After a breakout season in 2008, Josh Hamilton struggled mightily with injuries and was inconsistent in 2009, which led to the inevitable talks of him being overrated. Some speculated that he had been figured out by scouts and that he wasn’t as good as his monstrous 2008 season seemed to suggest. Midway through the 2010 season, though, Hamilton is back on top of his game and is quietly having one of the best seasons in the league, helping to lead the Texas Rangers to the top of the A.L. West in the process.

While the A.L. West is still mostly up for grabs at this point in the season, no one can argue that the Rangers have been the most impressive team in the division, thanks mainly to the trio of Michael Young, Vladimir Guerrero and Hamilton. Following a slow start to the season, Hamilton has simply exploded Brand Cialis in June; as of June 22nd, Hamilton was hitting .337 with 16 long balls and 52 RBIs. In June alone, Hamilton is hitting an absurd .474 with great power numbers, guiding the Rangers to an eight-game winning streak and a 3.5 game lead on the Angels.

As many now know, the road to the top of the league has not come easily for Hamilton, which is why it should come as no surprise at all that he’s bounced back from a subpar 2009 campaign. Formerly the first overall draft pick in the 1999, Hamilton had major issues with substance abuse and it seemed that he would never realize his Viagra Professional potential on the big league level. After bouncing back and forth between the minor leagues and drug counseling, Hamilton finally got a chance to play for a big league club in 2007 with the Cincinnati Reds, though the Reds gave up on him after just one season and shipped him to the Rangers.

Moving to the American League and a hitter-friendly ballpark in Texas, though, Hamilton’s career was reborn. In 2008, Hamilton was one of the top hitters in the league, belting 32 homers and driving in 130 RBIs while maintaining a very strong average of .304. Clearly Hamilton’s talent was finally pushing him into the elite category of big league sluggers, though the buzz surrounding him faded quickly amid back problems in 2009, which forced him to miss nearly half the season.

But the Rangers certainly didn’t give up on their talented left fielder. With Vladimir Guerrero available in the offseason, the Rangers quickly signed him to bat in front of Hamilton. Guerrero has been a catalyst for the Rangers all season long and continues to have one of the most surprising seasons in the league this year. With Michael Young, Ian Kinsler and Vlad ahead of him in the lineup, Hamilton has had plenty of opportunities to knock in runs all season long. Hamilton has responded by being one of the top RBI men around, making the Rangers one of the most explosive offenses in the league in the process. Hamilton also has quickly become one of the top sellers of Texas Rangers tickets.

Backed by starters C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis, the Rangers are not just one of the more exciting teams in the league, but are playing as well as anyone. In the mediocre A.L. West, the Rangers have a very good shot at reaching the postseason and are the only team in the division with a positive run differential, which suggests that they are far from a fluke team stringing together some close wins. Following their eight-game winning streak, the Rangers all of a sudden had the fifth best record in the game and continue to dominate teams at home while playing .500 ball on the road, which is a great recipe for success in any pro sport.

Though Hamilton still isn’t one of the most popular stars in the league, he’s quickly become one of the easiest to root for, and his determination to succeed has translated into maximizing his potential on the field. This year, Hamilton should be headed back to the all-star game, where he put on a show at the homerun derby in 2008. If the Rangers continue to pile up the wins, Hamilton will get his first crack at the postseason. Certainly no one deserves it more.

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