Cal now odds-on favorite to win AL MVP.

[Chapow]

I agree with you. Judge is a worthy candidate who is consistently one of the top players in MLB every year. He hasn't won the MVP twice because he's a Yankee.

30 writers in the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) vote on the MVP. There are 2 voters from each city, so Yankee-centric voters don't get any more votes than anyone else.

If anything, there has been more buzz about Cal Raleigh this year from the national press than Judge. People tend to be more excited by a new face, and although Cal's been around for several years, this year has been his coming out party. Also, home runs are a flashy stat that people focus on, and Cal's 58 is significantly higher than Judge's 49.

Good points. I could be wrong, but I kind of doubt that there's some sort of massive and pervasive pro Yankees bias in Boston, and Milwaukee, and Cincinnati, and St Louis, and Denver, and Phoenix, and Miami, and LA, and San Fran, etc.

And I agree with your last point too. I think the fact that Judge has already won it twice probably works in Cals favor as well.

 

[Double Tribble]

Just my opinion, but I don't think this is very fair to Judge. Can you honestly look at what Judge has done this season and come to the conclusion that he's not a worthy MVP candidate, and the only reason he's in the conversation is because he's a Yankee? I sure can't.

You've made some great points. It's certainly not the only reason he's in the conversation, obviously. But being a Yankee certainly doesn't hurt, and I think it would be naive to think it doesn't give him more cache than he might otherwise have.

 

[Double Tribble]

Glasgow Seahawk said:
If Cal Raleigh was a Yankee this wouldn't even be a question

I agree completely with @Chapow. Aaron Judge is a terrific ballplayer and would be a major candidate for MVP no matter what team he played on. He's leading the league in batting average at .326, he's hit 49 homers, 2nd in the league next to Cal, 103 runs batted in which is 5th best in the league.

Plus, the Yankees are a near cinch to make the playoffs while having to play in the AL East, one of the toughest divisions in all of baseball, and he's been their driving force. His batting average is way better than Cal's, so there's plenty of justification for him being named MVP.

Cal's average and stats overall would be a lot higher if he played in Yankee stadium also, probably at least 5-10%. Let's not forget that.

 

[Double Tribble]

I think there is a certain amount of Judge fatigue ( kind of like Mahomes fatigue), having won MVP twice already. And although he's not a bad fielder, everyone remembers Judge dropping a routine fly ball that contributed to the Dodgers' astonishing comeback in the World Series last year. So I think Cal wins it in a tight vote, especially if he makes it to 60 HRs.

I agree. How do you not give it to someone with 60 dingers, especially with his other contributions?

 

[RiverDog]

Yeah, and it goes way beyond batting average. He's leading all of MLB in damn near everything. BA, OBP, SLG, OPS, OPS+, total bases, runs, walks, WAR, and on and on.

Honestly, there's a pretty strong argument to be made that the Yankees wouldn't even be a playoff team this year without Judge.

Yuppers. Here's a good, objective breakdown of the two players arguments of being named MVP:

Cal Raleigh catches Aaron Judge as MVP co-favorite, but what does Mariners slugger need to pass Yankees star?

Cal Raleigh and Aaron Judge both have -115 American League MVP odds entering the regular season's final week

www.cbssports.com

 

[Chapow]

You've made some great points. It's certainly not the only reason he's in the conversation, obviously. But being a Yankee certainly doesn't hurt, and I think it would be naive to think it doesn't give him more cache than he might otherwise have.

I think there's a certain amount of prestige associated with playing for the Yankees that probably doesn't exist for players on a lot of other teams. I just personally don't think that is what tips the scales when it comes to voting for the MVP.

 

[Chapow]

Yuppers. Here's a good, objective breakdown of the two players arguments of being named MVP:

Cal Raleigh catches Aaron Judge as MVP co-favorite, but what does Mariners slugger need to pass Yankees star?

Cal Raleigh and Aaron Judge both have -115 American League MVP odds entering the regular season's final week

www.cbssports.com

That's a great breakdown. Very fair and balanced, imo.

 

[RiverDog]

That's a great breakdown. Very fair and balanced, imo.

I thought so, too. Glad you liked it.

Even though I've been posting a lot about Cal and the MVP award, I'm not all that enthusiastic about his winning it. I'm all about the team, not the individual. That's no disrespect towards Cal. Everything I've heard about him has been positive, his teammates all seem to like him, and he appears very modest about his success. It would be a nice gesture if he were to win it, but the pie in the sky for me is the World Series title.

 

[IndyHawk]

Cal plays a much harder position than Judge whose glove is average,
he also plays in a bigger ballpark that is not easy to hit in, Yankee
stadium is a joke.

 

[RiverDog]

Cal plays a much harder position than Judge whose glove is average,
he also plays in a bigger ballpark that is not easy to hit in, Yankee
stadium is a joke.

The award, as I see it, is relative to the team, ie who is the "most valuable" player. That differs from who is the best player. The fact that Judge may play in a better hitter's ballpark might have something to do with their stats if you were comparing the two players in a vacuum, but as far as determining who is most important to the success of their team, it's irrelevant.

That's why they should factor in the two player's defensive contributions. IMO Cal contributes a lot more to the Mariner's defense than Judge does to the Yankees D.

 

[Ruminator]

I think Cal's going to break the record.

 

[Double Tribble]

The award, as I see it, is relative to the team, ie who is the "most valuable" player. That differs from who is the best player. The fact that Judge may play in a better hitter's ballpark might have something to do with their stats if you were comparing the two players in a vacuum, but as far as determining who is most important to the success of their team, it's irrelevant.

That's why they should factor in the two player's defensive contributions. IMO Cal contributes a lot more to the Mariner's defense than Judge does to the Yankees D.

This. MVP can't simply be who has the best hitting stats, otherwise they would need to rename it to BOP, Best Offensive Player, or something similar.

 

[Double Tribble]

Irrespective of the MVP, I think Cal's going to have another multiple homer game soon. Maybe two. Just putting it out there for the Universe to absorb and elevate...

 

[Ozzy]

They play in Colorado right? I think they pitch to him as they have nothing to play for. I want 60!

 

[sutz]

They play in Colorado right? I think they pitch to him as they have nothing to play for. I want 60!

We're at home in Seattle for the last two series.

 

[RiverDog]

This. MVP can't simply be who has the best hitting stats, otherwise they would need to rename it to BOP, Best Offensive Player, or something similar.

It's how we define the word "valuable." If I'm a billionaire, a $100 bill wouldn't be as valuable to me as it would to someone working at a minimum wage job. The $100 value is relative to the person who holds it.

Over the years, voters have become obsessed with hitting statistics and less impressed with team accomplishments. In 1942 and 1947, Ted Williams won the AL Triple Crown, but in both of those seasons, he was not named league MVP. The reason was that the Yankees won the pennant, and the award was given to 2nd basemen Joe Gordon and center fielder Joe DiMaggio.

There have been many controversial MVP Award winners over the years, but one defies justification from this distance of 75 years: New York Yankees second baseman Joe Gordon won the award in 1942 even though Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox won the Triple Crown. How did it happen?

As the 1942 season began, Ted Williams must have wondered what it would take for him to be recognized as the Most Valuable Player in the American League. How could he top his 1941 performance? His .406 average is still the best in the Major Leagues since 1924; he led the league in home runs (37) and runs scored (135); and he dwarfed the other contenders in on-base percentage (.553) and slugging percentage (.735). Despite drawing 71 more walks than Joe DiMaggio, he trailed DiMaggio’s league-leading RBI total by only five, 125 to 120.

Yet DiMaggio won the 1941 MVP Award handily, getting 15 first-place votes to Williams’s eight and earning a 291–254 margin in points. DiMaggio’s marquee thriller, that 56-game hitting streak, propelled him to the award. It wasn’t that simple, of course. On May 15, the day it began, the Yankees had a humdrum 14–14 record. The day he hit in game No. 56, they raised their record to 55–27 and sat in first place by six games. Even though Williams had a higher batting average than DiMaggio during those two months, DiMaggio was at his best when the Yankees did much of their legwork toward winning the pennant.

Schechter: Ted Williams in 1942: Triple Crown winner, MVP loser – Society for American Baseball Research

sabr.org

 

[RiverDog]

Oh, and the above link didn't mention why they selected Joe Gordon in 1942 instead of Triple Crown winner Ted Williams:

And in 1942, there was no one better in the American League (than 2nd baseman Joe Gordon). On Nov. 3, 1942, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America affirmed that by naming Gordon the AL Most Valuable Player.

During the 1942 season, Gordon finished fourth in the American League with a .322 batting average while swatting 18 home runs, totaling 173 hits and driving in 103 runs. His all-around play overshadowed the Triple Crown season of the Red Sox’s Ted Williams, who finished second in the MVP voting.

“The greatest all-around ballplayer I ever saw, and I don't bar any of them, is Joe Gordon,” said Hall of Fame manager Joe McCarthy, who Gordon played for in New York.

During his MVP campaign, he teamed with shortstop Phil Rizzuto to turn an American League record seven double plays in a single game on Aug. 14, 1942, against the Philadelphia Athletics.

In summary, it was Gordon's all-around play and the fact that the Yankees won the pennant that caused them to overlook Williams' batting performance.

 

[Ruminator]

Some of the highest ERA pitchers the Ms will have faced in quite some time:



I knew you'd all like that!

 

[sutz]

Some of the highest ERA pitchers the Ms will have faced in quite some time:



I knew you'd all like that!

Yeah, that's all well and good, but they do play half of their games in Denver, where balls fly higher and farther.

But I am glad to face a team of that caliber when we're trying to extend a winning streak approaching the playoffs. It's hard to sweep, even against teams like Colorado, so I would accept (not love) a 2-1 outcome. But a sweep is hardly unimaginable.

 

[bileever]

Yeah, that's all well and good, but they do play half of their games in Denver, where balls fly higher and farther.

But I am glad to face a team of that caliber when we're trying to extend a winning streak approaching the playoffs. It's hard to sweep, even against teams like Colorado, so I would accept (not love) a 2-1 outcome. But a sweep is hardly unimaginable.

Although the Mariners appear to be in control at this point, I think they're going to have to keep the pedal to the metal if they want to maintain their position as the 2-seed and get a bye. A sweep of the Rockies would be nice because the Mariners have to play the Dodgers after that, and that's not going to be easy.

The good thing is that Detroit has to play the Guardians and the Red Sox, so they have a harder road, with both Cleveland and Boston fighting to make the playoffs.