List of top 100 performers in the game – MLB 2012 Update - Part 28
54. Carl Crawford
Carl Crawford had a disastrous 2011 season as he struggled to produce match winning performances for the Boston Red Sox. The right handed striker averaged 51 a season in SB in his first years in Major League Baseball but he managed to muster up only 18 SB
in the past season.
His OBP was an awful .290. In addition to his batting woes, Crawford struggled with his defence as he hardly lived up to expectations in left-field.
Considering his inconsistency, he has dropped to number 54 on this year’s list. However, I have not removed him from the list all together as when he is in form, he is a treat to watch.
It will not be wrong to say that as compared to last year, Crawford had rotten luck in 2011 as his BABIP of .299 was 29 points below his career average. It seems as if he failed to cope with pressure of living up to the richest contract ever offered to an
outfielder. Being a key member of his team, Crawford had to deal with the serious Championship expectations as well.
“He's an energizing, stolen-base-and-triple machine. And you can see the pieces beginning to fit into the rest of his game right there in front of your eyes,” said sportswriter Jayson Stark.
“His potential is unlimited. If he stays injury-free, by the end of his career you’re going to see a 30-30 guy,” said hitting coach Skeeter Barnes.
Still just 30-year-old, Crawford has a lot of baseball left in him. He will be looking to get things back on track with consistent performances in the season starting in a couple of months. Considering his solid character and temperament, we can expect him
to bounce back quite strongly.
“This is totally unexpected. I thought I’d be in the NBA or the NFL. I never thought baseball. It's kind of like a surprise. I’m happy it happened. If I just focus on helping this team become a big contender, all the rest will fall into place,” said Crawford
in an interview
55. Kevin Youkilis
Kevin Youkilis has an excellent batting eye, which is as important as the other five traditional tools. There might be more talented players in Major League Baseball but Boston’s third baseman has a made a name for himself through his patient approach at
the plate.
Showing his amazing batting skills, Youkilis has earned an impressive 13.1 career BB percentage, leading to a career OBP of .391. In the past season, he led all AL third basemen in fielding percentage at a decent .968. Youkilis was included in the AL All
Star team for the 82nd All Star Game.
Youkilis is valuable on both sides of the ball as he can play on almost all positions on the field. His performances on both first base and third base have been satisfactory. However, he missed 51 games in the past two seasons. Had he played all those games,
he would have been ranked a lot higher on this year’s list of top 100 performers in the game.
While Sporting News has ranked him number 35 on their list for 2011, I don’t agree with them as I believe he is capable of doing a much better job.
Continued in Part 29
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Tags: