Shin-Soo Choo was simply awesome in September, and he's really been a completely different player since the all-star break. Up to that point, Choo had basically become a platoon player in right field and was high on the list of worst contracts in Rangers history, right up there with countryman Chan-Ho Park.
But since the break, Choo has been a man possessed and has been exactly the player the Rangers envisioned when they gave him a big $130 million deal before the 2014 season. Injuries and ineffectiveness plagued him, but for the past two and a half months, he's been a beast.
The last month, however, was at a different level for Choo, and on Monday he was rewarded for his month by earning AL Player of the Month honors after putting the Rangers on his back at the plate.
In his September, and few games of October to end the regular season, Choo hit .404 with a .515 on-base percentage to lead the American League in both categories. He also tied for the lead with 42 hits and 26 runs scored in that span.
Thanks to the wonderful research of Gerry Fraley, we learned Choo became the first player since Willie Mays to lead the league or tie for the lead league in September in those four categories.
