Who's your AL MVP?

[PoppyHart]

Cabrera went deep again tonight, and almost has two hands firmly on the Triple Crown.

Regrettably, MLB will make us wait until sometime near Thanksgiving before they reveal the winner.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

If Cabrera wins the Triple Crown, I would think he would be an overwhelming winner. Nothing would be surprise me though, since not all prior TC winners have won the MVP.

 

[Toga]

Melky Mesa

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

Hard to believe what incredible years both Mike Trout and Miguel Cabrera have had. If Cabrera wins the TC, he has to be the MVP.

 

[Knicks411]

Trout.

Funny; I forgot where I read it, but if you look at something like OPS+ (which compares your OPS to league average) Cabrera is having a slightly worse year than his last 2. (He's of course still having an awesome year at the plate). Trout's had a better year IMO, and th e Angels are going to win more games, but I won't crazy if a triple crown winning Cabrera takes the MVP.

I never realized how durable Cabrera is; the fewest games he's played in a season is 150, and other than that, he's played 157 games or more every year.

 

[Halfmooncuse]

Arod.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Bobby Valentine.

 

[jekelish]

If Cabrera wins the triple crown, you HAVE to give him the MVP. There is no other choice for the award at that point.

 

[Knicks411]

If Cabrera wins the triple crown, you HAVE to give him the MVP. There is no other choice for the award at that point.

Ted Williams would like a word with you. Twice! In 1942, Williams lead the league in: HR, RBI, Runs scored, batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, extra base hits, walks, and finished second in the MVP. Then in 1947 he lead in all those categories and again didn't win the MVP!

 

[jekelish]

I think at this point, though, it's been so long since we've had a triple crown winner that it feels more momentous to actually get one, so the voters will be more apt to give Cabrera the award.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Cabrera went deep again tonight, and almost has two hands firmly on the Triple Crown.

Regrettably, MLB will make us wait until sometime near Thanksgiving before they reveal the winner.

Adam Jones. I saw some crazy stat that something like half his homers tied the game or put the O's ahead. Reality is he should be top 5. Cabrera's team is in the playoffs. That makes him 1st in my book. If Trout wins it means sabetmetrics now rule baseball (for good or bad).

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[Knicks411]

. Cabrera's team is in the playoffs. That makes him 1st in my book. If Trout wins it means sabetmetrics now rule baseball (for good or bad).

Felix Hernandez went 13-12 and won the Cy Young. That's a hell of a lot more proof that sabermetrics rule baseball (well really, the voting for the awards which in the grand scheme of things means nothing) than Mike Trout winning MVP.

I'd vote for Trout, but like I said I have no problem with Cabrera winning the MVP, (and if he wins the Triple Crown it'll probably happen) but it's the kind of thing that really makes you think sometimes. If Hamilton hits 2 more HR the rest of the way and wins the HR title from Cabrera, I'm not really sure how that makes Cabrera that much less deserving of the award.

 

[690West]

If Cabrera wins the triple crown, you HAVE to give him the MVP. There is no other choice for the award at that point.

The most VALUABLE player in the AL is Mike Trout, and frankly its not close. The player with the best average, most RBI and HR's is Miguel Cabrera. You HAVE to give it to Cabrera? I would hope the voters would pick the most valuable player...

"The only universe in which Miguel Cabrera wins the AL MVP is one in which baserunning and defense have no value." -baseballprospectus.com
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=18493#commentMessage

 

[BuffOrange]

Really surprising that guys who like kenpom would say Trout.
Equally as surprising they're 100% right.

"Has to be Cabrera" just captures so much that is wrong with fans/media today. You're the Ron Rivera of voting.

 

[Knicks411]

Really surprising that guys who like kenpom would say Trout.

Funny you'd say that; I think the "stathead" conventional wisdom 10 years ago might lean to Cabrera because of the idea that defense/base running were overrated and weren't worth all that much, but Trout has just been so overwhelming awesome at pretty much everything that I'm not sure.

 

[PoppyHart]

If defense is so valued, put Mattingly in the HOF dammit.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

jekelish, post: 368951 said: <br />If Cabrera wins the triple crown, you HAVE to give him the MVP. There is no other choice for the award at that point.

<br /> <br />The most VALUABLE player in the AL is Mike Trout, and frankly its not close. The player with the best average, most RBI and HR's is Miguel Cabrera. You HAVE to give it to Cabrera? I would hope the voters would pick the most valuable player...<br /> <br />"The only universe in which <b>Miguel Cabrera</b> wins the AL MVP is one in which baserunning and defense have no value." -baseballprospectus.com<br />http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=18493#commentMessage

Valuable cs Outstanding. Cabrera is in the playoffs. Defense haa never or rarely mattered in MVP voting. Id it did, wouldn't catchers and shortstops get a lot more consideration?

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[Knicks411]

Defense haa never or rarely mattered in MVP voting. Id it did, wouldn't catchers and shortstops get a lot more consideration?

They used to, fwiw. 40's and 50's they won more than now. Marty Marion won the MVP in 1944 in a year he hit 267 without much power. Jackie Robinson won in 1949. Campy won in 51, 53, and 55. Yogi won in 51, 53, 54. Rizzuto in 50, Lou Boudreau in 48, Joe Gordon in 42. Pitchers also won a lot more frequently back then, Newcome one, Hal Newhouser twice, Spud Chandler, Mort Cooper, Bobby Shantz. When there was no Cy Young looks like voters were more likely to give it to a pitcher, which makes sense on some level.

Even recently, there have been 5 middle IF to win the AL award since 2002, though Bonds and Pujols kind of had a stranglehold on on the NL award.

You don't even need that much defense to favor Trout though; the guy is hitting 325 with 30 HR and is 48-52 in steals.

Does it matter that despite Cabrera's team being in the playoffs, they actually have a worse record than the Angels.

 

[690West]

Valuable cs Outstanding. Cabrera is in the playoffs. Defense haa never or rarely mattered in MVP voting. Id it did, wouldn't catchers and shortstops get a lot more consideration?

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Trout has more wins. The playoff argument is bunk.

 

[PoppyHart]

To those new wave guys who think it should go to Trout:

Would you have given it to Ellsbury (2011 version) over Cabrera (2012)?

Ellsbury ('11): 32/105/.321/.928 OPS w/ 119 runs, 39 steals, and (presumably) better defense

If the answer is no, you really have no argument for Trout

Trout 30/83/.324/.961 w/ 129 runs, 49 steals, and better defense

Cabrera 44/139/.330/1.001 w/ 109 runs, 4 steals, and lesser defense

 

[mountaincuse]

Trout has more wins. The playoff argument is bunk.

Sitting at home doesn't make you most valuable in my opinion. If you do something no one has done in almost 50 years you are in contention and if your team wins your division then it's hard for me to argue.

Triple crown and no playoffs then no, but as good as Trout has been he is now sitting home.

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

To those new wave guys who think it should go to Trout:

Would you have given it to Ellsbury (2011 version) over Cabrera (2012)?

Ellsbury ('11): 32/105/.321/.928 OPS w/ 119 runs, 39 steals, and (presumably) better defense

If the answer is no, you really have no argument for Trout

Trout 30/83/.324/.961 w/ 129 runs, 49 steals, and better defense

Cabrera 44/139/.330/1.001 w/ 109 runs, 4 steals, and lesser defense

I would've given it to Ellsbury over Verlander, but not over Cabrera.

 

[690West]

To those new wave guys who think it should go to Trout:

"new wave guys" thought the world was round when everyone else was convinced it was flat.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

If defense is so valued, put Mattingly in the HOF dammit.

Mark Belanger

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[Knicks411]

To those new wave guys who think it should go to Trout:

Would you have given it to Ellsbury (2011 version) over Cabrera (2012)?

Ellsbury ('11): 32/105/.321/.928 OPS w/ 119 runs, 39 steals, and (presumably) better defense

If the answer is no, you really have no argument for Trout

Trout 30/83/.324/.961 w/ 129 runs, 49 steals, and better defense

Cabrera 44/139/.330/1.001 w/ 109 runs, 4 steals, and lesser defense

For what its worth, Trout has a 171 OPS+ as compared to 146 for Ellsbury last year. The park effects for the Angels may be a little overstated, but Trout has been a much better hitter than Ellsbury.

Also, Cabrera has a 166 OPS+. Trout has arguably been better at the plate, even without taking into account his steals/baserunning, which is obviously better than Miggy.

The biggest knock on Trout is the games played. He's about 20 behind Cabrera, because of when he got called up. If you ask me, if Trout put up the same rate stats over 158 games it wouldn't be close. The guy has been just about as good a hitter as Cabrera, plus he has 49 steals and plays awesome D.