2025 MLB running thread

[Chet Lemon]

Omg 3 splits. That changes everything.

Doesn’t it, though? Judge had him by 80-plus points in each category.

 

[Chet Lemon]

Is an outfielder who drops fly balls in the World Series when it’s 5-0 in the 5th fungible?

Who was the last Gold Glove catcher you remember who hit 60 homers while squatting 159 games to help lead and grow a young pitching staff of a playoff team?

This is all in fun, Chetty, and you are playing lawyer ball with this argument.

Fungible lol. Counsel can take a seat.

He didn’t catch 159 games, though.

 

[Chet Lemon]

I’m not saying that there’s not a case for Raleigh or even that he didn’t necessarily deserve the award. I just think there’s also a strong case for Judge.

 

[Songbird]

And Judge didn’t even play 100 games in the field.

 

[Della9250]

to also point out -- it's not like it was a landside. If two Judge voters flipped their votes they would have shared it. Raleigh didn't lose 27-3

 

[Chet Lemon]

to also point out -- it's not like it was a landside. If two Judge voters flipped their votes they would have shared it. Raleigh didn't lose 27-3

The Raleigh people seem to think it was some miscarriage of justice that Judge received any first votes at all.

 

[Songbird]

He didn’t catch 159 games, though.

This isn’t as big of a thing though.

A (cough) Giants rookie and Realmuto led baseball in caught games and only 11 more.

 

[outofplace]

He didn’t catch 159 games, though.

No. He caught in 121 games, 119 starts. Judge played in only 95 games in the outfield.

 

[Chet Lemon]

No. He caught in 121 games, 119 starts. Judge played in only 95 games in the outfield.

What was incorrect about my post?

 

[outofplace]

What was incorrect about my post?

Nothing. I was simply adding relevant information. Even though he is a catcher, Raleigh played 26 more games in the field than Judge. That was actually a drop in playing time for Raleigh, who caught 135 games in 2024.

 

[Chet Lemon]

At least we had a decent MVP race for once. Seems like most recent votes have been pretty obvious - often involving Ohtani.

 

[Spartan Squad]

This isn’t as big of a thing though.

A (cough) Giants rookie and Realmuto led baseball in caught games and only 11 more.

View attachment 21278

Bailey isn’t rookie…

 

[outofplace]

This isn’t as big of a thing though.

A (cough) Giants rookie and Realmuto led baseball in caught games and only 11 more.

View attachment 21278

As someone else pointed out, Bailey isn't a rookie. The guy won the Gold Glove in the National League in 2024 (and this season). He was a rookie in 2023.

The other thing that jumped out at me here is William Contreras catching 128 games. He played pretty much the entire season with a fractured middle finger on his left hand. It was enough that he needed a minor surgical procedure right after the season. How the hell did he catch that many games with that injury? Ouch.

 

[Songbird]

Bailey isn’t rookie…

You're right. I thought I read that he was. My mistake.

 

[Songbird]

I get it. Judge is a great guy who had another phenomenal MVP-numbers season.

In a season when Cal Raleigh did historic things while playing the most demanding position for a historically crap organization that came within a game of the World Series.

I wonder how MVP tallies would be different if playoffs were included in the vote.

There are 2 other "splits" like stuff I want to look at and then I'll be done with this.

 

[Songbird]

Head to Head is a wash by and large.

Yanks won 5 of 6 and scored 25 of those runs in a 3-game sweep at Yankee Stadium in July.

2 of the games in May were 2-1 (Mariners) and 3-2 (Yanks).

Judge went 8 for 23 (.347) with 2 homers and 6 RBIs in those 6 games. He DH'd in 2 of them.

Raleigh went 5 for 23 (.217) with 2 homers and 3 RBIs in those 6 games. He caught all 6 of them.

The other split may or may not mean anything either.

How many of his big boy stats did Judge get while DH'ing 56 games?

Same with Raleigh while he DH'd in 38 games.

Not in the mood to look up those numbers.

 

[Chet Lemon]

Judge had a 1.184 OPS as a RF and 1.082 as a DH.

Raleigh has a .996 as a catcher and .788 as a DH.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

I would have probably voted for Judge, because his average and OBP dwarfed Raleigh’s. I understand the catcher argument. I also think it’s really difficult to value catchers. Are they largely fungible, defensively? I don’t know! Are they largely fungible, so far as handling a pitching staff? I don’t know! In other words, I acknowledge that it is possible that Raleigh was more valuable than Judge. But I don’t have any objective evidence that can lead me to that conclusion.

Just llike quarterbacks used to be called field generals, catchers are field top sargeants. It's the most important position out there in any number of ways.

 

[Chet Lemon]

Just llike quarterbacks used to be called field generals, catchers are field top sargeants. It's the most important position out there in any number of ways.

I don’t disagree with you. I just don’t know how to value one as compared to another as compared to another as compared to a right fielder.

 

[Songbird]

I don’t disagree with you. I just don’t know how to value one as compared to another as compared to another as compared to a right fielder.

Yes you do, especially You.