Top 5 Hitters in Baseball

[finswin56]

I'd take both Pete Rose and Tony Gwynn over Dimaggio. Even Mantle.....

Rose and Gwynn (regardless of how much I liked him as a player) do not measure up to Joe D.

Joe D was far superior in producing runs and slugging. Rose played 24 seasons, and Gwynn played 20. Joe D's average H's per year was better than Gwynn's and very close to Rose.

So Rose has hits by a small margin, but gets blown away in every other relevant category.

Gwynn has a slight edge in BA (.008), but can't compare in the others.

In other words, Joe D was a much better all around hitter than either Rose or Gwynn. The numbers don't lie.

Unfortunately, as Mantle is my favorite all-time player, he's just not in this conversation. Coulda, woulda, shoulda, but didn't.

 

[Boik14]

How can you guys forget Todd Helton? He only has the highest career batting average of ALL current major league players. Yes, even higher than Pujols and Ichiro. :eek:

i dont think anyone forgot him, he just looks pretty washed up the last year and a half. Plus ill never go for a player who's career ba is significantly higher in coors then on the road

 

[djfresh47]

even thou he is only batting right around the .300 mark.....there is no player in the game with more tools as a player then grady sizemore....ozzie guillen didnt say he was the best player in the AL central for nothing.

That's a pretty bold statement especially since Sizemore isn't the most feared hitter in their lineup. I know what Ozzie said last year but I don't see it. Paul Konerko/Torii Hunter/Joe Mauer are the three best players in the Central, IMO. Hafner is the best hitter in the Indians lineup I rarely see him not hit the ball hard.

 

[NJFINSFAN1]

I'll go based on this year

Wright
Cabrera
Tejada
Guerrero
Pujols

With close behind

Bay
Thome
Wells

 

[FaninPatsyLand]

That's a pretty bold statement especially since Sizemore isn't the most feared hitter in their lineup. I know what Ozzie said last year but I don't see it. Paul Konerko/Torii Hunter/Joe Mauer are the three best players in the Central, IMO. Hafner is the best hitter in the Indians lineup I rarely see him not hit the ball hard.

Torii Hunter? He's a career .267 hitter. Granted he plays a spectacular CF and I repsect him alot for his abilities with the glove, but he's not a better all around player than Grady Sizemore.

 

[FaninPatsyLand]

I'll go based on this year

Wright
Cabrera
Tejada
Guerrero
Pujols

With close behind

Bay
Thome
Wells

If you're going to base the list strictly on this year, Jason Bay HAS to be in the top five. Also, where's Nick Swisher, Alex Rios and Joe Mauer? Surely they all have to be in that 2nd group at the very least.

And isn't Tejada hitting under .250 in May after an outstanding April? Not sure that warrants a top 5 spot.

 

[djfresh47]

Torii Hunter? He's a career .267 hitter. Granted he plays a spectacular CF and I repsect him alot for his abilities with the glove, but he's not a better all around player than Grady Sizemore.

Sizemore is a career .287 hitter. Granted he's basically played 1 and 1/2 seasons but I think Hunter is as good as anybody defensively in the outfield.

 

[FaninPatsyLand]

Sizemore is a career .287 hitter. Granted he's basically played 1 and 1/2 seasons but I think Hunter is as good as anybody defensively in the outfield.

I'm not going to try to argue that Sizemore is a better defender than Torii Hunter, because that would be ridiculous. My point is that Sizemore isn't a slouch in the outfield either, and his superior offensive production puts him ahead of Hunter in terms of being a better all around player, at least in my opinion.

 

[djfresh47]

I'm not going to try to argue that Sizemore is a better defender than Torii Hunter, because that would be ridiculous. My point is that Sizemore isn't a slouch in the outfield either, and his superior offensive production puts him ahead of Hunter in terms of being a better all around player, at least in my opinion.

I don't think he's established enough to be considered better than Hunter. He has not played enough we're going on less than two full seasons in terms of games played. It's hard for me to label a DH a franchise player so i'm not going to give that to Hafner but Jhonny Peralta although he is struggling this year has the most upside of any of the Indians young players.

 

[FaninPatsyLand]

I don't think he's established enough to be considered better than Hunter. He has not played enough we're going on less than two full seasons in terms of games played. It's hard for me to label a DH a franchise player so i'm not going to give that to Hafner but Jhonny Peralta although he is struggling this year has the most upside of any of the Indians young players.

I like Sizemore alot, I think he's going to be a stud, but you aren't going to get an arguement out of me with the selection of Jhonny Peralta. He hit 27 homeruns last year, and while he's currently struggling, when he learns to cut down on the strikeouts... watch out.

Man, with all that young talent they have there in Cleveland, the Indians lineup is going to be a machine down the road. (And they're already pretty damn good)

 

[NJFINSFAN1]

If you're going to base the list strictly on this year, Jason Bay HAS to be in the top five. Also, where's Nick Swisher, Alex Rios and Joe Mauer? Surely they all have to be in that 2nd group at the very least.

And isn't Tejada hitting under .250 in May after an outstanding April? Not sure that warrants a top 5 spot.

Bay dosen't strike fear into you, either does Rios, but yes they both have been very good. Game on the line, do you want my 5 or one of them at the plate?

 

[FaninPatsyLand]

Bay dosen't strike fear into you, either does Rios, but yes they both have been very good. Game on the line, do you want my 5 or one of them at the plate?

If your going strictly on numbers this year, then they should be on the list or damn close to it. If you want feared hitters then how can you base that on two months? You can't, instead you have to look at their numbers prior to this year, in which case Ortiz, Ramirez, Arod and others would be in the list.

Can't have it both ways. And with the game on the line, I want the two guys leading the AL in average up (Rios and Mauer).

 

[Boik14]

If your going strictly on numbers this year, then they should be on the list or damn close to it. If you want feared hitters then how can you base that on two months? You can't, instead you have to look at their numbers prior to this year, in which case Ortiz, Ramirez, Arod and others would be in the list.

Can't have it both ways. And with the game on the line, I want the two guys leading the AL in average up (Rios and Mauer).

But do you want singles hitters like mauer or rios or do you want very good hitters who can hit the long ball. Someone like ortiz is strictly a power threat whereas someone like a cabrera or wright is contact hitter who can hit the ball 400 ft

 

[FaninPatsyLand]

But do you want singles hitters like mauer or rios or do you want very good hitters who can hit the long ball. Someone like ortiz is strictly a power threat whereas someone like a cabrera or wright is contact hitter who can hit the ball 400 ft

Alex Rios has 30 extra base hits (18 doubles, 2 triples, 10 homeruns) and is hitting .361 compared to Wright who has 25 extra base hits (15 doubles, 2 triples, 8 homeruns) and is batting .322. Rios also has more runs scored in fewer ABs (Rios - 183, Wright - 199). If the list is to be constructed based soley on this year, Rios has to be on the list before David Wright because he has been better.. simply put.

Not exactly sure what your point is about Alex Rios being a singles hitter seeing as how the numbers don't back up that claim.

 

[Boik14]

Alex Rios (10) has more homeruns than Wright and Cabrera, as does Swisher (16), not to mention Rios is hitting above .350. If the list is to be constructed based soley on this year, Rios has to be on the list before David Wright.

Not exactly sure what your point is about being a singles hitter.

because coming in to this year thats all rios was.