Goodness! Another "TOP" list. Seems there are lists for EVERYTHING. Can't get around ranking things in this society, can we? LOL Well, in good fun and just because this is "essential" information, Sports Illustrated's Joe Ponanski has given his rating of the top 100 major league baseball players to date. I will only list the top 10 here, because after 10, we just don't really care, do we. With no further ado, the list:
1. Albert Pujols, first base
"Every hitter is human," says pitcher Zack Greinke (No. 4). "Except Pujols."
2. Joe Mauer, catcher
Could win his third batting title this year ... no other American League catcher ever has won even one in history.
3. Hanley Ramirez, shortstop
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, starting pitcher
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, second base
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, third base
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, starting pitcher
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, starting pitcher
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, starting pitcher
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, starting pitcher
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.
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