Gonzalez has been on an absolute tear this season. He leads the AL in batting average, RBIs, hits and doubles. He also ranks second in slugging percentage and OPS, while ranking third in on-base percentage.
To say that he is likely the leading candidate for the honor at this point in the season would be a fairly accurate assessment.
But there are some other AL sluggers who are also having fantastic seasons and could look to put up a fight for the award in the second half.
Jose Bautista has proved that last season's offensive outburst wasn't a fluke. Many fans were skeptical as to whether Bautista could follow up with an encore presentation, but he has been amazing again.
A season after blasting a major-league leading 54 home runs, Bautista has hit 31 thus far in 2011, which has again been tops in baseball.
Bautista also leads the AL in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS and walks. He ranks second behind Gonzalez in batting average and is second in runs, while his 63 RBIs has him in the top five in that category as well.
Adrian Beltre hit .321 with Boston in 2010 and has followed up with a solid first season in Texas in 2011. His batting average is down a bit, but he is second in the AL in RBIs and has jacked 18 home runs.
Beltre, who has a tendency to get red hot from time to time, could be poised for a big second half.
Miguel Cabrera is again showing why he's regarded as one of the most feared hitters in the game. In addition to 18 home runs and 59 RBIs through Saturday, Cabrera ranks second in the AL in on-base percentage and third in OPS.
It's no secret that Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson has some pop in his bat, but who knew he had this much power?
Granderson already has 25 home runs in 85 games, which is just five shy of his career-high. He's also among the league leaders in RBIs and has the ability to steal bases at a solid clip, a skill that could separate him from the rest of the AL's big bats.
White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko wasn't initially named an All-Star, which had the potential to go down as one of the game's biggest snubs. But after winning MLB's Final Vote in the American League, Konerko has punched his ticket to the Midsummer Classic, an honor that he certainly deserves.
Konerko ranks in the top five in the AL in home runs, RBIs, batting average, slugging percentage and OPS.
After a few down seasons from 2007 to 2009, Konerko has really come alive the past two seasons. At 35 years old, he's showing that it truly is possible to get better with age.
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