MLB 2018 Season

[GGGG]

Good call.  Wouldn't want to talk about something before it happens on a sports message board.

Uh OK.  Wasn't suggesting that we stop talking about it.  Just reaffirming that there is a lot of the season left.

[wadesworld]

Mike Trout has won 2 MVPs, finished 2nd in the MVP three times, and finished 4th in his only other full season in the MLB.  The Angels have been below .500 in 3 of those 6 seasons and only made the Playoffs once.  Unlike the NBA, you don't have to play for a contender to win the MVP in the MLB.

[drewm88]

Mike Trout has won 2 MVPs, finished 2nd in the MVP three times, and finished 4th in his only other full season in the MLB.  The Angels have been below .500 in 3 of those 6 seasons and only made the Playoffs once.  Unlike the NBA, you don't have to play for a contender to win the MVP in the MLB.

Angels had the best record in baseball 1 of the 2 years he won. I agree that team record isn't nearly as important for MLB MVP as it is for NBA, but it still plays a role. I'd be surprised to see Carpenter win if the Cardinals don't make a run.

[#UnleashSean]

Mike Trout has won 2 MVPs, finished 2nd in the MVP three times, and finished 4th in his only other full season in the MLB.  The Angels have been below .500 in 3 of those 6 seasons and only made the Playoffs once.  Unlike the NBA, you don't have to play for a contender to win the MVP in the MLB.

I would say baseball needs more of a strong team than just an individual player. Whereas in basketball a single player such as lebron can make all the difference.

[CTWarrior]

I would say baseball needs more of a strong team than just an individual player. Whereas in basketball a single player such as lebron can make all the difference.

Yup.  In basketball, if you have the best player in the league you are going to make the playoffs.  Not the same in baseball at all.  One guy does not have the same impact on a team in baseball as he does in basketball.

[TallTitan34]

Mike Trout has won 2 MVPs, finished 2nd in the MVP three times, and finished 4th in his only other full season in the MLB.  The Angels have been below .500 in 3 of those 6 seasons and only made the Playoffs once.  Unlike the NBA, you don't have to play for a contender to win the MVP in the MLB.

The fact Mike Trout hasn't won every year is proof being on a winning team matters.

[MUBurrow]

Angels had the best record in baseball 1 of the 2 years he won. I agree that team record isn't nearly as important for MLB MVP as it is for NBA, but it still plays a role. I'd be surprised to see Carpenter win if the Cardinals don't make a run.

I also think there's a bit of skepticism around who is and who is not "one of the best players in baseball" type of argument.  Voters don't want to choose a guy they feel like they'll look back on in 10 years and say "what happened there?" Almost like how you can't get an acting gig unless you're in the guild, but can't get in the guild unless you've had an acting gig.  Arenado, Goldschmidt, Freeman, increasingly Baez are all "one of the best players in the game" type guys, as unscientific as that is. I'm not sure Carpenter is seen as one of those guys (even though he's been an even better overall player than his basic stats over the years suggest).

[TallTitan34]

I've never liked the practice of giving it to a guy because his team did better.  I wish they would simply base it on who they believe is the best baseball player in their respective league.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Pedro Strop the last 5 years:

2014 (61.0 IP): 2.21 ERA, 2.66 FIP
2015 (68.0 IP): 2.91 ERA, 3.16 FIP
2016 (47.1 IP): 2.85 ERA, 2.91 FIP
2017 (60.1 IP): 2.83 ERA, 3.31 FIP
2018 (46.0 IP): 2.74 ERA, 3.18 FIP

Great to see he's finally getting some of the recognition he deserves.  Considering the volatility of bullpens and relievers his consistency has been incredibly impressive. 

[mu03eng]

I've never liked the practice of giving it to a guy because his team did better.  I wish they would simply base it on who they believe is the best baseball player in their respective league.

It's most valuable, not best player. I know I'm being overly semantical but I think the term value is important....if he's the best player in the world but is a real knob and his teammates hate him and as a consequence the team doesn't play as well, that matters to me. MVP is not just the most talent(it's the number 1 factor to be sure) but results and fit matter in the discussion to me.

[TallTitan34]

if he's the best player in the world but is a real knob and his teammates hate him and as a consequence the team doesn't play as well, that matters to me.

Haha Sammy Sosa's teammates hated him in 1998 and he won it.

[mu03eng]

Haha Sammy Sosa's teammates hated him in 1998 and he won it.

Yeah, but Alou and Biggio split votes(neither was as big as Sosa - literally and figuratively) and McGuire was on a bad team. All of that trumps chemistry at that point.

[CTWarrior]

The fact Mike Trout hasn't won every year is proof being on a winning team matters.

I don't know about that.  In 2011 he only played 40 games and was nothing special.

In 2012 he didn't come up until May and Miguel Cabrera was the first triple crown winner in 45 years.  Cabrera is going to win that one more often than not regardless of team performance.

In 2013 Cabrera outhit him .348 to .323, outhomered him 44 to 27, out RBIed him 137 to 97.  Cabrera also had a higher OBP and a higher slugging pct and thus a higher OPS.  You have to give a ton of credit to Trout's defense to overcome that.  Again, I think the voters were likely to go with Cabrera regardless.

He won in 2014.

I think 2015 may be the year he lost due to team success.  He and Donaldson had traditional numbers that were very close.  Tied in homers and almost identical in Avg (.299 to .297 in favor of Trout), Donaldson 30 more RBIs and 18 more runs scored.  Trout ahead in OBP and SLG.  Could have gone either way and team success probably the difference, plus Donaldson's major advantages(runs and RBIs) were likely a product of having better teammates.  This is the one that got away, IMO.

Trout won in 2016.  Mookie Betts played for a first place team, had higher numbers in all three triple crown categories and every bit as good a fielder and base runner, probably better.  But Trout won easily (and deservedly, due to much, much higher OBP).  Ten years ago Betts would have won that MVP.

Trout missed almost 50 games in 2017 and really didn't have an argument for MVP compared to Altuve or Judge.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Yeah, but Alou and Biggio split votes(neither was as big as Sosa - literally and figuratively) and McGuire was on a bad team. All of that trumps chemistry at that point.

I think in Sammy's case, chemistry had everything to do with it.

[TallTitan34]

I think in Sammy's case, chemistry had everything to do with it.

I see what you did there.

[TallTitan34]

David Bote is now the hardest hitting batter in all of baseball.

See attachment.

[Lennys Tap]

David Bote is now the hardest hitting batter in all of baseball.

See attachment.

Bote = Lou Gehrig, Bryant = Wally Pip.

[MUBBau]

David Bote is now the hardest hitting batter in all of baseball.

Clearly a juicer...

[buckchuckler]

David Bote is now the hardest hitting batter in all of baseball.

See attachment.

And Matt Davidson has the most scoreless appearances and home runs since the Bambino.  Probably.   Maybe.  Who really cares.

[CreightonWarrior]

Time to get Knebel out of the closer spot. He’s been bad.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Time to get Knebel out of the closer spot. He’s been bad.

That's an understatement.  How do you walk the 7/8/9 spot of the worst team in the NL in a save situation?

[Lennys Tap]

That's an understatement.  How do you walk the 7/8/9 spot of the worst team in the NL in a save situation?

When home plate starts moving around on a pitcher it doesn't matter who's batting.

Tough loss for the Crew.

[jsglow]

That was on Couns.  Shoulda pulled him after the second walk.  You can't lose a series to SD in mid August like that.  And you simply can't sit there and watch it happen.

[buckchuckler]

Aaaaaaannnnd the Orioles are mathematically eliminated from the AL East race.

[#UnleashSean]

Im enjoying the brewers bullpen.