Pop quiz! Who is
leading the AL in hits? How about stolen bases? And who has the best batting
average in the American League as well? Finally, if you ask me who is the best
second baseman right now, as well as in the next five years, what would I say?
Robinson Cano? Dusty Pedroia? Maybe even Ian Kinsler or Dee Gordon?
All of the questions
above have the same answer: Jose Altuve. Now before you keep reading, I know
most of your responses already: who? It’s a fair question to ask.
Jose Altuve is the
second baseman for the Houston Astros, and he has been there for four years
now. At 24 years old, Altuve is one of the most promising young talents in
baseball, already having 529 career hits. In fact, he already has 124 hits this
year, breaking Houston’s team record for most hits in the first half of the
season. So while he is known for having bad looking slides, he should be
remembered for breaking records.
Not only that, but he
has a .338/.377/.436 batting line,
plus 26 doubles and 39 steals in 42
attempts. So yes, he has a 93% chance of swiping a bag, which is incredible.
Altuve does not hit for
power, as he only has two home runs this season and his career high is seven,
but that’s not a problem, as the rest of his performance continues to improve.
Like I mentioned before, he already has 26 doubles, so he’ll quickly break his
career high of 34 in about a month. With a WAR of 3.2, he has the second best
WAR among second baseman. Remember- he is only 24 years old!
As he shows signs of
improvement, it leaves nothing but excitement. In his previous three years, he
batted .285/.323/.377, which is still good, but nothing like this. I can see
him continue batting about .300, maybe even have 40-50 steals each year as
well. He will be making his second all-star appearance this year, the second of
many more to come.
So if you got the
questions at the beginning right, then congrats! As for those who didn’t- see
if you can get this next guy: Another 24 year old, he does not lead the league
in anything, but you can vote for him in the Final Vote to get him into his
first all-star game. This one is a little bit easier – it’s Anthony Rizzo!
Anthony Rizzo is the
now-and-future first baseman for the Chicago Cubs. He, like Altuve, has been in
the Majors since age 21, but Rizzo’s journey has been a little more
up-and-down. He started with the San Diego Padres and played in the Majors in
2011 before struggling big time. After being traded, he got called up the next
year in the middle of the year, then got his first full time season in the big
leagues last year.
Rizzo, though I doubt
he’ll win it, should be considered for Comeback Player of the Year. Last year
was a little mediocre, batting only .233/.323/.419 with 127 strikeouts. Plus,
he batted under .200 vs. left handed hitters. That being said, however, he
still was able to hit 40 doubles and 23 home runs.
What impressed me last
year was not his power (that seemed like it was easily coming), but his
defensive capabilities. He finished 2nd in Gold Glove voting after
Paul Goldschmidt, and would’ve won it if he was in the AL. At only 23, he had
the defensive capabilities of a well-respected veteran. Expect his defense to
win a few gold gloves in a few years, maybe even this year.
Speaking of this year,
not only has his defense stayed golden (no pun intended), but his offensive
stats have clicked. He has raised his average over 40 points and his OPS 140
points. In fact, his .884 OPS is one of the best in the Majors among first
baseman. He now has 19 home runs and 48 RBI’s, so he is well on his way to
surpass his career highs last year.
And how about this? He’s
raised his average against lefties over 100 points! Now he has been able to hit
homers vs. both lefties and righty’s, something that even the best sluggers
struggle with. He is currently in the Final Vote section in the NL, so get him
some votes!
Both Altuve and Rizzo
are having years to remember, not only because they are having their best
seasons, but they’re proving that they are two of the best young hitters in the
game. Rizzo has power, and can finish with 300 homers with a few gold gloves.
If Altuve keeps it up, he will finish with one of the best averages in history.
Who will have a better
career? That’s one question that just can’t be answered.
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