October 19, 2011 | 1:56 pm

Braun the Best in the Biz?

Posted by Jeremy Fine

Follow JewishJournal.com on

For the sake of this article we have taken out pitchers from the equation. Then we have gone through the league and compiled a list of players who could legitimately be a part of the argument.  This list contains most players who have finished in a least one of the major offensive categories in the last 3 years. Below is the first list of the 27 best hitters in baseball, in no particular order:

1) Jose Bautista
2) Adrian Gonzalez
3) Robinson Cano
4) Mark Texeria
5) Evan Longoria
6) Paul Konerko
7) Joe Mauer
8) Justin Morneau
9) Victor Martinez
10) Miguel Cabrera
11) Ichiro Suzuki
12) Josh Hamilton
13) Adrian Beltre
14) Hanley Rameriz
15) Jose Reyes
16) Ryan Howard
17) Chase Utley
18) Joey Votto
19) RYAN BRAUN
20) Prince Fielder
21) Andrew McCutchen
22) Albert Pujols
23) Matt Kemp
24) Pablo Sandoval
25) Justin Upton
26) Troy Tulowitzki
27) Carlos Gonzalez

He have trimmed the list to 10 using factors such as age, having one very poor stat catergory, or inconsistency (for example Hanley Ramirez has been removed because of a down year, McCuthen’s only hit .259, and Ichiro seems to be past his prime). Below are the top ten in no particular order.

1) Albert Pujols
2) Robinson Cano
3) Matt Kemp
4) Ryan Braun
5) Prince Fielder
6) Miguel Cabrera
7) Josh Hamilton
8) Jose Bautista
9) Adrian Gonzalez
10) Troy Tulowitzki

To cut this list it gets much harder. I want to take in down to 5. In order to do that I need to eliminate a few players for not stealing bases. But note all of these guys are awesome and I would be happy to start a team with any of them. Explanations below.

Adrian Gonzalez, Miguel Cabrera, Jose Bautista, Josh Hamilton, and Prince Fielder - All but lack one major category, none of these guys steal bases. If I am going to pick the best of the best I want that player to do everything. Bautista did steal 9 bases, but he also has only been really solid for two years not three. I kept Tulowitzki because he plays a much more desired position and Pujols because he is so dominant.

So I am left with 5.
Braun
Pujols
Tulowitzki
Kemp
Cano

I will now eliminate Kemp because in 2010 he hit .249.

I am left with the 4 guys that I cannot decide between; Braun, Pujols, Tulowitzki, and Cano. Over the last 3 years these have been dominant players.

So Braun is in a toss between these four. No real way to determine who is #1.

Anyone disagree?

And Let Us Say…Amen.
- Jeremy Fine