List of top 100 performers in the game – MLB 2012 Update - Part 23
43. Michael Young
Michael Young has been the core player for the Texas Rangers for the last few years. However, his role in the Rangers’ side is quite confusing as he was asked to switch his position for the second time in three years.
Just before the 2011 season started, Young was asked to move from third base position to a hitter/utility man. Young was so frustrated that he requested a trade. However, he eventually calmed down to accept his new role in the team.
However, it seems as if the position did not have any effect on Young’s play as he went to record another emphatic season with the Rangers. He was nominated for the American League batting title as he finished the season strongly with a decent .338 average.
Driving his 106 runs with 11 home-runs, he looked on top of his game the past season. Posting a solid 127 wRC+ and .854 OPS, he made the most of available opportunities.
The right hand striker has been giving sensational performances since 2003 and he has shown no signs of slowing down. He is considered to be one of the best players in Texas Rangers’ franchise history. If he can maintain his grand form throughout his career,
he will have a great chance to register his name in the list of potential Hall of Famers.
The guy has improved his game play with each game he has played in Major League Baseball. Rangers, on the other hand, will be looking to capitalise on the advantage of having the most dynamic player in their batting line-up before Young decides to land somewhere
else.
"From day one, I saw that Michael just had a great appetite for learning. He didn’t use the change of position as an excuse to fail. Some guys might have said, ‘It’s going to be harder to make the All-Star team.’ He’d have been embarrassed to say that,”
said Rangers’ manager Buck Showalter.
"Mike’s a grinder. He’s always going to figure it out. He’s probably one of the best hitters I've played with,” said team-mate David Dellucci in an interview.
44. Yovani Gallardo
Since he made his MLB debut back in 2007, it was clear that Yovani Gallardo was destined for bigger things. However, for an unknown reason, he struggled to live to his immense potential in the second half of both the 2009 and 2010 season.
The trend changed during the 2011 regular season as the right hander started to put all the broken pieces together. Finishing the season at 17 wins with a 3.52 ERA and 3.51 K/BB in 207.1 innings, he was one of the most talked about players for the Milwaukee
Brewers.
Gallardo continued his successful run in the month of October as he caused the Diamondbacks to falter in the National League Divisional Series with 14 strike-outs in 14 innings, giving up only two runs.
The guy has great control over his throwing and he has always shown the ability to strike-out the batter in tense situations. If he continues to perform consistently, he will become a scary sight for the MLB batters.
Continued in Part 24
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