The Star-Ledger-USA TODAY Sports
From the earliest part of the season there has been one question on the minds of Major League Baseball fans. Can Detroit Tigers‘ Miguel Cabrera win back to back American League Triple Crowns? He has led all three categories, home runs, batting average and RBI during parts of the season but he has competition from Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis. It seems that both actually have had a chance at making MLB history this year. As we get closer however it looks like Cabrera has a real chance while Davis is in position to play spoiler.
Cabrera has batting average wrapped up with a mark of .360. The closest to him are Mike Trout with .333 and Adrian Beltre at .324. He’ll take the batting title; that’s one. Secondly he leads the RBI category as well but only by a small margin over Davis. Cabrera has 120 to Davis’ 115. The other category of the three is home runs and Miggy actually trails in that category with 40 big flies to Davis’ 45. So let’s break down the chances.
A 5 RBI lead with over a month to go is not much to say the least. It could actually go either way so we look at how the two are trending. Over the last ten games Cabrera has 12 RBI to Davis’ 9. The same time frame has Miggy with 6 home runs to Davis’ 4. For now Cabrera is pulling away in RBI and closing in on the homer title. If we look at the history of each man in September the edge goes to Miggy in RBI as well. Let’s assume that he will be able to outstretch Davis in that area.
That only leaves one. Homers will seemingly be the biggest challenge for Cabrera to be able to complete the Triple Crown for what would be a legendary second year in a row. Davis has an awesome stroke and it hasn’t slowed for a moment since the season’s first week. Cabrera however came on strong mid-season and has been consistent as well. September of 2012 saw one of our sluggers with 10 homers and the other with 11. The simple truth is that this is going to be close.
Overall Miggy makes contact more than Davis does which is evident by the batting average gap between the two, about 60 points. More contact should lead to more homers, if only just a few more, down the stretch of the season. I think Cabrera will take batting average easy and outstretch Davis in RBI by about ten or so. Home runs are going to come down to the final week of the season baring some strange fall-off or injury by either man. I think Cabrera will just take the home run title by one or two and put his name in the record books as the first man in MLB history to achieve two consecutive Triple Crowns. Good luck Miggy!
David Miller is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @davidmillerrant, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
