Most of you reading this probably have heard of Houston Astros designated hitter Chris Carter, because, presumably, if you’re reading this it’s likely you have some degree of interest in Major League Baseball. However, I sincerely doubt the casual fan knows of him, and wouldn’t be surprised if even some of the more extreme fans aren’t familiar with Carter. Few would recognize him in the streets, yet, ironically, passing you by unknowingly would be one of baseball’s elite power hitters.
Yes, you heard that right. Even before he blasted his 30th home run of the year off David Robertson Tuesday night, Carter was, by every definition, a premier power-hitter. Entering Wednesday, the big right-handed slugger placed third in baseball in isolated power (at .287) and ninth in slugging percentage (at .519). Home runs can be overvalued at times in terms of measuring power, but nevertheless Carter has hit the fourth most home runs this season.
The power — which some may be assuming — isn’t newly discovered for the former Oakland Athletic. In fact, last season he hit twenty-nine round-trippers and amassed a very formidable .451 SLG in the middle of Houston’s horrendous (hey, I’m being nice) lineup. Despite limited opportunities (260 plate appearances) for Carter in 2012, he still managed to crush 16 home runs and put up a very nice .514 SLG.
He’s been a great hitter for quite some time, however, it often goes unappreciated by the masses. That’s not really a surprise considering he plays on the worst team…..sorry, forgot about the Texas Rangers.
Anyway, this August Carter is on mission; one which his 1.094 OPS this month certainly concurs with. He’s been an absolute monster in August, and, hopefully, a breakout month like this will finally give him the attention he so desperately deserves. I mean, for goodness sake the man is expected to knock thirty-seven out of the park by year’s end, according to ZIPS. If that’s not conversation worthy, then I don’t know what is.