AL and NL MVP Picks

[jeffro151]

You could just as much (or even moreso) say no way is Jones more deserving than Bautista, Donaldson, and Cano.

Either way, I don't think anyone outside of O's fans would put Jones in their top 5 this year.

I agree with you on your first comment.

The second, not so much. The only thing keeping Jones from being a top 5 pick all around is his inability to take walks.

 

[obxyankeefan]

Kind of surprised there isn't more love for what Kyle Seager has done in Seattle.

I looked at Seager, but have to admit I didn't even look at Jones. After looking at him I still wouldn't have him top 5, but top 10 yes.

 

[StanMarsh51]

I agree with you on your first comment.

The second, not so much. The only thing keeping Jones from being a top 5 pick all around is his inability to take walks.

Which is a rather significant inability. Who other than O's fans would be putting Jones in their top 5 this year?

Unless you've got some amazing power or are playing some world class defense (neither of which Jones has this year), a guy with a .318 OBP likely isn't going to finish top 5 in MVP.

 

[calsnowskier]

I do not follow the AL close enough to give a full 5-man ballot. After Trout, there are a lot of players who could make a strong argument for #2 (Melky, Cruz, Abreu, Bautista, Martinez, etc) and I am not familiar enough with the "stories" to offer an opinion.

For the NL...

1) Stanton
2) Kershaw
3) McCutchen
4) Posey
5) Pence

I do not like to give the MVP to a pitcher, no matter how dominant. They should only take the award when no position player deserves it. This year, Stanton is having enough of a monster year to over-take the pitcher-bias that I have.

As for Posey and Pence, I admit a SLIGHT bias, but both should make anyone's short list, and the Giants would be middle of the pack, at best, without either one. Pence was shuffled around in the lineup all year and has done exactly as needed in each slot. Because he was asked to do different things in each of these roles, his numbers do not line up as much as they should. Posey was just "OK" for the first 4-months of the season, but he is the single most important reason for the Giants resurgence over the last month or so, and the MVP award is an award that has room for the "story" (See Gibson, Kirk 1988).

 

[calsnowskier]

I'll turn this into a ROY thread as well. Jacob DeGrom on the Mets needs to get serious consideration. The guy has been lights out for a few months now:

Jacob deGrom's standing right near best in game - ESPN New York

The ROY ballot is 3-players long.

NL
1) Hamilton
2) DeGromm
3) Peralta

The #3 slot is WIDE open, though. If Panik stays hot for the remainder of the season, he will likely lock up that slot. It is possible for him to steal a few first and second place votes, but I think Hamilton and DeGromm will finish 1/2.


AL
1) Abreu
2) Shoemaker
3) Santana

This AL class is STACKED. The third spot was a toss-up between about 7 guys (Tanaka, McHugh, Odorizzi, Springer, Ventura, Petricka)

 

[da55bums]

AL MVP:
1: Trout (LAA)
2: Hernandez (SEA)
3: N. Cruz (BAL)
4: Cabrera (DET)
5: Bautista (TOR)

NL MVP:
1: Kershaw (LAD)
2: Posey (SF)
3: McCutchen (PIT)
3: Stanton (MIA)
4: Lucroy (MIL)

 

[navamind]

No way is Alex Gordon more deserving than Adam Jones.

Adam Jones: 83 runs, 168 hits, 25 HR, 85 RBI, 122K, .286 AVG, .318 OBP, .468 SLG
Alex Gordon: 77 runs, 137 hits, 19 HR, 66 RBI, 108K, .271 AVG, .354 OBP, .445 SLG

Not only is Gordon having a better offensive year (when you consider OBP and park adjustments), but he's much better defensively. It's not close. Stop being a homer.

 

[navamind]

I agree with you on your first comment.

The second, not so much. The only thing keeping Jones from being a top 5 pick all around is his inability to take walks.

I don't care how someone gets on base as long as they get on base. Thing is, Jones doesn't draw any walks and he's only a career .280 hitter (career high being .287). And not making outs is pretty much the most important thing offensively. .318 is about league average, but unless you're elite defensively (especially at a position like 2B, SS or C), it's very hard to be an elite player with such a pedestrian OBP.

 

[jeffro151]

Not only is Gordon having a better offensive year (when you consider OBP and park adjustments), but he's much better defensively. It's not close. Stop being a homer.

Gordon having a better offensive year than Jones? What?
Jones has more hits, more HR, more RBI, and an higher average.

 

[navamind]

Gordon having a better offensive year than Jones? What?
Jones has more hits, more HR, more RBI, and an higher average.

lol

 

[navamind]

Jones has more RBIs because he has more PA with men on and RISP.

Gordon:
RISP: .327/.435/.591, 50 RBI in 138 PA
Men on: .300/.399/.512, 58 RBI in 243 PA

Jones:
RISP: .324/.356/.500, 58 RBI in 160 PA
Men on: .317/.354/.481, 69 RBI in 288 PA

Gordon has a higher OBP, OPS and OPS+. Jones has more hits because, well, he has about 50 more PA and he doesn't walk at all. A 36 point advantage in OBP is pretty huge, especially when you consider Jones' having a considerably higher average.

 

[always]

It's crazy how baseball has changed. Not even 10 years ago Nelson Cruz would probably be 2nd or 3rd in the AL race.

Now he's not even on the radar.

 

[da55bums]

It's crazy how baseball has changed. Not even 10 years ago Nelson Cruz would probably be 2nd or 3rd in the AL race.

Now he's not even on the radar.

look above on my list....he should be #3

 

[jeffro151]

It's crazy how baseball has changed. Not even 10 years ago Nelson Cruz would probably be 2nd or 3rd in the AL race.

Now he's not even on the radar.

Cruz's suspension from last year will haunt him for the rest of his career.

 

[StanMarsh51]

It's crazy how baseball has changed. Not even 10 years ago Nelson Cruz would probably be 2nd or 3rd in the AL race.

Now he's not even on the radar.

Probably, considering how much the voters used to love Ryan Howard in years he wasn't all that great.

But I don't think it's a bad thing that voters are realizing there's more to a player's value than home runs (which for even the best HR hitters happen less than 10% of their plate appearances).

Looking at Cruz' year, the only thing he does well is hit for power...doesn't hit for average, doesn't have a good OBP, nor is good on the bases or good in the field. His RBIs are largely a product of his HR power, considering he doesn't hit well overall with RISP and runners on base.

 

[da55bums]

Probably, considering how much the voters used to love Ryan Howard in years he wasn't all that great.

But I don't think it's a bad thing that voters are realizing there's more to a player's value than home runs (which for even the best HR hitters happen less than 10% of their plate appearances).

Looking at Cruz' year, the only thing he does well is hit for power...doesn't hit for average, doesn't have a good OBP, nor is good on the bases or good in the field. His RBIs are largely a product of his HR power, considering he doesn't hit well overall with RISP and runners on base.

Cruz has helped a team stay in 1st place and unlike Braun, his numbers didn't fall, but there is that stigma. But you have to go with Cruz over most of the choices A. Jones, Brantley, Gordon, Altuve. Like it or not, they vote for HR hitters, ala Chris Davis.

 

[navamind]

Trout with 2 home runs on the night already.