MLB Rankings 2012: Ryan Braun and the Most Clutch Hitters so Far

This far into the MLB season, guys are showing us what they are made of, with a special few distinguishing themselves with their play under pressure.

Clutch hitting comes in a variety of forms. Whether a team is looking to capitalize on a two-out rally or to pull out a victory with some late-game heroics, clutch play is the difference that makes middling teams good and good teams great.

In 2012, these ten batters have made the biggest impact in the clutch. Read on to find out who they are.

Jonathan Lucroy

Jonathan Lucroy may only have 139 at-bats on the season thus far, but he has made them count with his timely hitting.

With two outs and runners in scoring position, few players have been able to match Lucroy's level of production. In 20 at-bats in those situations, the Brewers catcher has driven in 20 runs, good for fourth in the league. He has done so on 12 hits, putting up a 1.636 OPS in the process.

It would be impressive for any player to put up numbers like this. Regardless of the small sample size, these statistics account for a quarter of Lucroy's hits on the season and a full two-thirds of his RBI.

But for a guy with a career .274 batting average to drive in so many two-out RBI is downright astounding. The Brewers may be sputtering so far this season, but their young catcher has boosted the team with his batting in the clutch.

Adam Jones

Adam Jones has been instrumental to the success of the Baltimore Orioles this season, proving he is an All-Star caliber player in the process.

In addition to his career highs in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, Jones is on pace to break his career high in home runs. He already has 18 this year after hitting 25 all of last year.

Particularly special about Jones this season is how he has performed late in games. He is batting .310 with a .971 OPS from the seventh inning on, and his seven homers are tied for the most of any player in the final innings.

For a team that has a +15 run differential to be 12 games over .500 is the product of timely hitting. Right now, the Orioles are in the thick of the playoff hunt, and they have Jones' clutch play in his career year to thank for it.

Lucas Duda

Lucas Duda, the hulking cleanup hitter for the New York Mets, is making up for his somewhat disappointing numbers with the timing of his production.

While Duda has matched his total of 10 home runs from last season, his batting average has dropped from .292 to .261, as has his OPS from .852 to .789. Granted, a dismal Ike Davis has not provided Duda much protection this season, but he has figured out how to knock in runs when the team needs it.

Duda is third in the league in RBI with two-outs and runners in scoring position, with 21 so far. Not only that, he is batting .400 with an OPS of 1.178 in those situations.

Duda is stepping his game up with runners on for an offense that has been spotty outside of David Wright. If the Mets want to stay competitive in the potent NL East, they will need Duda to keep up his timely hitting.

Edwin Encarnacion

Just as Duda has done for the Mets, Encarnacion has helped carry the Toronto Blue Jays with when he has produced runs rather than how many he has knocked in.

The Jays' designated hitter has put up his best statistical season since leaving the Cincinnati Reds, hitting 17 home runs with a .894 OPS when he had just as many home runs last season with an OPS of .787.

But where Encarnacion has really shined is late in the game. He has picked up 15 of his 44 RBI after the seventh inning, raising his batting average to .360 with a 1.062 OPS in the final innings. And with six home runs in the seventh or later, Encarnacion is tied for fourth in the majors in that category.

Not long ago, Encarnacion's offense could not power a team. This year, he is coming through when it counts, and that is making all the difference in Toronto.

Andre Ethier

With Matt Kemp injured, the Dodgers needed someone to step up, and Andre Ethier has come through with some clutch performances.

Ethier has returned to All-Star form this season, leading the National League with 55 RBI and slugging over .500 for the first time since 2009. But Los Angeles would not have the best record in baseball if not for the timeliness of Ethier's hitting.

It is no surprise that the NL leader in RBI is tops in the majors in that category with runners in scoring position. But Ethier has done it by getting on base at a much higher rate, batting .360 with an OPS of an even 1.000, both up considerably from his numbers on the season.

The Dodgers were one of the best teams in baseball before Kemp went down. Because of Ethier coming through in the clutch, they have remained one since.

Nick Swisher

When you look at the seventh inning on, there is a tie for the most RBI so far. The great Josh Hamilton has 20, and so does unheralded Yankee Nick Swisher.

This season, there has been nothing special about Swisher, who is hitting .262 with an .811 OPS while marooned at the bottom of a stacked lineup. But once the end of the game rolls around, Swisher has been one of the best hitters in baseball, outperforming even the frontrunner for the AL MVP award.

Swisher has hit five of his 10 home runs in the final innings, batting .323 with a 1.047 OPS in that time. Those numbers look great on their own, but they are even more impressive when Hamilton trails Swisher in both average and OPS.

Surely Swisher must benefit from the protection he gets from the potent Yankees lineup, but the fact remains that he is using it to post some of the best clutch production in the league.

Joey Votto

As he puts together another MVP-caliber campaign, it is possible that Joey Votto has been the most clutch hitter in baseball.

Votto has been dominant in clutch situations. With runners in scoring position, he has hit seven of his 12 home runs on the year, while batting .389. Amongst batters with at least 50 at-bats, Votto leads all players with a 1.416 OPS.

The Reds' first baseman keeps it up late in the game as well, having knocked in 16 of his 44 RBI in the seventh inning or later. More than half of his hits in the final innings have gone for extra bases, helping him put up a 1.109 OPS.

On the other hand, Votto's late-inning numbers are actually a step down when you consider his total OPS on the year is 1.141, 32 points higher.

But you can't hold Votto's greatness against him. He is one of the best hitters in baseball, and that is what makes him one of the game's most clutch performers.

Ryan Braun

Ryan Braun is one of the league's most clutch hitters so far, but he is also the most controversial on the list.

After facing PED allegations throughout the offseason, there were questions whether Braun would be the same player this year who took home the NL MVP award in 2011.

But when Braun took the field in 2012, it became abundantly clear that he has not lost a step. In a Brewers lineup that is now without Prince Fielder to protect him, he has still found a way to perform at a high level and to do so in high-pressure situations.

From the seventh inning on, Braun has improved on his already stellar statistics. He is batting .370 in the final innings, with six home runs, 16 RBI and a 1.159 OPS.

One would think that Braun would have even greater numbers if the lineup around him were stronger. But he is still Ryan Braun, and with his kind of ability, it should come as no surprise he is coming through when it counts.