109 replies to this topic

[fishteacher]

DIdn't see this discussed yet, but can we put Cruz in the AL MVP discussion?  If we didn't have him, we'd be screwed. 

 

.286 avg, 15 HRs, 43 RBIs......tied for lead league in homers, tops in RBIs....dude's been on an absolute TEAR!  I hope it continues and nothing "funny" is going on.

[SportsGuy]

Trout and Donaldson are ahead of Cruz.

[fishteacher]

Would Oakland or Anaheim be in much worse shape without those two though? The Orioles would be screwed without Cruz right now.

[FFH]

If you're going to put Cruz in the discussion, you have to put Abreu as well.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Trout and Donaldson are ahead of Cruz.

Cause they have higher WAR right? Or is that just a coincidence?

[Russ]

Cruz is having a better year at the plate than both Donaldson and Cruz.  It depends on how much you value defense. Cruz, even though he has turned a couple fly balls into adventures, hasn't been bad.

[Oriole85]

Jayson Stark has Josh Donaldson as first quarter MVP (ESPN)

 

AL MVP of the first quarter: Josh Donaldson, Athletics

My fingers started shaking as soon as I began typing in a name other than Mike Trout or Miguel Cabrera, because face it, those were the only two names that were even allowed in any MVP conversation over the past two years, by edict of the Supreme Court. But the best player in the AL so far hasn't been either of those two luminaries. It's actually been the insanely underrated Donaldson, who has followed last year's bust-out season with another tremendous quarter-season for the team with the best run differential (plus-98) in baseball. If you want to argue that Jose Bautista, Victor Martinez or even Jose Abreu have had more impact with the bat alone, you're probably right. But Donaldson is a fill-up-the-stat-sheet offensive player who's on pace for 137 runs scored, 36 homers, 76 extra-base hits, 126 RBIs, 176 hits and 263 times on base. And by any defensive metric you choose, he's been the best defensive third baseman in the AL over the past two years. So he's "the man" -- at least until Trout and Cabrera stage a bloodless coup to recapture their heretofore mandatory place on this mountaintop.

[SportsGuy]

Cause they have higher WAR right? Or is that just a coincidence?

Higher WAR...more complete players...better teams. Better seasons.

Defense and baserunning is part of the game...I know that's shocking but really, it's true.

[SportsGuy]

Joey Bats is also ahead of Cruz.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Anyone who has actually been caught/suspended for PED's, should not be eligible for the MVP. I know that will likely be an unpopular opinion, but I'm okay with that.

[SportsGuy]

Speaking of WAR...Tulo is already at 4. That's crazy.

When healthy, he is a top 5 player.

[Oriole85]

Anyone who has actually been caught/suspended for PED's, should not be eligible for the MVP. I know that will likely be an unpopular opinion, but I'm okay with that.

Once you do time for the crime, I don't think you should face further penalties. If that's the case with no awards, why not just have "zero tolerance" and ban them all?

[Pedro Cerrano]

Higher WAR...more complete players...better teams. Better seasons.
Defense and baserunning is part of the game...I know that's shocking but really, it's true.

Doesn't shock me, sheep.

[SportsGuy]

Doesn't shock me, sheep.

I know intelligence scares you.

[mweb08]

So going with intelligent progressive thinking is being a sheep, but going with the traditional viewpoint that is still the majority approach is what?

[Pedro Cerrano]

I know intelligence scares you.

You'd do very well in arguments with 5 year olds.

[Pedro Cerrano]

So going with intelligent progressive thinking is being a sheep, but going with the traditional viewpoint that is still the majority approach is what?

Accepting random, complicated stats as gospel and never questioning them is the definition of being a sheep.

[SBTarheel]

Speaking of WAR...Tulo is already at 4. That's crazy.

When healthy, he is a top 5 player.

He might be #1.

 

Might

[SportsGuy]

Accepting random, complicated stats as gospel and never questioning them is the definition of being a sheep.

As opposed to sucking up to simple stats that tell you very little.

We get it...you aren't willing to expand your mind and get past things 4 year olds comprehend.

But those of who are more advanced than that, aren't going to be so naive.

And people have questioned many of these stats(namely the defensive ones)...but don't let that fact get in the way of your own stupidity.

[DJ MC]

Doesn't shock me, sheep.

 

There's nothing else anyone can say to this, so I guess you win the debate. Congratulations. I hope you feel proud.