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As Hamilton goes, so go the Rangers
Slugger's performance deeply tied to Texas' success

By T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com

08/27/10 12:18 AM ET


ARLINGTON -- The numbers suggest that when Josh Hamilton does well, the Rangers do well.

That's hardly a surprise, but here are some numbers to consider. The Rangers are 22-8 in games in which Hamilton hit a home run, they are 34-13 when he had at least two hits in a game and they are 16-4 when he had at least two RBIs.

All that does is reinforce his importance to the Rangers lineup, but they received another reminder over the past couple of weeks. Hamilton was 1-for-14 with one RBI during a four-game losing streak at Tampa Bay and Baltimore. But since then, Hamilton is 10-for-27 in seven games with four home runs and 11 RBIs.

The Rangers won five of those seven games.

"It's been OK," Hamilton said before Thursday's 6-4 loss to the Twins. "I still feel the remnants of that little lull. I'm hitting the ball hard, but there are some adjustments still to be made. I need to keep trying to hit the ball to left-center like I want to."

Hamilton went into Thursday's game hitting .356, the highest in the American League, with 89 runs scored, 30 home runs and 92 RBIs. He led the league in hits and total bases while ranking fourth with a .405 on-base percentage and second with a .634 slugging percentage.

He was also leading the league in three distinctively unique hitting categories. He ranked first with a .390 home batting average, a .381 batting average in night games and a .403 average against right-handed pitchers.

But for Hamilton, the most important ranking is that the Rangers remain in first place in the American League West. By focusing on winning, Hamilton doesn't get caught up in where he ranks in any offensive categories.

"If I focus on what it takes for the team to win, I feel my numbers are going to improve," Hamilton said. "If I'm driving in runs, it means I'm helping the team win. It carries over to defense. If I'm not hitting well, I can still do something in the field to help the team win."

Hamilton has put himself in position to finish strong. That's something he didn't do in 2008, when he had an outstanding first season with the Rangers. In '08 he had a .367 on-base percentage and .552 slugging percentage before the All-Star break. He then posted a .376 on-base percentage and a .498 slugging percentage after the break.

This season, he had a .390 on-base percentage and a .625 slugging percentage before the All-Star break. That earned him a third straight trip to the All-Star Game, but his numbers have gone up since then. He has a .440 on-base percentage and a .657 slugging percentage.

He said it all goes back to changing his approach back in May when he decided to concentrate on just putting the ball in play rather than the big-swing approach.

"The biggest thing for me, once I figured out what I wanted to do as far as hitting, is to be consistent the rest of the way," Hamilton said. "It's not about finishing strong, it's about being consistent."

T.R. Sullivan is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.