At Home Plate - Looking at the current AL OPS leaders

At Home Plate

Written by Adam Adkins (Contact & Archive) on May 25, 2009

Here are your AL OPS leaders, where high batting averages wish to live long and prosper, Vulcan style.

1-Kevin Youkilis 1.178.

Youkilis is a fine player, a really tough batter and a solid defender at first. But he is not, nor was he ever, a near 1200 OPS man. He's a comfortable .900 guy. His batting average is about to dive, oh, 100 points or so.

2-Justin Morneau 1.082

This is sustainable, but it's a little on the high side. I'd imagine he'll drop about 150 points in OPS. Virtually the same player as Youk, just less OBP and more SLG.

3-Adam Jones 1.068

Sorry, Adam, I really like you--you're already the best center fielder in the AL East--but you are not the next Barry Bonds. That OPS is going to drop like a rock, just like your batting average.

4-Joe Mauer 1.400

Whoa, Joe, come on, even Bonds only did that once (2004). But I tell you, Mauer is on a hall of fame path. Mauer's career OPS+ is 133. Reggie freaking Jackson's career mark was only... 139. Just sayin'. In case you've forgotten... Mauer is a catcher, Jackson a right fielder. Okay. See the significance? Good.

5-Jason Bay 1.036

Bay is a really good hitter, but that would be a new career mark for him, but I'd say out of all the 5 he's the most likely to stay. Contract year. $$$ talks. Maybe if he stays like this all year he'll just go ahead and be a Red Sox for a while.