List of top 100 performers in the game – MLB 2012 Update - Part 14
24. Carlos Gonzalez
Very few players in the game are as big a mystery as Carlos Gonzalez. If you have watched him play at Coors Field in Denver, you will be wondering how on earth he was traded twice before he reached his 25th birthday. The guy
has astonishing hitting abilities and he achieved significant results in his tenure with the Colorado Rockies. Hitting 49 home-runs with 153 RBI’s in 704 AB, he produced staggering performances.
Blasting 24 home-runs with 85 RBI’s, his road splits with Colorado Rockies are pretty decent. However, it will not be wrong to say that Rockies’ battling line-up has a solid league player but not an MVP winner or a batting champion.
Gonzalez will have a great opportunity to prove his metal with the Rockies as he signed a six year deal with his current club just last winter. Still very young, Gonzalez is now approaching his prime and he has all the talent and ability to prove what
he is capable of. However, if he wants to achieve consistent results in the Major League, he must do hard work; persistent hard work.
"They talk about a great player being a five-tool player. He's a six-tool player,” said Rockies manager Jim Tracy.
"Most of the time when he goes to the plate, we're expecting something good is going to happen. The ball comes off of his bat as loud and as hard as Larry Walker and Andres Galarraga,” said Rockies batting coach Don Baylor.
25. Matt Holliday
After having a tough time in Oakland, Matt Holliday finally rediscovered his form with the Cardinals and he solidified his status as one of the best hitters in the game today. 2009 turned out to be the best year of his baseball career as the long time
Colorado Rookie batted with a decent .353 average with 13 home-runs, 55 RBI’s and an astonishing 1.023 OPS in 63 games. It was an amazing achievement by the striker considering all the difficulties he had been through in the previous seasons.
Holliday has produced match winning performances in the last two years as well as he made it to the All-Star team with an impressive .900 OPS in each season. He has also earned an impressive 7.3 WAR which is the ninth best among all hitters during
that period of time. Although he is not very good left-fielder, he makes up for that with his bat.
Albert Pujols, who is arguably the best hitter in the game, left St. Louis Cardinals earlier and his loss will be devastating to the team. However, in Matt Holliday, it appears that they have an excellent player to build their offence around.
“I had some tough times. Now that I look back on it, I'm very grateful for those times. I know now that I needed them. But at the time you think, 'Man, I wish I could just get to the major leagues!'”
Holiday looked in decent touch in 2011. Since he has moved to a new club now, he will be looking to make the most of available opportunities. Cardinals will also be relying heavily on him to perform and there will be immense pressure on him. However,
considering his mental strength and temperament, he is expected to play his natural game with freedom; and that is when he is at his most dangerous.
Continued in Part 15
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