Major League Baseball has somewhat transitioned into a pitcher’s league—as we’ve seen an increase in perfect games and no-hitters the past few seasons—but the league still has its share of feared hitters that no pitcher wants to see in the batter’s box.
From on-base percentages to threats to go deep, each hitter brings an arsenal to the plate that has proven to overpower pitchers in the past.
So who made the cut for the 15 most dangerous hitters in baseball today?
Let’s find out.
In this day and age, home runs get the most “ooh’s” and “aah’s” at baseball games from spectators. Fans come to the ballpark to see guys like Prince Fielder and Giancarlo Stanton hit mammoth tater shots that come close to reaching Mars’ orbit.
But there’s more than one dynamic to a baseball game. The stolen base is a key aspect to any successful player and team. Of course, players who can hit the long ball, and steal some bases are exponentially more valuable than the one-dimensional player. All-Stars such as Ryan Braun and David Wright are some examples of sluggers who are also bag-swipers.
In 2012, rookie sensation Mike Trout paced the Major Leagues with 49 stolen bases (the Padres’ Everth Cabrera seemingly came out of nowhere to lead the National League with 46 bags). Braun had his second consecutive 30/30 season (30 home runs, 30 stolen bases). And Jose Reyes reached 40 stolen bases for the fifth time in his career (he had 39 in 2011).
So as we sprint towards the start of the 2013 season, here is a look at who will likely be the tops in the stole base category when all is said and done.
The Los Angeles Angels did not give much of a financial reward—or provide any long-term job security—to 2012 American League Rookie of the Year Mike Trout. The All-Star center fielder had a season that would seem to warrant an eight-figure annual salary for years to come, but the Angels renewed his contract Friday for $510,000—just $20,000 over the MLB minimum.
A report by ESPN Los Angeles indicated that Trout was disappointed with the outcome, and also documented the response that his agent Craig Landis had in the aftermath.
During the process, on behalf of Mike, I asked only that the Angels compensate Mike fairly for his historic 2012 season, given his service time. In my opinion, this contract falls well short of a ‘fair’ contract and I have voiced this to the Angels throughout the process. Nonetheless, the renewal of Mike’s contract will put an end (to) this discussion.
Trout did indeed have an epic campaign in his first full season as a starter. The 21-year-old prodigy sported a batting average of .326, with 30 home runs and 83 RBI. In addition, he led all of baseball with 129 runs and 49 stolen bases, while only being caught five times.
Those types of numbers garnered him heavy consideration for the AL Most Valuable Player award, where he finished second in voting to Detroit Tigers star Miguel Cabrera. Though he came up short in the MVP race, Trout did win the Silver Slugger Award to go along with his other accolades.
Trout’s defensive abilities are also among the best in the game. His speed allows him to be an extremely rangy outfielder, and it even gave him a Fielding Bible Award as MLB’s best fielder at his position (via ACTA Sports).
He may have gotten a $10,000 bonus for his Rookie of the Year nod, but Trout deserved a lot more than what the Angels gave him for the foreseeable future.
In the same report, ESPN Los Angeles noted that Trout will be eligible for arbitration in the 2014 offseason, as well as free agency following the 2017 World Series. It will be interesting to see if the Angels’ penny-pinching weighs into future negotiations when Trout and Landis are in a greater position of power.
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The Los Angeles Angels front office has made a big mistake in their handling of young phenom Mike Trout already.
The club renewed the dynamic outfielder’s contract for a mere $510,000 (h/t Yahoo! Sports). That’s just $20,000 over the league’s minimum salary.
At this point, the Angels front office must be patting themselves on the back. Trout was last season’s breakout star. He took home Rookie of the Year honors while competing for the MVP award with his 30 home runs, 49 stolen bases and .326 batting average.
By wrapping up Trout at the incredibly discounted rate, they’re saving a boatload of money that would be owed to him if they were to pay him anywhere near what he’s worth. In the short term, it’s a great deal for the club.
However, it doesn’t come without consequences.
Trout’s agent, Craig Landis, has already expressed his disappointment in the deal (h/t Associated Press):
During the process, on behalf of Mike, I asked only that the Angels compensate Mike fairly for his historic 2012 season, given his service time… In my opinion, this contract falls well short of a ‘fair’ contract and I have voiced this to the Angels throughout the process. Nonetheless, the renewal of Mike’s contract will put an end (to) this discussion.
Unfortunately, Trout’s agent is exactly right. The Angels needed to reward him based upon his performance last season while taking into account his relatively short body of work.
Considering that it was just his rookie season, a little bit of trepidation to shell out a huge deal for the outfielder would be understandable, but a $510,000 deal is simply egregious.
As Landis went on to say, this isn’t the first decision that the organization has made lately that Trout didn’t agree with. Their decision to move Trout from center field was not taken well.
Mike, himself, does not wish to comment on this matter… As when he learned he would not be the team’s primary center fielder for the upcoming season, Mike will put the disappointment behind him and focus on helping the Angels reach their goal of winning the 2013 World Series.
The fact that Trout is willing to put this issue behind him and focus on producing on the field speaks to his character. When he hits free agency in 2017, his handling of this situation will only drive his value up.
Considering the Angels’ handling of his situation, it’s hard to imagine he won’t be all ears when other clubs come calling.
The Angels struck gold with Trout last season. It’s not often that a 21-year-old comes on the scene and immediately becomes one of the best offensive players in the game.
Keeping Trout happy in the long term should have been priority No. 1. However, the Angels have sent a clear message that they will do whatever is best for them without regard to Trout by re-upping his deal so close to the league minimum.
That’s a move that could guarantee Trout will be spending much of his prime elsewhere as soon as he’s allowed to bolt in free agency.
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Here’s my early top-60 listing of outfielders heading into exhibition play, with an emphasis on 5×5 roto leagues.
This position will likely produce baseball’s largest number of four- and five-category studs by season’s end.
But that star power still cannot obscure the uncertainty of taking inexperienced young players or injury-riddled veterans later in the draft, or household names that will invariably fall short of last year’s amped-up stats.
Hopefully, this listing will eliminate some of the draft-day doubt and consternation that come with the territory.
Especially with leagues that require five starters at the position.
Enjoy the show!
Los Angeles Angels star outfielder Mike Trout has taken the whole “Best Shape of His Life” business in a completely new direction, and he has created some rather pressing questions as a result.
We all know Trout as a guy with freakish athleticism and one of the most explosive blends of power and speed the league has ever seen. On Thursday, however, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reported that the Trout who stands before us all today is not the same Trout we saw in 2012:
For the record, Trout probably won’t be at 240 pounds by the time Opening Day rolls around. In a full report, DiGiovanna wrote that Trout said he expects to lose weight during spring training.
“I’ll lose five to 10 pounds during spring training, so I felt coming in heavier would help for where I need to be throughout the year,” said Trout. “I feel great.”
If so, he’ll be at 235 or 230 pounds rather than 240. That’s still a not-insignificant jump from where Trout was in 2012. He’s listed on MLB.com and on Baseball-Reference.com at 210 pounds. As Hardball Talk’s D.J. Short noted, Trout gained some weight during the season, but not to a point where he ballooned up to 230 pounds.
Thus, the big question: Will 2013 Mike Trout be anything like 2012 Mike Trout, or will he be a new Mike Trout?
The biggest change could be seen in Trout’s ability to hit for power. It’s something he was good at to begin with, and now he’s going to have a little extra girth to put behind his swing.
The 230-pound range is a pretty good weight for a slugger to be at. There were 26 players who hit at least 30 home runs in 2012, and Baseball-Reference.com shows that 12 of them weighed at least 230 pounds. Three of the league’s top sluggers—Miguel Cabrera, Josh Hamilton and Edwin Encarnacion—weighed between 230 and 240 pounds.
Encarnacion is a good comparison for what Trout could be like as a slugger with his added weight. The Toronto Blue Jays star got his weight in the 230-pound range last season and hit for more power than ever before, ultimately finishing with a career-high 42 home runs.
Encarnacion is relatively short at 6’2″, and he uses a quick, compact stroke from the right side of the plate. Trout is 6’1″, and he also uses a short, compact stroke at the plate. Neither he nor Encarnacion really needs to wind up to really drive the ball.
Asking Trout to follow in Encarnacion‘s footsteps and hit upward of 40 home runs is asking too much. Unlike Encarnacion, Trout plays half his games at a ballpark that is not a haven for right-handed power hitters. He’s also a leadoff hitter until further notice, so his job is still to get on base more than it is to hit for power.
But if Trout can hit 30 home runs in five months at 220-ish pounds, then surely he can hit 35 home runs over a full six-month season at 230-ish pounds. It’s going to be a shocker if the extra weight doesn’t translate to more power.
The bigger question marks have to do with how Trout’s weight gain is going to impact the other two major areas where he can provide value: baserunning and defense. For those things, he needs speed.
Trout was already bigger than your average base stealer to begin with, as he was the only player listed at 210 pounds to steal more than 40 bases last season. The only players in the 230 to 240 range to even steal more than 20 bases were Jason Heyward and Hanley Ramirez, who both stole 21. Ramirez is the better comparison for Trout because he’s only an inch taller than him.
Ramirez was a big-time base stealer earlier in his career, stealing a total of 102 bases in his first two seasons in the league in 2006 and 2007.
However, he probably didn’t weigh 230 pounds in those days, as Baseball America (subscription required) had him listed at 195 pounds when he was a prospect. He’s added weight as his career has gone on, and he’s become less of a stolen base threat and more of a traditional power threat along the way.
A similar trend could await Trout if he stays in the 230-pound range, and it could start to manifest itself as soon as this season. Instead of flirting with 50 stolen bases, maybe Trout will only approach 40.
The Angels won’t complain so long as the tradeoff is more power. After all, a double is just as good as a single/walk/HBP and a stolen base. You’re on second base and in scoring position either way.
As for how Trout’s defense will be impacted, it may scare you Angels fans out there that the best size comparison for Trout right now is Vernon Wells. He’s listed at 6’1″ and 230 pounds, precisely the size Trout is going to be at by Opening Day.
But don’t fret. Trout is just a wee bit younger than Wells, and he should still have enough juice in his legs to handle the position he’ll be playing.
And remember, that’s not center field anymore. Trout is going to be playing left field. That means he won’t have to cover as much ground, and he’ll have to cover even less ground playing next to Peter Bourjos.
Per FanGraphs, Bourjos has a career UZR/150 of 23.9, which is better even than the UZR/150 of 11.6 that Trout compiled in his rookie season. He’s very fast, but Bourjos may actually be faster.
Given the smaller field and Bourjos‘ range, Trout really isn’t going to have that much ground to cover in the outfield in 2013. With a smaller area to cover, he should have more than enough speed at his disposal to be an above-average defensive left fielder even with the extra weight.
So, to recap, Trout’s weight gain could mean a) more power b) a decrease in speed that probably won’t matter and c) a very minimal impact on his defensive prowess.
The short version is that Trout hasn’t risked his all-around awesomeness by putting on the weight, and I’m assuming he knew this was going to be the case when he moved ahead with the decision to put it on.
The only legitimate concern I have is whether the extra weight might impact Trout’s health. He’s certainly put on the good kind of weight—as opposed to the bad kind of weight made popular by guys like Delmon Young—but even muscle weight can become problematic.
Case in point, there may be no player in the league as muscled out as Matt Holliday, but there may also be no other player in the league who deals with as many nagging injuries in a season as he does. Words like “strain,” “tightness” and “soreness” are quite common for him.
These words might be more common for Trout in 2013 than they were in 2012, when he was a picture of health outside of a minor knee issue and a finger sprain. He’ll have to be mindful of not overexerting himself knowing that he’s carrying more weight than he’s used to.
Beyond that, Trout avoiding injury comes down to the baseball gods choosing not to smite him for some reason or another, and I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that they’d prefer not to smite him if they can help it.
After all, the baseball gods probably enjoy watching Trout play ball just as much as the rest of us.
If you want to talk baseball, hit me up on Twitter.
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There will be several missing superstars from MLB in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Players such as the Los Angeles Angels Mike Trout and the Washington Nationals Bryce Harper have decided to forgo the third installment of the international event.
There will also be several international players missing from the fold. Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners and Yu Darvish of the Texas Rangers headline two prominent baseball players who will not be participating in the WBC for their native countries.
Here is a list of 10 well-known major leaguers who will be sitting out the WBC.
It’s never too early to discuss baseball.
As spring training fast approaches, fantasy owners are already planning their draft strategies for the upcoming 2013 season.
Here are five guys who should be considered top-five picks.
1. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
2012 stats: .330, 44 HR, 139 RBI, .999 OPS
The baseball gods will sacrifice someone if the reigning Triple Crown winner and AL MVP isn’t the No. 1 overall pick in all fantasy baseball drafts.
Cabrera put together one of the most historical seasons in baseball during his 2012 campaign while setting career-bests in the home run and RBI departments.
For a guy with so much production, Cabrera stayed extremely healthy, playing in 161 games and striking out just 98 times last season while posting a 7.1 WAR (h/t Fan Graphs).
If Cabrera isn’t your No. 1 pick this season, there’s something seriously wrong with you.
2. Mike Trout
2012 stats: .326, 30 HR, 83 RBI, 49 SB
Like Cabrera, newcomer Mike Trout had one of the best seasons the MLB has ever seen.
And he only played in 139 games in 2012.
Aside from his gaudy numbers above, Trout posted an MLB-leading 10.0 WAR and led the AL in runs scored, with 129.
If Trout stays healthy in 2013, we could see the first 40-40 player since Alfonso Soriano in 2006.
He averaged a strikeout per game in 2012, but I think owners can forgive him with all of the other production he’s going to put up.
In a stacked Los Angeles Angels lineup, look for Trout to benefit immensely.
3. Josh Hamilton
2012 stats: .285, 43 HR, 128 RBI, .931 OPS
Hamilton didn’t exactly close out his 2012 season on good terms with fantasy owners, but that shouldn’t matter.
Now hitting in the middle of a powerful Angels lineup, Hamilton has plenty of protection to put up some stout fantasy numbers in 2013.
Hamilton’s torrid start to last season is just a small sample size of what he’s capable of, as he ranked second in the MLB in home runs and RBI.
With a change of scenery and a world of help around him, look for Hamilton to put up another big season for fantasy owners.
4. Ryan Braun
2012 stats: .319, 41 HR, 112 RBI, 30 SB
Because of Cabrera and Trout, it seems that Ryan Braun’s outstanding 2012 campaign was overshadowed.
Braun led the NL in home runs, finished second in hits and RBI and ranked third in terms of batting average.
He has an unheralded combination of power and speed and has played in at least 150 games in every season since 2008.
With consistent seasons of a 300-plus average, at least 25 home runs and more than 100 RBI, Braun is absolutely a top-five pick in your fantasy draft.
5. Andrew McCutchen
2012 stats: .327, 31 HR, 96 RBI, 20 SB
He’s one of the best up-and-coming stars in the MLB and Andrew McCutchen looks like he’s here to stay.
In his third complete season in the big leagues, “Cutch” put up career numbers across the board, ranking second in the NL in batting average and first in hits, with 194.
With McCutchen‘s numbers elevating every season thus far, one has to think he’ll collect more than 100 RBI in 2013 to help your fantasy team.
With McCutchen spreading the love in multiple fantasy categories, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ center fielder should be a top-five selection.
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Spring training is rapidly approaching and Opening Day is on the horizon. Teams will begin flocking to their respective training camps with a clear mind and with hopes of winning their respective divisions and make a deep push into October.
But when word spreads regarding the findings from an anti-aging clinic in Miami on Tuesday, some division favorites could be in trouble before the season officially begins.
NL East
The Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves could go first and second in the National League East Division this season.
The Nationals are the reigning division champions after finishing last season with a mark of 98-64, the best record in all of baseball. Not to mention, the Nationals boasted the best road record among any major league club.
Washington led the NL with a 3.33 ERA, which was second best in all of baseball last season.
That could change if Commissioner Bug Selig decides to dish out penalties to those players revealed on the report from the anti-aging clinic in Miami.
Among those named in the report is Nationals starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez. According to the story on ESPN.com, Gonzalez—who recorded 21 wins in 2012—appears five times on the report.
If Gonzalez is indeed penalized for his actions, then the Nationals will be in major trouble without their most reliable pitcher.
NL Central
It appears the National League Central Division will be a two-team race between St. Louis and Cincinnati.
No surprise there.
The Cardinals have reached postseason play four times in the last seven seasons, including two World Series championships and a pair of division titles. The Reds have won the division two of the last three seasons.
Cincinnati traded for center fielder Shin-Soo Choo from Cleveland and re-signed free-agent slugger Ryan Ludwick. The Reds also locked up free-agent hurler Jonathan Broxton, who may serve as the team’s closer depending on whether or not fireballer Aroldis Chapman is inserted into the starting rotation.
The Cardinals were relatively quiet this winter. Their lone offseason addition was left-handed reliever Randy Choate, who signed a three-year, $7.5 million contract in December.
If the Reds rotation holds up, they will be tough to beat in the Central.
NL West
The Giants will surely make a run to defend their World Series championship in 2013.
They re-signed right fielder Hunter Pence, who should provide some pop in the batting order to accompany Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey.
But the team to beat in 2013 will be the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers signed free agent starter Zack Greinke, who has won 31 games in the last two seasons.
It’s not likely that sluggers Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez, Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and Carl Crawford will drastically decline at the plate, either.
AL East
The Yankees were thought to be the early favorites to win their third consecutive American League East Division crown.
But the aftermath regarding the findings from the anti-aging clinic in Miami could drastically alter this prediction.
Alex Rodriguez was expected to miss a portion or perhaps the entire regular season after undergoing hip surgery.
But now, the three-time AL Most Valuable Player could be facing another penalty. According to the report on ESPN.com, Rodriguez’s name appears on the report 16 times.
Rodriguez hit 18 home runs and notched 57 RBI while batting .272 for the Yankees last season.
If Rodriguez is dealt a major penalty for his actions, then the Yankees will be in early trouble.
AL Central
The Detroit Tigers look like the front-runners for the American League Central Division crown.
After getting swept 4-0 in the World Series last October, the Tigers are looking for to embark on a deeper journey into the postseason this time around.
Detroit went out and signed free agent center fielder Torii Hunter with hopes of adding some protection and production to a lineup that boasted the league’s 11th-best offense last season.
Justin Verlander will look to build off of a noteworthy season that saw him win 17 games while fanning 239 batters.
AL West
It would be silly for the Los Angeles Angels not to win the American League West, especially with the loaded lineup they now possess.
The addition of free agent outfielder Josh Hamilton will further boast a batting order that features slugger Albert Pujols and 2012 AL Rookie of the Year Mike Trout.
The Angels will have an explosive offense. That’s almost certain. But a slow start combined with an injury or two could allow the Texas Rangers to jump into the mix and possibly hold on the for good.
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It is very rare in baseball to see two game-changing players debut in the same year like we did in 2012 with Mike Trout and Bryce Harper; the last occurrence being in 2001 with Albert Pujols and Ichiro.
Both players were the undisputed best rookies in their respective league and have created a buzz about themselves that could easily create a fast track to Cooperstown. The question now is whether they can progress in 2013 or will one—or both—of them succumb to the dreaded sophomore slump?
It may seem cruel to openly wonder if a kid will fall flat on his face, but it is not unusual for players to get figured out by pitchers and fielders and not produce at the levels that produced all the hype to begin with.
For every Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays, we have Joe Charbonneau and Kevin Maas.
That is not to suggest that either of these great players are going to fall off the face of the earth, but one great rookie season does not guarantee getting featured on SportsCenter the rest of their career.
For the Washington Nationals, Harper has a much easier road in duplicating his 2012 output.
At just 19, Harper hit .270, with 22 home runs and 59 runs batted in. He had 144 base hits, stole 18 bases and struck out 120 times.
With the Nationals’ lineup and their pitching staff, not only should Harper have plenty of opportunities to build on his rookie year, he should not be under tremendous individual pressure to do so. Most of the focus going into 2013 will be on Stephen Strasburg’s first full season in the Majors (hopefully).
While Harper will receive plenty of attention, there will be equal spotlight not only Strasburg, but retiring manager Davey Johnson getting one last World Series shot before calling it quits.
Frankly, this is the best chance Johnson has had to get to the World Series since the 1988 New York Mets, who fell short in the NLCS.
Sure, there will be pressure on Harper, but no more than on the entire team to match their division-winning effort from last season.
Trout, on the other hand, will be under a huge scope following his implausible rookie campaign.
In falling short of becoming the third player in baseball history to win the Rookie of the Year and the Most Valuable Player award, Trout has captured the adoration of Southern California and sabermetric gurus alike.
Trout’s credentials were legitimate. He led the American League in runs scored and stolen bases and hit 30 homers and batted .326 as well. And if he had played a full 162-game season, he certainly would have had 200 hits.
Therein lies the problem. His first full season went so well, it is hard to imagine him getting much better.
Unlike Harper, any slump by Trout will be featured on ESPN and dissected by their never-ending parade of talking heads. He has played himself into the fishbowl—which I am sure is still an enviable position from his peers.
Unlike the Nationals, the Angels are not the best team in their league or division.
Trout does have the benefit of playing for one of the better managers in the game in Mike Scioscia and has arguably the game’s best lineup protector in Albert Pujols.
If Pujols is his usual self and if the Angels get hot early, the pressure will be off of Trout and the kid will just play ball.
Some have compared the entry of Harper and Trout in MLB to the emergence of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson to the NBA a generation ago.
It would be extraordinary to see these two stars turn into legends. But to expect that to happen without any hitches is simply not realistic.
How they adapt to the new pressure will be key for each going forward. For our sake, another summer like 2012 would be just fine.
*Statistics via Baseball-Reference
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