Here's my picks for American League Most Valuable Player. As always, this is what my hypothetical ballot would look like.
American League Most Valuable Player
Missing the Cut:
Francisco Rodriguez RHP Angels
Just the high number of saves isn't enough to get him on the ballot, as it shows more that the Angels won a lot of close games than it does that he was deserving of MVP.
Carlos Quentin OF White Sox, Ian Kinsler 2B Rangers, Milton Bradley DH Rangers
All three put up great numbers when they were in there, but didn't get to the plate enough this season to crack my MVP ballot. Although if it was a 13-man ballot, these three might be 11, 12, and 13 respectively.
Any member of the Rays, White Sox, or Angels
Like I wrote in my NL MVP ballot, it was an odd year in that most of the playoff teams didn't have a standout player. Carlos Pena or Evan Longoria of the Rays may have cracked my ballot had they played more, but injuries (and time in the minors in Longoria's case) prevented that from happening. As I already explained, Quentin of the White Sox would have cracked my ballot, and probably been at least in the top 5, if he hadn't gotten hurt. The Angels' best player this year was still probably Vladimir Guerrero, but he had the worst year he's had in years and was not deserving of an MVP vote in my eyes.
10. Roy Halladay RHP Blue Jays
While injuries and ineffectiveness took out the rest of Toronto's rotation, Halladay was consistently an innings eater. Perhaps the most underrated pitcher in the league.
9. Justin Morneau 1B Twins
Some people say he should win the award, but he wasn't even the best player on his team. Still, a good player who had a good year.
8. Aubrey Huff DH Orioles
Quietly had an excellent year, finishing 4th in the league in VORP. Loses a few points due to lack of defense.
7. Cliff Lee LHP Indians
The best pitcher in the AL this year, 24 of the Indians 81 wins came in his starts.
6. Alex Rodriguez 3B Yankees
Still among the best players in the league, despite the boos from Yankees fans.
5. Kevin Youkilis 1B Red Sox
Hit well consistently throughout the whole year while playing great defense. Would probably be ranked higher had he not missed a few weeks due to injury.
4. Josh Hamilton OF Rangers
Great story about a guy who turned his life, and his baseball career, around. Numbers dropped off in the second half of the season, but still a legitimate MVP choice.
3. Grady Sizemore OF Indians
Great all-around player, is there anything he doesn't do well?
2. Joe Mauer C Twins
Good defensive catcher who this year became the first AL catcher to win two batting titles. He's also the only one to win even one.
1. Dustin Pedroia 2B Red Sox
Following a very good rookie year, I expected his numbers to dip a bit this year. Boy was I wrong. Led AL in hits, runs, and doubles while becoming my pick for 2008 AL MVP.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
NL MVP pick........Surprised? Probably Not
Ok, so I didn't quite get this one done when I said I would, but I'm still getting it done before the awards are actually announced. This is my take on the National League Most Valuable Player race, and what my ballot would look like if I had a vote.
National League Most Valuable Player
Missing the Cut:
Manny Ramirez OF Dodgers
Put up great numbers in his time with the Dodgers, but wasn't there for long enough to garner an MVP vote from me
Carlos Delgado 1B Mets, Ryan Howard 1B Phillies
Both considered MVP candidates due to power numbers, but not even best candidates on their respective teams. In fact, there are 4 Mets I'd put ahead of Delgado (more on that soon) and 2 Phillies I'd put ahead of Howard.
Carlos Beltran OF Mets
One of the Mets I'd rank ahead of Delgado, when I finished making my list, I couldn't believe Beltran wasn't on it, but there wasn't anyone I'd replace him with. I guess that makes him my pick for 11th.
Any member of the Dodgers, Brewers, or Cubs
I know MVP candidates tend to come from winning teams, and these teams all made the playoffs. However, this year was odd (in both leagues) in that most of the good teams didn't really have any standout players. They were more of a team effort. Baseball isn't like basketball where one player can make a gigantic difference in record, it is much more individual. That can leave the playoff teams without an MVP candidate, while some non-playoff teams (including a team that choked a spot away again) with multiple candidates.
10. Tim Lincecum RHP Giants
Just think of the difference in the Giants odds of winning when he was pitching compared to when anyone else was. That's why he cracks this ballot.
9. Matt Holliday OF Rockies
Although not as good as last year when he could have legitimately won the award, still deserves a spot on the ballot, even if it is much lower.
8. Johan Santana LHP Mets
1b to Lincecum's 1a on my Cy Young ballot, gets higher spot on MVP ballot due to impressive performance down the stretch to keep Mets alive.
7. Jose Reyes SS Mets
6. David Wright 3B Mets
Mets had quite a few good players and these two were the best. It's not their fault that bullpen was bad.
5. Hanley Ramirez SS Marlins
Although he should win this award eventually, it isn't going to be this year.
4. Chipper Jones 3B Braves
Remember him? The 1999 MVP had one of the most impressive seasons of his career. If he could've stayed healthy, he would be higher on this list.
3. Lance Berkman 1B Astros
Started out strong before dropping off a bit, still among the best in the NL this year.
2. Chase Utley 2B Phillies
The best player on his team comes close to making it 3 straight MVPs for Phillies infielders, but can't beat out #1.
1. Albert Pujols 1B Cardinals
Simply the best player in the National League. As good as some of these other guys are, this one is no contest to me.
That's it for me, the AL MVP ballot will be up tomorrow. Think your favorite player was snubbed? Leave a comment.
National League Most Valuable Player
Missing the Cut:
Manny Ramirez OF Dodgers
Put up great numbers in his time with the Dodgers, but wasn't there for long enough to garner an MVP vote from me
Carlos Delgado 1B Mets, Ryan Howard 1B Phillies
Both considered MVP candidates due to power numbers, but not even best candidates on their respective teams. In fact, there are 4 Mets I'd put ahead of Delgado (more on that soon) and 2 Phillies I'd put ahead of Howard.
Carlos Beltran OF Mets
One of the Mets I'd rank ahead of Delgado, when I finished making my list, I couldn't believe Beltran wasn't on it, but there wasn't anyone I'd replace him with. I guess that makes him my pick for 11th.
Any member of the Dodgers, Brewers, or Cubs
I know MVP candidates tend to come from winning teams, and these teams all made the playoffs. However, this year was odd (in both leagues) in that most of the good teams didn't really have any standout players. They were more of a team effort. Baseball isn't like basketball where one player can make a gigantic difference in record, it is much more individual. That can leave the playoff teams without an MVP candidate, while some non-playoff teams (including a team that choked a spot away again) with multiple candidates.
10. Tim Lincecum RHP Giants
Just think of the difference in the Giants odds of winning when he was pitching compared to when anyone else was. That's why he cracks this ballot.
9. Matt Holliday OF Rockies
Although not as good as last year when he could have legitimately won the award, still deserves a spot on the ballot, even if it is much lower.
8. Johan Santana LHP Mets
1b to Lincecum's 1a on my Cy Young ballot, gets higher spot on MVP ballot due to impressive performance down the stretch to keep Mets alive.
7. Jose Reyes SS Mets
6. David Wright 3B Mets
Mets had quite a few good players and these two were the best. It's not their fault that bullpen was bad.
5. Hanley Ramirez SS Marlins
Although he should win this award eventually, it isn't going to be this year.
4. Chipper Jones 3B Braves
Remember him? The 1999 MVP had one of the most impressive seasons of his career. If he could've stayed healthy, he would be higher on this list.
3. Lance Berkman 1B Astros
Started out strong before dropping off a bit, still among the best in the NL this year.
2. Chase Utley 2B Phillies
The best player on his team comes close to making it 3 straight MVPs for Phillies infielders, but can't beat out #1.
1. Albert Pujols 1B Cardinals
Simply the best player in the National League. As good as some of these other guys are, this one is no contest to me.
That's it for me, the AL MVP ballot will be up tomorrow. Think your favorite player was snubbed? Leave a comment.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Cy Young Award - And the winners are.....
I'm back with awards talk. This time, my hypothetical ballots for the AL and NL Cy Young Awards.
American League Cy Young Award
Nowhere Near My Ballot: Francisco Rodriguez RHP Angels
K-Rod had 62 saves this year, which has had some people saying he should win not only the Cy Young Award, but also the MVP. That is a joke. His 62 saves, while impressive, were more a result of opportunity (69 chances) than greatness. Don't get me wrong, I think Rodriguez is an excellent closer. But that doesn't mean I would vote for him for either of those awards. In fact, as far as closers go, there are at least 4 in the American League who I think had better seasons this year: Mariano Rivera, Joakim Soria, Joe Nathan, and Jonathan Papelbon.
Third: Jon Lester LHP Boston
Lester followed up a year where he beat cancer and then the Rockies in the clinching game 4 of the World Series with a fantastic season where he established himself as a legitimate ace. Although only being counted on to be the third pitcher for the Red Sox this year, Lester emerged as a better pitcher than both Josh Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzaka (despite Dice-K's W-L record). Other options that crossed my mind included Ervin Santana, John Danks, Matsuzaka, and Rivera, but Lester gets the nod here.
Second: Roy Halladay RHP Blue Jays
Halladay is consistently among the top pitchers in the major leagues, and yet he doesn't get the attention he seems to deserve. Outside of Johan Santana, I'm not sure if there is any other pitcher I would rather have on my team. A workhorse who sometimes eats innings at the expense of his ERA, Halladay had 246 innings pitched, which was over 20 more than any other pitcher in the league. Despite this, his 2.78 ERA was second in the league. In many years, 20-11 with a 2.78 ERA would be good enough to win the award, but not this year.
First: Cliff Lee LHP Indians
In my 2006 fantasy baseball draft, Lee was the first starting pitcher I drafted. After all, he was a 28 year old left handed pitcher coming off an 18-5 season. So what happened? Lee had an average 2006 and a bad 2007 before being sent back to the minors. Needless to say, there weren't exactly high hopes for Lee heading into this season, as the Indians hoped he could just help fill out the rotation led by CC Sabathia and Fausto Carmona. So then what happened? Sabathia struggled early before recovering and being traded, Carmona struggled for pretty much the whole season, and Lee went 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA, getting 27 percent of the Indians' wins on his way to being my pick for the 2008 AL Cy Young Award.
National League Cy Young Award
Third: Cole Hamels LHP Phillies
Much like in the AL, this is a two-horse race, which leaves a lot of possibilities for the third spot on the ballot. I decided on Hamels, who went 14-10 with a 3.09 ERA. He also had a quality 3.7 K/BB ratio and was second in the NL in innings pitched with 227.1. Other options here included Ryan Dempster, Chad Billingsley, Derek Lowe, Brandon Webb, and Sabathia.
Second: Johan Santana LHP Mets
Instead of first and second, the top two pitchers in the NL are more like 1a and 1b. But somebody has to finish first and somebody has to finish second. Santana led the league in innings pitched (234.1) and ERA (2.53). I still consider him the best pitcher in Major League Baseball, despite not quite being the best this year. Although the Mets didn't make the playoffs, it was not his fault, and I can't help but wonder how many more wins the Twins would have had if they hadn't traded him. Still, I thought he wasn't quite as good this year as my choice for number one.
First: Tim Lincecum RHP Giants
This has been simply an excellent year for Lincecum, despite the fact that the team he was on was pretty awful. He went 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA this year, getting 25 percent of the Giants' wins. On top of that, he led the National League in strikeouts with 265, a full 59 more than Santana, who finished second in that category. This was awfully close, but that was the biggest stat to tip the scales in Lincecum's favor, and it helps in my decision that Tim Lincecum should win the 2008 NL Cy Young Award.
That's it for the pitchers. Tomorrow, I'll give my thoughts on the NL MVP.
American League Cy Young Award
Nowhere Near My Ballot: Francisco Rodriguez RHP Angels
K-Rod had 62 saves this year, which has had some people saying he should win not only the Cy Young Award, but also the MVP. That is a joke. His 62 saves, while impressive, were more a result of opportunity (69 chances) than greatness. Don't get me wrong, I think Rodriguez is an excellent closer. But that doesn't mean I would vote for him for either of those awards. In fact, as far as closers go, there are at least 4 in the American League who I think had better seasons this year: Mariano Rivera, Joakim Soria, Joe Nathan, and Jonathan Papelbon.
Third: Jon Lester LHP Boston
Lester followed up a year where he beat cancer and then the Rockies in the clinching game 4 of the World Series with a fantastic season where he established himself as a legitimate ace. Although only being counted on to be the third pitcher for the Red Sox this year, Lester emerged as a better pitcher than both Josh Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzaka (despite Dice-K's W-L record). Other options that crossed my mind included Ervin Santana, John Danks, Matsuzaka, and Rivera, but Lester gets the nod here.
Second: Roy Halladay RHP Blue Jays
Halladay is consistently among the top pitchers in the major leagues, and yet he doesn't get the attention he seems to deserve. Outside of Johan Santana, I'm not sure if there is any other pitcher I would rather have on my team. A workhorse who sometimes eats innings at the expense of his ERA, Halladay had 246 innings pitched, which was over 20 more than any other pitcher in the league. Despite this, his 2.78 ERA was second in the league. In many years, 20-11 with a 2.78 ERA would be good enough to win the award, but not this year.
First: Cliff Lee LHP Indians
In my 2006 fantasy baseball draft, Lee was the first starting pitcher I drafted. After all, he was a 28 year old left handed pitcher coming off an 18-5 season. So what happened? Lee had an average 2006 and a bad 2007 before being sent back to the minors. Needless to say, there weren't exactly high hopes for Lee heading into this season, as the Indians hoped he could just help fill out the rotation led by CC Sabathia and Fausto Carmona. So then what happened? Sabathia struggled early before recovering and being traded, Carmona struggled for pretty much the whole season, and Lee went 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA, getting 27 percent of the Indians' wins on his way to being my pick for the 2008 AL Cy Young Award.
National League Cy Young Award
Third: Cole Hamels LHP Phillies
Much like in the AL, this is a two-horse race, which leaves a lot of possibilities for the third spot on the ballot. I decided on Hamels, who went 14-10 with a 3.09 ERA. He also had a quality 3.7 K/BB ratio and was second in the NL in innings pitched with 227.1. Other options here included Ryan Dempster, Chad Billingsley, Derek Lowe, Brandon Webb, and Sabathia.
Second: Johan Santana LHP Mets
Instead of first and second, the top two pitchers in the NL are more like 1a and 1b. But somebody has to finish first and somebody has to finish second. Santana led the league in innings pitched (234.1) and ERA (2.53). I still consider him the best pitcher in Major League Baseball, despite not quite being the best this year. Although the Mets didn't make the playoffs, it was not his fault, and I can't help but wonder how many more wins the Twins would have had if they hadn't traded him. Still, I thought he wasn't quite as good this year as my choice for number one.
First: Tim Lincecum RHP Giants
This has been simply an excellent year for Lincecum, despite the fact that the team he was on was pretty awful. He went 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA this year, getting 25 percent of the Giants' wins. On top of that, he led the National League in strikeouts with 265, a full 59 more than Santana, who finished second in that category. This was awfully close, but that was the biggest stat to tip the scales in Lincecum's favor, and it helps in my decision that Tim Lincecum should win the 2008 NL Cy Young Award.
That's it for the pitchers. Tomorrow, I'll give my thoughts on the NL MVP.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
My Take on the AL and NL Rookie of the Year
With baseball's regular season ending and its second season beginning, it's time to look at some awards. First up, the Rookie of the Year Award.
I will rank the players like I actually had a ballot in the voting, which I clearly don't. The ROY ballot lets you vote for first, second, and third choices, with the points breakdown being 5-3-1 towards the final tally. Of course, I'm the only one doing it here, so the final tally is my order. So without further adieu...
American League Rookie of the Year
Just Missed the Cut: Denard Span OF Twins, Mike Aviles SS Royals, Joba Chamberlain P Yankees
All three of these players would get more consideration if they had more playing time, assuming of course their numbers didn't drop off with the increase in at bats, or in Chamberlain's case, innings. But with the time each missed, I can't justify putting them on the ballot ahead of any of my choices.
Third: Alexei Ramirez 2B White Sox
Another case where had he gotten more plate appearances, I would have ranked him higher. The Cuban Missile burst onto the scene after leaving Cuba about a year ago. He displayed good power for a playoff team, and played multiple positions. He has drawn comparisons to Alfonso Soriano, which, looking at his numbers, seem fair, both in the fact that he has good power and hits for a good average, but rarely walks. He led AL rookies in batting average (.290), but only had an on-base percentage of .317. He also hit four grand slams this year, which is a rookie record.
Second: Jacoby Ellsbury OF Red Sox
Among all the options here, Ellsbury got the most consistent playing time, as the only AL rookie to get 550 plate appearances (he had 609, 86 more than Daric Barton, who had the second most, and 100 more than Ramirez). He probably didn't quite live up to some of the monstrous expectations following his excellent play in last year's World Series, but despite that, he still led all American League rookies in runs (98), hits (155), and triples (7), and led the entire American League in stolen bases (50).
First: Evan Longoria 3B Rays
Unquestionably the best rookie in the American League this year, with the only questions coming due to time missed due to injury. Longoria lived up to the hype that surrounded him coming out of spring training, leading AL rookies in home runs (27), runs batted in (85), total bases (238), on-base percentage (.343) and slugging percentage (.531). He also emerged as a leader on the most surprising playoff team of the year. If he doesn't win the award this year, I give up.
Interesting that all three vote-getters come from playoff teams. I guess it shows the reliance that some of the better teams have on young players.
National League Rookie of the Year
Just Missed the Cut: Kosuke Fukodome OF Cubs, Gregor Blanco OF Braves, Hiroki Kuroda SP Dodgers
Both outfielders had a pretty low batting average (.257 and .251, respectively), but helped make up for it by finishing in the top two spots for walks among NL rookies, with 81 and 74, to bring their on-base percentages to a respectable .359 and .366. They also lack power, which is the main reason I didn't include them in the top three, although had they played in the AL instead and put up the same numbers, they may have cracked the ballot. Kuroda had remarkably similar numbers to my third place pick, but had a slightly higher ERA and fewer strikeouts, although admittedly much fewer walks too. It was almost a toss-up, but only one of the pitchers could make it, and I made my choice.
Third: Jair Jurrgens P Braves
Jurrgens led National League rookies in innings pitched (188.1), wins (13), and ERA (3.68). He would have been a good pick to make the NL All-Star team, although he didn't. He also seemed to spend time on virtually everyone's fantasy team this year. That may not be relevant to the rookie of the year voting, but it shows he was good enough to be picked up, yet not good enough to be kept. Sounds like a quality option at #3 to me.
Second: Joey Votto 1B Reds
Although not nearly as hyped as fellow Reds rookie Jay Bruce, or possibly even Johnny Cueto, this year, Votto quietly put together a solid rookie campaign. He led NL rookies in hits (156), HR (24), batting average (.297), total bases (266), on-base percentage (.368), and slugging percentage (.506). With numbers like that, it's hard to believe he isn't the rookie of the year, and perhaps he would be in many years. But this year one other rookie was better.
First: Geovany Soto C Cubs
Soto's batting numbers are almost identical to those of Votto, so why does he get the award while Votto settles for being the runner-up? Is it because he was voted to start the All-Star game? Not at all. Fukudome, Soto's teammate, was selected to start the All-Star game too, and he didn't even crack my top three. Soto gets the nod because he put up the same numbers while playing what is likely the most demanding position to play in baseball. He hit well, but also handled the pitching staff of a playoff team, which is not an easy task for a 25 year old rookie. That is why Geovany Soto is my pick to be the 2008 National League Rookie of the Year.
Wow, I didn't actually plan on writing that much about each player. I guess it remains to be seen whether I keep doing that, although I highly doubt I'll be writing that much for the MVP ones, which are ten players deep. Check back tomorrow for my take on the Cy Young winners.
I will rank the players like I actually had a ballot in the voting, which I clearly don't. The ROY ballot lets you vote for first, second, and third choices, with the points breakdown being 5-3-1 towards the final tally. Of course, I'm the only one doing it here, so the final tally is my order. So without further adieu...
American League Rookie of the Year
Just Missed the Cut: Denard Span OF Twins, Mike Aviles SS Royals, Joba Chamberlain P Yankees
All three of these players would get more consideration if they had more playing time, assuming of course their numbers didn't drop off with the increase in at bats, or in Chamberlain's case, innings. But with the time each missed, I can't justify putting them on the ballot ahead of any of my choices.
Third: Alexei Ramirez 2B White Sox
Another case where had he gotten more plate appearances, I would have ranked him higher. The Cuban Missile burst onto the scene after leaving Cuba about a year ago. He displayed good power for a playoff team, and played multiple positions. He has drawn comparisons to Alfonso Soriano, which, looking at his numbers, seem fair, both in the fact that he has good power and hits for a good average, but rarely walks. He led AL rookies in batting average (.290), but only had an on-base percentage of .317. He also hit four grand slams this year, which is a rookie record.
Second: Jacoby Ellsbury OF Red Sox
Among all the options here, Ellsbury got the most consistent playing time, as the only AL rookie to get 550 plate appearances (he had 609, 86 more than Daric Barton, who had the second most, and 100 more than Ramirez). He probably didn't quite live up to some of the monstrous expectations following his excellent play in last year's World Series, but despite that, he still led all American League rookies in runs (98), hits (155), and triples (7), and led the entire American League in stolen bases (50).
First: Evan Longoria 3B Rays
Unquestionably the best rookie in the American League this year, with the only questions coming due to time missed due to injury. Longoria lived up to the hype that surrounded him coming out of spring training, leading AL rookies in home runs (27), runs batted in (85), total bases (238), on-base percentage (.343) and slugging percentage (.531). He also emerged as a leader on the most surprising playoff team of the year. If he doesn't win the award this year, I give up.
Interesting that all three vote-getters come from playoff teams. I guess it shows the reliance that some of the better teams have on young players.
National League Rookie of the Year
Just Missed the Cut: Kosuke Fukodome OF Cubs, Gregor Blanco OF Braves, Hiroki Kuroda SP Dodgers
Both outfielders had a pretty low batting average (.257 and .251, respectively), but helped make up for it by finishing in the top two spots for walks among NL rookies, with 81 and 74, to bring their on-base percentages to a respectable .359 and .366. They also lack power, which is the main reason I didn't include them in the top three, although had they played in the AL instead and put up the same numbers, they may have cracked the ballot. Kuroda had remarkably similar numbers to my third place pick, but had a slightly higher ERA and fewer strikeouts, although admittedly much fewer walks too. It was almost a toss-up, but only one of the pitchers could make it, and I made my choice.
Third: Jair Jurrgens P Braves
Jurrgens led National League rookies in innings pitched (188.1), wins (13), and ERA (3.68). He would have been a good pick to make the NL All-Star team, although he didn't. He also seemed to spend time on virtually everyone's fantasy team this year. That may not be relevant to the rookie of the year voting, but it shows he was good enough to be picked up, yet not good enough to be kept. Sounds like a quality option at #3 to me.
Second: Joey Votto 1B Reds
Although not nearly as hyped as fellow Reds rookie Jay Bruce, or possibly even Johnny Cueto, this year, Votto quietly put together a solid rookie campaign. He led NL rookies in hits (156), HR (24), batting average (.297), total bases (266), on-base percentage (.368), and slugging percentage (.506). With numbers like that, it's hard to believe he isn't the rookie of the year, and perhaps he would be in many years. But this year one other rookie was better.
First: Geovany Soto C Cubs
Soto's batting numbers are almost identical to those of Votto, so why does he get the award while Votto settles for being the runner-up? Is it because he was voted to start the All-Star game? Not at all. Fukudome, Soto's teammate, was selected to start the All-Star game too, and he didn't even crack my top three. Soto gets the nod because he put up the same numbers while playing what is likely the most demanding position to play in baseball. He hit well, but also handled the pitching staff of a playoff team, which is not an easy task for a 25 year old rookie. That is why Geovany Soto is my pick to be the 2008 National League Rookie of the Year.
Wow, I didn't actually plan on writing that much about each player. I guess it remains to be seen whether I keep doing that, although I highly doubt I'll be writing that much for the MVP ones, which are ten players deep. Check back tomorrow for my take on the Cy Young winners.
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