First half, batting review

At the halfway point of the 2009 DMB season, let’s take a look at potential award winners and some of the surprises from the first half:

Batting

Hillsborough's Aubrey Huff got off to the league’s fastest start and has managed to keep up the pace. He’s putting together what could be the strongest case for the Kevin Mitchell Award for the league’s most valuable batter. Huff went into the break as the league’s leader in batting average (.352), slugging (.673) and runs scored (77), while ranking second to Philly’s Mark Teixeira in OBP (.420). He also is second in HRs (26) and eighth in RBIs (65). If not for teammate Ryan Howard's massive power numbers (a league leading 30 HRs and 80 RBIs), it's possible we'd be talking triple crown potential for Huff. Both have been driving home youngster Nick Markakis, who has a team-high 29 doubles, along with 75 runs scored.

Only the Hitmen and Newark ended the first half with more than 500 runs scored. The Crunch with Punch has relied on the old faithful to pace the offense. Longtime Sugar Bear Manny Ramirez has enjoyed a resurgence this year with a team-high 23 HRs and 77 RBIs, and he’s joined by Jack Cust and JD Drew who both have 21 HRs while Jason Giambi, in his return to Newark had 19 first-half dingers.

If Philly can stay in the playoff race, Teixeira might be Huff's stiffest competition for the Mitch. The Animals’ DH ranks in the top five in just about every batting category except slugging (6th) and home runs (9th).

Marietta sits atop the standings (ending the first half on a nine-game winning streak), powered with an offense led by an impressive crew of batters. The only drawback to the Mighty Men’s success might be that a first-half Kevin Mitchell Award ballot could be split among several batters. Marietta is not represented among the top 10 in home runs, however, Josh Hamilton ranks second in batting (.348) and fifth in RBIs (68), backed up by Kevin Youkilis’ 61 RBIs. Milton Bradley is the league leader in doubles and along with Brian Giles is top 10 in runs. With Hamilton and Youkilis, Adrian Gonzalez makes it three Mighty Men among the top 10 in the league in slugging.

Carolina’s strength lies in its starting rotation but the team’s offensive fireplug is Dustin Pedroia. Last year’s Listach Award winner went into the break as the league leader in hits (122), is second in doubles (29), and third in batting (.339).

Ryan Ludwick’s power numbers have lifted Arkansas to within striking distance of a postseason spot. Like Marietta, Arkansas has several cogs to its offense with David Wright, Skip Schumaker and Lance Berkman. But it’s Ludwick who’s among the league leaders in home runs (23), RBIs (67), slugging (.601), runs (60). Only Huff has more extra base hits than Ludwick (49).

DC and Hoboken are on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs but they’re both surprisingly led by their catchers. Brian McCann of the O-Bombers and Mike Napoli of the Cutters rank 3-4 in slugging and OPS. McCann also is fourth in the league in batting (.336). Any conversation about the Cutters usually starts with Miguel Cabrera but this year, it's Napoli who's carried the offense for the Cutters. He's blasted a team-high 26 HRs in the first half (3rd in the league) and is on pace to challenge the franchise record set by another catcher of Italian descent named Mike (Piazza hit 51 in 2002).