Nationals’ Daniel Murphy nominated for Heart and Hustle Award

Daniel Murphy had a pretty stellar 2016 season. The second baseman hit .347 with 104 RBI and 25 home runs, which should put him right in the middle of the NL MVP conversation alongside Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs.

Murphy, although a good defender, prides himself on his hitting — well, at least Nationals Manager Dusty Baker does.

“He knows when he’s supposed to keep it off the ground. He knows when he’s supposed to make contact,” Baker said during this year’s NLDS.

“He also knows when he should go for the bunt, go for the homer. He has a great idea on how to play and how to hit.”

Fittingly, for a player with the middle name “Hits”, Daniel Murphy is the Nats’ nominee for the Heart and Hustle Award, which is given to a current player that both excels on the field and “best embodies the values, spirits, and traditions of baseball.”

(As far as we’re concerned, hits are a very valuable tradition in baseball.)

If you want to vote for Murphy, you can go to https://secure.mlb.com/mlb/fan_forum/heartandhustle/index.jsp.