Top five batters in Major League Baseball: An overview – Part 1
Major League Baseball has elevated to a new level this season. Many players who were previously overshadowed by the big names have now emerged to the forefront and have made their statement impressively. Their rise to fame comes due to their performances
this season and also due to injuries to key players which allowed them to exhibit their talent.
Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter have not been even near their original style of play and both have been a notable feature on the disabled list. A-Rod was renowned to dominate the list of most home-runs but his absence has now brought Mark Teixeira and Curtis
Granderson to the limelight for the New York Yankees, both of whom are tied at the second spot in the list with 28 home-runs.
A similar rise has been witnessed in Adrian Gonzalez of Boston Red Sox who leads the list of top batters in MLB by a fair margin this season. Gonzalez has been consistent and that has been his key to success. His batting average at .352 is the best in MLB
and his 87 RBIs are at least 10 more than any other player.
In 102 games this season, Gonzalez has connected 148 times and has managed 74 runs thus far. His 17 home-runs have been an added advantage for the Red Sox who, helped by their aggressive intent, are leading the American League and are in touching distance
of MLB leaders Philadelphia Phillies.
Adrian’s career batting average is way below his achievement this season. His 563 career runs have come at an average of .292 only, signifying that he has been a decent player, at most, in his seven years at MLB. For this season, however, the tag of decent
had to be replaced by exceptional if words are to be used to define his brilliancy.
In the last seven days, Gonzalez has further improved his form. He has connected 12 times in 25 at-bats and has yielded seven runs at an average of .480. His nine RBIs during this stretch reconfirm his genius on the plate this season.
If Gonzalez continues scoring at this rate and his form and fitness remain, he is likely to bag 116 runs and 233 hits this season. If this does happen, the Red Sox have a bright chance to make it to the World Series and even lift the title.
Even though the New York Mets have had an ordinary season, their batter Jose Reyes has continued to impress at the plate. Reyes has been batting at an average of .343 and his average, second best in MLB, is the best in the National League. He has not let
his team’s performance harm his personal performance and he remains a constant threat to all pitchers in the Majors.
Originating from the Dominican Republic, Reyes has generally impressed in each of his eight years in MLB. In 1013 career games, Reyes has accumulated 711 runs and 1256 hits at an average of .291. These career statistics are exemplary given the high standards
of play in the Majors.
This season too, Reyes has been on top of his game. He has bagged 77 runs and 137 hits in just 90 games played and averages .343. His home-run hitting ability does not match his run-scoring ability which is evident from his four-homers thus far in the season.
Continued in Part 2
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