2012 MVPs?

[RyanM]

I'm sorry you hate the "talent around them" argument Ryan but the talent around guys helps set up pitches for better hitting and a good hitter can set up a runner to assist him in stealing a base as it can also shift the defense into a position that's unwanted. Miggy forced guys to press when getting guys out in front of him so he couldn't get too many RBIs and that set up bad pitches sometimes.

I don't believe that's a valid argument & they've done analytic research that dispels that notion as well. MLB pitchers are competitive & they don't try to "pitch" around guys - doesn't matter who it is. And the reason he has RBIs is because the Tiger hitters were constantly on base for him.

[Onyxgem]

I'm sorry you hate the "talent around them" argument Ryan but the talent around guys helps set up pitches for better hitting and a good hitter can set up a runner to assist him in stealing a base as it can also shift the defense into a position that's unwanted. Miggy forced guys to press when getting guys out in front of him so he couldn't get too many RBIs and that set up bad pitches sometimes.

I don't believe that's a valid argument & they've done analytic research that dispels that notion as well. MLB pitchers are competitive & they don't try to "pitch" around guys - doesn't matter who it is. And the reason he has RBIs is because the Tiger hitters were constantly on base for him.

Actually the DO try to pitch around guys it happens all the time.

[RyanM]

They try to hit different spots - they do NOT just fail to give a hitter any strikes to hit at all. Guys like Cabrera & Trout just have less holes and the ability to hit more pitches.

If "protection" really mattered then Pujols would not have the hitting stats he's had year-in & year-out. Cabrera has put up those hitting stats every year. Trout will as well. They do it because they are fantastic hitters - not because they do or do not have other really good hitters in their lineup.

[Strategist]

I am a little biased towards the Tigers but Cabrera accomplished a batting feat that has not been done in the previous 45 years. If he leads the league in home runs, he is in the MVP race. If he leads the league in AVG, he is in the race. To lead both categories, plus RBI's makes him the favorite. Trout is definately a good story but I think some of the voters may want him to prove himself again before giving him the award.

Larry
Minnesota AFFL

I highlighted the problem with your arguement. The MVP is not a batting award. Cabrera was great but so was trout. Defensively and on the bases trout is great, Cabera is below average. You guys keep bringing up that the tigers made the playoffs and that the Angels finished 3rd in their division BUT the Angels had a better record with a harder schedule. So to me the whole playoffs arguement is reaching for something for a reason to validate Cabrera. Cabrera had an amazing season but he wasn't the most valueble to his team.


The Angles started 6-14 before they called up Trout and 8-17 without him in the lineup and 80-56 good for a .588 winning percentage with him in the lineup. The Tigers only had a .543 winning percentage with him in the lineup. So to me it is hands down that Trout is the MVP.

[Onyxgem]

I am a little biased towards the Tigers but Cabrera accomplished a batting feat that has not been done in the previous 45 years. If he leads the league in home runs, he is in the MVP race. If he leads the league in AVG, he is in the race. To lead both categories, plus RBI's makes him the favorite. Trout is definately a good story but I think some of the voters may want him to prove himself again before giving him the award.

Larry
Minnesota AFFL

I highlighted the problem with your arguement. The MVP is not a batting award. Cabrera was great but so was trout. Defensively and on the bases trout is great, Cabera is below average. You guys keep bringing up that the tigers made the playoffs and that the Angels finished 3rd in their division BUT the Angels had a better record with a harder schedule. So to me the whole playoffs arguement is reaching for something for a reason to validate Cabrera. Cabrera had an amazing season but he wasn't the most valueble to his team.


The Angles started 6-14 before they called up Trout and 8-17 without him in the lineup and 80-56 good for a .588 winning percentage with him in the lineup. The Tigers only had a .543 winning percentage with him in the lineup. So to me it is hands down that Trout is the MVP.

Disagree again how important can you be if your team doesn't make playoffs, especially when you have shit ton more talent on the team and get beat out by teams with less talent for the WC. Cabrera is hands down MVP.

[Strategist]

I just explained how the playoff arguement is seriously flawed. Trout's team had a better record and if he would have played the entire season they probably would have made the playoffs.

The Tigers have the 2nd highest payroll in baseball. They have a lot of talent too. They were supposed to run away with that division. The Angels weren't even picked by most people to win their division.

[DavidK]

its definatly Cabrera hands down even though his team had a lesser amount of wins, he pretty much carried the entire team the last two months of the season. even though trouts WAR was the highest of any player in years, you still have to give it to miggy just because of how valuable he was to his team, he is single handedly put them in the playoffs.

[Strategist]

Prince Fielder .313/.412/.528 30 HR and 105 RBI

That is pretty good protection right behind Cabrera. He didnt do it all by himself. To get 145 RBIs someone has to be getting on base in front of you.

[DavidK]

just in my personal experience, i play baseball in college currently, i would take Cabrera on my team any day over trout, even though i would be very happy with either. you always hear managers saying they couldn't come up with a clutch hit to get a runner from second in, it seems to me that Cabrera is the best in the league at doing that.

[tino38]

The bad defense argument is out the door here. Keep seeing everyone say Miggy played sub par defense, when actually he had a fielding % of .966 which is good enough for 6th best 3rd baseman in the MLB. The Angels also DID have expectations of taking the division to Strategist. You don't spend that kind of money and not expect to be a division winner. They had a Cy young winner and then 2 great pitchers. It created perhaps the best 1-2-3 in the rotation of the whole MLB.

For the first half of the season Oakland was not very good at all. Angels were favored for a playoff spot. Trout had Trumbo who had an amazing season as well as Pujols. In all honesty Miggy had Prince and then Austin Jackson as the main 3 in that line up. Miggy went off as one of the greatest hitting performances in the history of the game and if you want to say "if trout had started right away..." It means nothing. He didn't start right away, no changing that. No way possible of knowing if he even would have hit the ball if he was called up at that point. Unfair to say he would have done this or this if he started right away with the Angels. I can say if Miggy didn't play in Detroit 81 games and instead in Yankee Stadium or Fenway for 81 games them he would have hit 61 home runs. Just a fans predictions and its silly to make ones like that. Trout had a wonderful year, but Miggy had a better one and he deserves it because he basically put a team on his back. Prince was good but so was Trumbo so......