Mitch Moreland was making a pretty solid case as the Rangers' MVP through the first four months of the season in 2015.
Moreland put up career numbers basically all the way around and definitely put together his best all-around season in 2015, as he finished the year tied for the team lead in homers and second in RBIs while batting a career-high .278 and playing first base at a Gold Glove level.
But his final two months left a lot to be desired as he hit .251 with a .309 OBP and .716 OPS from August 1 to the end of the season, including the ALDS against Toronto.
Now, we have a good idea why. Turns out, Moreland was playing with a stress fracture in his foot he told the Dallas Morning News was likely brought on by his reconstructive ankle surgery in 2014 that literally changed the way he stood, beared weight, everything.
"I got to play ball, so that was all that mattered," Moreland said. "It might have cost me a step or two on the bases, but I was never really known for my speed. I got to the base I needed to get to."
Moreland agreed to a $5.7 million contract for 2016 just hours before he was set to go to an arbitration hearing with the Rangers a couple of weeks ago, and now the team hopes he can give them one more big year before he hits free agency next winter.
