The Top 50 MLB Players Through the Season's First Half

With the first half of the MLB season over, it is time to reflect on what has occurred this year. The year has already had some surprises and disappointments.

There have been some incredible individual performances, and fans have been treated to two no-hitters and a Yankee legend joining the 3,000-hit club.

Many players have put together impressive first halves. Here is the best of the best for the first part of the 2011 MLB season.

Honorable Mention: Rickie Weeks

2011 Stats: .278/.348/.485, 65 R, 17 HR, 39 RBI

Weeks has done a good job with the bat this year. He leads the National League in runs scored and is among the top 10 in home runs.

However, Weeks has been just plain bad defensively. He leads NL second basemen with 11 errors on the year. This just keeps him out of the top 50.

50) Mike Morse

2011 Stats: .306/.352/.534, 15 HR, 49 RBI

Morse began to break out last season. After a slow start this year, Morse began to regain his form. He has put together a very impressive season for the Nationals.

The Nationals may have their replacement for Adam Dunn in Morse. It will be interesting to see if he can keep up this level of production for the rest of the year.

49) Josh Hamilton

2011 Stats: .305/.359/.549, 11 HR, 49 RBI

Hamilton would be much higher up on this list had he not suffered injuries that limited him to just 53 games this season. The reigning AL MVP has done a great job while he has been on the field.

Having Hamilton around for the second half of the season will be incredibly important to the Rangers if they are going to make the playoffs.

48) Alexi Ogando

2011 Stats: 9-3, 2.92 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 83 K

Ogando began his career as an outfielder in the Athletics organization but was converted into a pitcher when the Rangers selected him in the Rule 5 draft. That has been a fantastic decision for the Rangers.

At the midway point of this season, Ogando has the ninth-best ERA in the American League. The Rangers may shut Ogando down soon, as he is at 104.2 innings for the year and had only thrown 90.2 innings in the previous two seasons.

47) Justin Upton

2011 Stats: .297/.379/.512, 15 HR, 46 RBI, 14 SB

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 MLB draft is just 23 years old and has been showing off his talents this season. Upton is having what could be the best season of his young career.

He has the chance to put up a 30/30 year while batting .300 this year. That would be an incredibly impressive feat for anyone in the majors, let alone someone his age.

46) Carlos Beltran

2011 Stats: .289/.379/.509, 13 HR, 58 RBI

Coming into the season, the biggest concern surrounding Beltran was his health. He has certainly proven that is not an issue to this point of the season.

Beltran is currently the National League leader with 28 doubles. He could be one of the best players available on the trade market this season.

45) Jhonny Peralta

2011 Stats: .313/.364/.533, 14 HR, 50 RBI

It looks like Peralta may have a career year this season. He has been able to hit for both power and average while playing well defensively.

Peralta may not be able to keep up this play in the second half. His .220 ISO is well above his .162 career average, and his BABIP is a bit high at .335.

44) Brian McCann

2011 Stats: .312/.381/.517, 15 HR, 50 RBI

McCann has consistently been one of the best catchers in the National League, and he has continued his dominance this season. He was selected to his sixth straight All-Star game this year.

The Braves catcher is currently eight in the National League in batting average. He also does a great job calling games and has helped out the Braves pitching staff.

43) David Price

2011 Stats: 8-7, 3.70 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 125 K

The Rays ace has had some struggles this year, which is clearly evident in his ERA. However, Price has still shown that he is one of the elite pitchers in the game.

Price is currently fourth in the American League in strikeouts. If the Rays are going to make the playoffs this year, Price will be an important factor.

42) Michael Pineda

2011 Stats: 8-6, 3.03 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 113 K

Pineda is another young player that has been incredibly impressive this year. The 22-year-old has had an outstanding season for the Mariners.

It should be exciting to see Pineda as he continues to develop. Through the All-Star break, Pineda is the AL leader in K/9. He may get shut down later this year, though, if the Mariners wish to limit his innings.

41) Michael Young

2011 Stats: .326/.360/.486, 8 HR, 59 RBI

Young is quietly putting together an outstanding year. He is not the biggest star in the Rangers lineup, but he may be having the best year of anyone in it.

The Rangers have been bouncing Young around from position to position, but that has not seemed to impact his play at all. He has the third-highest batting average in the American League and eighth-highest RBI total.

40) Alex Gordon

2011 Stats: .303/.371/.489, 11 HR, 50 RBI, 6 SB

Not long ago, Gordon was struggling so much in the majors that the Royals sent him down to the minors to work on his game. The Royals' move last season has certainly paid dividends.

Gordon has finally put up some good numbers. It appears that this will be the best season of Gordon's career.

39) C.J. Wilson

2011 Stats: 9-3, 3.20 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 117 K

The Rangers have had a lot of success converting relievers into starting pitchers. One converted reliever, Alexi Ogando, has already appeared on this list, and Wilson is another.

Wilson has been fantastic for the Rangers this year. He is doing his part to make up for the team's loss of Cliff Lee. Wilson has resolved some of the issues that he had last year and should continue to get better.

38) Troy Tulowitzki

2011 Stats: .271/.341/.494, 17 HR, 57 RBI, 6 SB

Tulowitzki has seen his numbers decline this season. He is having a great year, but it is below his standards.

He has still been one of the best shortstops in the National League this season. Tulowitzki is going to important to the Rockies as they try to make the playoffs.

37) Jordan Zimmermann

2011 Stats: 5-7, 2.82 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 76 K

It was a major disappointment for the Washington Nationals when Jordan Zimmermann had to miss most of the 2010 season as the result of an injury that required Tommy John surgery.

The Nationals are certainly happy to have Zimmermann back this year. He has put up outstanding numbers this season and is part of the Nationals' promising future.

36) Albert Pujols

2011 Stats: .277/.355/.497, 18 HR, 50 RBI, 5 SB

It is shocking that Pujols has barely broken the top 40 for the first half of this season. The Machine struggled to start the year, and once he finally began to get hot, he missed time with an injury.

Pujols should pick up his performance in the second half of the year. It is a contract year for Pujols, and if he doesn't pick up his play, he could cost himself millions of dollars.

35) Justin Masterson

2011 Stats: 7-6, 2.64 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 86 K

With the struggles that the Red Sox have had with their rotation this year, they must certainly wish that they still had Justin Masterson. The righty is putting up great numbers for the Indians this year.

Masterson has the eighth-lowest ERA in the American League this season. He has been a big reason why the Indians are in second place in the AL Central.

34) Tommy Hanson

2011 Stats: 10-4, 2.44 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 109 K

It speaks wonders about the Braves' pitching staff that Hanson has not even been the team's best starter this season. The 24-year-old has almost matched his career high in wins.

The Braves will be in a battle with the Phillies for the NL East crown, and Hanson needs to keep up his performance if the Braves are going to win it. He is fifth in the NL in ERA and 10th in strikeouts.

33) Felix Hernandez

2011 Stats: 8-7, 3.22 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 134 K

The Mariners have finally added someone to help Hernandez out in their rotation this year, and it has helped. Seattle has a chance to make a run at the AL West title this year.

Hernandez is another player who is having a bit of a down year. However, this slight down year for King Felix is still a fantastic season. He is second in the American League in strikeouts.

32) Josh Beckett

2011 Stats: 8-3, 2.27 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 94 K

After having a down year last season, Josh Beckett has returned to the form that he has displayed in the past with the Red Sox. He is undoubtedly the ace of the Red Sox rotation.

Beckett is third in the American League in ERA this season. He has a chance to win the AL Cy Young Award this season.

31) Shane Victorino

2011 Stats: .303/.376/.524, 53 R, 9 3B, 9 HR, 34 RBI, 13 SB

The Flyin' Hawaiian is putting together another solid season. Victorino is near the top of a few offensive categories in the National League, as he is second in triples and eighth in OPS.

Victorino has also had a great year defensively. He has yet to make an error this season and has 11 outfield assists.

30) Mark Teixeira

2011 Stats: .245/.353/.522, 25 HR, 65 RBI

Teixeira has shown a lot of power this season. However, he currently has the worst batting average of his career, which is why he is so far down on this list.

He is still second in the American League in home runs and fourth in the AL in RBI. Teixeira's batting average has been held down by a .220 BABIP, so it should increase in the second half.

29) Miguel Cabrera

2011 Stats: .315/.435/.556, 18 HR, 59 RBI

Cabrera has had some well-documented personal problems this year, but it has not really impacted his play. He is in the top 10 of each of the three Triple Crown categories.

The Tigers have recently climbed back into first place in the AL Central, and Cabrera has been a big part of that success.

28) Tim Lincecum

2011 Stats: 7-7, 3.03 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 132 K

Lincecum's abilities have not been properly reflected in his win-loss record this season. He is putting together yet another great season and should be in contention for the NL Cy Young.

Like he has been for years, The Freak is a strikeout machine. Lincecum's strikeout total is the fourth-highest in the National League.

27) David Ortiz

2011 Stats: .304/.391/.579, 19 HR, 53 RBI

After the 2009 season, many people around baseball were questioning how much time Ortiz had left in his career. Big Papi has shown that he isn't going anywhere with his performance last season and the first half of this year.

Ortiz is still a big power bat in the middle of the Red Sox lineup. He is a key to their success, and he helps hold the Red Sox lineup together.

26) Dustin Pedroia

2011 Stats: .282/.395/.430, 56 R, 10 HR, 43 RBI, 16 SB

As good as Pedroia is, he is not even the best second baseman in the AL East. Pedroia has still put together an outstanding season.

As Carl Crawford has not done what was expected of him this season, Pedroia has had to pick up some of the slack. He is having one of the best years in terms of power and speed that he has had in his career.

25) Ryan Vogelsong

2011 Stats: 6-1, 2.17 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 70 K

Vogelsong had spent the 2007-2009 seasons in Japan. He currently has a career 5.03 ERA, and he is one of the top 25 players in the majors this season.

It seems as if Vogelsong will be the favorite for the NL Comeback Player of the Year. He is currently second in the National League in ERA.

24) Alex Rodriguez

2011 Stats: .295/.366/.485, 13 HR, 52 RBI

Rodriguez is having a good year, but it has not been an MVP-type season like he has put up in the past. He has been playing injured for part of the year, so his numbers are still impressive.

A-Rod will be undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus and is expected to miss around a month. This will be a big hit to the Yankees lineup.

23) James Shields

2011 Stats: 8-6, 2.47 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 132 K

Because he is a member of the same pitching staff that has David Price, Shields does not always get the attention he deserves. Shields has been the Rays' best pitcher this year.

He is fifth in the American League in ERA this season. Shields is also third in the American League in strikeouts.

22) Cliff Lee

2011 Stats: 9-6, 2.82 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 137 K

The Phillies expected to get an ace when they signed Cliff Lee this offseason. Philadelphia has gotten exactly what it expected.

Lee is putting together yet another outstanding season. He ranks in both the National League's top 10 in ERA and strikeouts.

21) Dan Haren

2011 Stats: 9-5, 2.65 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 107 K

Haren is having an outstanding season for the Angels this year. He has really turned things around since he was traded away from Arizona in the middle of last season.

His ERA is the seventh-best in the American League this season. Haren is also seventh in the American League in wins.

20) Robinson Cano

2011 Stats: .296/.342/.522, 15 HR, 57 RBI, 6 SB

Power-hitting second basemen are a valuable commodity. The Yankees are very lucky that they have Robinson Cano.

Cano leads American League second basemen in both home runs and RBI. He will need to pick up some slack in the second half with A-Rod on the DL.

19) Joey Votto

2011 Stats: .325/.440/.510, 13 HR, 54 RBI, 6 SB

Votto is the reigning National League MVP and is one of the best first basemen in baseball. He is putting together another outstanding season.

The Reds first baseman is second in the NL with his .325 batting average. Votto has also put up an incredibly impressive on-base percentage this year.

18) Lance Berkman

2011 Stats: .291/.405/.604, 24 HR, 63 RBI

No one could have predicted that Berkman had a year like this left in him. After last season it appeared that Berkman was washed-up.

Berkman has already produced more than the Cardinals could have expected from him this year. He leads the NL in home runs and is fourth in RBI.

17) Cole Hamels

2011 Stats: 11-4, 2.32 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 121 K

As good as Cliff Lee has been this year, he has not even been the Phillies' best pitcher this year. That distinction, somehow, also does not go to Cole Hamels, even as good as he has been.

Hamels is third in the NL in ERA, second in wins and sixth in strikeouts. He is currently in the middle of the best season of his career.

16) Clayton Kershaw

2011 Stats: 9-4, 3.03 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 147 K

Kershaw is a pitching prospect that has lived up to all of the hype surrounding him. He has done an outstanding job as a member of a struggling Dodgers team.

The Dodgers ace is currently 10th in the National League in ERA. He is the MLB leader in strikeouts this season.

15) Jacoby Ellsbury

2011 Stats: .314/.374/.490, 62 R, 11 HR, 48 RBI, 28 SB

At the midway point of this season, Ellsbury has displayed more power than he ever has in a full season. His 11 home runs are already a career high.

The Red Sox speedster is once again leading the American League in stolen bases. He has a chance to be a 20/20 player this season.

14) Andrew McCutchen

2011 Stats: .289/.391/.495, 13 HR, 49 RBI, 15 SB

McCutchen could be the most underrated player in the National League. The Pirates have been the majors' biggest surprise this year, and McCutchen is a big reason why.

McCutchen was one of the biggest snubs for the All-Star game this year in the original fan voting. He has a slim chance to have a 30/30 year, but 25/25 is definitely possible.

13) Curtis Granderson

2011 Stats: .271/.362/.578, 7 3B, 25 HR, 63 RBI, 15 SB

The Yankees slugger has finally adjusted to the new stadium. Granderson already has more home runs this season than he did all of last year.

He is second in the American League in home runs, trailing only Jose Bautista. Granderson's RBI total is the fifth-highest in the AL.

12) CC Sabathia

2011 Stats: 13-4, 2.72 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 126 K

Sabathia is one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball. He was the first pitcher to reach 13 wins this season.

The Yankees ace ranks in the top 10 in ERA and strikeouts in addition to wins. He is one of the favorites to win the AL Cy Young.

11) Justin Verlander

2011 Stats: 12-4, 2.15 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 147 K

Verlander is one of the reason why CC Sabathia is not running away with the AL Cy Young Award. The Tigers star is having a fantastic year as well.

He is second in the American League in both wins and ERA. Verlander is also the American League leader in strikeouts.

10) Ryan Braun

2011 Stats: .320/.402/.559, 16 HR, 62 RBI, 19 SB

Along with Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun has been one of the keys to the Brewers' success this season. The Hebrew Hammer is one of the best players in baseball.

Braun is fourth in the NL in average and fifth in RBI. He is just starting to hit his prime and should have some outstanding seasons in the coming years.

9) Prince Fielder

2011 Stats: .300/.416/.580, 22 HR, 72 RBI

Fielder is in a contract season. He is having an outstanding season and will be in for a big payday following the season.

The Brewers slugger is also one of the leading candidates for the NL MVP award. Fielder is second in the NL in home runs and first in RBI.

8) Roy Halladay

2011 Stats: 11-3, 2.45 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 138 K

With two other Phillies pitchers already on this list, it is easy to see why Philadelphia is one of the best teams in baseball. Halladay is the ace of the Phillies' outstanding staff.

Doc has put together another great season. He is in the top five of the National League's leader boards for wins, ERA and strikeouts.

7) Jair Jurrjens

2011 Stats: 12-3, 1.87 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 65 K

As good as Halladay has been this year, he was not the best National League pitcher in the first half. In fact, he was not even the best pitcher in the NL East.

Those honors go to Braves pitcher Jair Jurrjens. He leads the National League in both wins and ERA. Jurrjens does not always get the attention that he deserves because of his low strikeout total.

6) Paul Konerko

2011 Stats: .317/.389/.565, 22 HR, 66 RBI

With so many great first basemen in the American League, Konerko usually gets lost in the shuffle. He is having an outstanding year this season.

Konerko finds himself in the top five of each Triple Crown category. While he is flying under the radar, he should be an MVP candidate. Konerko may be the most underrated player in the majors this year.

5) Jered Weaver

2011 Stats: 11-4, 1.86 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 120 K

The best pitcher in the majors during the first half of the season was Jered Weaver. He will be starting the 2011 All-Star Game for the American League.

Weaver has the best ERA in MLB this year. He is also second in the American League in wins and fifth in strikeouts.

4) Adrian Gonzalez

2011 Stats: .352/.412/.589, 17 HR, 77 RBI

Gonzalez has been the Red Sox's best offensive player this year and one of the best players in the majors. He been able to hit for both power and average this year.

The Red Sox first baseman is currently second in MLB and first in the AL in batting average. He is also first in the AL in RBI and 10th in home runs.

3) Matt Kemp

2011 Stats: .317/.403/.591, 22 HR, 66 RBI, 26 SB

Before the season began, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly spoke with Matt Kemp about what he expected from him this season. The outfielder has certainly met and exceeded his manager's expectations.

Kemp comes into the All-Star break second in the NL in home runs, third in RBI and seventh in batting average.

2) Jose Reyes

2011 Stats: .354/.398/.529, 65 R, 15 3B, 3 HR, 32 RBI, 30 SB

Reyes is one of the most exciting players in baseball. He has put up outstanding numbers this year and is a big reason why the Mets are over .500.

The Mets shortstop currently leads MLB in batting average and triples. Reyes is also tied for the NL lead in runs scored and is second in stolen bases. He also had a June in which his numbers were last matched by Ty Cobb.

1) Jose Bautista

2011 Stats: .332/.468/.702, 31 HR, 65 RBI

However Jose Bautista changed his swing before the 2010 season has certainly done wonders for him. Bautista is the game's best player through the first half of the 2011 season.

He has a chance to win the American League Triple Crown this season. Bautista leads the majors in home runs, ranks second in the AL in batting average and stands fourth in RBI.