Tagged As: Alex Rodriguez, baseball, Manny Ramirez, MLB, Sports, Albert Pujos

The outrageous numbers of the steroid era are gone, though thanks to New York Yankees whipping boy Alex Rodriguez the sport continues to be tainted with PED residue, and now I have to wonder: Who is the most dangerous bat in the league?

A-Rod?

Despite all the controversy surrounding ARod, he allegedly stopped taking PEDs after his time with the Rangers. Since then he has hit over 34 home runs every season, driven in over 100 RBI, scored over 100 runs, and had a batting average at least near .300. I think playing in the media center of the universe and in front of the one of the most critical fan bases in MLB must be factored in as well.

The New York Yankees fans may jeer at him and call him Choke-Rod, but he has hit .335 with 24 home runs, and 78 RBI in September in the past three seasons. I know fans may remember his failure to get the big hit in the ninth, but he has actually has been quite amazing in the last full month of the season. Calling him Choke-Rod seems to be as big of a travesty as claiming Shoeless Joe Jackson threw the 1919 World Series when he set a then World Series-record with 12 hits during the series and hit an astounding .375. (His alleged testimony never appears on the court reporters records to the grand jury).

Manny Ramirez?

Manny Ramirez will never go down as one of the best fielders in the game, but he proved that his ability at the plate can change team’s destinies last season. After he came to the Los Angeles Dodgers from the Boston Red Sox he hit .396 with 17 home runs and 53 RBI in 53 games. The Dodgers went 30-24 to finish the season and win the NL West. Then Manny hit .520 with 4 HR, 10 RBI, and 11 BB in the postseason as the Dodgers beat the swept the Chicago Cubs in the wild card round before losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in five games in the NLCS.

Taking a look at more than simply the last half of last season, when, Manny is happy he is a .300/40 HR/100 RBI threat. His years as the left fielder for the Red Sox were tumultuous, but they ended in two World Series and a World Series MVP Award in 2004. It seems that he simply leads to wins when he swings his bat.

Albert Pujos?

The St. Louis Cardinals Albert Pujos has seemingly been hidden in the Midwest. The mere mention of Pujos will bring an out pour of praise for the first baseman. The only problem is the people often forget to mention him. He has played for a Cardinals franchise that has won five NL Central titles and a World Series during his tenure. That tenure has seen Pujos hit .334, 319 home runs, 977 RBI, and come in for 947 runs in those eight seasons. That means Pujos is averaging 39.9 home runs, 122 RBI, and 118 runs while batting .334.

Perhaps those numbers have been overshadowed by ballooned power production from the end of the steroid era, but he is a Triple Crown contender from at bat number one each season. He is the only player to ever bat over .300, hit at least 30 home runs, drive in at least 100 RBI, and come in for at least 99 runs in his first eight seasons. This two-time NL MVP has stayed on top of his game through his first eight seasons and could go down as the best player in the 21st century as long as he does not pull a Frank Thomas and suddenly lose his batters eye after his first decade in the league.

Others?

There are plenty of other names to mention.

-The Chicago Cubs Alfonso Soriano can drive the ball far, but often times lacks a discerning eye (160 strike outs in 2006).

-The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim’s Vladimir Guerrero may look incredibly awkward in the field and at the plate, but he is a consistent hitter who finishes the season well over .300 and manages to hit 30 home runs and drive in over 100 RBI when he is healthy.

-The Seattle Mariners Ichiro Suzuki is a perennial contender for the batting average champion and a hit master with a single season in MLB with fewer than 206 hits. The problem is that he tends to hit all singles. He lacks that power that is a huge factor in finding the most dangerous hitter in the league.

Perhaps the best way to think of this is to ask myself who I would want with my number pick on my fantasy baseball team. I cannot help but think I would go with Albert Pujos first, but A-Rod and Manny Ramirez would be close second and thirds.

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