2013 MLB American League Batting Title Odds and Predictions: Favorites, Dark Horses and Sleepers: When you look at the list of former American League MVPs or home run champs, a majority of the names are stand out and include some of the all-time greats and elite players of the current era. The list of AL batting title winners is a different story. Michael Young, Bernie Williams, Bill Mueller and Magglio Ordonez are just a few of the recent winners, and while all these players were very good, none of them would be argued as the best hitter of their time. Part of the reason for the trend is because it doesn’t necessarily take power to win a batting title, it doesn’t take speed, and it doesn’t take playing for a good team. Winning a batting title is about game-to-game consistency at the plate and a little bit of good fortune. After all, there have been players that have hit .350 and not led the league in batting average, and the same player could win the batting crown the next year with a .320 average. With that in mind, here is a closer look at the players that have the best chance of making a run at the American League batting title in 2013.
2013 MLB AL Batting Title Odds and Predictions
The Favorites
While most people know that Miguel Cabrera won the Triple Crown last year, many may not know that the batting title was the second in a row for the Detroit slugger. In fact, Cabrera was the runner-up for the AL batting crown in 2010 prior to taking the title in 2011 and 2012. He has hit .320 or better in seven of his last eight seasons, and he has hit .324 or better in four straight years. Plain and simple, Cabrera is one of the best all-around hitters in baseball, and he could become the first AL player to three-peat as batting champ since Wade Boggs ripped off four in a row from 1985-88.
From 2006 to 2009, Joe Mauer won three batting titles in four years for the Minnesota Twins. Well, the rigors of catching have taken on a toll on his power numbers, but his bat remains steady. His .327 average in 2010 was the third best in the AL, and he ranked fourth in the league with a .319 average just last season. His ability to spray the ball to all fields and still hit with double-caliber power to either gap makes him one of the tougher batters to consistently get out. Mauer began splitting his time last year between catcher and first base in order to lighten the stress on his legs, and the move should give him at least a few more seasons of contending for the batting title.
The Dark Horses
His incredible rookie campaign nearly landed him the MVP Award, and Mike Trout’s impressive stat line included the second-best batting average in the American League. He hit .326 for the Angels last year, and he might even see more pitches to hit in 2013 with Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols hitting behind him. The fact that he also led the majors with 49 steals last year and has the speed to leg out the occasional infield hit doesn’t hurt either. Trout certainly seems destined to become a superstar, and the only thing keeping him from being named among the favorites is the fact that he has just 139 games under his belt.
After Miami owner Jeffrey Loria shipped him to Toronto for basically nothing Jose Reyes suddenly finds himself in an ideal situation, hitting atop a lineup stacked with quality bats. Keep in mind that the shortstop picked up an NL batting crown in 2011 with a .337 average, and although his career average is just .291, he has been known to jump up over .300. Defenses are forced to honor his speed, and on any given plate appearance, Reyes can bunt for a hit, leg out a ground or slap the ball over a drawn-in infield. Throw in the fact that he will be playing half his games indoors in 2013, and Reyes could become the first player to win both an AL and NL batting title.
Sleeper Specials
Playing in Kansas City can keep a guy under the radar, but Billy Butler might be the best hitter in the AL that nobody has heard of. The Royals designated hitter has quietly put together a .300 average for his career, and in recent seasons, he has been even better. Butler hit .318 in 2010, and his .313 average last year tied him for sixth in the league. The 2013 season will be just his sixth full season in the majors so there is a chance that his average isn’t finished climbing. After all, Butler’s home runs, RBIs and OPS have all been going up the last few years, and a few more hits here and there are all he will need to climb into the .320 range and be a serious contender.
Prior to being suspended for PED use, Melky Cabrera was hitting .346 for the San Francisco Giants last year, and he would have won the NL batting crown had he played in enough games to qualify. He will be a member of the Toronto Blue Jays this season, and while the loaded the lineup should get him plenty of quality pitches to hit, the PED issue raises some eyebrows. There is a chance that the climb in his batting average over the past three years was being caused by the performance enhancing drugs. On the flip side, the spike in average could also be the result of him seeing regular at bats for the first time in his career. As long as you treat Cabrera like a sleeper and not a favorite that you go all in on, he is worth the risk.
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