Whether he becomes a one-year wonder remains to be seen, but Carlos Gonzalez will enter the 2011 season as one of the most feared hitters in the National League. Actually, in the NL West, the only hitter that may give pitchers nightmares more than Gonzalez is his teammate, Troy Tulowitzki.
Gonzalez broke out in a huge way in 2010. In 145 games, he hit .336/.376/.598 with 111 runs scored, 197 hits, 34 doubles, 9 triples, 34 homers, 117 RBI’s and 26 stolen bases.
He led the National League in hits, total bases and batting average. CarGo also finished third in the NL MVP voting, won his first Gold Glove and also his first Silver Slugger.
Prior to his enormous 2010 season, Gonzalez played in parts of two seasons with the Athletics and Rockies. Combined, he played in 174 games, scored 84 runs, 152 hits, 36 doubles, 8 triples, 17 homers, 55 RBI’s and 20 stolen bases.
He always had tons of potential, but he never showed any signs of cashing in on any of it.
This season, that player could easily be Cardinals’ center fielder, Colby Rasmus.
Like Gonzalez, Rasmus is a young lefty with some pop in his bat. Really, the only thing different about the two is that Rasmus has been an everyday player in his first two seasons in the bigs.
In 2009, his rookie season, Rasmus hit .251/.307/.407 with 16 home runs and 52 RBI’s. He had 119 hits and 22 doubles.
2010 saw slightly more success for Rasmus, as he hit .276/.361/.498 with 23 home runs and 66 RBI’s. He had 128 hits and 28 doubles.
Rasmus made slight improvements between his rookie and sophomore campaigns, but expect signs of greatness this season.
Rasmus clearly has the potential to produce at the level Gonzalez did in 2010 and he may channel that potential this season.
A season like Gonzalez’s 2010 may be a reality for Rasmus this season. He has a lot of power and has the ability to drive in runs with the lineup that he hits in. Stealing 26 bases might not happen, but a respectable 15 is a possibility.
So pitchers, beware. Rasmus could be in line for a .300/.370/.550 season with 30+ dingers and 100+ RBI’s, and he could be one his way to becoming one of the more feared hitters in the National League.
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