AL MVP

[andyfox]

My guess is Vlad Guerrero gets it now with Manny second, Sheffield 3rd and then Ortiz.

Here's how I'd probably vote:

Guerrero
Ramirez
Santana
Ichiro
Ortiz
Sheffield
Tejada
Mora
Schilling
Matsui

[ThaSaltCracka]

my order based upon value for their team

Santana
Guerrero
Ichiro

If Anaheim takes the west, Guerrero wins hands down. I think in some ways Manny and Ortiz cancel themselves out, but I would have to say Schilling may be the MVP on that team. Sheffield is having a good season, but that team is to stacked for someone from it to win, IMO.

[jagoff]

If the Yanks ran away with the division then Sheffield would be the MVP. With that crap aside, I think if the Angels hold on Guerrero is the MVP. Even though Santana had one hell of a season but that division isn't exactly tough to win!

[andyfox]

The Yankees haven't had an MVP since Mattingly. The only one who might possibly have deserved it was Jeter in 1999. (James's Win Shares method shows him as the best player in the league; I really thought Garciparra was going to win it that year.)

Sheffield has probably been the Yankees' MVP, and he's played hurt, but his numbers don't quite get up to MVP status, IMO. Actually, Jeter has been their best player since his bad start, but his numbers don't match up to his best years' stats due to the horrendous April and May.

I'll be interested to see where Ichiro finishes. He's probably going to have 260 hits which is simply amazing.

[Boris]

Hey what's your problem with my man Tejada? Geurrero is having the year everyone expected and maybe a little less.

Ramirez is surrounded by good hitters.

The Twins win that dam division every dam year even when Santana is only a good pitcher.

Ichiro is a singles hitter and plays right field for cryin out loud.

Ortiz can't even play play defense.

Tejada has has 143 RBIs, 32 hr and plays great defense at a key position. Not to mention the fact that he didn't sit on his ass after signing a fat long term contract. Move him up a few spots on the list please.

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
Sheffield has probably been the Yankees' MVP,

[/ QUOTE ] I think a case can be made for Rivera being their MVP, but regardless, Sheff most certainly is not the league MVP.

[ThaSaltCracka]

On baseball prospectus, Three AL players have higher VORP than Tejada. They are in order: Guerrero, Ichiro, and Melvin Mora. Guerrero is well ahead of Ichiro; Guerrero is the MVP, no question. Tejada has been very very good though, no one can deny that.

[Boris]

what's VORP?

[Boris]

.

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
what's VORP?

[/ QUOTE ] Haha, good question, Sam H schooled me on it. It stands for Value Over Replacement Player. It basically shows how many more runs a team scores with a certain player playing as opposed to an everyday scrub replacement player. Bonds is waaaaaaay ahead with 143 VORP.

Parouse around on http://www.baseballprospectus.com/, it has some interesting stuff. Coincidently, you can see a lot of this stuff on espn.com as well, just look at the expanded and sabermatic stats.

enjoy, and say goodbye to some of your free time! /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[andyfox]

The voters seem to like high RBI totals, so he may finish higher than I picked him. His OPS is below everybody's I placed above him, and his team has been out of contention from the get-go.