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American League MVP Candidates – AL MVP 2008

Stephen Kersey — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:22:23 +0000

The Most Valuable Player award in the American League will no doubt be a much talked about race. A number of players can make a case for themselves, however there are a few players in the American League that stand out above the rest. Here are our top AL MVP candidates.

5. Carlos Quentin, Chicago White Sox
Carlos Quentin had a rule shot at this award until he broke his hand in a freak incident. After fouling off a pitch, Quentin hit his bat with his wrist and ended up breaking his wrist — and his chance at the AL MVP.

4. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
Each and every season, you can go ahead and pen Alex Rodriguez’s name as a candidate for the American League MVP. This year his stats are once again very good and he’s especially hot as of late, but he doesn’t quite have the numbers this year to be a legit contender.

3. Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins
Not only are Justin Morneau’s numbers very good, he’s on a winning team that isn’t supposed to be a playoff contender. Morneau still has a shot at this award but he’ll need a red hot finish to the season and for the Twins to advance to the postseason.

2. Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox
Many league pundits are leaning toward Dustin Pedroai as AL MVP and while he’s not a bad candidate, I don’t quite have him on top of the pile. However, there is no question that without Pedroai, the Red Sox would be in a world of hurt.

1. Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
The Josh Hamilton story is in need of a storybook ending — and the American League Most Valuable Player award certainly can put a ribbon on his breakthrough season. Hamilton has had the best stats for almost the entire season. The Rangers aren’t winning much but Hamilton has led Texas to a better than expected finish.

Can Josh Hamilton end his season with the 2008 AL MVP award?

Photo: Newscom

Post from: Knuckle Curve

Hottest Hitters in Baseball – Power Ranking

Stephen Kersey — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:39:53 +0000

1. Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves
When you are batting north of .400, you are the hottest hitter in baseball. While it’s still early in the season, Chipper is showing signs that he could make the impossible a reality. He’s currently batting .414 with 15 homers and 41 RBIs.

Can Chipper Jones hit .400?

2. Lance Berkman, Houston Astros
Lance Berkman has long had the talent to be one of the best hitters in baseball. This season, he seems to have put it all together. He’s hitting .366 with 19 homers and 57 RBIs for the Astros. If he remains hot, he could find himself in the middle of the MVP race.

3. Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
Josh Hamilton has gone from feel-good story to great baseball player. He’s surpassed all expectations and is simply having a fantastic year. He’s leading the AL in both homers and RBIs. Currently, Hamilton is batting .316 with 17 homers and 71 RBIs.

4. Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
Chase Utley is leading the NL in both homers and RBIs, much like Hamilton in the AL. Utley has a batting average of .313 to go with 21 homers and 58 RBIs. This season, he has taken over as the best player on the very talented Phillies roster.

5. Carlos Quentin, Chicago White Sox
Outside of Hamilton, Carlos Quentin has the best power numbers in the AL. Although he is only hitting .277, he has 16 homers and 54 RBIs. He’s second in the AL in both homers and RBIs at the moment.

Photo: Newscom

Post from: Knuckle Curve

Hottest Hitting Outfielders in 2008

Stephen Kersey — Fri, 09 May 2008 03:11:59 +0000

Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
The Rangers acquired Josh Hamilton in the offseason from the Cincinnati Reds. Hamilton has been everything the Rangers could have hoped – and more. He’s currently hitting .290 with seven homers and 36 RBIs.

Pat Burrell, Philadelphia Phillies
Pat Burrell has always had a lot of potential. This season, he might be finally figuring everything out. He has a career-high batting average of .305, a career-high on-base percentage of .432 and has nine homeruns and 30 RBIs.

Nate McLouth, Pittsburgh Pirates
This 26-year-old player has been a bit player for most of his big league career. The Pirates gave McLouth a chance to be an everyday player this season and he has responded fantastically. He’s hitting .324 with nine homers and 29 RBIs.

Carlos Quentin, Chicago White Sox
At 25, Carlos Quentin is taking advantage of his opportunity to be the everyday left fielder for the White Sox. He’s hitting .278 with eight dingers and 25 RBIs.

Photo: Newscom

Post from: Knuckle Curve