Updating the Top 100 MLB Players at the Halfway Mark of the 2013 Season (2/2)

[KAKA]

2부는 해당 칼럼에서 자세히 다룬 25~1위 까지 입니다.

25. SP Jordan Zimmermann, Washington Nationals

Stats: 16 GS, 11-3, 2.28 ERA, 80 K, 114.2 IP

Overshadowed by Gio Gonzalez and Stephen Strasburg last season, Zimmermann has been hands down the team's best starter this season and one of the best pitchers in all of baseball.

Still only 27 years old, he's just entering the prime of his career, and if he keeps pitching like he has, the Nationals may consider buying out his final two years of arbitration and locking him up with a long-term extension.

24. 1B Edwin Encarnacion, Toronto Blue Jays

Stats: .271/.353/.542, 22 HR, 64 RBI, 51 R

Encarnacion enjoyed a monster breakout season in 2012, as he carried the Blue Jays offense for much of the season and finished the year with 42 home runs and 110 RBI.

Hitting now alongside a healthy Jose Bautista, he has proved to be the superior slugger to this point in 2013, as his 22 home runs are tied for second in the AL and his 64 RBI are good for third.

23. C Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants

Stats: .314/.391/.515, 10 HR, 45 RBI, 32 R

The reigning NL MVP, Posey has once again proven to be the Giants' most important player on the offensive side of things, and an argument can certainly be made for him being the best catcher in the game today.

Giving a big money, long-term deal to a catcher is always a risky proposition, but the nine-year, $167 million extension that the Giants gave Posey in the offseason looks like a stroke of genius to this point, as he's the unquestioned face of the franchise and means as much to his team's success as anyone in baseball.

22. 3B David Wright, New York Mets

Stats: .305/.387/.523, 12 HR, 41 RBI, 41 R

Also the recipient of a lengthy extension this past offseason, Wright re-upped with the Mets on an eight-year, $138 million deal and will be a primary building block in their push towards a return to contention.

He hit .306/.391/.492 with 21 home runs and 93 RBI last season in what was a welcome bounce-back year following a disappointing 2011 campaign. He's been even better so far this year, and the 30-year-old is undoubtedly the best third baseman in the National League at this point.

21. SP Clay Buchholz, Boston Red Sox

 

Stats: 12 GS, 9-0, 1.71 ERA, 81 K, 84.1 IP

Buchholz falls down the list a bit due to the fact that he's made just 12 starts while battling a neck strain, but even with a smaller body of work than many of the other pitchers ranked this high, he's more than deserving of his spot.

He currently leads all of baseball in ERA, and the bounce-back performances of him and Jon Lester atop the Red Sox staff have been among the biggest reasons for their drastic turnaround. If he can get back on the field soon and keep pitching like he has, he's got a real shot at AL Cy Young honors.

20. CF Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels

Stats: .308/.384/.541, 13 HR, 51 RBI, 56 R, 19 SB

Coming off of perhaps the greatest rookie season in the history of the game, Trout had his work cut out for him in avoiding the dreaded sophomore slump, as he looked to chase MVP-caliber numbers once again in his second full big league season.

Still just 21, he's been fantastic once again this season as one of the few consistent producers in a disappointing Angels lineup. He has 19 steals to go along with his 13 home runs, as he is arguably the top power/speed threat in the game today.

19. CF Carlos Gomez, Milwaukee Brewers

Stats: .313/.355/.570, 12 HR, 37 RBI, 43 R, 15 SB

Long one of the more athletically gifted outfielders in the game, Gomez finally turned potential into production last season when he hit .260 with 19 home runs and 37 RBI.

That earned him a three-year, $24 million extension, and the Brewers may well have gotten one of the steals of the offseason with that contract, as he's taken the next step towards stardom this year. With 18 doubles, eight triples and 12 home runs, his 155 total bases are good for sixth-most in the NL.

18. SS Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies

Stats: .347/.413/.635, 16 HR, 51 RBI, 41 R

Tulowitzki would almost certainly crack the top 10 if it were not for the fact that he's landed on the DL for an extended period of time once again. After playing in just 47 games last season due to a groin injury, he is now shelved with a broken rib until sometime after the All-Star break.

Injury woes aside, Tulowitzki is undoubtedly the best all-around shortstop in the game today, and he was a big reason for the Rockies' hot start. Getting him back alongside Carlos Gonzalez in the middle of the lineup will be paramount in the team's chances of sticking around in the NL West race.

17. SP Hisashi Iwakuma, Seattle Mariners

Stats: 16 GS, 7-3, 2.26 ERA, 96 K, 107.1 IP

Iwakuma quietly went 8-4 with a 2.65 ERA in 16 starts after joining the Mariners rotation in the second half of last season, and the team wisely re-signed him to a two-year, $14 million deal in the offseason.

His 0.89 WHIP currently leads the AL and trails Matt Harvey by just 0.01 for the MLB lead, and perhaps most impressive of all, he's out-pitched teammate Felix Hernandez across the board to this point. The 32-year-old deserves serious consideration to start the All-Star Game, though that honor will likely go to Max Scherzer.

16. SS Jean Segura, Milwaukee Brewers

Stats: .333/.366/.525, 11 HR, 32 RBI, 44 R, 24 SB

Acquired from the Angels as part of the return in last July's Zack Greinke trade, Segura has not only seized the everyday shortstop job this season, but has also quickly emerged as one of the best hitters not just at the position, but in all of baseball.

He became the first NL player to reach 100 hits on Tuesday, and he's not just slapping singles, as he has nine doubles, eight triples and 11 home runs on the season and his 159 total bases are good for fourth in the NL. Still only 23, he looks as though he'll be a key piece of the Brewers' future, and change may be in order for the franchise after they've struggled so badly in the first half.

15. SP Patrick Corbin, Arizona Diamondbacks

Stats: 15 GS, 9-0, 2.19 ERA, 79 K, 102.2 IP

After going 6-8 with a 4.54 ERA in 22 games (17 starts) as a rookie last season, Corbin entered spring training on the roster bubble battling with top prospect Tyler Skaggs and a few others for the No. 5 spot in the Arizona rotation.

He seized the opportunity and has quickly emerged as the team's best starter and one of the best young pitchers in all of baseball. Still just 23, he was overshadowed by Trevor Bauer and Skaggs throughout his time in the minors, but he may wind up being the best of the bunch given the way he's thrown the ball so far this year.

14. DH David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox

Stats: .319/.405/.620, 16 HR, 57 RBI, 39 R

The fact that he missed the first 15 games of the season recovering from last year's Achilles injury makes the above stats that much more impressive, as he's put up those numbers in just 61 games.

It's hard to believe that Ortiz was all but written off following a .238/.332/.462 season back in 2009, as he may be as good a hitter now at 37 years old as he was in his prime. Keeping him healthy for a full season will be the biggest hurdle, but from an ability standpoint, Ortiz hasn't lost much if anything at this point in his career

13. 3B Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays

Stats: .299/.368/.551, 17 HR, 47 RBI, 52 R

I never tire of the stat that the Rays were 47-27 with Longoria in the lineup last season and 43-45 without him, as that speaks volumes to what he means to the team's success.

He's been as healthy this season as at any point in his career, and he's well on his way to a career year as a result. He's an elite defender at a premium position and the unquestioned leader of a Rays team that continues to do more with less than almost any team in baseball.

12. 1B Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds

Stats: .322/.437/.519, 14 HR, 38 RBI, 55 R

While there are a couple others at the position who are having better seasons and are ranked higher on this list, most would agree that Votto is the premier first baseman in the league today. 

He has as good a batting eye as anyone in baseball, and while he can be overly patient at times, his ability to get on base ahead of fellow sluggers Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce makes him that much more valuable to the Reds lineup. He's led the NL in on-base percentage each of the past three seasons and is well on his way to doing so again this year. 

11. SP Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers

Stats: 17 GS, 6-5, 2.08 ERA, 118 K, 121.1 IP

Kershaw has flown a bit under the radar this season due in large part to the Dodgers' struggles, but he remains arguably the best pitcher in the game and is having another fantastic all-around season.

He's led the NL in ERA each of the past two seasons, and is currently just 0.03 behind Matt Harvey in that department. There have been rumblings of ongoing negotiations between Kershaw and the Dodgers as they look to come to terms on an extension, and the 25-year-old will no doubt be the highest-paid pitcher in the history of the game whenever that comes to pass.

10. RF Carlos Beltran, St. Louis Cardinals

Stats: .308/.349/.546, 18 HR, 48 RBI, 41 R

Though he slumped badly after a brilliant first half last season, Beltran has once again been a beast out of the No. 2 spot in the Cardinals lineup this season.

The 36-year-old is slowly but surely putting together a pretty compelling case for the Hall of Fame, and if he can stay healthy and productive for a few more seasons, he has a real chance. While his above numbers are impressive, it's his clutch abilities that earn him such a high spot on this list, as he's hitting .455 with runners in scoring position this season.

9. SP Max Scherzer, Detroit Tigers

Stats: 15 GS, 11-0, 3.05 ERA, 122 K, 103.1 IP

After a rocky first half last season, things finally seemed to click for the uber-talented Scherzer after the All-Star break, as he was 8-2 with a 2.69 ERA in the second half and served as a second ace alongside Justin Verlander.

Though he hasn't been the best pitcher in the game this season, he's awfully close, and his undefeated streak is phenomenal regardless of what his peripheral numbers look like. He's the odds-on favorite to start the All-Star game for the AL and is more than deserving of the honor.

8. LF Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies

Stats: .301/.370/.613, 21 HR, 58 RBI, 62 R

Though Gonzalez has been incredibly productive for the Rockies over the past four seasons, that production has always been taken with a grain of salt due to his drastic home/road splits.

Currently leading the NL in home runs (21) and runs scored (62), he's been doing just as much damage on the road (.976 OPS) as he has at home (.989 OPS) so far this year. That should make him a legitimate MVP candidate if he can keep it up, and with 14 steals thrown in for good measure, he may be in line for the first 30/30 season of his career.

7. SP Yu Darvish, Texas Rangers

Stats: 16 GS, 7-3, 2.95 ERA, 143 K, 106.2 IP

After a solid rookie season in which he went 16-9 with a 3.90 ERA and 221 strikeouts, Darvish has taken the next step this season and emerged as one of the few legitimate ace starters in the game today.

He has a decent chance to be the first 300-strikeout pitcher in a decade, and he currently has 20 more punch-outs than anyone else. The Rangers took a big risk with the amount of money they shelled out to and Darvish prior to last season, but it looks like money well-spent here in year two.

6. 1B Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks

Stats: .310/.385/.571, 19 HR, 67 RBI, 52 R

After seizing the starting first base job during the team's postseason push back in 2011, Goldschmidt enjoyed a solid first full season in the majors last season, as he hit .285 with 20 home runs and 18 steals.

The 25-year-old has taken another big step forward this season and is now one of the top middle-of-the-order bats in all of baseball. His 67 RBI currently lead the National League, and his .957 OPS is best by a non-Rockies player, as he looks like a legitimate MVP candidate.

5. SP Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals

Stats: 16 GS, 10-5, 2.31 ERA, 106 K, 116.2 IP

Wainwright was expectedly shaky in the first half last season after missing all of 2011 with Tommy John surgery, but he started to round into form in the second half.

The Cardinals apparently saw enough to give him a five-year, $97.5 million extension, and they were right, as he has returned to his dominant pre-surgery form. His 4.0 WAR is tops among pitchers this season, per FanGraphs, and he's the unquestioned ace of a terrific Cardinals staff.

4. SP Matt Harvey, New York Mets

Stats: 16 GS, 7-1, 2.05 ERA, 121 K, 110 IP

Even with what he showed in 10 starts last season, going 3-5 with a 2.73 ERA and 10.6 K/9, it's been a surprise just how well Harvey has pitched every time he's taken the ball this season.

He's flirted with a no-hitter on more than one occasion, and he's allowed more than two runs in a start just four times this season. He's also struck out double-digit batters four different times and, at 24 years old, is already in the conversation for best pitcher in baseball.

3. C Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals

Stats: .357/.400/.516, 6 HR, 44 RBI, 35 R

One of the top defensive catchers in the game since he first broke into the league, Molina entered the 2012 season with a pedestrian .274/.331/.377 line for his career.

The defense was there as always, but he took his offense to a new level with a .315/.373/.501 line and a career-high 22 home runs. He's only gotten better this year, as he currently leads the NL in batting average and is hitting .405 with runners in scoring position, and if the season ended today, he'd take home NL MVP honors 

2. Chris Davis, Baltimore Orioles

Stats: .330/.404/.709, 28 HR, 73 RBI, 54 R

Davis has had what would qualify as a solid season for a lot of players and it's not even July yet. He currently leads all of baseball in home runs with 28, six more than the next highest total.

A flop in Texas, Davis got a fresh start in Baltimore and enjoyed a breakout season last year, but he's on another planet right now, as he needs just six more home runs and 14 RBI to top his full season totals from last year. It will be interesting to see if he can keep it up for a full season. At 27 years old, this could be definitely be a legitimate sustainable breakout.

1. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers

Stats: .370/.460/.657, 22 HR, 78 RBI, 59 R

All due respect to Chris Davis, who has been amazing, but Cabrera is still the best hitter on the planet. Coming off an AL MVP and Triple Crown season, the slugger hasn't missed a beat this season hitting in the middle of a dangerous Detroit lineup.

Currently leading all of baseball in batting average and RBI, and second to Davis in the AL in home runs, he has a chance to become the first ever back-to-back Triple Crown winner. It's a long shot, but at the same time, it wouldn't be at all surprising to see him pull it off.

[가넷피어스]

상위 25명 중에 투수 7명. 그 7명 중에 달빛이 3위, 쿠마 6위... 현지에서 받는 평가가 엄청나네요.

[환상덩크 빈스카터]

몰리나가 3위라니 ㅎㄷㄷ

[NashToBryant]

골디 6위! 진짜 엄청 컸네 골디 .. 더블에이에서 올라온게 어제같은데