PROTECT YOUR VALUABLES’
Hardball names MLB’s best, worst of season
IKNOW THAT I know nothing. That is the Socratic paradox. It also is the humility that should be used when contemplating major league awards.
For those who have clarity about how to judge these, I offer either congratulations or sadness. Because every year I am armed with more information — particularly statistical — and every year I have less peace about who deserves these honors.
Each year we have a debate about the meaning of “valuable,” and I probably can make a case there was no one more “valuable” to his team this year than Cleveland’s versatile Jose Ramirez, and he might not even make most ballots. There certainly is a group that just says vote for the players who had the best statistical seasons in order.
Got it. That would mean putting the Braves’ Freddie Freeman and the Reds’ Joey Votto someplace on your ballot. And those two first basemen had their worst months in April/May when their underdog teams played to their lowly expectations and essentially were eliminated. Then for four months both have been great. It is the equivalent of scoring 30 points in the second half with your team down 30. Should that be rewarded?
If not, then, do we also have to — if not disqualify — remove points for more consistently excellent players such as Mike Trout and Nolan Arenado for performing brilliantly in seasonlong non-contention?
And if you decide to base it on statistics, which stats? I like the attempt with Wins Above Replacement (WAR) to have an all-inclusive stat for hitting, fielding and baserunning, but the computation is different at Fangraphs, Baseball Prospectus and Baseball Reference. Which should I use, if I even deem that the MVS (Most Valuable Stat)?
Do I recognize the Orioles are nowhere near contention without essentially perfection from Zach Britton, and does that give him enough collateral with one-third of the innings of a Cy Young starter candidate? Is an historic two months (Gary Sanchez) better than five excellent ones (Michael Fulmer) in determining a Rookie of the Year? Is it possible Craig Counsell had to do better as a manager to get the Brewers to more than 70 wins than Joe Maddon did to get the Cubs over 100?
I know I know nothing, except I am asked to give my best on the majors awards, so here we go:
AL MVP
Mike Trout, Angels
I really think this award should lean toward a player on a contending team. I do believe in the “valuable” portion of MVP. But Trout is just better than everyone else and, unfortunately for him, plays on a team not deserving of his talent. He was third in the AL in OPS in the first half (minimum 250 plate appearances) and third in the second half. The only other two players who are even in the top 10 of both are David Ortiz and Nelson Cruz, primary DHs.
So, Trout hits like a highend DH, runs like Mookie Betts, draws walks like Josh Donaldson, plays the middle of the diamond better than Jose Altuve. It just feels unfair to penalize him for the one thing he can’t do — make a lousy team around him a contender. But he never let that lousy team bring him down. 2. Betts, Red Sox. 3. Altuve, Astros. 4. Manny Machado, Orioles. 5. Donaldson, Blue Jays.
AL ANTI-MVP
Jacoby Ellsbury, Yankees
Look, it would be easier to pick an Alex Rodriguez/Mark Teixeira tandem, since they went from carrying the offense last year to burdening it in 2016. But they were baseball geezers at the end.
Ellsbury is not the worst player in the AL or even on the Yankees. But is there anyone more invisible for the money (well, maybe Joe Mauer)? Brought to New York to be a catalyst, Ellsbury on Thursday registered his second steal since June 19. How is that possible? Did anyone notice a lot of veterans who might have been in play for this award vanished never to return: A-Rod, Prince Fielder, Omar Infante, Desmond Jennings and Jimmy Rollins?
2. Mauer, Twins. 3. Colby Rasmus, Astros. 4. Alex Gordon, Royals. 5. Ketel Marte, Mariners.
NL MVP
Kris Bryant, Cubs
The best player on the best team whose versatility symbolized and galvanized all the Cubs did.
2. Corey Seager, Dodgers. 3. Daniel Murphy, Nationals. 4. Arenado, Rockies. 5. Anthony Rizzo, Cubs.
NL ANTI-MVP
Andrew McCutchen, Pirates
After four straight MVP topfive finishes, McCutchen fell by a few grades on offense and even more on defense in center — to the point Pittsburgh is considering flip-flopping him and left fielder Starling Marte next year.
2. Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals. 3. Jason Heyward, Cubs. 4. Travis d’Arnaud, Mets. 5. Gerardo Parra, Rockies.
AL CY YOUNG
Zach Britton, Orioles
Like giving Trout the MVP from a team that never contended, here I am going against my long-standing belief that anything close should go to a starter for this award. I know the argument against a reliever, namely that Britton is a failed starter and any excellent starter, such as Chris Sale, would be brilliant as a reliever, too. And that is before we get into the discrepancy in innings.
I just think the best pitcher in the AL this year is Britton. That he was far better at his pitching job than anyone else. He went into the final weekend 47-for-47 in saves, having given up four earned runs all year.
Four! In a year when homers came back in full force, Britton had yielded one in 247 batters faced. One! He leads the majors in Win Probability Added, which essentially means no pitcher has performed better in big spots than him. And no one is a close second. 2. Rick Porcello, Red Sox. 3. Corey Kluber, Indians. 4. Sale, White Sox. 5. Justin Verlander, Tigers.
AL ANTI-CY YOUNG
Dallas Keuchel, Astros
You actually could have your pick of Orioles here since in Yovani Gallardo, Ubaldo Jimenez, Wade Miley (who also played with Seattle) and Tyler Wilson they had four of the nine worst AL ERAs (minimum 90 innings) — by the way, that further underscores how great Britton has needed to be on the back end. But the winner (loser?) here is Keuchel, who won the AL Cy last year. If he were 80 percent of that, Houston probably makes the playoffs again.
2. Anibal Sanchez, Tigers. 3. James Shields, White Sox. 4. Sonny Gray, A’s. 5. Joakim Soria, Royals.
NL CY YOUNG
Max Scherzer, Nationals
So here comes an inconsistency alert: Clayton Kershaw had twice as many innings as Britton and was a genius when he pitched, so shouldn’t he win the NL Cy? My answer: Maybe.
But I think that Scherzer led the NL in innings while being brilliant should count in a tight race — Scherzer pitched nearly as many innings just on the road as Kershaw pitched in total. Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks were terrific, too, but clearly were aided by having an historically good defense behind them. And what to do about Jose Fernandez, who should be in any top-five discussion along with Noah Syndergaard, Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto?
2. Kershaw, Dodgers. 3. Jon Lester. 4. Hendricks. 5. Fernandez, Marlins.
NL ANTI-CY YOUNG
Shelby Miller, Diamondbacks
It was a tough call between Miller and San Francisco closer Santiago Casilla, whose five second-half blown saves, including three in September, contributed significantly to the Giants’ post-All-Star malaise. But Miller (3-12, 6.15) is the symbol of a front office that went too far last offseason and might all pay with multiple firings. Miller cost Dansby Swanson, Ender Inciarte and Aaron Blair — the return you would get for an ace — and pitched his way to the minors at one point. 2. Casilla. 3. Andrew Cashner, Padres/Marlins. 4. Matt Cain, Giants. 5. Wei-Yin Chen, Marlins.
AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Michael Fulmer, Tigers
Fulmer would be more vulnerable to Gary Sanchez if he just had a good year, but this guy was in play for the ERA title and Cy Young votes. With that said, wow, has Sanchez been a phenom. 2. Sanchez, Yankees. 3. Edwin Diaz, Mariners. 4. Max Kepler, Twins. 5. Tyler Naquin, Indians.
NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Corey Seager, Dodgers If like Seager you are in play for the MVP, you probably have the Rookie award locked up. Still, it was a terrific year for NL rookies. 2. Trea Turner, Nationals. 3. Trevor Story, Rockies. 4. Aledmys Diaz, Cardinals. 5. Kenta Maeda, Dodgers.
AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Terry Francona, Indians Cleveland was pretty much minus its best player (Michael Brantley) all season and had its rotation rocked by injury down the stretch, yet won the AL Central pretty handily. 2. Jeff Banister, Rangers. 3.Buck Showalter, Orioles. 4. Scott Servais, Mariners. 5. John Farrell, Red Sox.
NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Dave Roberts, Dodgers
As the season transpired, the Dodgers became toughminded and team-oriented, taking control of the NL West with their best player, Kershaw, on the disabled list for more than two months. The rookie manager found a way to keep what had been seen as a soft, unfocused group feisty and united.
2. Dusty Baker, Nationals. 3. Maddon. 4. Terry Collins, Mets. 5. Don Mattingly, Marlins.