In Awe of Adrian Gonzalez

I am definitely on the Adrian Gonzalez bandwagon! What he has been able to do over the last 2 months has opened up  my I eyes to what a great player he is! People said that he was a top 10 - top 5 player in MLB. I couldnt disagree more with those guys. He has been the man-crush Theo has had for a number of years and seem like a tremendous consolation price for losing out on the Mark Texiara Sweepstakes. I think Adrian Gonzalez is the best player right now in the MLB. People will say what about Pujols? Texiara? Reyes? A-rod? and yes it is not even the all star break of the first season with the Red Sox yet I have a prediction and it may not be this season... but Adrian Gonzalez will be the next TRIPLE CROWN WINNER!!!

Gonzalez posses the ability to become the best player in the game and surpass the great Albert Pujols! Albert has dominated MLB for a decade now. 3 MVP awards, been runner up 4 times, and won the ROY.  However he is approaching Free Agency and seems this year he is succumbing to the pressure of the contract year. Pujols is only batting .273 and only has 71 hits so far this season. However, Adrian Gonzalez has better players surrounding him, a better park to hit in, and is younger then Pujols. Now, I am not saying Agon is better than Pujols overall and will end up the best player at the end of the season.  You cant say that after half a season against the guy who is 3 time MVP and career .318 hitter who has hit 40+ HRs. What I am saying is that Adrian Gonzalez is the real deal and should be the next best player after Pujols in this great disccussion. Other guys who are in the talk: Alex Rodriguez is getting older he has lost a step or two at 3B and is not the same player he use to be. He will still get you 30 HR 100 RBI but over the last 2 complete seasons and this current season he is hitting only around .280. Great stats but not the best player in baseball stats.  Jose Reyes is having a tremendous year but still he isn't in that top 3 player spot yet. He is batting .346 so far this yeat with 94 hits and 11 triples this season but the Met's lineup is not strong enough to help Reyes. Even Josh Hamilton who has unbelievable talent will not be repeating as AL MVP this year. he is coming injury and barring an amazing hot streak he will not be there when all is said and done with.

AGon is one of the top 2 players in the game at this moment. Gonzalez has the ability to hit the ball with power to all fields. This makes playing the "Big Papi Shift" all but useless against him. He is happy with stroking a double in the gap as he is with driving the ball to right field. “He has a knack. He understands what he’s got to do. Whether it’s shorten up or try and hit the ball out of the ballpark,’’ manager Terry Francona said. He also has that uncanny ability to work the count on pitchers and stay within his game plan. He doesn't expand the strike zone for the pitcher when he is down in the count and will take the walk when it is given to him. If you saw the the NESN interview by HOF Peter Gammons about all the video break down and preperation he does you see how much of student of the game he is. He is also very quiet at the plate. He isn't like Kevin Youkilis moving his hands all around or changing his batting stance all the time. He stands their with slightly open stance and just takes his time stays back behind the ball/hands inside and smokes the ball all over the

 

field. That's him at the plate quiet and focused, but he is not just a 1b/DH prototype. He is also a 2 time Gold Glove winner who posses a great arm and the confidence in that arm to make good strong accurate throws to 2nd or 3rd to cut down a base runner. In his career he has not made more that 10 errors all year and so far this year the big goose egg. If their is a dent in his armor is that he is so very slow. He is slow running around the bases and in the fieled where he makes the pitcher have to cover 1b a lot. Ask Tim Wakefield about that against the Yankees last series.

Now to my Triple Crown prediction... We all know who the last player to win the triple crown was (If you dont know dont read this blog anymore). Many players have had their names mentioned in the chase for the triple crown... So far 65 games into the season after a dismal start to his season Adrian Gonzalez is Leading the AL in avg. .341 and RBI with 60. His tied for 8th in Hr with 13. He is 8 behind Jose Bautista*.Those are fantastic numbers thus far in the season. Agon is also a great proffesional and understands that getting those RBI are only a result of guys getting on ahead of him n the lineup. An interview on Boston.com “I’ve been able to hit a couple of solo home runs here or there. But it’s all about the guys ahead of me,’’ Gonzalez said. “RBIs are all about the guys ahead of you. Those guys are doing an incredible job of giving me multiple opportunities every day.’’ 

As Gonzalez see mores of the AL pitchers and makes the adjustments to the Red Sox Gonzalez will only get better. His power numbers were the last to come around and with that Big Green Wall in LF at Fenway and Gonzalez's power to all fields watch out! Like I said before he may not do it this year but Adrian Gonzalez will be the next TRIPLE CROWN WINNER!


*Bautista could be mentioned in this great player argument as well. 1 more season like the passed two and he should be there.