBRank