Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
We enter the Top 20 along the way through the Rant Sports MLB Top 50 Players list as we land on Carlos Gomez, centerfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Easily having his best offensive output of his seven-year career, Gomez finished the 2013 campaign with a .284 batting average, a .338 on-base percentage, 24 home runs, 73 RBI and 40 stolen bases. The 6-3 outfielder earned his first trip to the All-Star Game and for good reason. Nevertheless, Gomez’s great offensive performance is only part of the reason he ranked so high in our countdown.
Gomez was a beast in the outfield for the Brewers in 2013. The ball hawk made it difficult for opposing batters to get hits as he ran down balls in the gaps, chased them to the fences and pulled seemingly gone home runs back over. With a defensive WAR of 4.6, Gomez was only behind the MLB leader, Andrelton Simmons by 0.8. His ability to affect the game with his glove and arm was evident all season long and this earned him a Gold Glove in 2013, as was announced this week.
With a Gold Glove arm, a powerful bat and a 8.4 WAR which trailed only Mike Trout’s stratospheric 9.2 WAR, Gomez certainly earned his spot with the best of the best of all MLB players. As he and the Brewers head out of a disappointing 2013 season, Gomez will need to keep up his antics in order for the Brewers to have any shot at the playoffs in 2014. Unfortunately, he cannot do it all on his own, but the Brewers have enough solid players that it can be done.
Isaac Comelli is a Los Angeles Dodgers writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @IsaacComelli, “Like” him on Facebook or follow him on Google.
Related:
Rant Sports MLB Top 50 Players of 2014: No. 23 Joey Votto
Rant Sports MLB Top 50 Players of 2014: No. 22 Cliff Lee
Rant Sports MLB Top 50 Players of 2014: No. 21 Evan Longoria
