Chris Archer Has Been Tampa Bay Rays’ MVP So Far In 2015

As of today, the Tampa Bay Rays are 3.5 games back from being a Wild Card team and six games out from first place in the AL East. While it may be a tall task to take over their division with powerhouses such as the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays surging, it’s not impossible for the Rays to sneak into the playoffs. Tampa Bay’s offense hasn’t exactly been the reason for them still hanging around as they’re the fourth-worst team in runs scored this season. They can provide some pop every now and then as evidenced by their rank of 19th in terms of wOBA. However, the main reason why the Rays are still alive is their pitching as they’re ranked fifth in K/9 rate and ninth in ERA. The two main contributors to their pitching success have been Jake Odorizzi and, the obvious team MVP for Tampa Bay, Chris Archer.

After solid campaigns in 2013 and 2014 where he averaged 9.5 wins, a 7.53 K/9 rate and a 3.28 ERA, Archer has reached a new level of pitching success for 2015. He currently leads the Rays’ starting rotation in wins, ERA, K/9 rate and strikeouts. Additionally, he is tops in FIP, xFIP and SIERA out of all their starters. Not only is he the top SP for the Rays, but he is also one of the top pitchers in the AL and all of MLB. Currently, he is ranked fifth in the AL with a 2.62 ERA, second in WHIP with a 1.00, second in strikeouts with 190 and second in K/9 rate with a ridiculous 11.06. This has him as a clear candidate for the AL Cy Young Award along with other stellar SPs such as Dallas Keuchel of the Houston Astros, Sonny Gray of the Oakland Athletics and Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox.

While it’s highly unlikely that Archer will win the AL Cy Young Award due to the way his team has been performing overall, he will most definitely be a finalist for it. Therefore, it’s silly to consider anyone else on Tampa Bay’s roster as their MVP for 2015. Some may put up a small argument for Evan Longoria since he leads the team in BA and runs scored while being tied for first in HRs and RBIs. However, if Longoria’s name is going to be thrown into the argument, then Logan Forsythe should be in that same debate as well.

Ultimately, neither hitter has provided anywhere near the same type of All-Star level impact as Chris Archer. He is the obvious choice as the Rays’ MVP for 2015.

Rojé Smith is a Featured Fantasy Sports Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @RoKnowsDFS, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.