As Boston inches closer to the division title, it seems more and more evident that Dustin Pedrioa is emerging as the favorite to win the AL Most Valuable Player award this year. Alternatives are teammate "the Youk" (but he recently got injured - which has impacted his numbers), Carlos Quinten (who is done for the year so he will not get it) and K-Rod (who won't win the Cy Young Award (Cliff Lee) so there is not way he will win the MVP). Vlad's numbers are not quite MVP worthy.
Pedroia has been outstanding of late and likely deserves it - he is a second baseman for crying out loud and he hits like a corner outfielder!
Yaros
if that happens it'll truly be a disgrace as the best player in the AL this season has been josh hamilton. this is one of those years when they need to throw out the best player on a playoff team requirement and do the right thing. especially if pedroia is your other option, since his numbers are world class, but only for a second baseman (who notoriously can't hit), not for a baseball player
ReplyDeleteAs I wrote a week ago
ReplyDeleteArod is amazing. He is the reason why the Yankees in 2004 were almost able to sweep the Red Sox. He gives the Yankees a unique advantage over many other teams in that those games that the Yankees are up by 10 runs he can make it an 11 run lead or on those days that they are down by 10 he can make it a 9 run lead.
He has clearly had a more successful carrer than Manny and Ortiz in tht they together only won one MVP and it was with the Red Sox so its like they won -5 together, and Arod won 2 MVP's with the Yankees THE YANKEES none of the less. Thats two more MVPS than either Manny or Ortiz won with the Yankees.
Its really intersting that in both leagues there are SO many players who could get first place MVP votes. How much money can someone have made in mid june if they bet that Carlos Delagdo would be NL MVP. If the mets hold off the phillies I actually think he'd be the frontrunner.
ReplyDeleteim sorry but 17-77 are not mvp type numbers. would pick k-rod or hamilton over him.
ReplyDeleteIt does happen when there is not a great candidate. Hamilton has had a weak second half and his team is going nowhere.
ReplyDeleteYaros
i agree that pedroia has an excellent shot -- he's leading the league in ave and hits and has made a difference on BRS. there aren't a lot of good contenders. it has in the past taken extraordinay numbers (Arod when he was w Texas) for a member of a non-playoff team to be mvp (if he was so good they wouldve made the playoffs)
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to give the MVP to Pedroia when Youkilis is on his team as well. He isn't the most valuable player if his team has another MVP without him. I feel that the MVP should go to someone who is clear-cut the best player on his team, because if he has another MVP alongside him, his value is diminished.
ReplyDeleteI think Quentin deserves it despite his injury. He still played for most of the season, it's not like the injury kept him out half the year. But while I think he deserves it, there are too many other good players this year, and the voters won't give it to him for that reason. So I do believe you're right: Quentin's injury means he's out of the picture, whether he deserves it or not.
Regarding Hamilton: In the second half, he's hi .289 with a .900 OPS. His HR-per-game numbers are about identical in both halves, and the only stat that has taken a dramatic fall is his RBI pace. But that pace was unrealistic in the first half, and it's not his fault that it's dropped off: his table-setters, Kinsler and Young, have both gotten hurt. His second half has been FAR from weak.
I think that Derek Jeter and A-rod should switch positions. That would take more pressure off Jeter and make him a better batter.
ReplyDelete