Mr. .400

68 years ago was the last time someone hit .400 in a baseball season. People have tried, people have failed. The closest was Tony Gwynn in the strike-shortened 1994 season. He hit .394 before the strike erased 45 games from his schedule. But close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, right? So who now could become part of baseball history? One person on my list may surprise you.

Ichiro Suzuki~ Although he turns 36 this year there is no sign of a let up from this lefty. Since 2001, his inception into "the Show", he has not hit under .300. He has exceptional hand-eye coordination and a keen eye for the strike zone. Because of Ichiro's work ethic and outstanding bat control he will ALWAYS be around the top of the league in hits and average. Also has the 2^nd highest active career batting average behind the next man on our list.

Albert Pujols~ Pretty much numero uno in every facet of the game, Albert Pujols has all the tools to be a .400 hitter. Power to all fields, can hit to the opposite field, takes his walks, and doesn't swing at a pitch outside the strike zone. Albert also has the highest active career batting average at .334. In 2008, Albert Pujols was voted as the games "Most Feared Hitter" by the managers.

Robinson Cano~ Despite not being as "big" of a name as the first two players on this list, this young, budding star is a batting champ in the making. With a swing reminiscent of Rod Carew his balance and bat control is something to behold. Robinson has already finished 2^nd in the league in batting once during his second year in the Majors. Look for more contention in the upcoming seasons.

Kevin Youkilis~ The one shocker on this list goes to this man. He has an ugly stance, ugly swing, and is not afraid to share it but it would only be fitting for a Red Sox to be on this list. We all know that he is not Manny Ramirez. There aren't a lot of players that can do what Manny does with a bat in their hands. That being said, Kevin Youkilis has the highest batting average in all of baseball through the first month of the season at .407. Another interesting stat is P/PA: pitches per plate appearance. He has the highest p/pa avg. in the league at 4.2 (Pujols 3.34, Ichiro 3.17, and Cano 3.28). What this equates to is being able to be at the plate longer for a pitcher to make a mistake.

It should be interesting to see how the rest of the season turns out. But one thing is for sure, the hits will keep on coming for this quartet.

Stay Tuned

Ryan