Josh Hamilton Looking For Redemption As Game 162 Looms For Texas Rangers

There’s a lot of things you could say about Josh Hamilton.

He’s something of an enigma. He’s arguably the most naturally gifted player in baseball today, his immense talents are in a constant struggle against his health, in both the mental (with his alcoholism) and physical (from years of all-out play with tacked on years of drug abuse) sense. His athletic feats on the field have captivated the baseball world, as has his personal problems off-field. Most importantly, Hamilton is the face of the Texas Rangers, as talented a group of baseball players as there is in the majors today, looking to get back to the World Series for the 3rd year in a row and finishing the job for good.

Yet, at the most critical juncture of their 2012 season, the Rangers’ best player has all but disappeared.

By all accounts, the 2012 season has been a rousing success for Hamilton. For one, he’s avoided significant injury – his 147 games played is the most since his breakout 2008 season. He’s set a career-high in runs scored (102), and homers (42), and is only 3 RBI away from setting a new career standard there too. His incredible start to the season – Hamilton was hitting .368 with 22 homers on May 30th, including a 4-homer outburst on May 8th – is unlikely to be forgotten soon. That said, if the Texas Rangers don’t end up winning the AL West in the final game of the season, Hamilton’s slump in the final week may not be forgotten quickly either.

Over the last 7 days, Hamilton has gone homer-less; not only that, but he’s only hitting .233 – with an on-base percentage that’s sitting at the identical number. Yes, that means Hamilton has not drawn a single walk over his last 30 at-bats, while striking out 13 times in the process – an alarming rate of 43.3%. Remember his slump in June to early August that saw his OPS drop from 1.175 to .908? Hamilton is right back there; he’s beating himself at the plate, and the Rangers are facing the consequences with him at the heart of the order. The team has won just 2 out of their last 7 games, including the first 2 match-ups in a crucial final series against the Oakland Athletics that initially saw the Rangers in the drivers seat, needing just a win to clinch the AL West.

It’s not all bad, though. One might argue that the Rangers are still in the driver’s seat, their road to the division crown still in their hands. Sure, the A’s – an incredible underdog story who are quite rightfully the buzz around the league – are surging at the right time, but there’s no doubting the talent that makes up the Rangers can close their season out with a win. They were the favourites for the division crown before the season started, and they’ll be the favourites headed into game 162. To get that final win, the Rangers will have to play up to their talent level, and simply be better. To do that, Josh Hamilton will have to be better.

Here’s the thing about talent; especially the type of all-world talent like Hamilton – redemption is just one swing away. The division is down to a single game, and no one in baseball would be surprised if Hamilton’s bat propels the Rangers to victory. There’s a reason why this post focuses on his current slump – because Hamilton has the ability to turn it around on a dime. Not just for himself and his impending free-agency, but also for the Texas Rangers, who will have one final chance to finish atop the AL West – and avoid a do-or-die playoff game – after letting an all-but-certain lead slip away in the final week.