Blue Jays' Josh Donaldson: Starts 2016 where he left off in 2015

The reigning AL MVP enters the 2016 All-Star Game with a .304 average, 23 home runs, 63 RBI, 80 runs and a 1.017 OPS through 336 first-half at-bats.

Analysis:

The third baseman ranks among the best in baseball in practically every offensive category and is very much in the hunt for winning a second consecutive AL MVP award. If you thought it wasn't possible for Donaldson to get much better than he was a season ago, well, think again. He's improved his plate discipline to elite levels, walking at a career-high rate of 15.3 percent while striking out only 16.8 percent of the time, compared to 18.7 percent last year. Donaldson's 80-percent contact rate is up a tick from 2015, and his .294 ISO destroys last season's career-high mark of .271. The 30-year-old is on pace to mash 40-plus home runs, notch 100-plus RBI and score 140-plus runs in 2016.