Grading the Rangers at the All-Star break: Hitters edition

With a little less than two weeks until the All-Star break, the Texas Rangers hold a 4.5-game lead in the division and sport a 46-29 record.

So far, so good for the first half of the MLB season.

I'm starting a two-part series today that will provide grades for many of the main players on the roster. Today's part of the series will focus on the hitting, while a future blog topic will hand out grades to the pitchers. Let's get it started:

A+ (1)

Josh Hamilton, OF: He's been our MVP for the first half of the season, and it's not close. Hamilton leads MLB with 24 homers and 67 RBIs, to go along with a .317 average. He put on a show on May 8 in one of my most memorable nights as a Rangers fan, when he clubbed four homers in a single game at Baltimore. Hamilton has stayed healthy in the final year of his contract, and has played his usual standout defense in center/left field.

A (2)

Elvis Andrus, SS: As my favorite player, I follow the 23-year-old a bit closer than most. Elvis is hitting .301 on the season, which is a vast improvement, considering he's never hit better than .279 (2011) for the season. I love the .378 on-base percentage and the 45 runs.

Many would look at the one home run and think he's not driving the ball, but that's not true. In the offseason, much was made about Elvis finding the gaps more, and we're seeing the results of those efforts with 18 doubles already. That surpasses his 2009 (17) and 2010 (15) doubles totals. He hit 27 doubles last year. I think we have to come around to the fact that he'll never be a double-digit home run hitter, but he impacts the game in so many different ways that it shouldn't matter. His average, OBP and slugging is better than it's ever been, while his defense is second to none.

Elvis' 13 steals are nice, but a bit below his career pace, which may seem odd with his OBP higher than ever. However, manager Ron Washington may not be sending Elvis as much since he hits in front of Hamilton, and we want as many people on base as possible when that guy steps to the dish.

Adrian Beltre, 3B: The 33-year old leads the team with a .328 batting average, and his elite-level defense at third base is like watching poetry in motion. The power numbers are not monstrous, but solid (13 homers, 48 RBI). He's starting to take more walks lately, but I'd like to see the on-base percentage above .361 (if the average stays at .328). Clearly nitpicking.

A- (1)

Ian Kinsler, 2B: Kinsler isn't showing ridiculous flash, but he's been very productive as the leadoff man, hitting .270, with eight homers, 36 RBIs, 54 runs and 13 steals. The injury-plagued 30-year-old gets an 'A' from me for staying on the field (already 315 at-bats) and playing his typical above-average defense up the middle. The double-play combo with Elvis and Kinsler is a joy to watch.

B (2)

Nelson Cruz, OF: I have Cruz in fantasy this year, so I was expecting a little more than a .258 average, but I'd take .275 by the end of the year, which I think is very possible. The good news is the power numbers are there. With 11 homers and 48 RBIs, the soon-to-be 32-year-old is on pace to drive in 100 RBIs for the first time in his career. Cruz has been incredibly streaky this year, and the 79 strikeouts are somewhat alarming.

Mike Napoli, C/1B: Perhaps he set the bar too high last year by hitting .320 with 30 homers and 75 RBIs, and going on one of the better second-half tears I've ever seen. His average has taken a 76-point dip this year (.244), to go along with 12 homers and 30 RBIs. The encouraging signs for Napoli's first-half start: an OBP of .347, stellar defense behind home plate and added roster flexibility with his ability to play first base (especially with Mitch Moreland out 4-6 weeks with a strained hamstring).

B- (1)

Michael Young, DH: Young's numbers are down all the way across the board, from the batting average (.270), to the homers (three) and RBIs (30). Last year's 213-hit season was his first 200-hit season in three years, so I don't buy Young hitting at this level the rest of the year. He may not crack 200 hits this year, but 180 with a batting average around .290 isn't out of the question.

David Murphy, OF: Before the season, I predicted Murphy would reach 15 homers and 75 RBIs with a full season's worth of at-bats. He's at seven home runs and 25 RBIs to date, so a little behind pace. He's getting fewer at-bats than I thought, sitting whenever an opposing lefty pitcher starts, but he's been productive when he's in the lineup, with a .269 average and an underrated .364 OBP. The author of Lipstick Domain likely would elevate Murphy's efforts to A+.

Stay tuned for the pitchers rankings in a separate future blog post.