Michael Young: The Best Trade There Never Was

Now ... starting at second base for your Colorado Rockies, Michael Young!!!

Now ... starting at second base for your Los Angeles Dodgers, Michael Young!!!

Imagine that.

Thankfully, it sounds really silly right about now.

Michael Young has been the best player on the Texas Rangers this season, months after a public dispute between he and the Rangers' front office about his playing time and his move to designated hitter and the acquisition of Mike Napoli, who back then was rumored to be picked up to DH.

Young is by far the best hitter on the team this year, hitting at a .328 clip with 8 home runs and 59 RBIs, which puts him on pace for a career high in that department as he's had just one season of his 11 with better than 100 RBIs (103 in 2006).

He has also scored 41 runs, including one on Thursday night when he hit a solo home run to move him ahead of disgraced former Ranger great Rafael Palmeiro on the career list for runs scored as a Ranger with 959.

He's already the career leader for hits as a Ranger, a feat he accomplished last year.

"They all mean a lot," Young said after Wednesday night's game of the pending milestone. "Every time one of these things pops up it feels good. It reminds me of all the times I've had here. It makes me feel good about the work I've put in. But anything you get on an individual level is always connected to the guys you've played with, and that's what I like to focus on."

It's not coincidence that Young's success has rubbed off on his teammates as well, as the Rangers are coming off a sweep of Baltimore in which they scored nearly 40 runs in three games and scored six more runs on Thursday.

"It's definitely a team thing," Young said. "We all feed off each other. That's what happens when you have a group of teammates that are really close. You find a way to feed off the next guy. It makes a huge difference when the guy in front and behind you are also having productive at-bats. You get into a good rhythm as an offense."