Quote:
Originally Posted by Hoiles
Yeah in that case I would likely vote for Trout (or maybe Cano, not sure) I probably wouldn't vote for Cabrera. But that didn't happen.
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You must have been puzzled by Hamilton winning MVP in 2010 when he played in 5 games after Aug 31. If playing well in September counts or adds weight to MVP consideration as some have suggested, then not playing should be sufficient to eliminate a player. Doing it any other way penalizes players who play every day.
Does the
body of work trump getting hot or being very good in September? I think it must.
If one believes the opposite then players with average overall stats should be considered for MVP
if they finish hot and are on a playoff team. I think making the playoffs is bogus because the current divisional set up does not give each team an equal chance.
The case against Trout seems to be based on ignoring his first 3 months, penalizing him for not playing in the first month (lower counting stats) and being in a tougher division with 2 other playoff capable teams.
As to player value the Angels had a 49-32 record in Trout's first 81 games Miggy led Detroit to a 39-42 record. In each players last 81 games (I'm aware that there is overlap for Trout due to less games played) the records were 44-37 Angels and 48-33 Tigers. Not much added value considering the difference in quality of opposition faced by each team.
In the last 81 games played the Tigers divisional opponents were
57 games under .500. The Angels divisional opponents were
34 games over .500. If you look at the entire AL removing mutual opponents (records cancel out) but keeping divisional opponents the Tigers played opponents that were -34 and the Angels played opponents that were +27. I'm hard pressed to see any significant value added by Cabrera in the last 81 games. In crunch time from Sep 1 through the end of the season LA had a 19-11 record and Detroit was 18-13.
In summary; Trout has a higher value individual season playing less games and has a better team record than Cabrera in crunch time against better opposition in a tougher division and a three way playoff fight down the stretch. The closer I look the more of a slam dunk it is for Trout..