MLB Player Rankings 2014: A Look at Yasiel Puig, Miguel Cabrera and More of Baseball's Best Latino Hitters
With barely a month until the 2014 MLB All-Star Game, some teams are surging, some are slumping and others are keeping things interesting. But through it all, the cream still rises to the top, and these Latino stars have been setting baseball on fire this season.
As the All-Star Game approaching, some of baseball's brightest stars have started to separate from the pack in distinguishing themselves as some of the best in the big leagues. It should come as no surprise that among those stars are a generous helping of Hispanic ballplayers, some of which are helping their teams battle for the pennant and some which are entertaining to watch even when their teams cannot say the same for themselves.
From hitters to base-stealers to sluggers, the Latin American presence is being felt far and wide in MLB baseball this season. Let's take a look at some of those exciting batting stars:
Alex Rios, Texas Rangers
This Puerto Rican-American hitter from Coffee, Alabama has been tearing up pitchers this season, leading the American League in batting average at an impressive .355 as of Tuesday. An All-Star in 2006 and 2007, the right fielder Rios saw himself fall into a slump for a few seasons after that, but suddenly has rediscovered his groove, much to the delight of the Texas Rangers, who are only three games behind in the Wild Card race and can heat up at any moment during the second half of the season.
Yasiel Puig, Los Angeles Dodgers
Last year's rookie phenom has been putting together an impressive sophomore year, the hard-hitting Cuban-born Puig ranked third in the National League with a .333 batting average while hitting 11 homers and among the top 10 NL hitters in runs driven in, smacking 40 RBIs for the Los Angeles Dodgers. If he keeps this up, the Dodgers' postseason return chances will be looking pretty promising.
Nelson Cruz, Baltimore Orioles
At age 33, the Monti Cristi, Dominican Republic native Cruz is terrorizing pitchers with his power. As of June 10, Cruz leads the major leagues in home runs (21) and RBIs (55), proving to be baseball's most dangerous offensive hitter at this point in time. His big bat has been paying off huge dividends for his Baltimore Orioles, who find themselves in the thick of a very close AL East race between division leader Toronto and the New York Yankees. Having won the American League Championship Series MVP in 2011, Cruz also is handy in the clutch, making him one of baseball's most feared and respected sluggers.
Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
As devastating as Detroit's fearsome starting pitching is, their hitting is also quite formidable, and the former triple crown winner Cabrera is a big part of that. The right-handed Maracay, Venezuela native continues his punishment of pitchers around the big leagues this season, piling up a .329 batting average with 12 home runs and 52 runs driven in. Is it a wonder that Cabrera leads the All-Star Game fan voting in the first base position at the moment? Probably not. With incredible power and a decent glove, Cabrera is arguably the best first baseman in all of baseball. One would be hard-pressed to dispute that, unless you're this guy...
Adrian Gonzalez, Los Angeles Dodgers
For years, he's been the big dog among first baseman, combining smooth defense (three Gold Gloves in 2008, 2009 and 2011) with a dangerous bat. Even with his current struggles this season, the Mexican-American San Diego native is still a force to be reckoned with at the plate, ranked 8th in the National League in home runs (12) and RBIs (38). He's leading the fan voting in the NL All-Star first base category, and with his popularity and run production, it's hard to see anyone taking that spot away from him before July.
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