Reds rookie Mike Leake went from Arizona State to the majors without throwing a pitch in the minor leagues. Stephen Strasburg spent two months split between Double-A and Triple-A before making his big league debut in front of the entire baseball world. The rise to the top does not come so easily – or at all – for others who share the dream of playing in The Show. Two such players are John Lindsey, who was drafted way back in 1995, and Max St-Pierre, who had played 978 games in the minors – nearly all of them as a catcher – before getting called up this month to the Dodgers and Tigers, respectively. Lindsey had played for five different organizations and even tried independent ball in 2005. St-Pierre had spent 14 seasons in the minors, including 13 in the Tigers organization, and was one of the Toledo Mud Hens' backstops in 2010. He probably did not expect the promotion after starting the year at Double-A. It’s always exciting for any minor leaguer to find out he's going up to the big leagues, but for a 33-year-old first baseman and a 30-year-old catcher going up for the first time, it has got to be the greatest feeling in the world.
How 'bout that?
How about Troy Tulowitzki? The Rockies shortstop is having a September to remember, launching 14 home runs, slugging a ridiculous .884, putting together four multi-homer games, and collecting 34 RBIs. If he can drive in 10 runs in Colorado's last nine games, Tulo will finish with 100 RBIs despite spending six weeks on the DL in June and July. Along with Carlos Gonzalez, Tulowitzki is leading the Rockies in their hunt for another Rocktober.
How about Jose Bautista? Seemingly out of nowhere, Bautista has been a huge power threat, becoming the first big leaguer to hit 50 home runs since 2007. In addition to leading in homers, his 115 RBIs are second in the majors (Miguel Cabrera has 120), and his .622 slugging percentage is ahead of everyone not named Josh Hamilton (.635). The Dominican slugger had never hit more than 16 homers in a season before 2010, but has set the single-season home run record for a Blue Jays player. Though many believed his early-season success to be a fluke, Bautista has more closely resembled a guy taking advantage of the chance to play every day. Fluke or break-out year, Bautista has established career highs in nearly every offensive category and will garner serious MVP consideration.
How about the Astros? Houston was 36-53 at the All-Star break, but since then has been a completely different team. The 'stros have won 10 more games than they've lost since the break to bring their overall record to 73-80 and pull into third in the NL Central. With a very strong finish, the Astros could end the season with a .500 record, which would be a remarkable feat considering their miserable start (0-8 to open the season, 17-33 at the end of May) and their trade of Roy Oswalt to the Phillies in late July. More importantly, however, Houston fans have reason to be optimistic for the 2011 season.
Pair of races to watch
Keywords: AL East, AL MVP, Arizona State, Braves, Carlos Gonzalez, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, John Lindsey, Jose Bautista, Josh Hamilton, Los Angeles Dodgers, Max St-Pierre, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Leake, New York Yankees, NL Central, NL West, NL Wild Card, Philadelphia Phillies, Rocktober, Roy Oswalt, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Stephen Strasburg, Tampa Bay Rays, The Show, Toledo Mud Hens, Toronto Blue Jays, Troy Tulowitzki
