Four combinations that meet in the middle
Devon Travis and Troy Tulowitzki have quickly become one of Major League Baseball’s most formidable middle-infield combinations. Here’s a look at a few of the game’s other top pairings:
Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa,
Houston: Altuve, the frontrunner for this year’s American League MVP award, and Correa, last year’s rookie of the year, are the position-player cornerstones behind the Astros’ turnaround from 100-loss laughingstocks to playoff contenders.
Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor,
Cleveland: Kipnis, one of the league’s most underrated players, is en route to another 5-WAR season, while Lindor, like Correa, is proving himself to be among the game’s top shortstops in just his second season in the big leagues.
Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts, Boston: Like Tulo and Travis,
Pedroia and Bogaerts combine a proven veteran with an up-andcoming youngster. They both rank among the top hitters at their positions, but Bogaerts’ suspect defence at short drags down their overall value.
Chase Utley and Corey Seager, Los
Angeles Dodgers: Utley, at 37, is not the player he once was, but Seager, who is 15 years his junior, is not only the prohibitive favourite to win the National League rookie of the year award, he is a legitimate MVP candidate.