Another year, another San Fransisco World Series. Facing against a stellar Detroit rotation, who would have three future Cy Young winners, the Giants were still able to take care of business in just 4 games. World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval, otherwise known as the Kung Fu Panda, would hit a superb .500 with 3 home runs during the sweep.
1.) Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers: American League Triple Crown
It is not every day a triple crown threat occurs, let alone actually happen. In 2012, Miguel Cabrera made a statement, leading the Majors in Home Runs (44) and RBIs (139). He also led the American League in Batting Average with a .330 clip. This would be Miggy’s first of two consecutive AL MVP awards and would wind up being the only two MVPs of his brilliant career. Cabrera will go down as one of the most feared right-handed hitters of all time, and what he accomplished in 2012 was a large part of that.
2.) Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels: 30/30 Season
Speaking of MVPs and future hall of famers, Mike Trout began to unleash his talents during his first full season in 2012. Trout displayed his incredible speed and tremendous power, showcasing it to the entire American League. The Angels’ superstar hit exactly 30 home runs during his breakout year but managed to lead the Majors with his 49 stolen bases. Trout has won 3 MVPs, and been an All Star 11 times, but has never replicated his 30/30 magic from 2012.
3.) Ubaldo Jiménez, Cleveland Indians: 1.61 WHIP
Just a year or so removed from his miraculous first half, Ubaldo found himself out of the worst park for a pitcher. While this sounds like a potential positive for him, it wound up being a disaster. The beginning to his tenure in Cleveland was underwhelming, to put it nicely, as Ubaldo lost 17 games, and was putting the rock in Cleveland. Jiménez led the Majors with a 1.61 WHIP, which equates to nearly 2 hits or walks per inning. Yikes.
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