Listing the Triple Crown Candidates

NFL betting players don’t have to worry about crowning a Triple Crown winner, but in Major League Baseball, the Triple Crown is a big deal.  Here’s a look at five players who have the chance to write their names in baseball history.

Miguel Cabrera, Detroit

At the break, Cabrera leads the American League in RBI, he’s tied for first in average, and he’s tied for second in homers. Even by his high standards, Cabrera is on pace to set career highs across the board, which would put him in a very good position to be the first American League hitter since Boston’s Carl Yastrzemski in 1967 to win the Triple Crown.

Josh Hamilton, Texas

Cabrera’s competition for the Triple Crown is Hamilton, who is actually tied with Cabrera in average. They’re both tied behind Toronto’s Jose Bautista in homers, and Hamilton is fourth in RBI.  However, he may be hurt by the fact that Vladimir Guerrero hits in front of him, and he’s second to Cabrera in RBI, which takes RBI away from Hamilton. NCAA football betting players would compare this to having two 1,000-yard rushers, which isn’t a bad problem to have, but it’s not good for Hamilton’s Triple Crown odds.

Josh Johnson, Florida

Johnson is going to have to get some help from his teammates in terms of wins, as he has just nine, but he is sixth in the National League in strikeouts and his 1.70 ERA is far and away the best in the entire major leagues. But playing in the tough East division with Atlanta, the Mets, and Philadelphia could throw a wrench in Johnson’s plans to catch up in wins. He’ll pitch well and hold up his end, but can the Marlins help him out?

Roy Halladay, Philadelphia

“Doc” has lived up to the hype in Philadelphia, and it’s not his fault that the Phillies’ MLB betting odds are falling.  Halladay is 10-7 with a 2.19 ERA (including a perfect game against Johnson and the Marlins), and he would have more if the Phillies gave him run support. Halladay is third in wins, fourth in ERA and tied for second in strikeouts, but he’s going to need a massive second half to beat the final player on the list to the Triple Crown.

Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado

Jimenez is trying to become the third National League pitcher this decade (Randy Johnson in 2002, Jake Peavy in 2007) to win the Triple Crown, and he has a no-hitter as well. Jimenez’s 15 wins leads the majors, he’s fifth in the league in ERA, and he’s ninth in strikeouts, which is the category that he needs the most work in, especially to catch the two-time defending strikeout and two-time defending Cy Young winner champ, Tim Lincecum, in San Francisco. But the way he’s pitching, I wouldn’t lay a bet against him.