Coming off an era where it seemed like everyone could be a slugger, it’s refreshing to get back to a game with balance. Prince Fielder is one of these authentic players that bring us back to a simpler time with his enormous frame and natural power. His father, Cecil Fielder, was one of the great power hitters of his day and I remember him as a kid, and it’s pretty amazing to watch his son live up to and then surpass his impressive legacy.
It’s must be difficult for some to live up to the hype surrounding a famous name, but Prince Fielder has handled it beautifully. The numbers speak for themselves beginning with his seven years with the Milwaukee Brewers followed by his new gig with the Detroit Tigers. With his father, they are the only father-son combination to have hit 50 home runs in the majors. Since Prince Fielder’s first full season where he hit 28 home runs, he has slammed 30 or more dingers for 6 consecutive seasons, with seasons of 50 and 46 in there. Yet he’s also maintained a lifetime batting average of .285 and on base percentage of a staggering .390, so he helps his team in many ways. Las year he had his career-best average at .313 with an OBP of .412, so he may be maturing as a hitter. When you think about young players who have a shot at the MLB Hall of Fame, power hitters garner plenty of attention, but it definitely helps if you’re not a one-dimensional player. But power definitely grabs the attention of the public, and it doesn’t hurt that Fielder has also won two Home Run Derby contests.
The key to any Hall of Fame career is longevity, and Fielder has been incredibly durable so far in his career. Now he’s blessed playing in probably the best lineup in baseball as he leads the way along with the incredible Miguel Cabrera. It’s scary to think about how much damage these guys can do if they stay together in Detroit as they feed off of one another. With this lineup and their pitching the Tigers should consistently compete for World Series titles, and that would be icing on the cake for Fielder.
So as of now, Prince Fielder is definitely one of those guys that have a shot as baseball immortality. Every indication seems to suggest he can keep this up.
SUBWAY is celebrating “The Boys in the Hall” and you can learn more about it here.
