1. Adrian Gonzalez – Padres
2. Todd Helton – Rockies
3. Adam LaRoche – Diamondbacks
4. James Loney – Dodgers
5. Aubrey Huff – Giants
While the other four are pretty close, Gonzalez is clearly the top choice. He continues to defy the stadium he plays in, and is pretty much the only reason to pay attention to the Padres these days. Here’s how good he is – he hit 40 home runs last year. Here’s how bad the rest of his team is – he only had 99 RBIs. Still, he continues to mash and prove to be one of the game’s best players.
In a close call, I’ll still go with Helton in second. A rebound last year is a big reason why, as he hit .325 with 15 homers and 86 RBIs. The days of 40+ homers are gone, but steady hitting and excellent defense remain.
LaRoche just edged Loney based on power numbers. LaRoche hit 25 homers between three teams last year, his fifth straight year of 20+. He won’t hit .300, but plays great defense.
Loney can still rise up the list, but is more of a gap hitter than home run hitter at this point. Two straight years of 90 RBIs is really good for a guy who only hits 15 homers. Like the others in his division, his glove at first is really good.
Huff isn’t a bad pickup by the Giants, but sure looks like someone on the decline. He shocked everybody two years ago with a monster season in Baltimore with 32 homers and 108 RBIs, but went down to 15 and 85 last year. He got traded to the Tigers in late August last year and proceeded to do nothing. Still, the Giants need offense, so he’s worth a chance.
2 comments:
I am not trying to be a homer but give Loney a little credit. I think he will have a breakout season! I say Gonzales, Loney, Helton, Laroch,
I guess I should just admit that I've never been too high on Loney. It's not that I don't like him, I just think there's plenty better at first. But I hope you're right.
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