Fantasy Baseball Cafe Forums

by **DbacksRback** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 1:19 am

It could happen I think it would be odd if a leadoff hitter (sizemore) led the league in hr's 8-o

by **Neato Torpedo** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 1:54 am

I think the two most important factors in determining an MVP are if he plays on a good team and how "clutch" the guy is. Now ask yourselves...are Utley, Kinsler, and Hamilton as clutch as Derek Jeter? Is ANYONE as clutch as Derek Jeter? Jeter for MVP! He's clutch!

...

;-7

by **J35J** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 10:23 am

I'll take ARod for AL MVP....especially if the team really turns it around in the second half.

by **acsguitar** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 11:05 am

Hamilton is AL MVP. Kinsler = meh

by **Tavish** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 1:37 pm

thatguy27 wrote:Have both MVPs ever been second basemen before?

I know of one time when Collins and Evers won it in the mid 1910's. It might have happened during Morgan's seasons, Carew won one right around the same time.

*Edit* nevermind, went ahead and looked it up. Carew won his the year after Morgan. Collins and Evers look to be the only 2B duo.

by **curious_george_43545** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 2:14 pm

Hamilton will probably win over Kinsler if they continue at the same pace, because he gets a lot more pub than Kinsler and hes got the sexy RBI and HR stats. I'd take Kinsler personally, but they are both pretty deserving at this point and make each other look better.

by **Grounded Polo** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 6:27 pm

DSheppard wrote:They are two sides of the same coin, just at different lineup spots. Kinsler is a leadoff hitter with a .397 obp, a lot of extra base hits and 23 steals. This has a huge impact on how many rbis hamilton has. On the flipside, kinsler in his own right is on pace for a ridiculous 144 runs, with the same credit due to hamilton/bradley. They are both good in each category on their own, but have helped eachother into the next level.

And kinsler is on pace for 99 rbis, not exactly poor for a leadoff hitter.
He also leads hamilton in .ops, .945 to .919.

Kinsler leads the american league in batting average, hits, runs, total bases and extra base hits. He is top 7 in slugging, on base percentage and steals.

Hamilton has been awesome, but RBIs are his only one truly standout MVP type number and its the stat most dependant on your lineup.

A case can certainly be made for hamilton and I think he will be better post ASB than he was before it (aside from rbis), but you cant dismiss kinsler because a leadoff hitter cant stack up to a middle of the order hitter in rbis.

That's all well and good, but Hamilton being on pace to drive in 160 RBIs, a feat that has been accomplished twice in the past 70 years, combined with 35+ HRs and 100+ runs with a .300+ batting average, is just flat out more impressive to me.

I think the AL MVP could come out of Texas this year. None of the division leading AL teams have a guy blowing away the field statistically and something as extraordinary as Hamilton driving in 160 RBIs, even if his team is only .500, makes him the most deserving. That's really what it takes for a guy on a bad team to win the MVP to me - no single player statistically dominating a division leading team and a guy on a different team doing something historic.

The NL MVP race is more interesting but Utley's my pick there also.