Adrian Gonzalez: How His Slow Start Compares to the Rest of the AL First Basemen

Of all the stories that have surrounded the 2012 Boston Red Sox, the Adrian Gonzalez saga has seemingly flown under the radar for the most part.

Saga, you say?

Well, that might be a bit dramatic. The problem is, Gonzalez has yet to truly perform in Boston in 2012. You can even make a solid argument that his numbers in 2011 were faulty due to the fact that he never produced in the clutch.

Think about that for a second.

When is the last time you saw Gonzalez come up with a big hit in the clutch for the Boston Red Sox? If you can't think of one it is for good reason, there are none.

The Red Sox emptied their wallet to lock up Gonzo long term and thus far, he seems to be just OK for the Sox. While big-money contracts have flown around surrounding first basemen, it feels like an appropriate time to examine just where Gonzalez stands in comparison to his American League peers this season.

Those peers are as follows:

Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox

Michael Young, Texas Rangers

Chris Davis, Baltimore Orioles

Billy Butler, Kansas City Royals

Prince Fielder, Detroit Tigers

Carlos Pena, Tampa Bay Rays

Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins

Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees

Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Adam Lind, Toronto Blue Jays

Justin Smoak, Seattle Mariners