Can Josh Hamilton Win The Triple Crown In 2012?

 

Can Josh Hamilton become Major League Baseball's first triple crown winner since Carl Yastrzemski did it back in 1967? I think he's got a great shot at doing it, but he must stay healthy and on the field.

Hamilton's been on fire all season and is putting up unbelievable numbers in the early part of the 2012 season. He's hitting .407 with 17 home runs and 40 runs batted in which gives him the American League lead in all three categories.

His recent surge has opened up a significant lead in all three triple crown categories:

Josh Hamilton .407 Batting Average

2. Derek Jeter, NYY	.372
3. Ryan Sweeney, BOS	.353
4. David Ortiz, BOS	.352
5. Asdrubal Cabrera, CLE	.333

Josh Hamilton 17 Home Runs

2. Adam Dunn, CHW	11
3. Edwin Encarnacion, TOR	11
4. Curtis Granderson, NYY	11
5. Adam Jones, BAL	10

Josh Hamilton 40 RBI

2. Edwin Encarnacion, TOR	29
3. Miguel Cabrera, DET	27
4. Adam Dunn, CHW	26
5. Nick Swisher, NYY	24

I like his chances at making a legitimate run at this thing, but his health is my biggest concern because he's missed a lot of time with injuries during his career. He hasn't played more than 133 games in a season since playing 156 in 2008 which happened to be his most productive season.

One thing in his favor is playing in a loaded Texas Rangers lineup and that means he should continue seeing pitches to hit. The Rangers are hitting .294 as a team and have the best offense in all of MLB.

I've been hearing other people mentioning Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers as a possible triple crown candidate in the National League.  I like Kemp, but I don't see him winning a triple crown this year even though he's currently in the top five in all three categories.

As a baseball fan I've always wanted to see a triple crown winner, a .400 season, and someone top Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak. Will this be the year one of them will fall?