Best Hitters in the American League

OK, my boy (and occasional site contributor), Alan Hull, brought it up in the comments section for The Travis Hafner Shift picture, that “The Haf is the best hitter in the American league but a good argument can be made for Papi (and maybe now A-Rod).” I thought he had a good, and thought-provoking point. Well considering I LIVE for baseball arguments, I’ve decided to make my list of Best Hitters in the American League. I have very simple criteria: who would I most want to have in my everyday 2007 lineup. Ability to get on base, mash, deliver in the clutch, and simply get a hit are all taken into consideration. Here’s my list:

1. Travis Hafner, DH, Cleveland – Hafner is proving now for the fourth consecutive year, that he is one of the most elite hitters in the game. He has the ability to draw a walk, spray line drives across the yard, and bomb long balls out of the park. He’s also capable of going on serious terrors and carrying his team for extended periods of time.
2. David Ortiz, DH, Boston – Big Papi gets the nod for the simple reason that I would want him batting for me in the 9th inning of a game we’re losing by a run, or a tie ball game in extras. His propensity for the clutch hit, let alone his increasingly frightening power numbers (54 bombs last year!), make him an easy choice and close second.
3. Manny Ramirez, LF, Boston – Yes, I’m putting aside his slow start to the season. Why? Because it doesn’t matter. Manny’s still one of the finest hitters in the game. He is incredibly selective at the plate and always gives the impression that he is in control. Oh yeah, he’s also an RBI machine.
4. Vladimir Guerrero, RF, LA of Anaheim – Best bad-ball hitter in the game, possibly all-time. Despite his reckless approach at the plate (or maybe because of it) Vlad consistently hits for power, and would probably shock most people with his .325 career average. He also gets four and five hit games with regularity, and often is the guy to get a big hit when the rest of the lineup can’t produce.
5. Alex Rodriguez, SS 3B, New York – Hey, he’s had a great start, and he’s an awesome hitter, but I’d still rather have the four men listed above instead (although it’s by a close margin). There aren’t too many hitters in the game that can win a batting title AND show 50 home run power like A-Rod can.
6. Jim Thome, DH, Chicago – Seems like Thome gets overlooked now that he’s in the American League. It doesn’t change the fact that he’s still a superb power hitter, and incredibly patient at the plate, working deep counts resulting in lots of walks and strikeouts. Few have the ability to clear the bases like Thome.
7. Ichiro Suzuki, CF, Seattle – When it comes down to just get me a hit, there are few players I’d rather have up than Ichiro. His speed doesn’t slump, allowing him to slap balls through the infield. He can also hit the occasional long ball when he chooses to.
8. Jason Giambi, DH, New York – I have a good idea for what he was apologizing a few years ago, still doesn’t change that he’s returned from the dead to become productive once again. He’s a gaps hitter with power, and also seems to always nut up in the clutch. He can single-handedly carry a team with big home runs.
   Adrian Beltre, 3B, Seattle – Put together a better season in 2004 than almost any individual season any of the players on this list has ever had. Has an uncanny ability to fail with men on base, and chase breaking balls in the dirt. Vastly underachieves given his potential. OK, OK, got ya! Just checking to make sure you were still paying attention.
9. Joe Mauer, C, Minnesota – A catcher that won the batting title?! Well, this is open to all positions, so I’ll put that aside. Mauer has incredible bat control, possibly the best bat control in the league. What I mean by that is he doesn’t strike out very often, he walks a good amount, and he hits the ball equally well to all fields. Watch him get a line drive to the opposite field on a fast ball away and you’ll see why he’s on the list.
10. Grady Sizemore, CF, Cleveland – I can’t figure Sizemore out. Is he a power hitter? A contact hitter? A gaps hitter? Maybe he’s all of the above. His excellent speed allows him to turn singles into doubles, and doubles into triples. And when he doesn’t feel like running, he just hits them out of the park. He’s the Jose Reyes of the American League — and that’s a compliment.

Also receiving serious consideration: Paul Konerko, Carl Crawford, Mark Teixeira, Justin Morneau, Derek Jeter, Miguel Tejada, Michael Young, Gary Sheffield, Bobby Abreu, Frank Thomas, Vernon Wells, Richie Sexson and Magglio Ordonez.