Tag: Albert Pujols (Page 10 of 14)

      Posnanski: Top 100 MLB Players

      July 22, 2009 /

      Joe Posnanski put together a ranking of who he believes are the top 100 current MLB players at this moment (as in right now – not over the past two years, three years, etc).

      Here is his top 10:

      1. Albert Pujols, 1B, Cardinals
      “Every hitter is human,” says pitcher Zack Greinke (No. 4). “Except Pujols.”

      2. Joe Mauer, C, Twins
      Could win his third batting title this year … no other American League catcher ever has won even one in history.

      3. Hanley Ramirez, SS, Marlins
      Advanced stats suggest he’s better defensively than people think. Offensively, he leads the league in hitting and might have another 30-30 season.

      4. Zack Greinke, SP, Royals
      Throws four plus pitches, all for strikes, leads the league with a 2.08 ERA, and has won 10 games for a team that has scored the fewest runs in the AL.

      5. Chase Utley, 2B, Phillies
      Crushes the ball, plays outstanding defense and, just as a fun side note, has led the league in hit-by-pitch three years running.

      6. Alex Rodriguez, 3B, Yankees
      Disastrous first half splattered with injuries, rumors and a low batting average … and the guy STILL has a 145 OPS+, good for seventh in the AL.

      7. Tim Lincecum, SP, Giants
      The Freak is pitching even better this year (10-2, 2.27 ERA, league-leading 159 K’s) than last year, when he won the Cy Young.

      8. Dan Haren, SP, Diamondbacks
      League is hitting .187 against him and he has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 137-18. Baseball hasn’t seen anything like that since the heyday of Pedro.

      9. Johan Santana, SP, Mets
      He was 2-4 with a 6.19 ERA in six June starts and people screamed that he was done. But Santana is a demon in the second half … and sure enough he has not allowed a run in his last two starts.

      10. Roy Halladay, SP, Blue Jays
      Not sure where he will be pitching … but he will dominate. A handful of the people in the world can throw 93-mph fastballs that sink. A handful of people can pitch with pinpoint control. One man can do both.

      It’s hard to argue Pujols being in the top spot and with how good Mauer has been this season (especially considering how there were huge concerns about his back in spring training) I’m not going to debate Posanski about his second slot either.

      But I guess I’m a little confused about his ranking system overall. He says that he’s doing a top 100 of players RIGHT NOW (to use his exact phrasing of the words “RIGHT NOW”), but what does that mean? Over the past two weeks? Over the past couple days? Over the entire course of the season – what?

      Because if it’s over the entire course of the season, he’s got A-Rod way too high and I don’t think Johan Santana should be ranked ahead of Roy Halladay either. Also, and I know I might catch some flack for this, but I think Lincecum is the best pitcher in baseball right now. Greinke has been absolutely phenomenal, but Lincecum just recently went 29 innings without giving up an earned run and could easily have 13 or 14 wins if it weren’t for the Giants’ pathetic use for an offense.

      But hey, as with any ranking, you can debate every slot 1 through 100 and I like the feature on a whole.

      MLB

      Ten Predictions for the MLB second half

      July 20, 2009 /


      The second half of the 2009 MLB season has kicked off and with that, I’m going to make some predictions that are sure to be proved wrong in a couple months.

      Feel free to whip out your crystal ball in the comments section but before you do, please do everyone a favor and take off your favorite team prescribed glasses and be objective for once in your life, will ya?

      1. The Blue Jays will trade Halladay…to the Phillies.
      Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi is reminding everyone who will listen that he doesn’t absolutely need to trade Roy Halladay – which he doesn’t. But the bottom line is that he’ll probably get more in return for the “Doc” this season than he would next when Halladay is set to become a free agent after the 2010 season. And despite Ricciardi stating that he’s open to trading Halladay within the division, he’s not stupid. He’s not going to trade Halladay to the Red Sox or Yankees and risk becoming public enemy No. 1 in the eyes of Jays fans for not only getting rid of their best and most popular player, but also trading him to a division rival in the process. In the end, I think Ricciardi will trade Halladay to an NL team and my guess is that it will be Philadelphia that will eventually puts a package together to acquire him. Although they might balk at the $7 million that’s remaining on Halladay’s contract, the Phillies are built to win now and need more starting pitching to make another run at a World Series. They also have enough appealing prospects to entice Ricciardi to make a deal.

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      MLB

      Sports poll: A-Rod not MLB’s best player anymore

      July 14, 2009 /

      Here’s a shock: Alex Rodriguez is not considered baseball’s best player anymore according to a report by the New York Daily News.

      In a random, unscientific survey that included several scouts, executives, players and other observers, none said Rodriguez was still the best player in baseball.

      “When I think of the best player, Pujols’ name stands out,” one scout said, a sentiment echoed by many. Others suggested Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer or Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria.

      But no one said A-Rod was out of the conversation, either. While a few predicted his production would decline, they also said he would remain among the top run producers in baseball. Because of Rodriguez’s admission he used steroids from 2001-03 while with Texas, some said they’ll always wonder what is genuine in A-Rod’s career.

      One major-league scout who has watched Rodriguez extensively this season replied, “Probably so,” when asked if A-Rod’s best days were behind him.

      While players like Mauer and Hanley Ramirez certainly garner attention, Pujols is the best player in baseball. He’s the best pure hitter in the game right now and he puts up out-of-this-world numbers in a lineup that isn’t conducive to do so. He’s the best, period.

      That said, here’s hoping he never breaks our hearts by testing positive for PEDs. I, like many baseball fans, want to continue to believe that what Pujols is doing on the field is 100% legit. As of now, there’s no reason to believe otherwise.

      MLB

      Lincecum, Halladay to start in All-Star Game

      July 13, 2009 /

      Giants’ ace Tim Lincecum will oppose Blue Jays’ starter Roy Halladay in tomorrow night’s All-Star Game from St. Louis. Lincecum is 10-2 at the break with a 2.33 ERA, while the “Doc” is 10-3 wit a 2.85 ERA.

      Albert Pujols will bat third for the NL behind Marlins’ shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who will bat leadoff, and Phillies’ second baseman Chase Utley, who will be in the two-hole. Brewers’ outfielder Ryan Braun will bat cleanup for the NL and be followed by Raul Ibanez (Phillies, left field), David Wright (Mets, third base), Shane Victorino (Phillies, centerfield) and Yadier Molina (Cardinals, catcher).

      The AL will have M’s right fielder Ichiro Suzuki leading off, followed by Yankees’ shortstop Derek Jeter and Twins’ catcher Joe Mauer. Yankees’ first baseman Mark Teixeira will bat cleanup, followed by Jason Bay (Red Sox, left field), Josh Hamilton (Rangers, centerfield), Evan Longoria (Rays, third base) and Aaron Hill (Blue Jays, second base).

      No word yet on when Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp and Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval will get in………….they didn’t get in? Jayson Werth? Jayson Werth?!

      Just kidding – Werth deserved to go. By no means did he and his .260 batting average get in only because Charlie Manuel is managing the NL.

      Again, just kidding. I know Werth has already popped 20 dingers and has driven in 56 runs this year. His numbers have been great both at home at that little league field Philadelphia calls a stadium, and on the road. I just hope for Manuel’s sake that Werth contributes, because Kemp and Sandoval have been freaking outstanding this year and deserved that final spot (the one that opened because of Carlos Beltran’s injury) as much as Werth did.

      MLB

      Ten infuriating MLB players to watch

      July 6, 2009 /

      Whether it’s that reliever that always seems to blow tight games in late innings, that batter that leaves runners on the bases, or that starter that walks seven batters an inning, every team has at least one player that as a fan, you’d rather set your eyelids on fire than watch trot onto the field for just one more inning.

      I’ve compiled a list of 10 infuriating, punch-a-hole-through-your-wall MLB players to watch. Granted, this list is by no means all-inclusive (and I implore you the reader to list the guys that drive you nuts in the comments section). But these are the 10 that seem to make my blood boil on a consistent basis, whether they’re playing for my favorite team or not.

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      MLB

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