20. 2007

Angel Cabrera became the first South American-born player to ever win the U.S. Open.

(photo courtesy of aroundhawaii.com).

Winner: Angel Cabrera

Venue: Oakmont Country Club

Top 5 entering Sunday:

1. Aaron Baddeley, +2

2. Tiger Woods, +4

3. Stephen Ames, +5

    Paul Casey, +5

    Justin Rose, +5

    Bubba Watson, +5

Final standings:

1. Cabrera, +5

2. Furyk, +6

    Woods, +6

4. Fasth, +7

5. B. Watson, +9

Memorable moment:

  Cabrera had captured the lead after day two with a tournament score of even par, but he shot a disappointing 76 to move into a tie for 7^th place and four strokes back going into the final day.

  He was able to regain his composure on Sunday, however, with five birdies and a 69 for the round, to become one of only two players on Sunday to finish under par for the day. He bogeyed 17 and 18 with Woods and Furyk right on his heels, but was able to par the finishing hole to secure the victory.

  Australian Aaron Bradley, who led going into the final day, triple bogeyed the opening hole and never recovered.

19. 1997

After starting the day in second place, Els shot a 69 on Sunday to win his second U.S. Open.

Winner: Ernie Els

Venue: Congressional Country Club

Top 5 entering Sunday:

1. Tom Lehman, -5

2. Ernie Els, -3

    Jeff Maggert, -3

4. Colin Montgomerie, -2

5. Jay Haas, E

    David Ogrin, E

    Tommy Tolles, E

Final standings:

1. Els, -4

2. Montgomerie, -3

3. Lehman, -2

4. Maggert, +1

5. Browne, +2

    Furyk, +2

    Haas, +2

    Tolles, +2

    Tway, +2

Memorable moment:

Lehman's splashdown on 17 cost him the tournament.

  Lehman led second-place Els by two strokes going into Sunday, but faltered badly on the back-nine, including the infamous splashdown on 17.

  Colin Montgomerie, the day one leader who overcame a second round of 75, tied finally caught Els on the 16th, but bogeyed the 17th to Els' par, which would decide the tournament.

18. 2012

The 26-year-old Simpson would outduel 2010 Champion McDowell on the final day.

 Winner: Webb Simpson

Venue:  Olympic Club
Top 5 entering Sunday:

1. Jim Furyk, -1

    Graeme McDowell, -1

3. Fredrik Jacobson, +1

4. Blake Adams, +2

    Nicolas Colsaerts, +2

    Ernie Els, +2

    Lee Westwood, +2

Final standings:

1. Simpson, +1

2. McDowell, +2

    M. Thompson, +2

4. Dufner, +3

    Furyk, +3

    Harrington, +3

    J. Peterson, +3

    Toms, +3

Memorable moment:

  Simpson was five over par after Friday, but was still very much in contention at only six strokes back of the leader. After a 68 on Saturday to draw within four strokes of the lead, Simpson carded another 68 on Sunday, which threw a huge monkey wrench into the top five.

  Furyk and McDowell, who led the field going into Sunday at one under par, looked extremely shaky all day. McDowell plunged from -1 to +3 just on the front nine alone, and Furyk went the entire day without a birdie. Simpson would then par the final 8 holes to lock up his first major.

17. 1987

Scott Simpson would win his first and only Major Championship in 1987.

(photo courtesy of Golf.com).

Winner: Scott Simpson

Venue: Olympic Club

Top 5 entering Sunday:

1. Tom Watson, -2

2. Keith Clearwater, -1

    Scott Simpson, -1

4. Lennie Clements, E

5. Seve Ballesteros, +1

    Ben Crenshaw, +1

    Bernhard Langer, +1

    John Mahaffey, +1

    Larry Mize, +1

    Jim Thorpe, +1

Final standings:

1. Simpson, -3

2. Watson, -2

3. Ballesteros, +2

4. Crenshaw, +3

    Langer, +3

    Mize, +3

    Strange, +3

    Wadkins, +3

Memorable moment:

Watson nearly made a 45-foot putt to force a playoff.

  Watson and Simpson were one and two going into Sunday and had a final day clashing that was one of the greatest in U.S. Open history.

  The only two players on the course playing under par exchanged self-inflicted blows on the front-nine as they combined for seven bogeys, but both players would greatly settle down on the back-nine as Watson had the lead by one.

  Simpson would get hot on 14, 15, and 16 with three straight birdies, highlighted by sinking a 30-foot putt on 15, but still had to watch Watson, who was a group behind him, attempt a miracle putt on the 18^th to force overtime.

  To Simpson’s delight, as well as near shock, Watson pushed a hail mary putt just wide for Simpson’s only major victory.

16. 1996

Jones defeated Tom Lehman and Davis Love III by a single stroke to win his first and only major.

Winner: Steve Jones

Venue: Oakland Hills Country Club

Top 5 entering Sunday:

1. Tom Lehman, -2

2. Steve Jones, -1

3. Davis Love III, E

    John Morse, E

    Frank Nobilo, E

Final standings:

1. Jones, -2

2. Lehman, -1

    Love III, -1

4. Morse, E

5. Els, +1

    Furyk, +1

Memorable moment:

  Jones, Lehman, and Love III had a memorable weekend clash at Oakland Hills, as all three players would enter the weekend among the top five, and remain as the leaders well into the final day.

  Lehman had a three-stroke lead going into the back-nine, but imploded with bogeys on 10 and 12, and then one on the 72^nd hole. Love III made three birdies in a four-hole span from holes 11-15 to move to -3 for the round, but bogeyed 17 and 18, including the devastating 3-foot miss for par on 18.

After Lehman hit bunker on the 18^th, Jones played safe for par, and would hold on for his only major.  

15. 1985

Sunday leader Tze-Chung Chen collapsed in the final round with a +7.

Winner: Andy North

Venue: Oakland Hills Country Club

Top 5 entering Sunday:

1. Tze-Chung Chen, -7

2. Andy North, -5

3. Dave Barr, -2

4. Rick Fehr, -1

5. Steve Ballesteros, E

    Tom Kite, E

    Dennis Watson, E

Final standings:

1. North, -1

2. Barr, E

    Chen, E

    D. Watson, E

5. Ballesteros, +1

    P. Stewart, +1

    Wadkins, +1

Memorable moment:

Chen's quadruple-bogey on hole 5 on Sunday was one of the worst meltdowns in golf history.

  By far the biggest Sunday collapse in U.S. Open history, as T.C. Chen would shoot a 77 on the final day in humiliating fashion.

  After breaking the day one, day two, and day three scores in the tournament’s history on consecutive days, Chen would blow the historic feats in a span of minutes, and add even more history to his dismay.

  On the par-four fifth, he would double-hit a wedge shot from a thick greenside bunker, resulting in a two-stroke penalty. He would then three-putt following the penalty to suffer a plus-four for the hole, and later tacked on the embarrassment with three more bogeys on consecutive holes.

  North, who started the day in second at -5, would finish Sunday with a rather unimpressive 74, but was enough to survive the carnage at Oakland Hills that day.

14. 1971

Trevino's rubber snake prank on Jack Nicklaus was the tournament's lasting image.

(photo courtesy of amarillo.com).

Winner: Lee Trevino

Venue: Merion Golf Club

Top 5 entering Sunday:

1. Jim Simons, -3

2. Jack Nicklaus, -1

3. Bobby Nichols, E

4. Lee Trevino, +1

    George Archer, +1

    Jim Colbert, +1

    Bob Erickson, +1

Final standings:

1. Trevino, E

    Nicklaus, E

18-Hole Playoff result:

1. Trevino, -2

2. Nicklaus, +1

Memorable moment:

Trevino took some of the pressure off before the playoff with his friend Nicklaus.

  One of the wildest finishing holes in U.S. Open history probably won’t even be remembered, considering a playoff would later ensue between the legendary Trevino and Nicklaus.

  But even before the famous rubber snake incident before the Monday playoff, two forgettable players in history would have major blunders to make the playoff even possible.

  Third-round leader Jim Simons had an inexcusable slip-up on the final hole, as he double-bogeyed the par-3 18^th, and Bob Rosburg three-putted the 72^nd with a chance to clinch a share of first place.

  Trevino would outlast Nicklaus -2, to +1 in the playoff for one of his six majors, with four of those seeing Nicklaus as the runner-up.

13. 1977

Green had more than just the competition to deal with on the final Sunday.

(photo courtesy of blog.al.com).

Winner: Hubert Green

Venue: Southern Hills Country Club

Top 5 entering Sunday:

1. Hubert Green, -2

2. Andy Bean, -1

3. Terry Diehl, E

    Gary Jacobsen, E

    Gary Player, E

    Tom Purtzer, E

    Tom Weiskopf, E

Final standings:

1. Green, -2

2. L. Graham, -1

3. Weiskopf, +1

4. Purtzer, +2

5. Haas, +3

    Jacobsen, +3

Memorable moment:

  As 12 players were within three strokes of the lead entering the final round at Southern Hills, Hubert Green had enough to worry about. But the day three leader had more than just a field of competitors trying to take his first ever major away from him, there were people also trying to take his life.

  In one of the most frightening moments in sports history, course officials were notified by the FBI that a man had called into their offices in Oklahoma City, declaring that three men were on their way to Tulsa to kill Green. Green wasn’t informed until the 14^th hole, and had to make a decision on whether or not to continue the tournament. Undeterred by the death threats, Green decided to play on, and played well enough to hold off a scrupulous rally from Lou Graham to capture his first of two Majors.

  Green later admitted he walked up to the 15th tee not knowing whether or not he would survive the hole.

12. 1988

Strange would win two consecutive U.S. Open titles in 1988 and 1989.

Winner: Curtis Strange

Venue: Brookline Country Club

Top 5 entering Sunday:

1. Curtis Strange, -7

2. Nick Faldo, -6

    Bob Gilder, -6

    Scott Simpson, -6

5. Larry Mize, -5

    D.A. Weibring, -5

Final standings:

1. Strange, -6

    Faldo, -6

18-Hole Playoff result:

1. Strange, E

2. Faldo, +4

Memorable moment:

Strange's 28-foot birdie on the 13th hole of the playoff put Faldo away.

  Strange would win his first of two consecutive U.S. Open titles after outliving Faldo in an 18-hole playoff on Monday. They were both one and two going into Sunday and both shot commanding sub-70 rounds on Sunday to supplant them at the top of the leaderboard.

  By the 13^th hole of the playoff, Strange had built up a three-stroke lead on Falco, which ended up being enough to put Faldo away. 

  The Englishman, who would win six majors during his career, would never get a better chance of winning the U.S. Open than he did in 1988 at Brookline.

11. 1975

Lou Graham defeated John Mahaffey in a playoff in the tournament's first ever Monday finish.

(photo courtesy of BigStory.ap.org).

Winner: Lou Graham

Venue: Medinah Country Club

Top 5 entering Sunday:

1. Frank Beard, -3

2. Lou Graham, +1

    Pat Fitzsimons, +1

4. Peter Oosterhuis, +2

    Ben Crenshaw, +2

Final standings:

1. Graham, +3

    J. Mahaffey, +3

18-Hole Playoff result:

1. Graham, E

2. Mahaffey, +2

Memorable moment:

  It was a memorable playoff finish at Medinah between Graham and Mahaffey after Sunday leader Frank Beard blew a big lead with a seven over-par in the final round.

  When Bob Murphy bogeyed the 18th, and Ben Crenshaw visited the drink on 17, Graham had a chance to win the tournament outright on the 72^nd, but connected with a bunker, and later bogeyed.

  Graham would birdie three holes in a seven-hole span from holes four to 10 in the Monday playoff to overcome Mahaffey, who would fail to birdie.

10. 1999

Stewart staged a late rally on Sunday to oust Mickelson.

Winner: Payne Stewart

Venue: Pinehurst Resort

Top 5 entering Sunday:

1. Payne Stewart, -1

2. Phil Mickelson, E

3. Tiger Woods, +1

    Tim Herron, +1

5. David Duval, +2

    Vijay Singh, +2

    Steve Stricker, +2

Final standings:

1. Stewart, -1

2. Mickelson, E

3. Woods, +1

     Singh, +1

5. Stricker, +5

Memorable moment:

Stewart's 15-foot par putt on the final hole extinguished Mickelson.

  Payne Stewart would heroically win his last major just months before he would die in a plane crash.

  After Stewart took the lead into Sunday, he and Mickelson would see-saw atop the leader board on the back-nine at Pinehurst with 70s amonst electric drama on the closing holes.

  Mickelson had a two-stroke lead on Payne after 15 in the group behind, but watched Stewart make a long putt on 16 for birdie, and then would go on to bogey 16 to knot things up at even par. After another birdie on 17, Stewart would go ahead for good, and finish the day with a long putt on 72 to clinch it.

9. 1982

Watson's birdie on 17 at Pebble Beach is considered one of the most famous shots in golf history.

(photo courtesy of TonyRobertsphotography.com).

Winner: Tom Watson

Venue: Pebble Beach Golf Links

Top 5 entering Sunday:

1. Bill Rogers, -4

    Tom Watson, -4

3. George Burns, -2

    Bruce Devlin, -2

    David Graham, -2

    Scott Simpson, -2

Final standings:

1. Watson, -6

2. Nicklaus, -4

3. Rogers, -2

    Pohl, -2

    Clampett, -2

Memorable moment:

No one will ever forget Watson's chip-in on 17.

  Watson made one of the greatest shots in golf history as Nicklaus was safely in the clubhouse as the unlikely clubhouse leader with a dominating -3 on Sunday. Nicklaus was at the end of his dominance, and hadn’t been a factor for the three days prior until his 69.

  Facing what looked to be an impossible second-shot from the rough just outside the green on the par-3 17^th, Watson holed-out and rejoiced in one of the game’s lasting images. The birdie gave Watson a one-stroke lead over Nicklaus, and his birdie on 18 would cement his first and only U.S. Open.

8. 1965

Player won his first and only U.S. Open in 1965.

(photo courtesy of igf.golf.org).

Winner: Gary Player

Venue: Bellerive Country Club

Top 5 entering Sunday:

1. Gary Player, +3

2. Kel Nagle, +5

3. Frank Beard, +5

4. Al Geiberger, +8

5. Julius Boros, +9

Final standings:

1. Player, +2

    Nagle, +2

18-Hole Playoff result:

1. Player, +1

2. Nagle, +4

Memorable moment:

  Nine-time major winner Gary Player almost completed one of the biggest gaffes of his storied career when he blew a three-shot lead with just three to go at Bellerive in 1965.

  The South-African double-bogeyed the par-3 16^th, and then watched Australian Kel Nagle birdie 17 to tie the two at +2 for the tournament. After both players would par the 72nd, they would head into the first 18-hole playoff in U.S. Open history.

  After birdying three of the first eight playoff holes, Player had built-up an overwhelming lead over Nagle, who double-bogeyed hole five, and then bogeyed hole seven.

  Nagle had been a former champion, having won the 1960 British Open.

7. 1991

Stewart overcame a 2-stroke deficit going into hole 16 of the playoff to win his first ever U.S. Open.

Winner: Payne Stewart

Venue: Hazeltine National Golf Club

Top 5 entering Sunday:

1. Payne Stewart, -6

    Scott Simpson, -6

3. Scott Hoch, -2

    Nick Price, -2

5. Fred Couples, -1

    Nolan Henke, -1

    Brian Kamm, -1

Final standings:

1. Stewart, -6

    Simpson, -6

18-Hole Playoff result:

1. Stewart, +3

2. Simpson, +5

Memorable moment:

  Stewart would win his second of three majors at Hazeltine, but was greatly helped by Scott Simpson’s debilitating errors during the tournament’s biggest moments.

  Even though Stewart had at least a share of the lead at the end of every round, Simpson brought a stoke lead into the 72^nd hole. With a chance to win his second U.S. Open in five years, Simpson bogeyed the 18^th to allow for a playoff.

  Simpson once again captured the lead late in the tournament, this time up by a pair on hole 16, but bogeyed the hole, and then was later joined at the top when Stewart birdied.

  Simpson would visit the pond on the par-3 17^th, and would follow that up with his third consecutive bogey on the last playoff hole as well, to assist Stewart into the winner’s circle.

6. 1994

Els would win his first of four major titles.

Winner: Ernie Els

Venue: Oakmont Country Club

Top 5 entering Sunday:

1. Ernie Els, -7

2. Frank Nobilo, -5

3. Tom Watson, -4

    Hale Irwin, -4

    Colin Montgomerie, -4

    Loren Roberts, -4

Final standings:

1. Els, -5

    Montgomerie, -5

    Roberts, -5

18-Hole Playoff result:

1. Els, +3

    Roberts, +3

2. Montgomerie, +7

Sudden-Death result:

-Els pars Second extra hole, Roberts hits bogey.

Memorable moment:

  Els, Roberts and Montgomerie would compete in the first 18-hole playoff in over three decades, and probably the most gut-wrenching as well as all three players would suffer incredible meltdowns early in the playoff.

  Els triple-bogeyed the first hole, Roberts would double-bogey the fifth, and Montgomerie would double-bogey the second and third.

  The players were back on keel after the joint disaster, but Montgomerie was finally KO’ed for good when he suffered his third double-bogey of the round on 16.

  Roberts and Els would end the playoff round tied, and would stay level for one sudden-death hole, until Roberts would finally flinch and bogey the second, and watch Els par for the title.

5. 2001

Goosen missed a two-foot putt for the championship, but would later push through in a playoff.

Winner: Retief Goosen

Venue: Pinehurst Resort

Top 5 entering Sunday:

1. Stewart Cink, -5

    Retief Goosen, -5

3. Sergio Garcia, -4

    Rocco Mediate, -4

    Mark Brooks, -4

Final standings:

1. Goosen, -4

    Brooks, -4

18-Hole Playoff result:

1. Goosen, E

2. Brooks, +2

Memorable moment:

Goosen's short miss on the final hole would have gone down as one of the biggest blunders in golf history had he not recovered to win the playoff.

  Goosen would win his second of two U.S. Open Championships, but it was his unbelievable miss on 18 within two feet of the hole that is what history is going to remember.

  After Stewart Cink three-putted on 18, Goosen was left with an easy 22-inch putt for the title. In an inconceivable instance, Goosen would misread the short putt and miss the hole wide by a full inch. Goosen would later say that he "felt the entire earth shake" when he missed the infamous potential winner.

  He would later win the playoff by a comfortable margin, but no one will ever forget what might have gone down as the biggest choke in golf history.  

4. 2006

Mickelson's double-bogey on 18 was one of the biggest Sunday collapses in U.S. Open history.

Winner: Geoff Ogilvy

Venue: Winged Foot Golf Club

Top 5 entering Sunday:

1. Phil Mickelson, +2

    Kenneth Ferrie, +2

3. Geoff Ogilvy, +3

4. Colin Montgomerie, +5

     Ian Poulter, +5

     Vijay Singh, +5

     Steve Stricker, +5

Final standings:

1. Ogilvy, +5

2. Mickelson, +6

    Montgomerie, +6

    Furyk, +6

5. Harrington, +7

Memorable moment:

Mickelson's double-bogey on the final hole handed Ogilvy a one-shot victory.

  The six-time U.S. Open runner-up is no stranger to final-day heartbreak, but his 2006 collapse may have been his most devastating.

  He had a one-stroke lead over Geoff Ogilvy going into the 72nd hole and needed just a five on the par-5 final hole to secure the victory. He pulled out his driver for his 270^th shot, even though he had only hit two fairways in regulation the entire day with his driver, and once again was way off target as his ball would ricochet off a spectator tent.

  He tried to bend his second shot around a tree, but rather struck the tree itself instead. His third shot visited the sand, and his fourth shot went way off the green. When the dust settled, Geoff Ogilvy came out an unanticipated Open Champion by a single stroke after Mickelson double-bogeyed.

  Mickelson would later famously remark “I am such an idiot”, at the press conference to follow.

3. 1966

Casper erased a 7-shot deficit on the back-nine.

(photo courtesy of Time.com).

Winner: Billy Casper

Venue: Olympic Club

Top 5 entering Sunday:

1. Arnold Palmer, -3

2. Billy Casper, E

3. Jack Nicklaus, +1

4. Phil Rodgers, +3

    Dave Marr, +3

Final standings:

1. Palmer, -2

    Casper, -2

18-Hole Playoff result:

1. Casper, -1

    Palmer, +3

Memorable moment:

  Arnold Palmer came into Sunday with a commanding three stroke lead over second-place Billy Casper, and looked just as dominant in the first nine holes on the tournament's final day. Palmer would shoot a 32 through nine to take over what looked to be an absolutely indomitable lead.

  But in one of the most unforeseen occurrences in golf history, Palmer not only saw his lead plummet, but plummet faster than a boulder pushed over the side of the Grand Canyon.

  Palmer bogeyed five of the nine holes on the final turn, including three of those turning out to be birdie-bogey counter-attacks from Casper. Casper would play the final six at -3, while Palmer would be the inverted +3 to force the historic playoff.

  Palmer once again took a lead into the back-nine, but unraveled yet again, with three more bogeys, including a double on the 16^th.

  Casper would win the playoff by four strokes.

2. 1990

Hale Irwin defeated Mike Donald on the 91st hole, marking the first ever sudden-death playoff in U.S. Open history.

Winner: Hale Irwin

Venue: Medinah Country Club

Top 5 entering Sunday:

1. Billy Ray Brown, -7

    Mike Donald, -7

3. Mark Brooks, -6

    Larry Nelson, -6

    Tim Simpson, -6

    Jeff Sluman, -6

Final standings:

1. Hale Irwin, -8

    Mike Donald, -8

18-Hole Playoff result:

1. Irwin, +2

    Donald, +2

Sudden-Death result:

Irwin birdies first hole, Donald fails to answer.

Memorable moment:

  The first sudden-death in U.S. Open history saw Hale Irwin make up two shots in the final three holes of the 18-hole playoff to force a deadlock at the top.

  Irwin birdied the 16^th, and then after exchanging pars with Donald on the 17^th, was able to tie Donald up when the 33-year-old inexperienced American would miss a short putt for the championship.

  Still shaken by the near miss, Donald would lose the sudden-death playoff after just a single hole.

1. 2008

Woods' 12-foot birdie putt on the final playoff hole to force sudden-death is one of the most memorable shots in U.S. Open history. 

Winner: Tiger Woods

Venue: Torrey Pines Golf Course

Top 5 entering Sunday:

1. Tiger Woods, -3

2. Lee Westwood, -2

3. Rocco Mediate, -1

    Geoff Ogilvy, +1

    D.J. Trahan, +1

Final standings:

1. Woods, -1

    Mediate, -1

18-Hole Playoff result:

1. Woods, E

    Mediate, E

Sudden-Death result:

Woods pars first hole, Mediate Bogeys.

Memorable moment:

Woods long putt forced an 18-hole playoff with Mediate the following day.

  Playing the full 72 with what would later be determined a torn ACL, Tiger Woods played 18 more playoffs holes and then another sudden-death playoff hole in an epic shootout with Rocco Mediate.

  But even before the nail-biting sudden-death playoff, Woods would hole one of the most clutch putts of his entire career for birdie on the last playoff hole to tie Mediate.

  Woods had previously surged to a three-stroke lead on Mediate after 10 holes, but bogeyed 11 and 12, and would later relinquish the lead after 15 when Mediate would complete a string of three straight birdies.

  After deadlocking on 16 and 17, Woods would connect on the historic birdie putt that would be a lasting image on his era of dominance.

  The birdie putt sent the two to another playoff, this time sudden-death, with Tiger winning it after a Mediate bogey.

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A.L. East

Combined record: 178-149 (1st).

Batting average: .261 (2nd).

Earned run average: 4.24 (6th)

Runs per game: 4.71 (1st).

Home runs: 388 (1st).

Robinson Cano and David Ortiz have combined for 30 home runs this season.

Vs. AL Central: 43-32

Vs. AL West: 35-25

Vs. NL East: 11-9

Vs. NL Central: 0-0

Vs. NL West: 14-8

The Rays are a league-best 9-1 versus the National League.

Most Valuable Player:

Chris Davis

Cy Young:

Clay Buchholz

All-Division batting lineup:

1. Jacoby Ellsbury – OF

2. Dustin Pedroia – 2B

3. Chris Davis – 3B

4. Adam Jones – OF

5. Evan Longoria – 3B

6. David Ortiz – DH

7. Jose Bautista – OF

8. J.J. Hardy – SS

9. Jarrod Saltalamacchia - C

Davis leads the Majors in home runs, with 21.

All-Division starting rotation:

1. Clay Buchholz

2. Alex Cobb

3. Hiroki Kuroda

4. Chris Tillman

5. CC Sabathia

All-Division bullpen:

Mariano Rivera

Jim Johnson

Tommy Hunter

Joel Peralta

David Robertson

Hunter has a 30/7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 37.1 innings.

Grades

Hitting: B+

  Consistently the best hitting division in all of baseball for the last decade. Chris Davis leads the world in slugging by a Barry Bonds-like 50 points over the guy in second place, and is on pace for 50 home runs.

  Four of the top ten Major League leaders in home runs come from the A.L. East, and the Red Sox lead baseball in runs scored with 355.

  Given the fact that every team in the division relies on its offense to win ball games on an average basis, the East’s offense is unparallel.  

Starting pitching: D+

  Besides Buchholz and Kuroda, the East has been a mess at the top of every team's rotation. Former Cy Young winners R.A. Dickey, David Price, and CC Sabathia have combined for a 12-17 record, with an earned run average of 4.73.

Relief pitchers: C

  East relievers have been good but not great. Toronto and New York have the best bullpens in the division, ranking 9^th and 10^th in the Majors respectively in bullpen ERA. Baltimore has been the poorest of the bunch, but is still coming in a respectable 21^st in reliever earned run average.

  David Robertson and Koji Uehara have been the best set-up men of the bunch, as they have both posted sub-1.00 WHIPs, with a K/9 way above a strikeout per inning.

Closers: B

  Dominant closers have always been a staple of the division, and this year has been no different.

  Mariano Rivera and Jim Johnson are tied with Jason Grilli for the Major League lead in saves, and Casey Janssen had been perfect until his first blown save of the season on Monday.

  Andrew Bailey has converted 7 of his 9 save chances, and has a K/BB ratio of 29/9.

Rivera is tied for the Major League lead in saves, at 23.

A.L. Central

Combined record: 155-162 (4th).

Batting average: .256 (3rd).

Earned run average: 3.91 (3rd).

Runs per game: 4.30 (4th).

Home runs: 294 (6th)

Detroit has taken six of eight from the contending Indians.

Vs. AL East: 32-43

Vs. AL West: 46-39

Vs. NL East: 15-16

Vs. NL Central: 7-11

Vs. NL West: 0-0

The White Sox were swept by the cross-town rival Cubs at the end of May.

Most Valuable Player:

Miguel Cabrera

Cy Young:

Max Scherzer

All-Division batting lineup:

1. Jhonny Peralta – SS

2. Alex Gordon – OF

3. Miguel Cabrera – 3B

4. Prince Fielder – 1B

5. Alex Rios – OF

6. Joe Mauer – C

7. Billy Butler – DH

8. Torii Hunter – OF

9. Jason Kipnis – 2B

Cabrera's .358 batting average leads baseball.

All-Division starting rotation:

1. Max Scherzer

2. Chris Sale

3. Anibal Sanchez

4. James Shields

5. Justin Verlander

All-Division bullpen:

Jesse Crain

Addison Reed

Glen Perkins

Greg Holland

Joaquin Benoit

Crain leads the American League in holds, with 19.

Grades

Hitting: D

  Detroit and Cleveland have been two of the best hitting teams in the game.

  The Tigers lead the Majors in batting average by a rather comfortable margin, and the Indians have the sixth highest slugging percentage.

  However, besides the Central’s two leaders who have jockeyed for position atop the division all season, there’s not a lot of meat left in this group.

  Minnesota, Chicago, and Kansas City are the worst slugging teams in the American League, and rank 13^th, 14^th, and 15^th in home runs. Besides maybe Joe Mauer, neither team in that threesome has a hitter that presents any sort of intimidation factor.

Starting pitching: B

  If you want workhorses, you’ve come to the right division. James Shields leads the American League in innings pitched, with Justin Masterson just off the pace in third, and Ervin Santana and Max Scherzer rounding out the top 8.

  KC and Detroit have the lowest team ERA’s in the league.

Relief pitchers: B+

  Kansas City has the lowest bullpen ERA in the bigs at 2.73, and Minnesota is not too far behind in 4^th.

  Jesse Crain has been by far the best reliever in the Majors this year, with one of those rare statlines where a pitcher has a lower ERA (0.60) than WHIP (1.03).

Closers: B

  Easily the most unappreciated collection of closers in baseball.

  After Joakim Soria and Joe Nathan left the division, you were seemingly left with a handful second and third tier relievers. However, guys like Glen Perkins and Greg Holland have had All-Star worthy campaigns in 2013 that deserve to be noticed.

  They’ve combined to convert 28 of their 32 save opportunities, with Perkins’ 0.85 WHIP being one of the best in the American League.

  Jose Valverde and Chris Perez have been nothing short of abysmal, but 24-year-old Addison Reed has recovered nicely from a nightmare season in 2012 when he had a W.A.R. total in the negatives.

Scherzer is a perfect 9-0 in 13 starts.

A.L. West

Combined record:  158-174 (5th).

Batting average: .250 (5th).

Earned run average: 4.12 (5th).

Runs per game: 4.17 (5th).

Home runs: 366 (2nd).

The Rangers are 4-2 against Los Angeles, with a comfortable 10-game cushion.

Vs. AL East: 25-35

Vs. AL Central: 39-46

Vs. NL East: 0-0

Vs. NL Central: 8-9

Vs. NL West: 9-10

The A's took three of four from the Giants in a battle of Western Division powerhouses.

Most Valuable Player:

Mike Trout

Cy Young:

Hisashi Iwakuma

All-Division batting lineup:

1. Coco Crisp – OF

2. Mike Trout – OF

3. Adrian Beltre – 3B

4. Mark Trumbo – OF

5. Nelson Cruz – OF

6. Kendrys Morales – DH

7. Howie Kendrick – 2B

8. Jed Lowrie – SS

9. Jason Castro – C

Trout is on pace for another 100+ run season.

All-Division starting rotation:

1. Hisashi Iwakuma

2. Felix Hernandez

3. Yu Darvish

4. Bartolo Colon

5. Derek Holland

All-Division bullpen:

Joe Nathan

Grant Balfour

Ernesto Frieri

Tanner Scheppers

Scott Downs

 

Iwakuma's 0.82 WHIP is the lowest in the MLB.

Grades

Hitting: D-

  When you add Seattle and Houston into the mix, it wouldn’t matter what the other three teams did, because you would still be left with dreadful hitting numbers as a division.

  Houston leads the Majors in strikeouts, and Seattle is 25^th in baseball in OPS at a frigid .683.

  Stars like Mike Trout and Adrian Beltre have had very productive seasons, but Josh Hamilton, Albert Pujols, and Elvin Andrus are currently on a shortlist of the most disappointing players of the season.

  Surprisingly, Oakland has emerged as one of the better offensive teams in the game, which is something they haven’t been in nearly a decade. The A’s rank 7^th in the MLB in runs scored, and are also third in baseball with 133 doubles.

Starting pitching: B-

  We knew that Yu Darvish and King Felix would do their best impressions of Bob Gibson all season, but we had no idea how good Hisashi Iwakuma would be.

  The 32-year-old from Tokyo, pitching in just his second season ever in the Majors, has been nearly flawless through his first 14 starts. Twelve of those 14 were quality starts (tied for second most),  and five of those saw Hisashi finished with zero earned runs charged to his name.

Relief pitchers: C-

  It’s not a very dominant division in terms of hard throwing relievers, but guys like Tanner Scheppers, Scott Downs, and Ryan Cook have been very striking thus far.

  Houston has the worst bullpen in the Majors with a horrifying 4.81 earned run average, with a league-leading 94 base-on- balls, but Oakland is at the opposite end of the spectrum, having put up the third best in baseball at 2.89.

  Oakland relievers are holding hitters to a .227 batting average, the 6^th best in baseball (Houston’s bullpen has surrendered a .279 opponent's batting average).

Closers: D+

  Grant Balfour and Joe Nathan have been brilliant with ERAs under 2.00 for the year, but Tom Wilhelmsen, Ernesto Frieri, and Houston’s closer-by-committee battery has been less than stellar.

  Frieri and Wilhelmsen have combined for 33 walks in 55.2 innings, and Houston’s bullpen has already blown 5 saves.

Darvish leads the Majors with 127 strikeouts, and a full 21 ahead of second place Scherzer.

N.L. East

Combined record: 146-177 (6th).

Batting average: .236 (6th).

Earned run average: 3.84 (2nd).

Runs per game: 3.68 (6th).

Home runs: 304 (4th).

The Braves have been wire-to-wire leaders in the N.L. East this season.

Vs. AL East: 9-11

Vs. AL Central: 16-15

Vs. AL West: 0-0

Vs. NL Central: 31-50

Vs. NL West: 23-33

The Mets swept this year's Subway Series in four closely contested games.

Most Valuable Player:

David Wright

Cy Young:

Matt Harvey

All-Division batting lineup:

1. Ian Desmond – SS

2. Bryce Harper – OF

3. David Wright – OF

4. Justin Upton – OF

5. Freddie Freeman – 1B

6. Domonic Brown – OF

7. Daniel Murphy – 2B

8. John Buck – C

Brown was named the National League's Player of the Month after a 12 home run month of May.

All-Division starting rotation:

1. Matt Harvey

2. Jordan Zimmerman

3. Mike Minor

4. Cliff Lee

5. Kris Medlen

All-Division bullpen:

Craig Kimbrel

Rafael Soriano

Jonathon Papelbon

Eric O’Flaherty

Tyler Clippard

The 24-year-old Harvey has the lowest WHIP in the National League.

Grades

Hitting: F

  By far the worst hitting division in all of baseball, and maybe the worst it’s been in N.L. East history.

  Philly has the highest team batting average at a pedestrian .249 (18^th overall), with Atlanta at 20^th, and the Nationals, Marlins, and Mets having the three worst averages in the MLB.

  Washington’s .235, Miami’s .229, and New York’s .224 are all well below the NL’s .251 league average.

Starting pitching: A-

  We didn’t know what we were going to get from this division after Roy Halladay plummeted from his perch atop baseball’s Mt. Rushmore, but Matt Harvey took over the throne as the top pitcher in the East.

  The rookie from the University of North Carolina is 5-0 with a 2.04 earned run average. His 102 strikeouts, and 0.91 WHIP are second in the National League, and he’s pitched into the 7^th inning in every start but three.

  Cliff Lee has once again been brilliant for the Phillies with a .220 batting average against, but Cole Hamels’ 2-9 record to start to the season has to be one of the most unexpected statistics in baseball. 

Relief pitchers: C

  Atlanta has arguably the best bullpen in baseball, but New York and Philadelphia’s are absolutely pathetic.

  The Mets bullpen is dead last in baseball in K/9, with only 150 strikeouts in 201.1 innings. The Phillies bullpen has allowed opposing teams to notch a .345 on-base percentage against them in 169.2 innings, which is the second worst in the Majors.

Closers: B-

  Craig Kimbrel, and Rafael Soriano both have pretty dominant pitching lines at first glance to this point, but have already combined for 5 blown saves on the season.

  Jonathan Papelbon has actually been the division's best closer this season, as he’s converted all 12 of his save chances, and has an exceptional 0.68 WHIP.

Desmond has the numbers to reach his first ever All-Star Game.

N.L. Central

Combined record: 174-151 (2nd).

Batting average: .254 (4th).

Earned run average: 3.66 (1st).

Runs per game: 4.34 (2nd).

Home runs: 316 (3rd).

St. Louis leads the National League with a .276 team batting average.

Vs. AL East: 0-0

Vs. AL Central: 11-7

Vs. AL West: 9-8

Vs. NL East: 50-31

Vs. NL West: 32-33

Pittsburgh went 19-9 in May, including taking three of four from the first-place Tigers.

Most Valuable Player:

Jean Segura

Cy Young:

Adam Wainwright

All-Division starting lineup:

1. Carlos Gomez – OF

2. Matt Carpenter – 2B

3. Joey Votto – 1B

4. Ryan Braun – OF

5. Andrew McCutchen – OF

6. Yadier Molina – C

7. Jean Segura – SS

8. Todd Frazier – 3B

Carpenter leads all Major League second basemen in runs, with 51.

All-Division starting rotation:

1. Adam Wainwright

2. Shelby Miller

3. Travis Wood

4. Lance Lynn

5. Mat Latos

All-Division bullpen:

Jason Grilli

Edward Mujica

Arnoldis Chapman

Mark Melancon

Trevor Rosenthal

Grilli is an unblemished 23 for 23 in save opportunities this season.

Grades

Hitting: A-

  St. Louis and Cincinnati are two of the best hitting teams in the game.

  St. Louis leads the National League in batting average, and the Reds have the fourth highest on-base percentage in baseball. Both have star-studded middle of the orders, and it’s no mystery that they have the two best records in the National League.

  But as good as those two juggernauts have been, the Pirates and Cubs have been just as bad. Pittsburgh and Chicago are 26^th and 27^th in hits, and are 25^th and 26^th in base on balls.

  Milwaukee has the offensive depth to out-slug their opponents, but Ryan Braun is on pace for only 20 home runs, and 82 runs batted in, which would both be career lows. 

Starting pitching: C-

  Outside of St. Louis, the Central has been lacking starpower on the mound. Adam Wainwright and Shelby Miller have been brilliant, but who else in this division really jumps out at you?

  Obviously Jeff Samardzija has been a flame thrower, as he leads the league in strikeouts, but he’s had a rough June with an ERA approaching 6.00 for the month.

  Travis Wood has been the king of quality starts this season, but with only 60 K’s in 85.0 innings, you have to wonder if he can continue to throw up zero’s on the scoreboard.

Relief pitchers: A-

As bad as Milwaukee’s starting pitching has been, their bullpen has been the crown jewel of the division.

  They have the fifth lowest ERA in baseball at just over 3.00, and have pitched the 7^th most innings out of relief. Pittsburgh is right behind the Brewers with a 3.10 earned run average, and leads the NL in bullpen strikeouts.

  St. Louis actually has one of the worst bullpens in baseball, with the fourth worst opponent’s batting average, but when your staff is as dominant as there’s as been, sometimes you don’t need strength in the pen.

Closers: C

  St. Louis’ Edward Mujica probably saved the Cardinals season after Jason Motte and Mitchell Boggs were one short of The Three Stooges, and has kept an already shaky Cardinals pen at a somewhat even keel come the 9^th inning.

  Mujica has been wonderful, but he’s still taking the second row behind the two main headliners in this division. Jason Grilli is tied for the Major League lead in saves with 23, and has yet to leave the door open once, with 0 blown saves.

  Aroldis Chapman has an incredible 50 strikeouts in only 29.0 innings (15.52 K/9) and hasn’t allowed an earned run since May 19^th.

Segura has only been caught twice in 21 stolen base attempts.

N.L. West

Combined record: 166-163 (3rd).

Batting average: .263 (1st).

Earned run average: 4.05 (4th).

Runs per game: 4.32 (3rd).

Home runs: 302 (5th).

The Dodgers and Diamondbacks had one of the most memorable brawls in recent memory this past week.

Vs. AL East: 8-14

Vs. AL Central: 0-0

Vs. AL West: 10-9

Vs. NL East: 33-23

Vs. NL Central: 33-32

The first place D'backs took two of three from Texas in late May.

Most Valuable Player:

Troy Tulowitzki

Cy Young:

Patrick Corbin

All-Division starting lineup:

1. Marco Scutaro – 2B

2. Hunter Pence – OF

3. Troy Tulowitzki – SS

4. Carlos Gonzalez – OF

5. Paul Goldschmidt – 1B

6. Buster Posey – C

7. Michael Cuddyer – OF

8. Pablo Sandoval – 3B

Tulowitzki was the MVP favorite in the National League until he went down with a serious rib injury.

All-Division starting rotation:

1. Patrick Corbin

2. Clayton Kershaw

3. Hyun-Jin Ryu

4. Jorge De La Rosa

5. Madison Bumgarner

All-Division bullpen:

Sergio Romo

Kenley Jansen

Luke Gregerson

Adam Ottavino

Josh Collmenter

Ryu is an impressive 6-2, with a 2.85 earned run average in his first year in the United States.

Grades

Hitting: A

  Everyone is raving about the potential MVP seasons of Carlos Gonzalez, Paul Goldschmidt, and Troy Tulowitzki, but the season Michael Cuddyer is having might just be the most interesting story.

  The 34-year-old, who only hit .260 last season, is fourth in the league in batting average, and is one of only 6 players in the National League slugging over .600 (Cargo and Tulo are the other two).

  Arizona’s offense has probably been the biggest surprise this season, as not only has Goldschmidt put up monster power numbers, but Gerardo Parra as well. The seemingly unknown Venezuelan playing in his fourth full season in the big leagues, is batting .380 this month, and is second in the National League in hits.

Starting pitching: B-

  Kershaw has been his normal brilliant self, but Patrick Corbin has been the top dog.

  The 23-year-old who won 6 games all of last season, has already won 9 games in 2013, and has an anemic 2.28 ERA (4.54 in 2012). He’s allowed only four home runs the entire year, and is trying to follow up sub-2.00 ERA April and May months.

  It’s not fair to call the former 7-time Korean Baseball All-Star a rookie, but Ryu has been as good as advertised, and then a little more.

  He’s gone at least six innings in every start but one this season, and has an ERA hovering under 3.00 for the entire year.

Relief pitchers: C-

  The Rockies and Dodgers have putrid bullpens. The Dodgers’ 1.41 WHIP is the 28^th third worst in baseball, and Colorado has allowed the second most hits in the Majors.

  The D-Backs and Giants are both in the top 7 of the league in bullpen ERA.

Closers: D-

  No players ranks among the top 10 in saves in this division, which is not surprising. Brandon League, Rafael Betancourt, and Heath Bell have had extremely flammable ERAs all season.

  Sergio Romo is the diamond of the group, however, currently putting up a 0.88 WHIP and striking out 26 compared to just 3 walks.

Goldschmidt leads the league in RBIs, and is on pace to double his total from last season.

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Oscar Taveras

Taveras has 30-home run potential, and a knack for putting the ball in play.

Prospect ranking: #3 (Baseball America).

Age: 20

Team: Cardinals

Position: outfielder

Minor League statistics: .316 BA, 4 HRs, 22 RBIs, .352 OBP, .478 SLG (136 at-bats).

Current St. Louis starters: Matt Holliday (.271/10/38), Jon Jay (.251/4/30), Carlos Beltran (.305/14/42).

Outlook:

  When you have the best record in the big leagues, you usually don’t bite at the bit when it comes to rushing top prospects up to the Majors, but St. Louis has looked nearly flawless this season with their call-ups.

  Twenty-two-year-old flame thrower Shelby Miller has emerged as a Cy Young candidate in the National League with a 7-1 record and a sub-3.00 earned run average, and fellow 21-year-old Michael Wacha has a K/BB ratio of 14-4 in his first three Major League starts.

  St. Louis’ player development is one of the best in baseball, and the 20-year-old Puerto Rican is going to have every opportunity to get his feet wet in arguably the game’s best run organization.

  He has a .321 career batting average in the Minor Leagues after 5 seasons, and is two years removed from a 2011 single-A campaign when he hit .386 with a slugging percentage of nearly .600.

  He’s coming off a month of May where he hit .362 in the Pacific Coast League, and is making it very hard for St. Louis to delay his MLB arrival. Beltran and Holliday are entrenched at the corner outfield positions, and even though Jon Jay is a career .293 hitter, he’s shown no signs of valuable production (5.5 HR, 33.5 RBIs per season) that would warrant him a permanent spot in center field for the league’s best lineup.

  The young leftie is only hitting .196 against fellow southpaws, but he’s as hot as a firecracker right now, and is too talented to not be given the opportunity in an aging lineup.

Wil Myers

Myers has all the tools to be one of the game's top sluggers.

Prospect ranking: #4

Age: 22

Team: Rays

Position: outfielder

Minor League statistics: .283 BA, 13 HRs, 54 RBIs, .358 OBP, .515 SLG (237 at-bats).

Current Tampa Bay outfield starters: Matt Joyce (.258/12/29), Desmond Jennings (.254/8/26), Ben Zobrist (.274/4/36).

Outlook:

  The 22-year-old slugger was one of the main pieces involved in the James Shields trade with Kansas City, and looks to be another fine outfield talent on an organization that seems to be producing them on an assembly line.

  Myers has one of the most atomic bats in the Minor Leagues, and is fresh off a 37 home run season in AA and AAA last season in 134 games. After hitting .289 in April, rumors of Myers impeding call-up might have affected his head a little bit, as the young stud would only hit .255 in May with 31 K’s in 27 games. But once the calendar flipped over to June, Myers started to heat up again, hitting four home runs in his first 10 games, and slugging .732.

  The Rays are third in the American League in runs scored, and are certainly not in a position to scrounge for any offensive help they can get, but besides Evan Longoria in that lineup, there’s not a single bat that really scares you on that roster.

  James Loney carried the Rays offense with a .373 batting average in April, but came way down in May and June, and only has three extra-base hits nearly halfway through the current month.

  Myers has a career .389 on-base percentage in 441 Minor League games, and is the quintessential middle-of-the-order bopper.

  He'll be in a Ray uniform by Independence Day, and you can count on that. 

Miguel Sano

Sano's hot bat is putting a lot of pressure on the hopeless Twins for a call-up.

Prospect ranking: #9

Age: 20

Team: Twins

Position: third base

Minor League statistics: .330 BA, 16 HRs, 48 RBIs, .424 OBP, .655 SLG (206 at-bats).

Current Minnesota starter: Eduardo Escobar (.230/2/8).

Outlook:

  Sano is absolutely tearing up the high-A Florida State League, and has to be the last thing Twins general manager Terry Ryan thinks about before he goes to bed every night.

  The young Dominican has 68 hits in 56 games for the Fort Myers Miracle and already has 31 for extra bases. He had an alarming 144 K’s in 129 games in 2012, but the 80 walks went a long way to alleviate that.

  Sano has great size at 6-3, 200, and has a very wiry upper-body that makes his swing so lethal. He’s played first base, shortstop, and third base in three Minor League seasons, and appears to be a very weak defender (101 errors in 301 games), but his bat quickly makes you forget about his shortcomings out in the field.

  Minnesota is in the bottom half of the league in runs scored, and third to last in slugging percentage, at over 30 points below the AL average. The Twins top two players, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, have combined for just 8 home runs this season, and the rest of the batting order is basically a collection of waiver players.

  Sano isn’t going to be a June call-up, but you could definitely see him make the jump by the beginning of August.

Zack Wheeler

Wheeler is trying to follow in rookie Matt Harvey's footsteps as another young New York phenom.

Prospect ranking: #11

Age: 23

Team: Mets

Position: starting pitcher (R)

Minor League statistics: 4-1, 4.14 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 63.0 IP, 66 K’s, 25 BBs.

Current New York starters: Matt Harvey (5-0/2.10/0.91), Jonathon Niese (3-5/4.24/1.56), Shaun Marcum, (0-7/4.96/1.24), Dillon Gee (4-6/5.20/1.56), Jeremy Hefner (1-6/4.11/1/26).

Outlook:

  Wheeler is slated to start June 18^th against the first-place Braves, but doesn’t exactly have “untouchable” status when it comes to his status for the rest of the season in the Mets starting rotation.

  The 6-4, 185-pound righty who was the kicker in the Carlos Beltran trade to San Francisco two seasons ago, has a 3.59 ERA in three Minor League seasons and has struck out 413 batters in 385.2 innings. However, his control, or lack thereof, has increasingly become a red flag for the Georgia native. He’s averaging over 4 walks per nine innings, and had totaled a disappointing 1.35 WHIP in 12 starts before his call to the big leagues. In 63 innings he allowed 8 home runs, which doesn’t exactly show any signs of dominating opposing hitters.

  The former 6^th overall pick in 2009 has a dynamic four-seam fastball hovering in the mid-90s with a big breaking curveball the likes of Stephen Strasburg, but his slider, change, and cut fastball are rather unrefined, and shouldn’t be considered an important part of his repertoire on the Major League level at this point.

I don’t see Wheeler hanging around for very long this season.

Christian Yelich

The weak Marlins are going to be forced to bring up Yelich's big bat.

Prospect ranking: #15

Age: 21

Team: Marlins

Position: outfielder

Minor League statistics: .262 BA, 6 HRs, 28 RBIs, .342 OBP, .518 SLG (164 at-bats).

Current Miami starters: Juan Pierre (.245/1/6), Marcell Ozuna (.322/1/17), Giancarlo Stanton (.229/4/11).

Outlook:

  The Marlins are going nowhere rather quickly, and are now taking the headlines away from the Astros as baseball’s most pathetic team. They are the only team in the Majors who has yet to reach 200 runs scored for the season, and their team's slugging percentage of .326 is 40 points lower than the second-to-last ranked Royals at .366.

  Yelich hasn’t blown away opposing pitchers in AA this season, hitting just .262 in 41 games, but he’s slugging a very respectable .518 with an on-base of .342.

  After a month of April in which he didn’t hit a single home run, Yelich heated up in May, hitting 6 home runs and slugging just a shade under .600.

  The Marlins outfield situation has been a mess this season, and Giancarlo Stanton’s April injury really highlighted that. Justin Ruggiano is hitting just .215 in 191 at-bats, and hasn’t knocked in a run since the end of May.

  May call-up Marcell Ozuna is hitting an impressive .322 in his first 38 games, but is slugging just .456 on a team who has him batting in the meat of the order. Miami is in desperate need of a guy who can drive the baseball, and Yelich might be their only lifeline available at the moment.

  There’s no chance that Yelich doesn’t get called up this summer.

Taijuan Walker

Walker is one of many talented pitching prospects in the Mariners organization.

Prospect ranking: #18

Age: 20

Team: Mariners

Position: starting pitcher (R)

Minor League statistics: 3-6, 2.52 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 71.1 IP, 77 K’s, 29 BBs.

Current Seattle starters: Felix Hernandez (7-4/2.49/1.04), Hisashi Iwakuma (7-1/1.79/0.82), Joe Saunders (4-6/5.12/1.47), Aaron Harang (3-6/5.60/1.21), Jeremy Bonderman (1-1/6.75/1.31).

Outlook:

  Walker’s been blowing it by guys in AA, striking out 77 in 71.1 innings pitched, and only allowing 49 hits. He’s got your usual mid-90’s fastball for a tall and lanky phenom, but has the type of nasty off-speed stuff that is very comparable to Ubalde Jimenez. He has a slight hitch in his delivery that pauses mid-way for several milliseconds, which really shocks hitters when a 96 mile per hour fastball is launched like a catapult a moment later.

  King Felix and Hisashi Iwakuma have been one of the best one-two punches in all of baseball this season, but the back end of their rotation has been pieced together with bubble gum. Joe Saunders, Aaron Harang, and Jeremy Bonderman are three of the most washed up starters in the game, with extremely flammable earned run averages.

  The Mariners have one of baseball’s deepest fraternities of young pitching prospects, and it definitely didn’t hurt Walker’s 2013 call-up chances with fellow pitching stud Danny Hultzen going down with a shoulder injury earlier this season.

  Seattle isn’t going anywhere this season, and would love to showcase another great young pitcher the likes of former ace Michael Pineda.

Walker will see action by August, and will make M’s fans forget about Pineda quickly.

Billy Hamilton

Hamilton is one of the fastest prospects in baseball history.

Prospect ranking: #20

Age: 22

Team: Reds

Position: outfielder

Minor League statistics: .251 BA, 3 HRs, 21 RBIs, .314 OBP, 40 SBs (255 at-bats).

Current Cincinnati starters: Xavier Paul (.288/5/24), Shin-Soo Choo (.280/10/21), Jay Bruce (.276/10/45).

Outlook:

  Hamilton has been nothing short of anemic at the plate this season in AAA, hitting only .251, but when you have the potential to be one of the greatest base stealers in baseball history, sometimes it doesn’t matter what your batting average is.

  To say Hamilton “could be” a fine stolen base threat in the big leagues would be a big mistake, because this guy might as well be a slam dunk 50,60, even 70 stolen base-a season guy at the Major League level. He broke the all-time Minor League record for stolen bases in a season with 155 in 2012, and became just the 12^th Minor Leaguer in history to eclipse the 100 stolen base mark.

  At 155 pounds soaking wet and with sand bags in his pocket, Hamilton has the type of body that former speedster Otis Nixon had, and the explosion and instincts Nixon had as well. Scouts are already labeling Hamilton as the fastest baseball player that they have ever seen, and are calling him a potential game changer in AAA.

  The Reds are an elite team with few spots available in their batting order, but whenever 100 steals flashes in your mind, you’ll find a spot on an active roster no matter how low your batting average is.

  Think of how valuable Dave Roberts was to the Red Sox during their title run in 2004. If not for Roberts, their triumph over the Yankees wouldn’t have ever happened.

  Look for Hamilton to be that next difference maker this season for the ferocious Reds.

Nick Castellanos

Castellanos has been one of the Minor Leagues top player this season.

Prospect ranking: #21

Age: 21

Team: Tigers

Position: outfielder

Minor League statistics: .298 BA, 10 HRs, 35 RBIs, .374 OBP, .492 SLG (262 at-bats).

Current Detroit starters: Andy Dirks (.250/5/20), Austin Jackson (.272/2/11), Torii Hunter (.300/2/24).

Outlook:

 It’s got to the hurt fans of AL Central teams to know that the rival Tigers have another bopper waiting in the wings this season in Nick Castellanos. The 6-4, 210 pound outfielder is blistering the baseball this month, with four home runs already in June, and an on-base percentage over .500.

  The former MVP of the Futures Game last season in Kansas City during All-Star week recently switched from third base to the outfield with the great Miguel Cabrera already manning the hot corner, which means the Tigers are in no shape or form thinking about trading the young slugger.

  Detroit appears to be in the drivers seat in the AL Central with Cleveland’s recent fall from grace, but their lineup still has many question marks behind Cabrera, and Prince Fielder, especially in terms of hitting the ball out of the ballpark.   Castellanos isn’t a slam dunk to be called up this month, but he’s definitely going to be on the roster by the 40-man expansion in September at the latest.

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The Wins Above Replacement formula (W.A.R.) said that Jeff Francoeur was baseball's least productive hitter last season.

  In a sports world that has bloomed sabermetric statistics the last decade, one of the most studied and closely analyzed formulas of recent yeas has been that of W.A.R. (wins above replacement). In the 140-year-old history of baseball that values its statistics more than any other sport in the world, the data being produced by WAR has truly revolutionized the way we look at player values across the league.

  It’s a formula that is derived from a players batting, fielding, baserunning, and pitching performances, and is supposed to equate those contributions into team wins compared to the median performance of a player who would be considered a far less effective substitute. The formula states that a team of replacement-level players would win about 40-50 games a season, and anything higher would mean contributions from players with a WAR above 0.0.

  Mike Trout led all of baseball last season with a WAR of 10.7 for the Angels, which is presumed to say that Trout’s statistics on the field directly led to 10.7 more Angles wins than they would have earned if they had a replacement player in Trout’s place (i.e. a minimum salary minor league player).

Trout had the best W.A.R. average in the A.L. last season (10.2), yet lost out on the MVP Award to Miguel Cabrera (6.9 WAR).

  Several sources calculate WAR at slightly different paths, but Baseball Reference has what is to believed the most widely accepted formula.

  Most of WAR’s worth has been used to resolve conflicts of who is the more valuable player between a given grouping, and who means more to his team’s success by his performance on the field, but you can also see who means the least as well.

  WAR calculations can equate to levels below 0.0, which shows how even veteran players can have replacement player type seasons, and actually end up decreasing the win probability for a team.

  Jeff Francoeur had the worst WAR of any offensive player last season at -2.7, when he hit .235 with an on-base of .287 in 561 at-bats. The negative total shows that not only did Francoeur lessen his team’s chances of victory, but also single handily strengthen their chances for defeat as well.

  Here are the current WAR detractors for 2013.

Clayton Richard (–1.9)

This is a site becoming all-to-familiar for Padres fans.

Win-Loss: 1-5

ERA: 8.06

WHIP:  1.77

The 6’5, 225-pound leftie making upwards of $5 million this season has allowed 40 earned runs in 44.0 innings, and has only 10 more strikeouts (23) than home runs allowed (13).

  He’s the only pitcher in baseball with an earned run average higher than 8, having pitched at least 40 innings, and his presence in the game is a telling sign that the Padres are either losing, or going to lose. San Diego is 2-10 in games that Richard has appeared in, and Richard’s lone win this season came in a 17-inning marathon against Toronto, when Richard came in to pitch a scoreless 16^th and 17^th.

  He’s faced 211 batters this season and has only struck out 9.8% of them, with just 5.5% of those pitches ending up swinging strikes.

  Out of the 1,011 pitches he’s thrown this season, 463 have been sinkers, by far the highest percentage of any pitch he has thrown. But yet Richard has seen the lowest opposing batter whiff percentage on his favorite pitch (4.97), compared to his four-seam fastball (5.49), changeup (8.27), cutter (10.48), and slider (12.60).

Jeff Keppinger (-1.8)

Keppinger has arguably been baseball's least valuable player this season.

Average: .229

HR: 1

RBI: 17

  The 33-year-old was signed to a three-year deal worth $12 million last winter by the White Sox after hitting .325 in 418 at-bats with the Rays last season. The versatile infielder who can play first, second, or third base was at one point looked upon as one of the more underrated signings of the off-season, but has been nothing short of a massive failure.

  He’s the worst rated offensive player in baseball by a wide margin, and it’s no surprise that he’s playing on the worst hitting team in the American League.

  Keppinger has the lowest OPS in all of baseball at a dumbfounding .498 clip, which stunningly beat out Ike Davis’ .500. Whenever you’re ranked behind Ike Davis in any hitting category besides strikeouts, you know your season is deteriorating.

  His .234 on-base percentage is also at the bottom of baseball, and his lousy 2 base on balls all season is much to blame. One hundred and sixteen Major League players have recorded at least 200 at bats this season, and Keppinger is the only player on the list with less than 5 walks.

Ryan Vogelsong (-1.7)

Vogelsong had completely lost touch at the pitcher's mound prior to his DL stint.

Win-Loss: 2-4

ERA: 7.19

WHIP: 1.73

  The former All-Star who finished 11^th in National League Cy Young voting just two seasons ago, was having the worst season of his career before breaking his hand at the end of May. Even though Vogelsong isn’t expected to be back until the beginning of August, at least you can say that he finally found a way to stop allowing runs.

  After 9 starts, the 35-year-old had put up a 7.19 earned run average, and had a WHIP of 1.73. He had given up a home run in every start but two, and opposing batters had racked up a .931 OPS against him. Considering only six other players in the game have an OPS higher than .931, you really start to realize how atrocious Vogelsong had been through two months.

  He was allowing 2.14 home runs per nine innings, which at that current pace would have been by far his highest total since 2004, and his first time over 1.00.

  42.3% of hitters reaching base against Vogelsong ended up crossing home plate by the end of the inning, compared to 24% in 2012, and 19.6% in 2011.

Wily Peralta (-1.7)

Peralta's battery mates have found little success when trying to calm the 24-year-old down.

Win-Loss: 4-7

ERA: 6.16

WHIP: 1.72

  Peralta has the worst WHIP in the National League and the second worst earned run average. Opposing batters are hitting .309 versus Peralta, including .333 against the six, seven, and eight hitters. It’s shocking to see that Peralta has allowed the sixth and eighth slots in the order to slug .594 and .556 against him respectively, while three and four hitters have only managed slugging percentages of .424 and .267. It’s no wonder why the Giants and Cardinals, two of the deepest lineups in the league, have plagued Peralta this season. He’s 0-2 with an 11.68 ERA in three starts against the NL’s last two World Series representatives, and luckily Milwaukee doesn’t have to face either of those two until after the All-Star break.

  When you see that the sinker-baller has induced hitters into the 7^th most ground balls in the Majors, you would think that he was probably having a big year. However, when you see his line-drive percentage of 23%, the 17^th highest in baseball, you then see how many rockets that Peralta is serving up.

  He’s only given up 7 home runs, which is a some what respectable number for a traditionally high ERA type guy, but a high line-drive percentage means you’re throwing it right in guys' wheelhouses.

  He’s pitched at least seven innings only once this season, and has taken a loss in 7 out of his 13 decisions.

Philip Humber (-1.4)

Humber's perfect game seems like it was decades ago.

Win-Loss: 0-8

ERA: 8.06

WHIP: 1.77

  It’s been only 425 days since Humber pitched the 21^st perfect game in baseball history, but you wouldn’t ever believe that he would be able to accomplish that feat if you saw his statistics this season. His 0-8 win-loss record, and 9.59 ERA are pitching lines that you would either laugh or cry after taking quick glance of.

  Hitters are slugging .609 against the 7-year veteran this season, a total even higher than Barry Bonds, Mickey Mantle, and Willie Mays lifetime averages. In five of his seven starts he’s allowed at least four earned runs, and he's allowed seven or more in three of those.

  Lefties are hitting an astounding .477 against Humber, compared to .205 against righties. This hasn’t boded well in a left-handed hitter friendly Minute Maid Park, where Humber is 0-4, with a 16.50 ERA in four starts.

  Humber literally hasn’t found any way to get batters out this season. After the count has hit 0-2, batters have finished up at-bats hitting .379, with only 8 strikeouts.

  To the dismay of every hitter in baseball, Humber was demoted to the Minors in the middle of May amidst a season that was on pace to be the worst in modern day basebal history.

Vance Worley (-1.4)

Worley has been a lost soul in Minnesota.

Win-Loss: 1-5

ERA: 7.21

WHIP: 1.99

  Elbow problems potentially derailed what looked to be a very bright future for Worley, who went 11-3 with a 3.01 ERA in his first full season in the big leagues. The nagging arm injuries, which completely flattened Worley’s velocity last season, was enough of a red flag for Philadelphia to send the once promising prospect to Minnesota in 2013.

  After notching a quality start in his first ever appearance for the Twins on Opening Day, Worley has been as close to batting practice as you’ll ever see. He allowed 82 hits in his first 10 starts, which was leading the Majors by a wide margin until he was finally put out of his misery and dropped to AA in late May.

  The Twins were 3-7 with their newly inserted no. 1, with Worley taking his only "W" in a game that he allowed 11 hits, and struck out just one.

  Hitters were hitting over .400 on balls put into play, which would make sense when you saw the velocity on his fastball was down a full two miles per hour from his rookie season of 2010. For a guy who primarily throws a four-seam fastball, once he dropped from the low 90’s to the high 80’s, he was basically dead in the water.

Adeiny Hechavarria (-1.3)

Hechavarria should see the Minors sooner rather than later.

Average: .202

HR: 2

RBI: 16

  It’s not a big surprise that baseball’s worst team would foster one of baseball’s worst players. They say the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, and Hechavarria’s futility seems to be the desired brand of baseball down in South Beach this season.

  After hitting .183 in April, the 24-year-old Cuban answered the pathetic month, with an equally pathetic .184 month of May. His .202 batting average, .253 on-base, and .312 slugging percentage, would be among the league leaders in incompetence, but he still remains a handful of plate appearances from being considered a qualified hitter.

  He spent the beginning of the season at the leadoff spot in the Marlins batting order, and hit .227, which was 22 points higher than his overall average, but batted .194 with 0 runners on base, and .205 leading off an inning. With just three stolen bases and 16 walks in 89 career games, it didn’t take much for Marlins manager Mike Redmond to realize that Hechavarria was on a fast track to become one of the worst leadoff hitters in baseball history.

Eric Young, Jr. (-1.3)

Young has lost his mojo in May and June.

Average: .238

HR: 1

RBI: 6

  The 28-year-old New Jersey native, and son of the former All-Star second baseman of the same title, had looked to show a lot of his father’s tools last year. He hit .316 in 98 games, and successfully stole 14 of 16 bases in a coming-of-age year that had Colorado believing that they had found a regular in their outfield right in the prime of his career.

  Fifty-six games later, and the Rockies now find Young in a prime hitting slump. He’s 4 of 25 so far in June, without a single extra-base hit, and zero runs batted in to boot. After hitting .310 in April, Rockies manager Walt Weiss had to of felt good about putting Young at the leadoff position to start the season, but two months later and Weiss is probably wondering when they can get a plane to Denver to fly this guy to their AAA affiliate in Colorado Springs.

  When you consider that Young has only scored 22 runs while hitting almost entirely in front of NL MVP contenders Carlos Gonzalez, and Troy Tulowitzki, you have to scratch your head and wonder how much he’s hurting Colorado’s offense.

  Thirty-percent of Young’s swings this season have come on pitches outside of the strike zone, the highest of his career. When you see that he was only swinging at balls outside the zone 22.2% of the time in his rookie season of 2009, you have to wonder if Young is actually getting better or not.  

Edinson Volquez (-1.3)

Volquez's drop in velocity is something his coaches have to be worried about.

Win-Loss: 4-5

ERA: 6.33

WHIP: 1.65

  Volquez averaged a K/9 of 6.33 this season for San Diego, which is considerably less than his 8.57 total in 2012, and his 8.61 in 2011. He’s coming off a start at Coors Field in which he allowed 9 earned runs off 11 hits in just two and a third innings of work, as his record dropped below .500 for the year. A lot of pitchers have struggled the past two decades in the Mile High City, but Volquez has been nearly as bad at home. In the pitcher-friendly Petco Park, which is one of the biggest ballparks in all of baseball in terms of outfield dimensions, Volquez has allowed 21 earned runs in 33.0 innings, and has taken a loss in three of his six home starts.

  After averaging an elite-level fastball velocity between 94 and 95 miles per hour in his best seasons of 2008 and 2009 in Cincinnati, Volquez is hovering below 93 this season, with his whiff percentage at career low.

  After finishing with one of the better fastball whiff percentages in the league in 2010 at 10.26%, his percentage in 2013 is a below average 4.69.

  Now you see why the Reds gave up on a guy who previously had Cy Young type stuff.

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26. Tracy McGrady

Finals impact: 0.0%

Character: the bench warmer.

Postseason minutes per game: 4.3 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 0.0 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0/0 from the field (0%).

   T-Mac made three appearances during the end of blowouts during San Antonio’s three series leading up to the finals, but is pretty much guaranteed a DNP Coaches Decision in any relatively close game. Unless San Antonio literally runs out of men to throw on the floor, we won’t see McGrady in this series.

  However, the 15-year vet could become a great story if San Antonio can capture a comfortable lead in the elimination game, and see Popovich go to the previous poster boy of playoff futility. It would be a great a moment for all basketball fans to see one of the most popular players of the era be on the court when the confetti falls from the rafters, but don’t count on it.  

25. James Jones

Finals impact: 0.0%

Character: the sulker

Postseason minutes per game: 3.5 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 0.5 points, 0.2 three-pointers, 0.3 rebounds, 1/2 from the field (50%).

Jones has become a ghost in Miami's offense.

  After playing the least amount of minutes in the regular season since his rookie year of 2003, Jones has continued to be a hood ornament on Miami’s bench. He’s logged only 21 minutes this postseason, and has only attempted two field goals.

  He didn't play in game one, and is a good bet to sit out the rest of the series, barring a very lob-sided affair. 

24. Patty Mills

Finals impact: 1%

Character: the stunt double.

Postseason minutes per game: 2.4 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 1.1 points, 0.3 assists, 0.3 rebounds, 3/5 from the field (60%).

  Mills has been a 47.4% shooter during his two-year career in San Antonio, so you know he’s not going to be taking too many highly contested shots. He’s shot above 40% from behind the arc the last two seasons as well, as remains a decent stand-still shooter.

  Even though he’s only played 17 minutes this postseason as a third-string point guard, Popovich knows Mills can at least offer up something meaningful.

23. Rashard Lewis

Finals impact: 1.5%

Character: “The Thinker”.

Postseason minutes per game: 4.4 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 1.6 points, 0.6 rebounds, 0.0 three-pointers, 6/14 from the field (42.9%).

Lewis might as well be a lost soul in South Beach.

  The $21.4 million man is probably the most expensive bench warmer on earth, and the 6’10, 230-pound marksmen really doesn’t have a role in this series.

 San Antonio plays its best defense on the wings, and Lewis would instantly become a target for collapsing in double teams. He’s not a great passer, and doesn’t hesitate to shoot the basketball. Two things that aren’t going to bode well for yourself if you’re playing with LeBron James. 

22. Cory Joseph

Finals impact: 1.6%

Character: the background extra.

Postseason minutes per game: 10.1 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 3.2 points, 1.2 assists, 1.7 rebounds, 22/48 from the field (45.8%).

  Joseph is going to have nearly zero impact on this series, but he’s definitely going to play every game. He’s logged 151 minutes in the postseason, and provided a short break for Tony Parker in game one.

  He’s not the type of guy you’re going to see launching 27-footers, but he has a very solid handle on the basketball, and is averaging four times more assists than he does turnovers in the playoffs.

21. Joel Anthony

Finals impact: 2%

Character: the incompetent big man.

Postseason minutes per game: 5.5 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 0.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.4 blocks, 2/9 from the field (22.2%).

Anthony has been as close to worthless this postseason as you can get.

  You would think that the true center Anthony would be a major minute-eater on a small Miami team, but the 30-year-old has aged about 10 years this season. He only averaged 9.1 minutes in the regular season, which was more than twice as less as he got the season before.

  After getting 19.4 minutes a game in last year’s postseason, Anthony is firmly entrenched behind Birdman on the depth chart. He’s not blocking shots anymore, and is alarmingly slow on the defensive glass.

20. DeJuan Blair

Finals impact: 2.5%

Character: the dunce.

Postseason minutes per game: 6.6 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 4.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 16/23 from the field (69.6%).

  Something tells me that Coach Pop has a couple tricks up his sleeves with Blair later in the series, but Blair appears to be in Pop’s doghouse at the moment. The Reggie Evans-like undersized power forward has always been a high effort guy, but his continuous knee injuries have limited his minutes to short bursts.

  With Chris Bosh primarily playing on the perimeter, this is a really bad series for Blair. Blair has very good instincts on the offensive glass, but can really be exposed when guarding the basketball while isolated.

19. Mario Chalmers

Finals impact: 3%

Character: the invisible man.

Postseason minutes per game: 26.8 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 8.8 points, 0.8 three-pointers, 3.4 assists, 13/42 from the field (42.1%).

Chalmers averaged 3.7 personal fouls against Indiana, and was badly beaten on the defensive end all series.

  There’s no doubt in my mind that Chalmers has the poise to be able to take the last shot of a basketball game, but it’s not like Erik Spoelstra is going out of his way to draw up any plays for him.

  He’s only shooting 31% from behind the arc in these playoffs, and has been extremely erratic at times. Miami is at the point in their season where they can’t be going out of their way to spread the ball around and get other guys involved, and Chalmers is simply giving ways to the better players at this point. Once you start missing wide open shots, guys start to think twice before throwing the ball your way again.

  Chalmers has to earn that trust back from his coaches and his teammates, but it might be too late.

18. Matt Bonner

Finals impact: 4%

Character: the one-trick pony.

Postseason minutes per game: 15.9 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 4.7 points, 0.9 three-pointers, 2.3 rebounds, 24/50 from the field (48.0%).

  Stand-still shooters are perfect for these types of series. Dwayne Wade and LeBron James are such good defenders, but they have to collapse on Tony Parker when he tries to take the ball to the top of the key.

  The pick-and-roll is such a big part of the Spurs offense, and Bonner can essentially be wide open every time down the floor. They do so much of their damage from the middle of the court, that any wing shooter can suddenly become a lethal entity.
  The Red Rocket didn’t attempt a shot in game one, but has made 14 of his 28 three-pointers this postseason.

17. Boris Diaw

Finals impact: 5%.

Character: the wise man

Postseason minutes per game: 17.0 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 3.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 17/39 from the field (43.6%).

The 31-year-old can still be a major factor in this series.

  Most people don’t realize how great of a player Diaw is. During his prime in Phoenix, he was a triple-double type guy who was one of the smartest players on the court every time he stepped into the building.

  He’s not 28 anymore, but the 9-year veteran can still be a major contributor to San Antonio’s offense. Diaw is one of the best passing big men in the league, and has averaged 3.8 for his career.

  Miami is going to try and bum-rush Duncan and Splitter every time their on the court, so Diaw can really make a difference with his ability to see the entire floor, and swing the ball to the opposite direction of the court to create space. If he knock down some jump shots every once in awhile, his minutes are going to vastly increase.

16. Udonis Haslem

Finals impact: 10%

Character: the overachiever.

Postseason minutes per game: 18.3 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 6.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 0.9 steals, 48/78 from the field (61.5%).

  Haslem has some game, but this is probably the worst matchup he could have imagined. He’s too little to guard any of San Antonio’s big men, and there’s no way to integrate him on the defensive end of the court.

  He actually has a pretty solid mid-range game, but it’s not reliable enough to take the focus of Spurs defenders. He played 17 minutes in game one, but had four rebounds and only took one shot. Haslem is one of those see it and react players, and that’s not what you’re looking for against a complex offense like San Antonio;s.

15. Gary Neal

Finals impact: 10.5%

Character: the body guard

Postseason minutes per game: 16.1 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 5.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 31/86 from the field (36.0%).

Neal is one of those rare point guards who can shoot the three.

Neal is only shooting 24.4% from behind the arc in the playoffs, but he’s a rarity in the league, and that’s a true point guard who can knock down the three point shot. At 6’4, 210-pounds, Neal can matchup with any of Miami’s guards including Dwayne Wade, and is a good enough shooter to play the 2 when Parker in on the floor.

He played 22 minutes in game one and scored 7 points on 9 shots. Even though he only went 1 for 5 from behind the arc, you have to like the fact that he was getting great looks at the basket.

14. Mike Miller

Finals impact: 15%

Character: the jester.

Postseason minutes per game: 9.0 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 2.4 points, 0.5 three-pointers, 1.6 rebounds, 10/26 from the field (38.6%).

  Miller was Rip Van Winkle for pretty much the entire playoffs until he knocked down two threes on consecutive possessions in game 6 versus the Pacers. At the time it was one of the biggest momentum changers of the series, and instantly got Miller back into the realm of Miami’s offense.

  Miller isn’t the best three-point shooter in the league, but at 33, you have to love the experience factor from the rifleman. He’s a defensive liability, but he’s a nifty veteran who can set good screens at 6’8, 210, and pass the basketball into the interior. I see Miller possibly being a guy who could be the reason Miami steals a game in San Antonio.

13. Shane Battier

Finals impact: 20%

Character: the ruffian.

Postseason minutes per game: 19.4 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 4.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.9 three-pointers, 15/69 from the field (21.7%).

It's not pretty out there with Battier, but it works.

  Battier has suddenly become 6-walking fouls out there, but every team needs a distracter like him to win a series. He’s only 15 for 69 for the postseason, and is in a Jason Kidd type slump from the field, but maybe it’s better that he not shoot.

  He’s still an incredible off-the-ball player, and can do a lot of good without the basketball. He’s not as strong as he was when he was one of the best defenders in the league, but he still knows how to frustrate guys and get in their heads. Blocks and charges have suddenly become such a big part of these games, especially in the playoffs, and no one does a flop better than Battier.  

12. Norris Cole

Finals impact: 25%

Character: the loose cannon.

Postseason minutes per game: 20.8 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 7.0 points, 0.9 three-pointers, 2.0 assists, 45/84 from the field (53.6%).

  Whether or not Cole is shooting the ball well in this series is irrelevant to me. The fact that he’s one of only a few Heat players who can put the ball on the floor makes his value so much more than you would think.

  Miami’s offense has nearly been put to sleep this postseason, but Cole is the type of player that can get the ball rolling on big runs. He’s the Nate Robinson of this team, and is a major darkhorse for Miami’s success.

11. Ray Allen

Finals impact: 40%

Character: the assassin.

Postseason minutes per game: 23.8 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 10.2 points, 1.8 three-pointers, 3.0 rebounds, 52/130 from the field (40.0%).

Allen can still hit teams with major daggers down the stretch.

  Allen is very far removed from his 2011 postseason when he averaged 3.6 three-pointers a game, but his fast release hasn’t gotten any slower, and he’s still got that cold-blooded killer mentality.

  He’s getting 23.8 minutes of play this postseason, and is taking 4.6 threes per game. I like that number a lot for Ray. All he’s got to do is hit 2 of those 5, and he’s doing his job to the max. He went 3 for 4 in game one, and nearly tilted the entire game with drawing of the three-shot foul big foul on the perimeter shot from Danny Green's contact.

10. Chris Bosh

Finals impact: 50%

Character: the third wheel.

Postseason minutes per game: 32.1 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 12.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 80/178 from the field (44.9%).

  We knew that Chris Bosh had shied away from the paint over the course of the last year, but it has suddently come down to Bosh being strictly an outside shooter.

  He’s already taken 35 three’s this postseason, after taking 29 his previous four postseasons combined. Obviously having the lane cleared out for James and Wade can have its perks, but Miami is essentially weaponless on the blocks when James isn’t posting up. Bosh isn’t going to win this series for the Heat, but he can very well lost it.

9. Danny Green

Finals impact: 55%
Character: the handyman.

Postseason minutes per game: 30.3 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 9.8 points, 2.1 three-pointers, 1.1 steals, 55/123 from the field (44.7%).

  Green has been the perfect role player this postseason. He’s averaging around a 10-4-2 line, and is making 2.1 threes a game.

  He’s only 6’6, but he plays like he’s 6’9 on the defensive glass, and has very good hands when the basketball is up for grabs. He’s not a very refined player on the offensive end, but he can score in bunches. And by score in bunches, I mean he can put you to sleep with inactivity for quarters upon end, but suddenly make three straight huge baskets.

  He’s not a deadly scorer, but he sure knows when to strike.

8. Kawhi Leonard

Finals impact: 65%

Character: The Dark Knight.

Postseason minutes per game: 37.1 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 12.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 77/140 from the field (55.0%).

  Leonard has emerged as arguably the best wing rebounder in this postseason, and has become a multi-faceted player to the max.

  He’s become an absolute ball hawk on the defensive glass, and has been very efficient shooting the basketball. He’s a true small forward, and one of the best on-ball defenders in the game. We always talk about how old San Antonio is, but we forget that one of their most important players is only 21, and right at the forefront of their dominance.

7. Dwayne Wade

Finals impact: 75%

Character: the fallen hero.

Postseason minutes per game: 35.2 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 14.3 points, 4.7 assists, 1.6 steals 91/203 from the field (44.8%).

Wade has been a wildcard the entire postseason.

  It looks like Wade has suddenly become extremely gung-ho when shooting anything but a dunk or layup. He used to own any part of the court inside the three-point line, but now it’s either get fouled or bust.

  He’s going to go down as one of the better shot blockers ever at the shooting guard position, so don’t ever get too comfortable when shooting the basketball around him, but on the other end his shot is downright awful right now. When someone like Wade can’t play above the rim, he becomes extremely predictable, and that’s what Wade is right now.

6. Chris Andersen

Finals impact: 80%

Character: the Pied Piper.

Postseason minutes per game: 15.3 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 7.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, 41/51 from the field (80.4%).

  Andersen has become irreplaceable for the Heat, and you really noticed it during his absence in game 6 vs. Indiana while he was suspended. He’s the only in-your-face big man for Miami, and the only one with even the slightest bit of athletiscm.

  Who would have ever thought the same guy who was out of basketball for half of the season, would suddenly become a difference maker in June.

5. Tiago Splitter

Finals impact: 80.1%

Character: Ivan Drago

Postseason minutes per game: 23.5 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 6.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.9 blocks, 35/61 from the field (57.4%).

Splitter is automatically a major factor at 6'11, 240.

  Splitter was a big disappointment in 25 minutes of action during game 1, but at 6’11 and athletic, is instantly a nemesis for Miami. Splitter and Duncan play very well when on the court together, and know when to give off to the other guy when the ball is received in the paint.

  Most big men don’t know how to share space when they’re on the court together, but these two are masters when it comes to separation.

4. Manu Ginobili

Finals impact: 85%

Character: Harold Houdini

Postseason minutes per game: 26.0 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 11.6 points, 1.6 three-pointers, 5.2 assists, 55/144 from the field (38.2%).

  The best part about Ginobili is how him scoring 15 points in a game, feels more like 25 or 30 for opposing teams.

  Coach Pop draws up perfect game plans for Manu and always seems to have him on the court in Ginobili’s most favorable positions. Guys don’t think the 35-year-old can beat them physically, so Manu decides to rip them with his mind instead. Tony Parker is so good about disguising Manu for multiple trips down the court, but then suddenly integrating Manu off ball screens.

  Once Ginobili sees the soft spot in a defense, he can calculate intelligent decisions on the spot and bury teams with perimeter shots, and lightning fast ball rotations.

3. Tim Duncan

Finals impact: 90%

Character: Little John.

Postseason minutes per game: 34.5 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 17.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 109/238 from the field (45.8%).

Duncan doesn't have to worry about much opposition from Miami bigs.

  This is a perfect series for Duncan. He’s essentially unguardable when you factor in Duncan’s creative post-up game. He can put defenders asleep with his triple-threat moves, but then suddenly knock down bank shots off jab steps.

  He mixes in a quick spin move when defenders put to much weight into Duncan’s back, and offers an arsenal of moves that Birdman doesn’t register fast enough.

  This matchup was set up perfectly for a renaissance performance from the Hall-of-Famer.  

2. Tony Parker

Finals impact: 98%

Character: Robin Hood.

Postseason minutes per game: 37.2 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 22.9 points, 7.1 assists, 1.3 steals, 134/281 from the field (47.7%).

  Parker was the only point guard in the NBA who shot over 50% from the field this season, and is putting together a good case as the league’s best floor director.

  Parker is so good when it comes to playing one-on-one basketball because he’s such a master at playing on the move. He can shoot just as well as he passes, which makes it nearly impossible to cheat against him on defense.

  He mixes in a deadly pull-up jump shot and an unblockable runner in the lane that has defenses scratching their heads. It’s almost useless to burn your top defender on Parker because he’ll just use that as their weakness with his ability to attack at all angles.

1. LeBron James

Finals impact: 99.9%

Character: the Emperor.

Postseason minutes per game: 41.2 minutes.

Playoff statistics: 25.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 152/298 from the field (51.0%).

The world's best player is being pushed to the brink.

  We all know King James is the best player on the planet, but there comes a time where one guy can’t simply carry a team all by himself.

  It’s gotten to the point where LeBron has played so incredible, that Miami’s effort level has decreased because of it. They know LeBron is their closer, and they know LeBron is always going to be there to bail them out.

  LeBron is playing more one-on-one basketball that he has in his entire career, and Miami is suddenly playing a brand of basketball that no one has ever seen before. It’s turned into playground ball, and LeBron is the guy with the ball in his hands every time down the court. It honestly isn’t going so far to say that for the Heat to win, LeBron is going to have to get a triple-double every night. And he can, which is the scary part, but when does he simply run out of gas?

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