Top 10 players of 2012 season – MLB Featured – Part 3
3. Ryan Braun
Milwaukee Brewers’ left fielder Ryan Braun comes third on our list of top performers of 2012 regular season. Making the most of available opportunities, Braun posted some impressive numbers last season to win the National League Most Valuable Player Award.
The right hander has not shown any signs of slowing down this season. With a brilliant .319 average, 41 home-runs, 112 RBI’s and .987 OPS, he helped Brewers emerge victorious on numerous occasions. All numbers except the batting average and OPS were better
than his MVP season.
It will be interesting to see if Braun can continue his incredible hitting form in the next season to post another National League MVP season.
2. Mike Trout
Trout was one of the most consistent hitters in Los Angeles’ batting line-up. He batted with a decent .326 average with 30 home-runs and 83 RBI’s. He also had 49 stolen bases and an outstanding .963 OPS. However, despite posting one of the greatest single
seasons in history of the game, Trout was unable to win the Triple Crown Award and Most Valuable Player Award.
Rookie Mike Trout is a naturally gifted hitter. He has the ability to smack home-runs even against the strongest pitching attacks. What he has managed to achieve during his rookie year with the Los Angeles Angels is quite remarkable. Twenty years from today,
when Trout will look back upon his debut year, he will say to himself, “I did a d**n good job.”
Angels will be expecting him to continue his excellent work in the next season as well to give them a better chance of reaching the postseason.
1. Miguel Cabrera
Miguel Cabrera tops our list of top ten players of 2012 regular season. In his five year tenure with the Detroit Tigers, he has improved his skills set with each passing game. However, none of his seasons were as good as the 2012 season.
Performing consistently, Tigers’ third baseman Cabrera became the first hitter to claim the Triple Crown Award since Carl Yastrzemski achieved the rare feat in 1967. Cabrera produced match winning performances whenever Tigers looked down and out.
“He’s got all the tools and he’s not intimidated by anything,” Hall of Famer Andre Dawson said. “With Miguel, it’s just a matter of how much he’s really willing to push himself to get to the next level and be a great player.”
The hard hitting Cabrera finished the season with a .330 average, 44 home-runs and 139 RBI’s. While many people in the media downplay the importance of a Triple Crown, it has not been claimed in 45-years. It is an achievement more rare than hitting five
home-runs in a game, more rare than a perfect game.
“He can field. He can hit. He has a lot of power. He can hit the opposite way. He has everything you can ask of a major-league player,” Miami Marlins’ manager Ozzie Guillen said.
“He's a smart hitter who uses the whole field and is not trying to hit home runs all the time,” Hall of Famer Tony Perez said.
Cabrera should also be given to Tigers’ Manager Jim Leyland who showed faith in Cabrera even in his most difficult times. It will be interesting to see if the 29-year-old Cabrera can take the momentum into the postseason to help his side reach the World
Series finals.
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