Regan: National League's Top 5 Players

Here are my top five non-pitchers from the National League. Unfortunately I couldn’t put any Rangers on this list.

1B- Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals- This year he’s hitting .284 with 28 HR’s and 72 RBI’s, for most players this would be a career year, but for Pujols this is an off year. Pujols is easily the best hitter of the last decade. He is currently a .328 hitter for his career and has hit over 30 home runs and driven in over 100 runs every year he has been in the league. In a 2008 poll of 30 major league managers he was voted the most feared hitter in baseball. If that’s not enough he fields his position as well as anybody and has two gold gloves on his resume to prove it. Pujols may be having a bit of a down year but this three time MVP is still one of the best and the last guy I want to see at the plate if I’m a pitcher.

CF- Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers- Arguably the most complete player in the National League. Near the top in every Triple Crown category this year hitting .320 with 26 home runs and 85 RBI’s. In addition, he’s near the top in stolen bases and plays the most difficult outfield position (centerfield) as well as anyone. Seth Meyers, Sportscenter, and others have lit into the Dodgers current financial state with numerous comments and jokes, so I’ll spare you here, but the fact is Kemp has done more then anyone to try and keep the Dodgers a relevant team. He’s fast, strong, and has great instincts in the field and at the plate. He’s just 26 years old so he’s just entering his prime and should be one of the top players for a long time.

SS- Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies- The best shortstop in baseball right now, and that includes a healthy Jose Reyes who can’t stay healthy anyway. Tulowitzki has just as much range, if not more than even a young Derek Jeter. It seems like every time I see baseball highlights on TV, Tulowitzki has at least of them. He makes spectacular plays look routine. In addition to his ability on the field he’s also one of the best hitters in the game, this year he is hitting over .300 with over 80 runs batted in, and last year he ended the year hitting .315 with nearly 100 RBI’s. He’s also just 26 years old, so we will continue to see his spectacular plays for a long time.

OF- Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers- One of the best pure hitters in baseball, .309 lifetime batting average including a stellar .323 this season. The theme today seems to be young stars who can do it all, and Ryan Braun fits that description perfectly, as I already stated he can hit for average, well he also can hit for power as he has averaged 30 home runs per season. He is also a solid outfielder and can steal a base if you need him to. His teammate Prince Fielder is a frontrunner for National League MVP this year, but without Braun getting on base as often as he does (almost 40% of the time) Fielder probably wouldn’t have near the amount of RBI opportunities as he does now. Ryan Braun can do it all and we will be seeing him at the all-star game for years to come.

C- Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves- McCann doesn’t boast stats that jump out at you, in fact just a quick glance at his stats would make you say “Regan why is this guy in your top five you dumb schmuck? He shouldn’t even be in the top ten.” But for McCann you have to look beyond the stats. He plays the hardest position in the game and he plays it better than anyone. Part of being a catcher is calling a good game for the pitcher and kind of controlling the pitching staff. McCann does that as well as anyone and its proven by the fact that Atlanta always has great pitching. Yes, they have excellent pitching but part of that can be attributed to McCann as well. Also, across the board today most catchers aren’t very good hitters, but McCann currently is hitting .306 and has hit over .290 for his career. McCann has been an all-star the last six seasons, and is the best catcher in the game today and he belongs on this list.

Honorable Mention:

Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds- Great combination of hitting for average and power. Reigning National League MVP. (I hate the Reds, for anyone who cares, don’t really have a valid reason just do)

Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers- MVP candidate this year, has driven in over 140 runs in a year, one of the best power hitters in the game.