Allen Craig is considered one of, if not the, most consistent hitter in Major League Baseball today. He is third in the NL with 79 RBI’s and also is second in the NL in batting average (his teammate Yadier Molina is first, hitting .331, while Craig is batting .329). Yet, you don’t hear about him daily on ESPN or other sports networks. In fact, he robbed a home run to end the third game against the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium last week, and it wasn’t even the top “Web Gem” on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight. But despite the lack of recognition, he shows no signs of slowing down at the plate.
Craig’s most impressive stat is his RISP (runners in scoring position) average. When runners are on the bases, he is hitting an astounding .485. The record for RISP is held by Hall of Famer George Brett, who hit .469 with RISP in 1980. If Craig stays on the roll he is on, he will shatter that record that has stood for almost a quarter century.
Craig has also hit 10 home runs, along with 24 doubles, and two triples. He has only struckout 69 times (out of 377 at-bats). He has also shown to be very durable in the field, switching from first base to left field frequently throughout the season.
One reason for Craig’s high RBI stat is also the players who bat before him. The St. Louis Cardinals have one of the most consistent hitting lineups in all of baseball, being led by veterans such as Molina and Carlos Beltran, along with leadoff hitter Matt Carpenter and even players such as David Freese and rookie Matt Adams have hit very well over the past few weeks.
The Cardinals are at the top of the baseball mountain, despite being only a game ahead of the surging Pittsburgh Pirates, and Allen Craig has played a key role in helping the Cardinals stay in the top 3 in runs scored, and batting average, along with his fellow hitters, and strong starting pitching.
It was only two years ago, that Allen Craig caught the last ball to clinch the World Series for the Cardinals in the unbelievable comeback 2011 season. With the recent five year contract extension, he has established himself firmly into the St. Louis Cardinals family, as he chases baseball history. (Photo Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
