2012 MLB's Most Valuable Hitters

LUCKY 13 
 THE MOST PRODUCTIVE HITTERS  
OF THE 2012 MLB SEASON. 

In a season that saw many of baseball's best players go down to injury and lose much of the season ( Matt Kemp, Joey Votto, Jacoby Ellsbury,Troy Tulowitski, Jose Bautista, Giancarlo Stanton, Evan Longoria) there was still plenty of players that had outstanding years.  I give to you this seasons most valuable hitters. 

These guys must of watched their instructional videos over and over because they can crush soft toss. 

13. Aramis Ramirez. Milwaukee Brewers. One of the most underrated players in baseball Aramis has been putting up numbers for 15 years now. Flying under the radar for 2 reasons, one he is in Milwaukee and two he has Ryan Braun on his team. 

.300 Average/.360 OBP/.540 SLG/.901 OPS 

171 Hits 50 Doubles 27 HR 105 RBI

12. Albert Pujols. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  After a horrible start in Anaheim after signing the mega deal Pujols obviously turned it around. Still a top 5 hitter in my eyes his start to the season was so bad it is a small miracle that his numbers are this good. People that doubted Pujols should be ashamed of themselves. 

.285 Average/.343 OBP/.516 SLG/.859 OPS.  

173 Hits 50 Doubles 30 HR 105 RBI 

11. Matt Holliday. St. Louis Cardinals. One of my favorite players Holliday had another outstanding season swinging the bat, hard to believe he is always overlooked when talking about the great right handed hitters in the game. With Holliday leading the charge the Cardinals have the NL's scariest line up 1-8.  

.295  Average/.379 OBP/.497 SLG/.877 OPS.  

177 Hits 36 Doubles 27 HR 102 RBI

10. Adrian Beltre. Texas Rangers. With so much fire power in the Rangers line up Beltre has emerged as the Rangers most valuable player in my eyes. A defensive wizard at the hot corner he is baseballs best 3B. Yes better overall than Miguel Cabrera. 

.321Average/.359 OBP/.561 SLG./.921 OPS. 

 194 Hits 33 Doubles 36 HR  102 RBI

9. Prince Fielder. Detroit Tigers. A hot September landed Prince at 30 Home Runs and another great season. While not driving the ball out of the park at his normal rate he still managed to drive in his share of runs.

.313 Average/.412 OBP/.528 SLG/.940 OPS. 

 182 Hits 33 Doubles 30 HR  108 RBI.

8. Robinson Cano. NY Yankees. Is this guy ever going to win the batting title that Yankees fans jabber about all the time? The answer is no he won't but that doesn't mean he isn't the most productive 2B in the game right now. The Yankees best player had another great season coming up just short of 200 hits and 50 doubles. When it's all said and done he might just be the most productive 2B the games ever seen. 

.313 Average/.379 OBP/.550 SLG/.929 OPS. 

196 Hits  48 Doubles 33 HR 94 RBI

7. Edwin Encarnacion. Toronto Blue Jays. If i was to tell you at the beginning of the year that Edwin would be a top 10 hitter in all of baseball you would think I was a tool. With an .OPS of nearly 200 points higher than last season the red flags are up for me on this one. Time MLB pushes for HGH testing in season???  

.280 Average/.384 OBP/.557 SLG/ .941 OPS. 

152 Hits 23 Doubles 42 HR 110 RBI.

6. Josh Hamilton. Texas Rangers.  Hamilton's last season with the Rangers was a roller coaster filled with high's and lows. When right he is one of the top 5 scariest batters to face. One of the most talented players in the game he will joining forces with Albert Pujols and Mike Trout next season creating a super lineup. 

.285 Average/.354 OBP/.577 SLG/.930 OPS. 

160 Hits 31 Doubles 43 HR  128 RBI.

5. Andrew McCutchen. Pittsburgh Pirates. We are to the point now were it is needless to say that everyone moving forward on the list was a MVP candidate putting up numbers like they did. McCutchen just might of been the best overall player in the NL this season. The Pirates franchise player has stepped up and become a legit top 10 player in baseball. 

.327Average/.400 OBP/.553 SLG/.953 OPS. 

194 Hits 29 Doubles 31 HR 96 RBI

4. Buster Posey. SF Giants. While it is my opinion that the Cardinals have the best all around catcher in the game in Yadier Molina, Posey is pushied Molina this season with a MVP campaign. All this production at the catching position is b-a-n-a-n-a-s. 

.336 Average/.408 OBP/.549 SLG/.957 OPS.

 178 Hits  39 Doubles 24 HR  103 RBI. 

3. Mike Trout.  Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The number one prospect in baseball Bryce Harper who? Stepped out of his prospect label and has become the best all around player in baseball since his May callup. Imagine what a whole season would of produced? While it is uncertain if this is going to be a standard season or the best season of his career one thing is certain, his potential greatness is limitless. The fact you can say he has a chance to be the best player of all time is something that should wow you - Remember he just turned 21. 

.326Average/.399 OBP/.564 SLG/.963 OPS. 

182 Hits 27 Doubles 30 HR 83 RBI

2. Ryan Braun. Milwaukee Brewers. Last seasons tainted NL MVP in many ways had an an even better season this year. Ryan Braun has established himself  along with Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera as the 3 great right handed hitters of this era. To go down as an all time great it certainly helps to play in the playoffs. The question remains will Ryan Braun ever make back into October as a Brewer?  With the emergence of the Reds and the Cardinals always being strong it's not looking good for the near future. 

.319 Average/.391 OBP/ .595 SLG/..987 OPS. 

191 Hits 36 Doubles 41 HR  112 RBI. 

1. Miguel Cabrera.  Detroit Tigers.  7th season hitting over .320. Had over 30 HR which now gives him 8 seasons of doing that. While  his career stats aren't quite Albert Pujols numbers he has been the closest thing to "The Machine" MLB has seen in the Pujols era. Surpassing all his career averages in major stat categories he pulled the Triple Crown and if that isn't good enough for the #1 spot I don't kno what is. Baseball's most dangerous - best hitter for the entire 2012 season. 

.330 Average/.393 OBP/.606 SLG/.999 OPS. 

205 Hits  40 Doubles 40 HR 139 RBI

NO...NO YOU GUYS DO NOT. 

MLB TOP HITTERS of 2012

2012 MLB SEASON. 

TOP 15 BEST HITTERS  

On Sunday, Matt Kemp finally reached 81 games played in 2012. If his season were truly half-over, he'd be on pace for 200 hits, 36 homers and 18 steals. -- Jon Weisman: Dodger Thoughts

In a season that saw many of baseball's best players go down to injury and lose much of the season ( Matt Kemp, Joey Votto, Jacoby Ellsbury,Troy Tulowitski, Jose Bautista, Giancarlo Stanton, Evan Longoria) there was still plenty of players having outstanding years.  I give to you this seasons most productive hitters.  

These guys must of watched their instructional videos over and over because they can crush soft toss. 

15. David Wright. NY Mets. Thanks largely to an outstanding first half of the season Wright manages to sneak into my rankings. Should be interesting to see what the Mets do with their 3B this off-season with both ace knuckleballer R.A. Dickey and Wright hit the market. 

.311 Average/.402 OBP/.501 SLG/.903 OPS. 

151 Hits 37 Doubles 17 HR  79 RBI 

14. Aramis Ramirez. Milwaukee Brewers. One of the most underrated players in baseball Aramis has been putting up numbers for 15 years now. Flying under the radar for 2 reasons, one he is in Milwaukee and two he has Ryan Braun on his team. 

.294 Average/.357 OBP/.525 SLG/.882 OPS 

140 Hits 43 Doubles 21 HR 89 RBI

13. Albert Pujols. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  After a horrible start in Anaheim after signing the mega deal Pujols obviously turned it around. Still a top 5 hitter in my eyes his start to the season was so bad it is a small miracle that his numbers are this good. It is looking like he could have a monster September and slide right into my top 10. People that doubted Pujols should be ashamed of themselves. 

.287 Average/.346 OBP/.536 SLG/.882 OPS.  

144 Hits 38 Doubles 29 HR 92 RBI 

12. Matt Holliday. St. Louis Cardinals. One of my favorite players Holliday is having another outstanding season swinging the bat, hard to believe he is always overlooked when talking about the great right handed hitters of this era. With Holliday leading the charge the Cardinals have the NL's scariest line up 1-8.  

.307  Average/.380 OBP/.525 SLG/.905 OPS.  

157 Hits 33 Doubles 25 HR 92 RBI

11. Adrian Beltre. Texas Rangers. With so much fire power in the Rangers line up Beltre has emerged as the Rangers most valuable player in my eyes. A defensive wizard at the hot corner he is baseballs best 3B in my eyes. Looking like a strong AL MVP candidate after another outstanding all around season. 

.318 Average/.353 OBP/.546 SLG./.900 OPS. 

 161 Hits 30 Doubles 28 HR  85 RBI

10. Carlos Gonzalez. Colorado Rockies. At one point in the season I had Gonzalez ranked in my top 5 hitters in the game. He has since cooled off as the Rockies struggle through another season. While Cargo is having a great season it seems that recently he has missed his buddy and fellow great Tulowitski being in the lineup. 

.311 Average/.381 OBP/.523 SLG/.904 OPS. 

146 Hits 27 Doubles 21 HR 82 RBI

9. Robinson Cano. NY Yankees. Is this guy ever going to win the batting title that Yankees fans jabber about all the time? The answer is no he won't but that doesn't mean he isn't the most productive 2B in the game right now. The Yankees best player is having another great season. The real question at this point is will he get to do some damage in October or are the Yankees going to pull a Red Sox - Braves of last season? 

.303 Average/.366 OBP/.544 SLG/.910 OPS. 

156 Hits  38 Doubles 28 HR 71 RBI

8. Prince Fielder. Detroit Tigers. A hot September could get his home run total up as that seems to be the only fault you can find in Prince's numbers this season. While not driving the ball out of the park he is still managing to drive a ton of runs across the plate. Of all the great 1-2 combo's in baseball Detroit has the highest 2 hitters in my rankings as Prince joins Miguel in the top 10 - shocker I know. 

.313 Average/.411 OBP/.518 SLG/.929 OPS. 

 151 Hits 28 Doubles 23 HR  93 RBI.

7. Buster Posey. SF Giants. While it is my opinion that the Cardinals have the best all around catcher in the game in Yadier Molina, Posey is pushing Molina this season with a MVP like season. To me its looking more and more like Posey should be the NL MVP if the Giants hold off the Dodgers and win the West. All this production at the catching position is b-a-n-a-n-a-s. 

.330 Average/.405 OBP/.533 SLG/.938 OPS.

 144 Hits  32 Doubles 19 HR  85 RBI. 

6. Edwin Encarnacion. Toronto Blue Jays. If i was to tell you at the beginning of the year that Edwin would be a top 10 hitter in all of baseball come September you would probably lose all respect for me. With an .OPS of nearly 200 points higher than last season the red flags are up for me on this one. Time MLB pushes for HGH testing in season ! 

.286 Average/.383 OBP/.570 SLG/ .953 OPS. 

135 Hits 23 Doubles 37 HR 95 RBI.

5. Josh Hamilton. Texas Rangers. The roller coaster season of Hamilton continues.  Currently sitting with borderline MVP stats if he catches fire these final few weeks he may just walk away with another AL MVP to go a long with his 2010 trophy. This is most likely his last season in Texas and I would like nothing more than a early exit this post season for the Rangers. Does anyone want to witness the Rangers lose 3 World Series in a row? I can't take those shots of Nolan Ryan fuming in his seat as Ron Washington lets another chance slip away.  

.290 Average/.355 OBP/.585 SLG/.941 OPS. 

139 Hits 24 Doubles 38 HR  114 RBI.

4. Andrew McCutchen. Pittsburgh Pirates. We are to the point now were it is needless to say that everyone is a MVP candidate putting up numbers like they are. McCutchen just might be the best overall player in the NL this season. The Pirates franchise player has stepped up and become a legit top 10 player in baseball. 

.341 Average/.405 OBP/.559 SLG/.964 OPS. 

168 Hits 25 Doubles 24 HR 80 RBI

3. Mike Trout.  Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The number one prospect in baseball Bryce Harper who? Stepped out of his prospect label and has become the best player in baseball since being called up back in May. Imagine what a whole season would of produced? While it is uncertain if this is going to be a standard season or the best season of his career one thing is certain, his potential greatness is limitless. The fact you can say he has a chance to be the best player of all time is something that should wow you - Remember he just turned 21. 

.332 Average/.396 OBP/.570 SLG/.966 OPS. 

152 Hits 22 Doubles 25 HR 74 RBI

2. Ryan Braun. Milwaukee Brewers. Last seasons tainted NL MVP in many ways is having an even better season this year while the SLG and HR are up. Ryan Braun has established himself  along with Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera as the 3 great right handed hitters of this era. To go down as an all time great it certainly helps play in the playoffs. The question remains will Ryan Braun ever make back into October as a Brewer again to show off his bat on a national stage? With the emergence of the Reds and the Cardinals always being strong it's not looking good for the near future. 

.311 Average/.388 OBP/ .605 SLG/..994 OPS. 

152 Hits 27 Doubles 37 HR  96 RBI. 

1. Miguel Cabrera.  Detroit Tigers. On his way to his 7th season hitting over .320. He already has is 30 HR which now gives him 8 seasons of doing that. While  his career stats aren't quite Albert Pujols numbers he has been the closest thing to "The Machine" MLB has seen in the Pujols era. Surpassing all his career averages in major stat categories with several weeks remaining its certain Cabrera is having another monster year with the bat. Baseball's most dangerous - best hitter for the entire 2012 season. 

.331 Average/.398 OBP/.588 SLG/.986 OPS. 

171 Hits 34 Doubles 33 HR 111 RBI

NO THESE GUYS DON'T. 

1st & 2nd Team ALL- MLB

MR. RESENTMENT'S 2012 MID SEASON AWARDS

BECAUSE AWARDS ARE MEANT TO BE HANDED OUT AT THE HALFWAY POINT

                                                             

2012 1st TEAM - FIRST HALF ALL MLB

IF BASEBALL HAD TEAMS THE WAY THE NBA DOES, THIS WOULD BE IT... UP UNTIL THIS POINT.  PITCHING IS TBA. 

C.    YADIER MOLINA. St. Louis Cardinals. Best all around catcher in the game in my opinion his numbers actually make a strong case that I am right. It doesn't hurt he just caught a World Series winning staff last season. He keeps getting stronger as an offensive player.
.311 12 HR 44 RBI 7 SB  .872 OPS  Brian McCann OPS? .690 


1B.  JOEY VOTTO. Cincinnati Reds. Is he not the best left handed hitter in baseball? You can't say he lacks enough power to be considered anymore. My NL MVP right now.
.354  14 HR  47 RBI   1.115 OPS.


2B.   ROBINSON CANO. NY Yankees. Far and away the best 2B in the game. Looks like he is going to hit a double every single AB. Certainly helps that Pedroia has been beat up and Utley has barely played.
.305   18 HR  43 RBI .941 OPS. 


3B.  DAVID WRIGHT. NY Mets. David Wright is the Joe Mauer of the National League. Where did he go the last couple of seasons? Wasn't he supposed to be done being an elite hitter? Both have rebounded nicely and David is a strong candidate for MVP if the Mets stick around. gets the nod over Beltre because the OPS is off the charts. 
.359  9 HR   50 RBI  1.022 OPS.


SS.  ASDRUBAL CABRERA. Cleveland Indians. With Tulo out and Jose Reyes not doing much it's really not even a competition at SS as Cabrera is swinging a great bat. All you Jeter fans batting average is a very over rated stat. 
.292  11 HR  38 RBI .860 OPS. 


LF.  MIKE TROUT. LA Angels of Anaheim. Look I am not a hater I just crush a lot and the way Trout is playing I don't want him to stop. Best Player in the game right now. I don't care about age or reputation his numbers are insane for not even a full first half. 
.342  8 HR  32 RBI  22 SB  .933 OPS. 


CF. Matt Kemp on the DL ANDREW McCUTCHEN. Pitt Pirates. 
Andrew very well could be a top 10 player in the game. Playing for the Pirates obviously hurts his cred with most people who don't know anything. Check the stats.
.344  15 HR   51 RBI  14 SB  .993 OPS. 


RF. CARLOS GONZALEZ. Colorado Rockies. Is he the best OF in baseball with a significant track record with Matt Kemp currently not playing? He can play all the positions adn play them well.  I would say you would have to think about it before you say no.  
.338  17 HR   58 RBI   10 SB    1.005 OPS.


DH. RYAN BRAUN.  Milwaukee Brewers. NEWSFLASH He didn't need the juice. Basically the same numbers as last year, legit. 
.310  20 HR  52 RBI  13 SB  .980 OPS. 

  "Hey I didn't make the team?"

2nd TEAM

C.   CARLOS RUIZ. Philadelphia Phillies. Having a career year and has passed up Mauer. Joe  is to busy doing stupid hair commercials for my liking. Brian McCann and Napoli just aren't having worthy seasons to even put up a fight. 
.356  11 HR  43 RBI  1.000 OPS.  


1B.  PAUL KONERKO. Chicago White Sox.  The Hall of Famer that no one ever wants to talk about. What a season, what a career. Killing Fielder, Pujols, A-Gon to this point in the season. 
.337  14 HR  40 RBI   .976 OPS. 


2B.  BRANDON PHILLIPS. Cincinnati Reds. It has been a down  year for 2B in my eyes. Pedroia and Utley traditional powers are banged up. Kinsler could have some beef but Phillips numbers just better where they count. 
.287  10 HR   46 RBI   .776 OPS. 


3B.  ADRIAN BELTRE. Texas Rangers. 3B isn't exactly deep when it comes to impressive stat producers. Mike Moustakas is having a solid year but its not question Adrian is having another fine season.
.325  13 HR  51 RBI  .882 OPS. 


SS.  ELVIS ANDRUS. Texas Rangers.  I am going to go with Andrus here over the one dimensional Starlin Castro. I also feel Andrus is a better overall player than Jeter at this point. 
.302  1 HR   31 RBI   .786 OPS. compared to Starlin Castro's .745 ops.  


LF.  JOSH HAMILTON. Texas Rangers. Sorry Melky Cabrera.  Power prevails everytime. A single is the same thing as a walk in my book. Hamilton when he can keep from throwing the bat into the stands seems to either dent OF walls or put the ball over them. 
.316   24 HR  69 RBI  1.027 OPS. 


CF. ADAM JONES. Baltimore Orioles.  MVP talks for the first half of the season as he has the Orioles sticking around in the East. Granderson and Bourn both have beef with this ruling but I say to Granderson that he should mix in some hits that average is too low when everything else is so similar. Bourn is having an outstanding season but once again when you compare the numbers its not close. 
.297  19 HR  41 RBI   10 SB  .890 OPS. 


RF. CARLOS BELTRAN. St. Louis Cardinals. Who needs Albert Pujols when you have Carlos Beltran? what a great first half. If the Cards win the Central he is going to have to be considered for MVP votes. 
.311  20 HR  60 RBI   7 SB  .975 OPS.  


DH. MIGUEL CABRERA. Detroit Tigers.  Perfect for the DH spot because he is like watching a dancing bear trying to track down balls at 3B. Premier hitter in the game and a certain Hall of Famer with his bat. Plenty of guys you could argue that could fill the DH slot but with his track record you have to take him. 
.309  16 HR  62 RBI   .904 OPS. 

MLB TRADE RUMORS

TRADE WARS.

THIS IS HOW RUMORS GET STARTED

*  Just UPDATED:  Teams interested in Red Sox 3B Kevin Youkilis. In no particular order.  Dodgers, Phillies, Rangers, White Sox, Diamondback's, Giants. 

* CBSsports.com Danny Knobler said the Dodgers will be interested in pitching as well as trying to get a hitter. He wouldn't be surprised to see them go after the Cubs Ryan Dempster.  The Dodgers also have some interest in Kevin Youkilis, as do many teams. 

* Sources are saying Bryce Harper is not the long term fix in Center Field for Washington. The Nationals are interested in Angels Center Fielder Peter Bourjos and the Twins Denard Span, this according to MLB.com Bill Ladson. 


* The NY Yankees are eyeing the Cubs Matt Garza putting him on the top of their wish list even over Milwaukee's Zack Greinke. 


* The White Sox and Rangers have shown interest in Boston 3B Kevin Youkilis. 


* Chicago Cubs have been letting teams know that all players except Jeff Samardzija and Starlin Castro. Matt Garza is available for the right offer, reports ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter links). 


* David Wright is going to stick it to the Mets and not discuss any contract extension during the season.