Will Miguel Cabrera win baseball’s Triple Crown?

Miguel Cabrera, who leads the AL in batting average and RBIs and is second in home runs, is trying to become the first person to lead his league in those three categories since Carl Yastrzemski did it with the Boston Red Sox in 1967. Writers from around the Tribune Co. offer their opinions on if Cabarera will do it. Check back throughout the day for more responses and join the conversation with a comment of your own.

Lance Pugmire, Los Angeles Times

Yes.

While it appeared uncertain – along with his team’s playoff chances – the stars appear to be aligning for the Detroit Tigers slugger who leads the American League in batting average and runs batted in, trailing Texas’ Josh Hamilton by one home run Wednesday morning.

Cabrera has eight games remaining to hold onto his three-point batting-average lead over Minnesota’s Joe Mauer and his nine-RBI advantage over Hamilton.

It’ll come down to home runs, and Hamilton’s case improved when he returned this week from a five-game absence after being diagnosed with ocular keratitis – a cornea-drying condition brought on by the slugger’s heavy use of caffeine.

Hamilton has 43 homers to Cabrera’s 42.

Does the Hamilton diagnosis decide the Triple Crown, or does Cabrera do it himself? I’ll take Cabrera, given he has eight games remaining against the Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins, while Hamilton faces playoff-contending Oakland and the Angels.
No one has accomplished the Triple Crown since Boston’s Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. No one has been this close since Cabrera. He’ll do it.

Phil Rogers, Chicago Tribune

It’s remarkable that Miguel Cabrera has given himself a shot to win the Triple Crown, but I don’t think he’s going to pull it off. The odds are stacked against him. He took an 0-for-3 on Tuesday, his batting average dropped two points and suddenly he’s only three points ahead of Joe Mauer and five up on Mike Trout. Even if Cabrera does finish strong, he can be taken down by any of four guys in the home run race – Josh Hamilton, Adam Dunn, Edwin Encarnacion and even Curtis Granderson, who is two back. The finish on the road at Minnesota and Kansas City works against him too. But the only sure thing is this: It’s going to be fun to watch.

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