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Monday August 29, 2011

MLB reports:  We are coming to the last month of the MLB season.  Readers are often requesting updates as to the hone run leaders and to handicap who will be the leading sluggers by year’s end.  Taking a look at the current top 10 home run hitters in baseball, we find many familiar faces and some surprises.  Here is our updated look at the mashers and bombers of baseball:

T-1:  Curtis Granderson, New York Yankees (38)

Oh yes.  The Grandyman can.  The baseball world has gone Granderson crazy.  From what appeared to be a hitter on the decline when he joined New York, Curtis Granderson has reinvented himself into an MVP candidate in 2011.   Watching Curtis in Detroit, most expected him to be a 20 something home run hitter at most.  Imagine that he has already hit 38 home runs with a month to go.  It goes to show that baseball can be a very unpredictable sport and that New York still has the power to create miracles.  I do not expect to see him on this board for the next five years, but for 2011 at least, Granderson has shot up to the top of the baseball mountain.

T-1:  Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays (38)

A regular on this list all season, Bautista has picked up from where he left off last season.  While unable to maintain the Ruthian pace he was on in the first half of the season, Bautista has maintained his strong numbers throughout the year.  With his 38 home runs, Bautista has already walked 107 times and has a 1.098 OPS.  MVP voters will have much to consider at the ballots this year.

3rd:  Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees (35)

There are some certainties in life.  Death, taxes and Teixeira home runs.  This man is as steady as they come and despite the lack of flash and glitter, he always seems to get the job done.  No surprise to see him this high up on the list.  Teixeira is simply money in the bank.  You never have to worry about him.

T-4:  Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals (31)

For all the talk of doom and gloom, Albert Pujols still made the top five list.  A “down” season for Sir Albert is a .895 OPS and 31 home runs.  Numbers that most players would die for, but not anywhere close to his high standards.  As an impending free agent, I fully expect Pujols to remain in St. Louis.  But with his statistics not at his norm, the Cardinals might be able to sign him at a slightly more realistic price tag.  $22 million per season rather than $25 million perhaps.

T-4:  Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers (31)

Matt Kemp, or Baby Manny as he was called as a young prospect (the second coming of Manny Ramirez) has blossomed this year.  Together with his 31 home runs, Kemp has already driven in 100, has a .964 OPS and a .320 AVG.  Getting much press as a NL MVP candidate, Kemp is finally beginning to fulfill on the potential he had shown in his career leading up to this season.  People thought for some time he was good, but I don’t think many expected such a strong campaign.  A young player on the rise, Kemp might only be scratching the surface on many productive seasons to come.

T-4:  Mark Reynolds, Baltimore Orioles (31)

Our generation’s Rob Deer keeps plugging away with the long balls.  Reynolds has a respectable 31 home runs thus far, but have come with a whopping 157 strikeouts.  More disturbing though his .226 AVG.  An all-or-nothing slugger throughout his career, Reynolds is not showing any signs of improvement.  The signs are showing for him to bounce around baseball, eventually ending up as a platoon player or even to Japan.

T-7:  Mike Stanton, Florida Marlins (30)

One of the youngest and brightest stars in the game, Stanton has exploded in Florida in a big way.  Heralded as the next Dave Winfield, Stanton has not disappointed in 2011.  With 30 home runs to go along with a .889 OPS, Stanton is showing that the promise and hype is for real.  Rumored to be requested by the White Sox as part of the Marlins hoping to land Ozzie Guillen as a manager, the Marlins are surely happy they held onto their young slugger.  Together with Logan Morrison and Gaby Sanchez, expect Stanton to blossom into a top ten player in baseball very soon.

T-7:  Lance Berkman, St. Louis Cardinals (30)

Once considered a top hitter in the game, Berkman had many question marks surrounding him after a down season last year.  While many analysts thought the Cardinals were taking a risk by signing him, the Cardinals brass were confident in Berkman’s ability to rebound.  Back in the NL Central and surrounded by Pujols and Matt Holliday in the lineup, Berkman has not disappointed.  With 30 home runs, 77/75 BB/K, .289 AVG and .975 SLG, Berkman is getting MVP consideration as well as a lock as the NL Comeback Player of the Year.  While Berkman cannot continue like this forever, expect at least 1-2 more solid seasons out of the seasoned veteran.

T-7:  Dan Uggla, Atlanta Braves (30)

What a journey Uggla took this year.  With a .232 AVG, one expect Uggla to be considered to be having an off-year.  But with 30 home runs a 33-game hitting streak, Uggla has had his moments this year.  Considered one of the best hitting second basemen in the game, power is a big part of Uggla’s repertoire.  While the rest of the numbers are down, the long balls have remained constant.  With his first year on a new team out of the way, expect a rebound from Uggla next season.

T-10:  Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers (29)

Considered to be one of the biggest prizes in the offseason free agent derby, Prince Fielder is having a fantastic campaign for the Brewers.  Together with his 29 home runs, Fielder scored 81 runs, driven in 102, has 87/84 BB/K and hit .295, with a .955 OPS.  The questions on people’s minds is whether he will stay in Milwaukee and if the biggest free agent contract this year will go to Fielder or Pujols.  With Scott Boras as his agent, my money is on Fielder moving to greener pastures and commanding the top contract as a free agent.  Together with Ryan Braun, Fielder gives the Brewers a strong team going into the playoffs in what is likely his last season in Milwaukee.  Although number ten on this list, Fielder has shown the consistency this season to be considered one of the top hitters in the NL this season.

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