In no particular order, these are the five guys I picked as the best of the best for all non-pitchers in the American League. If you agree or disagree state your case.
2B- Robinson Cano, New York Yankees- First off let me say I hate the Yankees, passionately hate them, so I feel a little guilty putting a Yankee on this list but the fact is Cano is too good to be left off. Last fall the Yankees played my beloved Texas Rangers for the American League championship, and as a Rangers fan only one of the Yankee very well-paid superstars scared me every time he walked to the plate. As you may have guessed that player was Cano, not A-Rod, not Jeter, and not even Teixeira. Even when he hits a routine fly ball or fouls off a pitch it looks like he crushes it, he just nails the ball when he makes contact. For his career Cano has hit .307, and this year is hitting a solid .295 with 18 home runs and 75 runs batted in. In addition, he fields his position extremely well as proved by the gold glove he won last year. The best overall 2nd baseman in the game and best Yankee player.
· Feel free to leave comments on punishments I could do to myself for putting a Yankee on this list.
1B- Adrian Gonzales, Boston Red Sox- Having the best season in major league baseball for a position player hitting .350 with 18 homers and a staggering 92 RBI’s in his first year with decent players around him in the line-up. Has two gold glove to pad his resume and plays superb defense year after year. Before this year he played in San Diego which is known for being a tough place for hitter but he was still able to post stellar stats including hitting .298 with 31 homers and 101 RBI’s in 2010. Always underrated in San Diego he’s finally getting the recognition he deserves in Boston and is an MVP candidate this year.
OF- Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays- His rise is well-documented, he came out of nowhere last year and hit 54 home runs and 124 RBI’s. He’s continued his dominace this year with a line that reads .315, 33 HR’s, 76 RBI’s. That’s 87 home runs in a little over a season in the last season and a half, the next closest to that number over the same span is Albert Pujols who has 69, which isn’t even close. What makes Bautista’s success even more incredible is that he’s in a Toronto line-up that doesn’t exactly scare you as an opposing pitcher, so they can key in on him, and he’s still putting up monster stats. In addition, Bautista brings defensive flexibility, as he has played right field and 3rd base this year and has played other postitions in the past as well.
OF- Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers- My favorite player on my favorite team may be the most complete player in baseball. Plays gold glove caliber defense, possesses a rocket arm, hits for power and for average, and he’s freakishly fast for a man who is 6-4, 240lbs. The distance he can hit a ball is absurd, he demonstrated his unmatched strength and power in the 2008 home run derby. As you most likely know drug and alcohol problems derailed his career earlier in the decade, otherwise he may have become the best baseball player ever. Last year he hit an incredible .359 with 32 HR’s and 100 RBI’s in his injury shortended MVP season. But his most incredible play was perhaps when he scored from 2nd base on an infield hit against Boston. Hamilton is one of the most feared hitters by opposing pitchers and perhaps the most complete player in baseball.
· Hamilton and Ken Griffey Jr. lead the list in the what if category, could be the two best in history if not for health/personal problems.
DH/3B/2B-Michael Young, Texas Rangers- Am I biased? Certainly. Are there probably players more deserving of this spot? Maybe so, but Michael Young has quietly been one of the best hitters in baseball for the last decade. He was able to accumulate 200 hits for five straight seasons earlier in his career. His average for his career is over .300 including .334 so far this season. If there is runners on base, no one is more reliable then Young who is consistently among the lead leaders in average with runners in scoring position. He’s is one of the most clutch hitters in baseball and has several walk-off/game tying hits to his resume. On Sunday he became the first Texas player ever to reach 2000 career hits. Also, he’s a great teammate who has willingly switched positions three times for the betterment of the team, he even won a gold glove in 2008. Michael Young will be a great hitter I’ll gladly take in any clutch situation until the day he retires.
Honorable Mention:
· David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox- beloved in Boston because of his seemingly endless supply of clutch hits.
· Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers- one of the best pure hitters in the game, great clutch hitter as well
· Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox- one of the most underrated players in baseball, quietly one of the best run producers in baseball
Agree? Disagree? Feel free to leave your opinion.
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