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Mike ranks the top-three hitter trios in the American League for the 2024 season. What makes these trios stand out from the pack and so elite overall?
The American League is loaded with premier hitting talent. Jose Ramirez continues to thrive for the Guardians, Bobby Witt Jr. is putting up incredible stats for the Royals, and Corey Seager can dominate for the Rangers when he is healthy.
While all those players have performed well, having a deep lineup could be the key to winning a World Series. The Rangers did that last year with the likes of Seager, Marcus Semien, and Adolis Garcia leading the way.
Which teams have the top hitting trios? Let’s highlight the current top options in the American League.
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New York Yankees: Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Anthony Volpe
Judge is putting up historic numbers. Entering Tuesday, he has 24 home runs to go along with his .472 wOBA. His .397 ISO is currently on pace to be the highest mark of his career, which is wild when you consider that he hit 62 home runs in 2022. He is tattooing the ball, posting a 29.0 percent barrel rate and a 62.7 percent hard-hit rate this year.
There’s Aaron Judge…and then the rest. pic.twitter.com/C8ueAwJoGL
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 10, 2024
The Yankees adding Soto in the offseason has completely changed their lineup. He has hit 17 home runs in front of Judge, recording a .281 ISO and a .437 wOBA along the way. His barrel rate checks in at 19.7 percent, while his hard-hit rate is 59.1 percent. He recently missed three games with a forearm issue, but he appears to have dodged a bullet, with all tests indicating that he is not dealing with a serious injury. He did make his return to the lineup Monday against the Royals.
Volpe, who made significant strides during his second season in the majors, is hitting atop the Yankees lineup. He has lowered his strikeout rate from 27.8 percent during his rookie campaign to 21.2 percent this year. He also has 12 stolen bases to go along with his .333 wOBA.
Judge and Soto, with just about anyone, would give the Yankees one of the top trios in the American League. Add Volpe’s improvement into the equation, and their top-three hitters stand out amongst the crowd.
Houston Astros: Kyle Tucker, Yordan Alvarez, Jose Altuve
Tucker has hit at least 29 home runs in each of the last three seasons while recording at least 25 stolen bases in both of the last two campaigns. He is off to a hot start in both departments this year with 19 home runs and 10 steals. As good as his career stats already are, he is just entering the prime of his career at 27 years old.
Alvarez continues to churn out incredible stat lines. In each of the last three seasons, he has hit at least 33 home runs and recorded a wOBA of at least .369. He is on a similar pace this season with 13 home runs and a .376 wOBA entering Tuesday.
Altuve is the elder statesman of this trio but continues to be one of the best second basemen in all of baseball. He enters Tuesday with 10 home runs and nine stolen bases to go along with his .299 batting average and .352 wOBA. Injuries limited him to just 90 games last year, but he still hit .311 with 17 home runs and 14 stolen bases.
What’s so impressive about this trio for the Astros is that, even with all of their power, they do a great job of making contact. Tucker has a career 16.0 percent strikeout rate, while Alvarez and Altuve have career 20.8 percent and 12.6 percent strikeout rates, respectively. They don’t check in far behind the Yankees’ top trio in the American League.
Baltimore Orioles: Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Ryan Mountcastle
The Orioles are going to be one of the best teams in the American League for years to come. Henderson should be a big reason why. After hitting 28 home runs and recording a .234 ISO last season, he enters Tuesday with 21 home runs and a .325 ISO this year. He has shown a more selective eye with his 12.5 percent walk rate while also posting a stellar 57.4 percent hard-hit rate.
Gunnar Henderson - Baltimore Orioles (21)
pic.twitter.com/dkmDFaFZoo— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) June 10, 2024
Rutschman should be just as valuable as Henderson, given that he plays a premium position at catcher. He is a selective hitter, registering a 12.0 percent walk rate and a 16.4 percent strikeout rate for his career. After slugging 20 home runs last season, he entered Tuesday with 13 home runs this year. In addition to his power, he is on pace to record a wOBA of at least .352 for the third straight season.
Mountcastle doesn’t have the same upside that Henderson and Rutschman do. While it seems like he has been around for a while, he is only 27 years old. He jumped off the page with 33 home runs in 2021 and finished with a career-high .270 batting average last season. He enters Tuesday batting .280 this year to go along with 11 home runs and a .353 wOBA. At 21.7 percent, he is on pace to lower his strikeout rate for the third straight season.
The scary part about the Orioles is that they have more top hitting prospects in their farm system, including Jackson Holliday and Heston Kjerstad. They should be on this list of top hitter trios for a long time.
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