2016 MLB awards thread

The A.L. MVP race is an outstanding one right now. My guess is that it's going to get 1. Betts; 2. Trout, but it could just as easily go the other way.

 

I wouldn't know what to do with him. You vote for three, right? I'd probably leave off the two Cubs guys, because of innings. So you've got to pick three from: Scherzer, Bumgarner, Roark, Cueto, Fernandez, Kershaw.

So probably ... 1. Scherzer; 2. Bumgarner; 3. Fernandez?

 

Is a 20-inning difference that big of a deal when they're so far ahead in ERA? They'll end up in the 180-200 IP range.

And Bumgarner is nowhere close to the second-best pitcher in the NL this year. He is arguably second to Cueto on the Giants.

 

Vote for five. And LTL is right, of anyone on the Giants, it's Cueto who would be getting the vote.

 

Lester has the same issue as Hendricks, innings pitched. As you mentioned on the RIP thread, Fernandez should be in the discussion as well/

 

Trout's numbers this year are very good as always, but I don't think they're transcendent. He might barely get to 30 HR and 100 RBI. And he plays for a shit organization. What Betts is doing follows the MVP textbook to a T.

 

Yep, Trouts fault his organizations the shits. I bet if they switched teams Betts would have the Angels in contention.

 

Team success is a factor in the MVP voting whether you like it or not, JC.

 

Shouldn't be, it's an individual award.

 

When you introduce the word "valuable," you automatically involve the team.

 

And that is how the voting has been handled in the past. Precedent matters. Whining about it not being fair doesn't change the fact that playing for a winning team improves Betts' candidacy.

 

Andre Dawson, Alex Rodriguez ...