MLB All-Power Team: The Best Slugger at Every Position
Although baseball's dark days of syringes and suspicious trainers seem to be behind us, the long ball is still alive and well. There are plenty of guys who make their living going yard and spend their afternoons trotting.
But if we had to build a team of the league's best sluggers, what would it look like? We wouldn't look solely at a player who's a feast-or-famine hitter, would we?
You want a guy who can take it deep but isn't always looking for the long ball, even at the expense of his own team.
So let's construct this squad of monster hitters. We'll go largely, but not entirely, based on slugging percentage. We'll take into account average, but only in the event of a tiebreak. We're looking for big bats, so let's take a look at the game's best sluggers for each and every position.
Pitcher: Carlos Zambrano, Chicago Cubs
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Honorable Mention: Dontrelle Willis, Micah Owings
Carlos Zambrano might have a screw or two loose on the mound, but at the plate, he's always locked in. In addition to being of the few pitchers that doesn't strike out with regularity, he's also one of the few pitchers that can go yard with consistency.
In his career, he's hit an impressive 20 home runs for the Cubs. Sure, the wind blows out a bit a Wrigley but when he's the only pitcher who does it, you can't blame it on the wind.
Catcher: Victor Martinez, Detroit Tigers
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Honorable Mention: Joe Mauer, Mike Napoli, Brian McCann
If this were a question of who is the best player or the best pure hitter, it would be Mauer in a landslide, but this question has more to do with power and less to do with overall ability. For that, we have to give it to a guy who's been hitting the long ball with consistency for years.
Victor Martinez boasted the highest slugging percentage at his position last year and also managed to not let that get in the way of his average. He hit .302 last season and led the league in RBI.
But Martinez doesn't just get the nod for having done well last season; he's been good for years.
First Baseman: Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
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Honorable Mention: Miguel Cabrera, Joey Votto, Paul Konerko
If we were basing the honor strictly off of last season, there would be no question that Miguel Cabrera deserved it, but when you are stepping back and looking at the bigger picture, Albert Pujols is the man.
There is no hitter in baseball that is more feared at this point in time than Prince Albert. He not only knocked 42 out of the park, but over the course of the last 10 years, he's finished first in every Triple Crown category.
In a couple of years when Cabrera and Votto might be playing at a high level, he might have to pass the torch, but for now, the St. Louis slugger takes the top prize.
Second Baseman: Dan Uggla, Atlanta Braves
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Honorable Mention: Robinson Cano
The Braves made the steal of the offseason when they wrestled Dan Uggla away from the Marlins. Uggla knows a thing or two about power numbers.
Just looking at his numbers from last season explains why he's a constant all-star. Sure, Cano had a great year, but Cano also has one of the most protected lineups in baseball. While the Marlins have a hitter or two, they don't have nearly the all-star lineup that the Yankees do.
Third Baseman: Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
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Honorable Mention: Jose Bautista, Adrian Beltre, Evan Longoria
This was a tough a call to make as any. You have to eliminate Bautista because you can't put a guy who had monster numbers one time on this list.
You had to consider guys like Longoria and Beltre, whose slugging percentage was higher than A-Rod's.
Even in a year when people talked about the demise of Alex Rodriguez, he managed to hit 30 home runs and knock in 125 runs. Bottom line: it was a spectacular year that was ho-hum by A-Rod's standards.
Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies
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Honorable Mention: Hanley Ramirez
It's easy to shake your head at the numbers Tory Tulowitzki puts up in Colorado. Coors Field is a very good hitters' park, and that's not even doing it justice. However, if MLB is going to count their numbers, then we should give it the same respect too.
Tulowitzki has to play half his games outside of Coors Field, after all.
He had a .568 slugging percentage last season and knocked in close to 100 runs. He went yard 27 times and has proved that he is one of the best young hitters in baseball.
Left Fielder: Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
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Honorable Mention: Matt Holliday, Ryan Braun
There has been no better story of redemption in baseball, and no better hitter, than Josh Hamilton. Last season, he proved just what made him so feared two years ago when he burst onto the scene.
He hit 100 RBI last season and had a slugging percentage that was almost 100 points higher than anyone else at his position.
The Rangers will be hoping they can get the same production out of Hamilton this season as they look to get back to the World Series.
If he's healthy, there is no reason to think he wouldn't.
Center Fielder: Vernon Wells, Los Angeles Angels
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Honorable Mention: Matt Kemp
There has been a lot of talk in the past couple of years about the quality and the value of Vernon Wells. I'm inclined to ignore all of it. In the scheme of every outfielder, his name gets muddled, especially when you talk about all-around skill.
But when you are talking about a guy who's got a dangerous swing at the plate for a center fielder, he's where it is at. He had the highest slugging percentage and highest home run total of anyone last year and is anything but a one-trick pony.
He's with the Angels now, and he's likely to give them the same production, only more.
Right Fielder: Corey Hart, Milwaukee Brewers
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Honorable Mention: Nick Swisher
There's a good chance that Jason Heyward is going to be on this list in the next two or three years, but this year, the RF spot is going to belong to Corey Hart.
Last year, he had the kind of year young players dream of. While the rest of the NL had all eyes on teammate Prince Fielder, Corey Hart came up big, joining the 30/100 club and leading his position in slugging.
Admittedly it's not the strongest field but still, if you had to pick one, he'd be the guy.
Designated Hitter: Vladimir Guerrero, Baltimore Orioles
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Honorable Mention: David Ortiz
There is no more fascinating hitter in baseball than Vlad. The man can make something out of nothing and has no strike zone. He will swing at anything.
For years, he's made a living off of going yard and bringing people home, and last season was no different. He hit 29 homers and knocked in 115 for a Rangers team that may have not made it to the World Series without him.
Now he finds a home in Baltimore with a talented young team that was in dire need of a little protection in the lineup. Vlad brings that, and as long as his legs hold up, he'll continue to give pitchers something to worry about.
