The Cuban Yuli Gurriel is Houston's most valuable in 2021

May 18, 2021

Yulieski Gurriel is having a dream season when comparing last season's performance with his actions in the first month and a half of the new Major League campaign. So far, according to Wins Above Replacement (WAR), the Cuban is the most valuable player for the Houston Astros in 2021.

After the first 41 games this season, Gurriel is the leading figure in WAR, with 1.5 (15th in all of MLB). The veteran, who will turn 37 years old on June 9, surpasses his teammates Lance McCullers Jr. (1.4), Yordan Álvarez (1.3), and Carlos Correa (1.2). Beyond Yuli's offense, this is also due to his excellent defense at first base.

But, obviously, it is his bat to which the majority of this success should be attributed. Through the end of last Sunday's game, Gurriel has 46 hits, 12 doubles, seven home runs, 31 RBIs, 20 runs scored, 20 walks, only 19 strikeouts, and an offensive line of .322/.400/.552 in 165 total plate appearances. His OPS of .952 supports his superb performance.

The Caribbean native leads the Astros in RBIs (four more than Kyle Tucker's 27), in walks received, and in hits. He is second in doubles, home runs, and OPS, a department in which he is surpassed by his compatriot Álvarez (.974).

Looking at Gurriel's numbers, there is also a notable improvement compared to his numbers at this point in 2020. This takes on even more importance when looking back and remembering that last year marked the worst season of the Pineapple in the Major Leagues. Pure redemption.

In fact, in his first 39 games played in the previous tournament, in which he collapsed in the second month of the shortened regular season, Gurriel began to see his statistics decline. In that number of games, he displayed averages of .274/.323/.473. And while he had 12 doubles and five home runs, he accumulated only 16 RBIs, a quantity considerably lower than the 31 he has so far this year.

Unlike 2020, Gurriel does not stop this time. Far from falling apart in the second month of this campaign, the infielder has 15 RBIs in 14 games, with five doubles, three home runs, and only eight strikeouts in 59 plate appearances.

A very interesting aspect of what could be the season of the Cuban legend is his projections. If he maintains the pace and stays healthy, Yulieski would be on the verge of a historic harvest. At this point, calculations suggest that he could finish the regular season with 28 home runs, 122 runs batted in, 182 total hits, and 47 doubles.

It should be clarified that, for the purposes of Major League parameters, Gurriel is playing this season at 37 years of age (because he turns that age before July 1). And for you to have a reference, no ballplayer of such or greater age has had a season like the one that, according to projections, Gurriel could have.