MLB 2011: Top Players from each team in National League – Part 2
Jose Reyes, like his eight years in Major League Baseball, has impressed this year as well. Hailing from the Dominican Republic, Reyes has registered statistics which are mesmerising, to say the least. He has played a great part in keeping the Mets in contention
with the other stalwarts of the League, even though their ranking suggests otherwise.
Reyes has the best batting average and tops the list of the most runs scored in the National League. He has shown glimpses of brilliancy in airborne hitting and has produced some of the best defences as shortstop.
The Mets suffered a blow when Reyes was moved to the 15-day disabled list on August 8 with citing a hamstring injury. Ruben Tejada will replace him as shortstop and it would be interesting to see how long does it take for the 2006 Silver Slugger Award winner
to return to the roster.
With this campaign merely a matter of glory for the Mets, they would want Reyes to continue his elegance on the field when they begin their next campaign.
The Washington Nationals might not make it to the National League Championship Series this year due to their ordinary win-loss record but there have been moments of luminosity for the Nationals in this darkness.
The Nationals have not been able to compile runs this season but their brilliance has been their ability to halt the flow of runs and Tyler Clippard has been at the core of this ploy. The right-handed relief pitcher followed the script spotlessly and has
been rewarded rightly, leading the list of games held in National League. Clippard’s talent of halting the flow of runs becomes lethal with his ability to strike-out batters at will, an art which he has constantly exhibited in his four years at MLB.
Standing at 6ft 3in, Clippard is a true All-Star. He gives dependency to the Nationals’ bull-pen deep in the game and this is one area which the Nationals can bank on when they prepare for the next season. Clippard’s role will be vital in determining the
fate of the team when the Nationals gear up for their next campaign in 2012.
The Florida Marlins are in tough contention with the Nationals for the last spot in the NL East division and thus far, the Nationals have managed to stay away from that position. The Marlins resurged after the All-Star break but their inability to score
runs freely has hampered their chances significantly this season.
Chris Volstad has, however, been on top of his game for the Marlins this season. The right-handed pitcher has displayed his entire arsenal from the mound but his statistics do not give a true picture of his aptitude. After a string of losses, Volstad improved
his game with three quick wins which has been of great emphasis to the confidence of the lowly ranked Marlins.
The 6ft 8in lanky pitcher last started for the Marlins on July 22 but was then demoted to the Triple-A to improve his form. He has now been recalled to the Majors and is expected to start this weekend, his usual position on the rotation. It would be a good
opportunity for Volstad to silence his critics and cement his place in the rotation for the next season and then dig it from the start when the next season kicks off.
Continued in part 3
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