2008 AL MVP-Vote Inside

[partydude1377]

Ok, just like the National League thread, please post who YOU THINK SHOULD win the AL MVP, numbered 1 through 10.

Also, try to include the criteria you used, so we can spark some conversation. I will try and tally up the votes after a few weeks.

[philkid3]

1. Dustin Pedroia, 2B, BOS
2. Cliff Lee, P, CLE
3. Grady Sizemore, CF, CLE
4. Roy Halladay, P, TOR
5. Kevin Youkilis, 1B, BOS
6. Joe Mauer, C, MIN
7. Alex Rodriguez, 3B, NYY
8. Mariano Rivera, P, NYY
9. Josh Hamilton, CF, TEX
10. Nick Markakis, RF, BAL

[STLCards2]

1. Dustin Pedroia
2. Joe Mauer
3. Grady Sizemore
4. Cliff Lee
5. Alex Rodriguez
6. Kevin Youkilis
7. Calros Quinten
8. Josh Hamilton
9. Justin Morneau
10. Roy Halladay

[PVNICK]

1. Mauer - did everythign Pedroia did at a more demanding position
2. Pedroia - it may be cheesy but his "clutch" as calculated by fangraphs was first in the AL and a tick ahead of Mauer
3. Quentin
4. Youkilis
5. Hamilton
6. Markakis
7. Cliff Lee
8. Morneau - the other guys (3-6) all had better non-RBI numbers
9. Sizemore
10. Carlos Pena - his numbers come up well in leveragesd measures on fangraphs.

Others I initially had in here were Kinsler and Milton Bradley both of whom I mentally demoted because of the ballpark, higher run envirnment and Kinsler may be the worst second baseman in the AL and Bradley was a DH.
A certain 3B had the numbers but was so abhorrent in an potential run producting situations that I could not put him there. Admittedly I never checkled to see that Utley and Ludwick were 4 and 3 from the bottom respectively when I posted my NL "ballot."

[DodgerBlue8188]

I've seen Grady Sizemores name a lot. Why is he so high up on the list? I understand his speed but seems like he should lose a lot of credit with a semi average of .265ish consideing he didn't even have 100 RBI's and only like 34 HR's.

Don't get me wrong, he's a great player but I just don't think he should be ahead of guys like Justin Morenua (sp?), Cliff Lee, Youklis, A-Rod, etc.

Maybe I' missing something though

[Otis Nixon's Bodyguard]

10. Justin Morneau
9. Josh Hamilton
8. Carlos Quentin
7. Milton Bradley
6. Miguel Cabrera
5. Alex Rodriguez
4. Cliff Lee
3. Dustin Pedroia
2. Joe Mauer
1. Kevin Youkilis

[KCGHOST]

1. Grady Sizemore
2. Dustin Pedroia
3. Aubrey Huff
4. Josh Hamilton
5. Milton Bradley
6. Kevin Youkilis
7. Joe Mauer
8. Ian Kinsler
9. Carlos Quentin
10. Justin Morneau

[Otis Nixon's Bodyguard]

I've seen Grady Sizemores name a lot. Why is he so high up on the list? I understand his speed but seems like he should lose a lot of credit with a semi average of .265ish consideing he didn't even have 100 RBI's and only like 34 HR's.

Don't get me wrong, he's a great player but I just don't think he should be ahead of guys like Justin Morenua (sp?), Cliff Lee, Youklis, A-Rod, etc.

Maybe I' missing something though

I didn't include Sizemore in my top 10. That was a very hard decision though - he definitely would've been my 11th place vote if there were one. Sizemore's numbers don't look glamorous because he didn't drive in many runs and he didn't hit for a high average. He didn't drive in runs because he hit out of the leadoff spot. His average is problematic, but I think he made up for it by walking a lot and maintaining a good OBP. His good points are:

1. As I said, he gets on base a good amount
2. He hits for power - 33 homers is great for a leadoff man, and was only four off of the league lead
3. He runs well - 38 stolen bases in 43 attempts
4. He plays good defense at an important position, center field

I tend to think he's a little overhyped like Derek Jeter, but he's definitely a solid player.

[philkid3]

I've seen Grady Sizemores name a lot. Why is he so high up on the list? I understand his speed but seems like he should lose a lot of credit with a semi average of .265ish consideing he didn't even have 100 RBI's and only like 34 HR's.

Don't get me wrong, he's a great player but I just don't think he should be ahead of guys like Justin Morenua (sp?), Cliff Lee, Youklis, A-Rod, etc.

Maybe I' missing something though

Because the RBIs are a function of his team, not his play. Despite a low BA, he put up a .375 OBP and a .502 slugging average, both extremely good. And he played tremendous defense and was a tremendous base stealer.

62.7 VORP was second in the AL, 124 runs created was first.


Simply, great defense, great at avoiding outs, great at advancing his offense in his at bats, great at advancing himself on the basepaths. Among the best in the league at all of the above means a reasonable MVP candidate.

[willshad]

I didn't include Sizemore in my top 10. That was a very hard decision though - he definitely would've been my 11th place vote if there were one. Sizemore's numbers don't look glamorous because he didn't drive in many runs and he didn't hit for a high average. He didn't drive in runs because he hit out of the leadoff spot. His average is problematic, but I think he made up for it by walking a lot and maintaining a good OBP. His good points are:

1. As I said, he gets on base a good amount
2. He hits for power - 33 homers is great for a leadoff man, and was only four off of the league lead
3. He runs well - 38 stolen bases in 43 attempts
4. He plays good defense at an important position, center field

I tend to think he's a little overhyped like Derek Jeter, but he's definitely a solid player.


Maybe it just seems like it due to their respective teams, but am I the only one who sees Sizemore as just a poor man's Carlos Beltran? I think he gets more MVP support because Carlos has been doing it for so long that he is taken for granted.

[philkid3]

Maybe it just seems like it due to their respective teams, but am I the only one who sees Sizemore as just a poor man's Carlos Beltran? I think he gets more MVP support because Carlos has been doing it for so long that he is taken for granted.

Beltran seems like a fairly good comparison for Sizemore I think. Beltran is not just taken for granted, though, I think he's somewhat underrated.

[willshad]

Beltran seems like a fairly good comparison for Sizemore I think. Beltran is not just taken for granted, though, I think he's somewhat underrated.

Id say he is taken for granted. I bet he will get no MVP votes at all, and even if the Mets had made the playoffs, would have gotten less support than Delgado, Wright, Reyes, and probably Santana as well

[Otis Nixon's Bodyguard]

I think the reason Beltran doesn't get the respect he deserves is because he was good at a young age, but hasn't really improved the way people expected him to. He is essentially the same player now as he was in his early 20s. That's not to say he isn't a good player - he was then and he is now - but most players who are as good as he was at an early age go on to become even greater. And yes, Beltran is a good comp for Sizemore.