MLB 2011: Top Players from each team in American League – Part 4
The season might already be over for the Minnesota Twins but they still have a lot to gain from this year. The Twins are trailing behind in the American League Central division and probability of resurgence is minimal from this position.
The Twins have leaked at least 100 more runs than they have scored and the continued absence of Joe Mauer from the starting line-up was surely felt. The left-handed batter who plays as catcher for the Twins has featured in just 59 games this season due to
an extended injury but has made a significant impact on the games that he has played in.
His brilliance and importance can be weighed from his performance in the game against the Boston Red Sox on August 10 when he added two vital runs in two at-bats to see the lowly ranked Twins breeze past the American League leaders 5-2.
Mauer has been brilliant in his seven years at Major League Baseball and his performance, although hampered due to injury, has been sensational given the number of games he has played. Mauer will be vital for the Twins when they come out for their next campaign
and their success will be based on how fit their catcher is. Strategically strong, the 6ft 5in has the ability to devise winning strategies and Minnesota should take advantage of it.
Melky Cabrera has enjoyed a decent career at MLB. Entering his seventh year on the professional circuit, the switch-hitter has raised his level of play but to his disappointment, his team has not sided with him. The Kansas City Royals are undergoing a rough
patch of form this season and are thus placed last in the AL Central with not even a slightest chance of improvement.
Cabrera’s batting average is among the best in his bull-pen and he has amassed runs in plenty thus far. He has also displayed hitting power this season producing home-runs regularly and in the process, completing his 50 career home-runs.
The Royals need to keep Cabrera in their bull-pen for an extended stretch so that they get ample time to restructure their plan of action in their preparation for the next season. Cabrera has shown an improvement in his performances in comparison to the
previous seasons and it would be interesting to see how long Cabrera sustains this form.
The Texas Rangers have been in top form this season and their batting has been their stronghold. Rated as one of the best batting line-up in the Majors, the Rangers feature at the top of the list for most runs scored in MLB.
Michael Young has been at the core of this achievement for the Rangers and his persistent hard work on the plate has paid off. Young has been a class act in his 11 years at the Majors and this year has been no different either. The right-handed sensation
is nearing 1000 career-runs and it is highly expected that he will complete this milestone sometime later in the season. He made a strong statement this season when he completed 2000 career-hits with his 152nd hit of the season.
Young’s batting average features among the top five in the AL and the Rangers would want him to maintain his average so that they comfortably qualify for the playoffs.
Continued in Part 5
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